Naruto: I Became Orochimaru's Apprentice-Chapter 58: Tenga

The moon hung high in the sky, casting pale light over the vast landscape below. The journey to the Hidden Cloud Village was slow but steady. Teriyaki's eyes remained sharp, scanning the horizon, while Deidara, ever the loudmouth, hummed tunes that only seemed to irritate his teammate.

"This mission's gonna be boring, I can feel it. No explosions. No art. Just sneaking around, kidnapping some guy for Pain's little project," Deidara grumbled, his tone laced with annoyance.

Teriyaki kept his thoughts to himself. He had no interest in Deidara's complaints, but the mission itself was starting to feel... off. A strategist from the Hidden Cloud? Someone with intelligence the world couldn't know? It sounded like they were walking into a trap.

"Do you ever stop complaining?" Teriyaki asked, his voice flat as he leapt to another tree branch, moving with a grace that came from years of honing his body and chakra.

Deidara jumped beside him, dodging the tree's branches with ease. "Well, if you didn't look like such a sad puppy all the time, I wouldn't need to fill the air with my superior sense of entertainment." He grinned mischievously. "Also, you're gonna be stuck with me for a while, so you better get used to it."

Teriyaki's eyes narrowed, but he didn't reply. He wasn't here to argue. Pain's mission came first. If this Tenga guy really was a rogue strategist, his value could shape the course of the Akatsuki's plans.

They pressed on through the dense trees, the night sky above turning darker, more oppressive. The Hidden Cloud Village wasn't far now. Teriyaki could feel it in the air — an oppressive sense of control, like the village was on high alert. His senses were sharpened from years of training under Orochimaru, and the hairs on his neck stood up.

"We're getting close," Teriyaki muttered under his breath, stopping on a high branch to survey the land below.

Deidara followed suit, his eyes scanning the area. "Yeah, I can feel it too. You think they know we're coming?"

"Doesn't matter. We don't need to go in like bulls in a china shop." Teriyaki's voice was steady, but there was an edge to it. He'd learned early that stealth was key. Deidara's flashy explosions would only make things harder.

"Well, then, I guess I'll stay on my best behavior," Deidara drawled, his tone oozing sarcasm. "Don't want to ruin your grand plan with a little art, now do we?"

Teriyaki ignored him, his mind already working through their approach. He'd leave the explosions for later—after they had Tenga, and after they had the information they needed.

The Hidden Cloud Village came into view. The giant walls of the village stretched high above, protected by layers of defenses that would make most shinobi think twice before trying to break in. But the Akatsuki were not most shinobi. They were the shadowy hand that moved in places others dared not tread.

They dropped silently into the trees, their cloaks blending with the dark branches. Teriyaki could feel the presence of several shinobi on the walls, though none seemed to notice them. The village was tight-knit and highly vigilant, but they had the advantage of surprise.

"So, how do we find this guy? Do we knock on doors and hope he's home?" Deidara whispered, clearly impatient.

Teriyaki's eyes flicked to him. "Keep it down. We'll locate him the way we always do—by watching."

They observed for a while from the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike. Teriyaki knew the layout of the village well enough to spot the area where high-profile people were kept. It was only a matter of finding Tenga, the rogue strategist.

After a couple of hours, a faint glimmer of movement caught Teriyaki's attention. A lone figure, cloaked and hurried, was moving through the alleyways in the heart of the village. Teriyaki's instincts told him that was their target.

"There he is," Teriyaki whispered, his tone low but sure. "That's Fushiro Tenga."

Deidara grinned, the excitement barely contained in his voice. "Finally. You ready for some fun?"

Teriyaki didn't respond, already leaping from his perch and heading toward the ground below. His steps were quiet, his chakra control precise, avoiding the crackle of leaves underfoot.

Deidara followed with a huff, his clay birds flitting quietly around him. As they approached their target, Teriyaki could feel the tension in the air, like a wire pulled taut just waiting to snap.

"Now's our chance," Teriyaki said. His tone was commanding, yet calm. "I'll take him from the front. You—"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll do the thing where I don't blow up the village, for once." Deidara's voice dripped with sarcasm, but Teriyaki ignored him.

They moved closer to Tenga. Teriyaki's eyes were trained on the man's movements. He was tall, older-looking, his posture indicating a life lived in strategy and war, not just survival.

It wasn't until they were nearly upon him that Tenga seemed to notice something was off. His head whipped around, catching sight of the figures in the shadows.

"Who's there?" Tenga's voice was sharp, but calm—measured. This wasn't just a normal civilian; this was someone who had likely faced death countless times.

Without missing a beat, Teriyaki was in motion, his fingers weaving the familiar signs for a binding jutsu. "Snake binding!"

A series of snakes shot from his hands, coiling toward Tenga with deadly precision. But just as they were about to strike, Tenga's hands moved in a blur, and the snakes exploded into nothingness with a burst of wind. He had anticipated them, or maybe he'd sensed their chakra.

Deidara didn't wait. His hand darted toward the pouch at his side, and in an instant, he had a clay bird ready for launch.

"Gotcha!" Deidara yelled, releasing the bird toward their target.

But before it could explode, Tenga vanished, a puff of smoke and wind leaving nothing but empty air behind him. He had used a substitution technique.

Teriyaki's heart rate spiked. "He's good."

Deidara grinned. "Guess we're going to need a little more than snakes and birds, huh?"

Tenga's figure reappeared behind them, too quick for Teriyaki to react. In one smooth motion, he grabbed Teriyaki by the collar, lifting him off the ground. His voice was low, calm, and oddly amused.

"Did you think you could sneak into my village and leave so easily?"

Deidara's smirk faltered, but his hands moved quickly, ready to blow them all away if needed. Teriyaki's vision blurred as Tenga's grip tightened. The strategist's eyes—sharp, calculating—locked onto Teriyaki's.

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"I suggest you rethink your position," Tenga murmured.

For a moment, Teriyaki could feel the tension, the weight of the world crashing down on him. But then, he grinned.

"Wrong move, old man."

Deidara's laugh echoed through the night, and suddenly the air was filled with a whirlwind of explosive clay, not aimed at their target, but at the village walls that surrounded them.

The explosion rocked the ground beneath them, a diversion to throw Tenga off guard. Teriyaki broke free, landing gracefully on his feet.

"Now, we can talk," Teriyaki said, his voice cold but resolute.

Tenga's eyes flickered with something unreadable. "Who are you people? Why are you so strong?"

"You don't know half of it," Teriyaki replied. For Tenga, we really are just some random terrorists. 

And this rogue strategist—he would be a key piece in their plan.

Deidara smirked. "So... you're ready for round two, yeah?"