"I didn't expect Deidara to have such powerful abilities. Darn it, I must quickly obtain the Mangekyo Sharingan. Just relying on Sasuke's 3-tomoe Sharingan compared to Dust Release is like a child facing a trained special forces soldier."
Orochimaru had experienced death and originally planned to immediately seize Sasuke's body to avoid getting killed by enemies due to Sasuke's foolish actions. After all, compared to preserving his own life and having the ability to assess the situation, Sasuke was no match for Orochimaru even with just a finger.
However, upon further consideration, Orochimaru realized that even Deidara had gained such formidable Bloodline Selection ability. If he didn't act quickly, it could be dangerous. If he took Sasuke's body now, his soul would be deeply wounded, and facing Itachi later might result in both of them being severely injured. It was better to let Sasuke and Itachi fight it out to obtain the Mangekyo Sharingan. After all, everyone was progressing in this era, and Orochimaru didn't want to fall behind.
To ensure Sasuke wouldn't do anything foolish again, Orochimaru had decided that if he faced enemies again, he would not hesitate to seize their bodies and escape. Survival was more important than anything, even more so than obtaining the Mangekyo Sharingan.
"Darn it, damn it. Am I still so weak in front of the top-notch shinobi in the ninja world after training for over three years?" Sasuke thought angrily. He didn't expect that in his first battle after leaving, he would have died if no one had saved him. He had been boasting about wanting to kill Deidara from the Akatsuki, but now it seemed he was no match for the opponent, even if Deidara didn't use Dust Release.
"No, the Uchiha clan is definitely the strongest. The Sharingan… Yes, the Sharingan. As long as my eyes evolve to the level of Mangekyo, I won't fear anything, not even the threat of Orochimaru inside me."
At this moment, Sasuke's pursuit of power became even more fanatical, even reaching a pathological state. He was willing to sacrifice anything as long as he could obtain greater strength.
"Itachi, my purpose for existence is to kill you. I will definitely kill you," Sasuke thought, recalling the words of the person who saved him just now. Was he destined to live in such humility? No, he didn't want that. He was determined to kill Itachi and then restore the Uchiha clan to become the strongest. But for now, he needed to go back and recover his body first.
"You're really amazing, senpai. You actually killed Sasuke. But now that you've killed Itachi's little brother, won't he come after you?" Tobi, with an admiring look, said to Deidara. However, if Deidara knew that it was Tobi who had saved Sasuke just now, he didn't know how his expression would change.
"Of course, but I'm looking forward to Itachi coming for me. By then, I'll send him to meet his little brother. But where did Itachi go? I asked Zetsu, but he doesn't know either."
Deidara appeared thoughtful, but little did he know that Black Zetsu wasn't ignorant or unwilling to tell him where Itachi was. After witnessing Deidara's battle earlier, especially seeing the terrifying Dust Release, Black Zetsu immediately informed White Zetsu not to tell Deidara where Itachi was.
Moreover, Sasuke had suffered considerable physical and mental damage from his recent battle, and he needed some time to recover. Meanwhile, Itachi's body was already on the verge of collapse.
Black Zetsu intended to let Itachi save his last strength for a battle against Sasuke. If Deidara, who was currently immensely powerful, went after Itachi, Itachi would definitely be defeated not because he was certain to lose but because his body wouldn't hold up. Even in a fight with Deidara, Itachi's body might crumble before determining a winner.
Therefore, he intentionally didn't tell Deidara about Itachi's location. Although he had decided to help Deidara a long time ago as a way of repaying the Kakuzu and Hidan's favor, he understood the significance of Itachi and, with Tobi's orders, refrained from telling Deidara where Itachi was. So, he just vaguely said that Itachi had disappeared.
Anyway, Black Zetsu knew that Itachi was about to die, and in the end, the result would be the same. After all, Deidara was also going to kill Itachi, but not as Deidara himself. Itachi's body was going to collapse, and the outcome would be the same, so what difference did it make whether he went or not?
"Perhaps Itachi is afraid of you, Deidara-senpai!" Tobi also knew that the key was for Sasuke's body to recover before the final battle with Itachi to determine the winner. Therefore, they absolutely couldn't let Deidara ruin it, so he could only flatter Deidara a little.
"You're right. You are becoming more and more qualified to be a member of the Akatsuki," Deidara accepted Tobi's flattery without hesitation. With Sasuke dealt with, he was in a good mood. He didn't care about these days, and he didn't believe that Itachi could hide forever. He was sure Itachi would come out eventually. Little did Deidara know that when Itachi did come out, it would be too late since Itachi would already be dead by then.
Deidara wouldn't have the chance to kill Itachi. It was a bit of a pity. Itachi's full power eruption was not the same as when he fought Sasuke. He had held back during that fight, teaching Sasuke how to use the Mangekyo's abilities, battle techniques, and genjutsu. Even Tobi felt it was a shame not to see Itachi's battle with Deidara. Both Tobi and Black Zetsu enjoyed watching other people fight, especially when it involved powerful individuals.
In fact, it wasn't just Black Zetsu and Tobi who enjoyed watching battles. Fights between interesting or strong individuals were captivating to many, especially when it was between fellow strong fighters.
"Thank you for your praise, Senpai. I also feel that way. However, I'm worried that if I continue to excel, I might steal your position, Deidara-senpai!" Tobi inadvertently said something that made Deidara's face turn even blacker than coal.
"Is that so? It seems you really want it. Then I'll give you the opportunity," Deidara said without hesitation and once again tied Tobi to a kite. After taking off, Tobi soared in the sky once more, and at the four corners of the kite were four explosive clay bombs. At this moment, Tobi wished Deidara would detonate them quickly so that he could escape.