In the wake of Deidara using his explosive clay to sow terror, Sasori and Kanon breached the Land of This together.
The people of the Land of This had only just realized the gravity of the crisis. Inside the nation's tallest building, Sasori's Hiruko trudged slowly forward, flanked by a woman with twin tails wearing a fox mask.
Dozens of samurai had gathered there to meet them.
"Trifling weaklings. Kanon-chan, will you take them, or shall I?"
"Sasori-nii, your techniques are far too cold. Allow me," Kanon said, stepping forward with a flicker. Before the samurai could even register her disappearance, a voice echoed from their very center.
"Chidori Stream..."
Countless bolts of blue electricity surged outward. In a mere instant, these samurai, who were nothing more than small fry to Sasori, all collapsed.
As the duo pushed further into the interior, Sasori killed everyone he encountered; every person in this building was a high-ranking official of the Land of This. Under the onslaught of Hiruko, many succumbed to lethal toxins.
Kanon, following behind Sasori, hardly had to lift a finger after that initial Chidori Stream.
Listening to the rising chorus of screams echoing from the building, Deidara, who was standing guard outside, shook his head.
"Master Sasori is definitely being too cruel. Kanon-chan probably hasn't even made a move," Deidara remarked, his expression shifting slightly. "Even though my art wasn't showcased this time, it's not bad to appreciate someone else's!"
Just as the words left Deidara's mouth, a Chidori Sharp Spear erupted from the topmost floor where the Daimyo resided. The elongated bolt of lightning pierced through a man's brow, exiting through the back of his head.
It was a samurai; the chakra within his body had already ceased to flow.
"Deidara-nii! I know what my art is now!"
"Fine! Kanon! Tell me, what is this art you pursue?"
"It is my Sharingan! Deidara-nii!" The Chidori Sharp Spear retracted, and the corpse plummeted from the heights toward Deidara.
"The Sharingan is your art?! That's not bad! Just don't end up like that bastard Itachi!" Deidara shouted, tossing a clump of explosive clay.
BOOM!
A massive explosion bloomed mid-air. The resulting gale swept away the dust surrounding Deidara.
The falling corpse was instantly reduced to ash in the sky. Moments later, Kanon leaped down from the summit.
"Deidara-nii! Catch me!" Kanon descended from the heavens.
"Hey, hey, hey! Are you serious? That's dangerous!" Deidara's expression turned frantic as he instantly maneuvered his Explosive Clay: Giant Bird into the air, catching Kanon in a firm embrace.
"You're being too reckless," he said, setting her down before giving her a sharp rap on the head.
"Ow! That hurts..."
"If you jump that fast, what happens if I don't catch you? If something happens to you, Leader will have my head," Deidara grumbled.
He had originally thought he was the youngest member of the Akatsuki, but now that a fourteen-year-old girl had joined, he had slipped into the role of an older brother. Since she called him "Deidara-nii," it was only right that he looked after his younger sister.
"...I'm sorry, Deidara-nii. Look at my art!" Kanon's three-tomoe Sharingan spun wildly, though she didn't release any jutsu; she was clearly just teasing him.
Thunk!
Another rap on the head. A large bump appeared near Kanon's twin tails, with a smaller bump perched right on top of it.
"Don't use the Sharingan on me! Even if it is your 'art'." Whenever Deidara looked at the Sharingan, he thought of Itachi, and his blood began to boil.
"Sigh, Deidara-nii, why do you care so much about a scumbag like Itachi? Sooner or later, I'm going to kill that bastard," Kanon said, patting Deidara on the shoulder.
"Then you'd better get your revenge early, or I might beat you to it."
"I know! Next time I see that prick, I'll slaughter him."
The two stood there chatting about their views on art. In truth, Kanon wasn't particularly obsessed with it; she simply felt that fleeting beauty had its merits and played along with Deidara's rhetoric.
Even so, Deidara's mood improved significantly. It turned out Kanon actually understood his art.
"Excellent! In the future, I'll let you see my ultimate art from a distance!"
"I'll look forward to it then," Kanon smiled, turning to look behind her.
"Let's go. The mission is complete," Sasori's low voice vibrated from within Hiruko.
"Right, let's head back!" Kanon stretched.
"But before we go, let's have one more taste of my art, Master Sasori, Kanon-chan." Deidara looked at the two with a pleading gaze.
"Just don't overdo it," Sasori said dismissively, not caring much.
Deidara smiled and turned toward the silent Kanon.
"As for me... I have no objection. After all, you guys are still my seniors!"
"There's no need to ask for my opinion."
Seeing Kanon agree, Deidara nodded.
"What a great rookie. Then, I'll let you appreciate the art of Deidara!"
With that, he carried the three of them high into the sky on his bird. From his pouch, he withdrew another piece of explosive clay.
"Art is an explosion!"
"Katsu!!"
BOOM!
Beneath the giant bird, the largest building in the country was leveled in an instant, and billowing clouds of thick smoke rose.
"Did you see that, Kanon-chan?! That is the beauty of the fleeting moment!" Deidara said, crossing his arms and laughing with self-absorbed delight.
"This is art..."
Watching Deidara lost in his own world, Kanon could only feel a metaphorical sweat-drop. She gave an awkward smile to her partner; he really was a strange one.
"Let's move," Sasori interjected flatly, cutting off Deidara's lecture on the philosophy of art.
Snapping back to reality, Deidara guided the group away from the now-devastated Land of This.
When they returned to the Akatsuki base, they found that Pain and Konan had arrived. Usually, they remained in Amegakure to issue commands; their physical presence at the base suggested a significant mission was afoot.
"Kanon-chan, as a member of the Akatsuki, you must act more silent and cold!"
"Simply put: Cool = Art!"
"Listen up, Kanon-chan, art is derived from 'cool' emotions. The passion of a single moment..."
Before Deidara could finish, he was interrupted by Pain, who was walking toward them.
"Has the mission been completed?"
"Leader, it is done," Sasori said, handing the mission report to Konan.
"Good. Next, it is time for your new objective."
"The true objective of the Akatsuki."
"Kanon, Deidara, Sasori. After you have rested, you will head to Sunagakure to execute the next phase."
Hearing the announcement, Sasori frowned slightly. The destination was Suna.
"What's the mission?" Deidara asked directly.
Pain looked at Deidara and stated the objective clearly:
"Capture the Kazekage, Gaara, alive. Extract the One-Tail."