Chapter 59, Chapter Fifty-Eight

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The sky was shrouded in a soft white veil, a vast expanse of white, with fine snowflakes drifting down slowly.

The unique climate means that snow rarely falls in the Land of Fields. On most days, the sky is clear and bright.

Fortunately, the harvest season has long passed, and the farmers who rely on the weather for their livelihood are enjoying this rare snow season.

Scorpion left the team due to some personal matters, and the intelligence he gathered has been reported. This matter is temporarily concluded.

The streets of the town were covered with a thin layer of snow.

Yuki and Deidara walked side by side. Due to the growing fame of the Akatsuki organization, they did not wear Akatsuki robes to avoid unnecessary trouble.

She and Deidara disguised themselves slightly; the beautiful woman with long, slightly wavy, dark hair wore a high-necked khaki trench coat, and the belt around her waist accentuated her slender figure.

The handsome blond boy had a striking high ponytail, and wore a light-colored crew neck sweatshirt with dark trousers.

The handsome man and beautiful woman attracted the attention of many passersby, and Deidara noticed his partner's slight frown.

He pulled her into the clothing store, looking at her with a puzzled expression.

After picking up a dark blue scarf from the counter and wrapping it around her, he picked out another scarf in the same color scheme and wrapped it around himself.

He said, "Don't you think it's too conspicuous? This should be better."

Xue couldn't help but laugh, while Deidara paused, his ear tips, hidden beneath his blond hair, turning slightly red.

"But, it doesn't seem to make much of a difference, does it?" Xue's gaze fell on the fluffy white beret beside her.

She reached out and took the hat, gently placing it on Deidara's head. Because she was slightly taller than the younger Deidara, she didn't even need to tiptoe; the movement was natural and fluid.

"Shouldn't this kind of hat with a brim be better for disguise?" Xue picked out a fluffy hat with cat ears and put it on. Looking at the reflection in the mirror, you couldn't tell that the two of them were members of the ruthless and murderous organization. They looked more like a student couple who grew up together, leisurely shopping as usual.

"How is it? Does it look good?" Xue turned around, her skin under the brim of her hat was as white as snow, and her features were so exquisite that she looked like she had stepped out of a painting.

Deidara's gaze lingered on her forehead, almond-shaped eyes, and the tip of her nose, finally settling on her small, rosy lips.

Brother Scorpion's gaze... also frequently lingered on this spot, and he couldn't help but cover his slightly flushed face with one hand.

He must have blushed; his heart was beating way too fast.

He had only ever experienced such emotions when he was immersed in the art of explosion.

“...Beautiful.” Deidara’s voice was somewhat low.

He lowered his head, took Xue's wrist, and walked towards the front desk: "Check, please."

The store manager at the front desk was a kind and approachable middle-aged woman. It was the first time she had seen such a handsome and beautiful couple, and she smiled broadly, her eyes full of blessings and playful teasing.

She enthusiastically gave them a discount and said teasingly, "Little brother, your girlfriend is so pretty! Come again next time!"

"Nonsense!" Deidara didn't argue, but the blush on his face deepened, and he tightened his grip on Yuki's hand.

Even after leaving the clothing store, he still didn't let go of her hand. A cool sensation ran down their faces as they stood in front of the shop window.

Xue stretched out her empty hand, and snowflakes fell into her palm. In the warmth of her hand, they quickly melted into glistening water droplets.

Deidara tilted his head slightly, his gaze falling on Yuki's expressionless face. This was the first time he had observed a woman so closely; his impressions of women were limited to the granddaughter of Grandpa Daidoki... that little brat was nothing compared to the woman before him. Deidara thought to himself, just the day before he had been filled with resentment, wondering why this new, annoying Uchiha had managed to steal Sasori's attention.

Her eyes were classic almond-shaped, with slightly drooping corners, giving the impression of being indifferent to everything. Her obsidian-colored pupils coldly observed everything around her, pure as if devoid of any emotion. Her eyelashes... were quite similar to Itachi's, that genjutsu bastard—thick and long, casting faint shadows beneath her eyes.

Are those eyes also Sharingan?

Of course, after all, the other party is also from the Uchiha clan.

Yuki noticed Deidara's intense gaze, and their eyes met. Deidara was taken aback at first, then looked away, but his gaze seemed uncontrollable, lingering between elsewhere and Yuki, hesitant and uncertain. Finally, it settled on her lips.

"Hey—do you have a boyfriend?" Deidara's voice was a little nervous.

No, right? I don't think so, do I? He thought to himself uncontrollably.

What if there is such a thing? Can he be a third party?

Xue frowned slightly, her gaze falling on Deidara's flushed face and rosy ear tips. She gently shook her head.

So, the hand that was originally just holding her wrist tentatively touched her fingertips.

Sensing that she didn't show any obvious rejection or aversion, his hand naturally overlapped hers, their fingers intertwined tightly. Then, a strange sensation came from his palm—warm, soft, as if being licked by a tongue. It was his bloodline limit.

He likes her.

"From now on, I'll be your boyfriend." Deidara said domineeringly, looking directly into her eyes. His slightly upturned eyes, paired with his unusual blue-green pupils, were clear and bright, sparkling like a wet puppy staring at her expectantly.

Xue paused for a moment, somewhat surprised: "...Huh?"

Deidara quickly kissed the corner of Yuki's lips, his tone light and cheerful.

"So today is our first anniversary!"

Are you hungry? I'll take you to get something to eat.

"Snow!"

The cold winter seems to be a perfect match for steaming hot oden. Although the oden shop is small, it is kept very clean and tidy. A large pot of hot broth is bubbling away, with nine compartments arranged inside, each containing different ingredients. The steam rising from the pot like white clouds blurs the view, but the rich broth instantly whets the appetite.

Xue and Deidara sat in a row of seats, and Deidara thoughtfully busied himself with directing the owner to put ingredients into her bowl.

One minute they'd say this is delicious and urge her to try more; the next minute they'd say that's nutritious and remind her not to forget to eat it.

Xue gently gathered her long hair and loosely tied it into a bun at the back of her head, with a few stray strands falling casually beside her cheeks.

After dinner, the snow gradually intensified.

"Shall we go back to the inn?" Yuki's gaze fell on Deidara, who was holding her hand.

The two looked at each other, Deidara narrowed his eyes slightly, and then, as if he had thought of something, his face suddenly turned red.

"Isn't it a little too fast?" He lowered his voice, but the ninja could still hear him clearly.

Xue Heixian: "What are you thinking? I just said I was going back to the hostel to rest."

When Scorpion returned, before entering the room, he skillfully stored Hiruko into the puppet storage scroll.

She should have gone back to her own room, but instead she knocked on Uchiha Yuki's door.

After knocking a few times, there was no response from inside. Scorpion frowned slightly, took out a thin needle from his sleeve, and deftly inserted it into the crack in the door. With a gentle push, the door opened.

Upon entering, a strikingly handsome red-haired boy with amber eyes was greeted by Deidara, who was holding Yuki tightly in his arms. His blond hair, like a soft ball of fur, nestled in the crook of Yuki's neck. Yuki seemed to be slightly pricked by the stray hairs on Deidara's forehead, her brows furrowing slightly, a look of ticklish tenderness appearing on her face. She tried to pull away a little, but Deidara quickly snuggled up to her again like a clingy little animal, and the two sat on the bed in an ambiguous position.

An hour earlier, Yuki was reading "The Story of Shinobu's Perseverance," a book she had bought from the bookstore to pass the time, when Deidara jumped in through the window, muttering that he hadn't hugged her enough yet.

The result was what Scorpion saw: the two were dressed casually and in intimate physical contact.

Deidara noticed Sasori, but he couldn't bear to let go.

This intimate physical contact caused him to release a large amount of endorphins, immersing him in pleasure.

"Snow smells so good...so soft! I love it!" Deidara said, his face full of delight.

scorpion:.......

"Deidara, get down," Sasori called out.

Deidara didn't want to let go of Yuki, but soon, Pain's summons arrived, and he had to reluctantly release her. Yuki also put down her book, and the three of them put on Akatsuki robes, set up a barrier in the room, and then sat down to use the Illusionary Body Technique to transmit their consciousness to Pain, who was thousands of miles away, via chakra waves.

The illusions of the crowd appeared before the giant stone statue, each stepping on one of its fingers.

"Something happened in Konoha Village. Orochimaru did it."

Orochimaru used the Sound Ninja and Sand Ninja to declare war on Konoha.

"But it seems that Konoha was not destroyed, and the Third Hokage died in this war."

"Orochimaru's whereabouts are unknown, and I want to send someone to investigate."

As soon as Pain finished speaking, Itachi said, "I'll go."

"Then I'll leave it to you. Itachi and Kisame will track down Orochimaru's whereabouts and investigate the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."

After the conversation ended, the illusions all disappeared. Before leaving, Yuki noticed Itachi Uchiha's gaze upon her, a gaze that was deep and complex.

Yuki slowly opened her eyes, and Sasori grabbed Deidara by the back of his collar, stopping him from lunging at her again. He seemed puzzled; he had only been gone for a few hours, so why was Deidara's change in attitude towards Yuki so sudden?

"Speaking of which, Yuki is also from Konoha Village, right?" Deidara asked curiously. "Want to go back and visit? I can go with you!"

“Deidara, we have other missions,” Sasori interrupted coldly. However, his amber eyes quickly settled on her face: “If you want to go…”

Before he could finish speaking, Xue interrupted him with, "No, I have no interest in Konoha Village."

Although Lin Xue said this, she did indeed have the idea of ​​going to Konoha Village to explore Uchiha Yuki's past.

What kind of person is Uchiha Yuki?