"Hey! Hey!"
"This guy is something else." The Shadow Ninja muttered, cold sweat dripping from his forehead as he stared at the massive dragon soaring through the sky.
"You and Earth Ninja better head back to the boss. This fight is way out of your league now," came the voice of the Water Ninja from beneath the lake.
"Be careful! Those things he's making can all explode," the Shadow Ninja warned as he melted back into the shadows.
"Relax. No matter how powerful the explosion, it won't work on water," the Water Ninja replied confidently.
"Fair enough," Shadow Ninja said before vanishing completely.
Boom!
A car-sized miniature dragon spewed from the enhanced giant dragon above, diving toward the lake in a suicidal charge.
Kaboom!
Water splashed over ten meters high. True to his words, the Water Ninja ignored the attack. Explosions, no matter how violent, couldn't harm someone merged with water. At most, they caused mild discomfort.
"Water Release: Water Fang Bullet!"
Dozens of spinning water columns surged from the lake, resembling sharp-edged drills. Though they didn't appear overly destructive, their high-speed rotation made them devastatingly powerful. Being made of water, they were also extraordinarily agile, capable of striking from any direction.
"Whoa! This level of Water Release… Even Kisame from Akatsuki might struggle to pull that off. This Nokizaru Group guy is something else," White Zetsu commented from afar, intrigued by the spectacle.
"It's likely a unique physique or secret technique. Even the Hozuki Clan pales in comparison when it comes to water manipulation," Black Zetsu analyzed.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
The barrage of Water Fang Bullets surged upward, targeting the airborne dragon. For a moment, Deidara felt as though he was trapped in a storm. The roaring wind and pelting water severely limited his visibility.
Though his clay dragon matched a Tailed Beast in size, its defenses were far weaker. After all, clay was malleable—closer to rubber than steel.
"Damn it! If this continues, the enhanced dragon will be riddled with holes and lose its ability to fly."
"How about now? As long as there's water, I'm invincible!" The Water Ninja's smug voice echoed from below.
"Hmph! Your ability is impressive, but it's nothing compared to my art," Deidara sneered.
"You've drained so much water to attack me that the lake level has dropped several meters. Your defense is getting weaker. Let's see how you handle this!"
"Secret Technique: Dragon's Nest!"
Deidara formed a seal with his interlocked fingers. Massive white eggs spewed from his dragon's mouth, descending toward the lake below.
"If I blow up all the water, what will your so-called invincibility amount to?"
"What?!"
The countless water columns faltered and plummeted back into the lake. Despite his arrogance, the Water Ninja was no fool. He withdrew his offensive, focusing instead on fortifying his defenses.
"You're too late! Take this!" Deidara yelled.
The white eggs hatched mid-air, but instead of soaring upward, the newly-formed clay dragons spread their wings and dove toward the lake. Explosions erupted, shaking the entire valley as the detonations displaced the lake's water, scattering it far and wide in a torrential downpour.
"This power… it's absurd! But my water is back! Victory is mine!" the Water Ninja roared triumphantly.
"You understand nothing about my art. So what if your water returns? I can just do it again! I've made it a habit to carry plenty of backup clay!" Deidara smirked.
"C2—Guardian Dragon!"
"Art is an explosion! Hah!"
"No!" The Water Ninja's cry of disbelief echoed as the entire lake was obliterated once more—not evaporated, but blasted into scattered droplets by the explosive shockwave. A heavy rain fell over the valley, but without the water pooling together, the Water Ninja was rendered powerless.
[Water Ninja's Shock Value +1000]
[Bug Ninja's Shock Value +500]
[Shadow Ninja's Shock Value...]
[White Zetsu's Shock Value +1000]
[Black Zetsu's Shock Value +1000]
"No wonder Nagato insisted on recruiting Deidara into Akatsuki. His abilities are perfect for handling Tailed Beasts," White Zetsu remarked.
"He's strong. Should we bring him to our side?" White Zetsu asked again.
"Leave that to Obito. For now, we should avoid overstepping. Let him maintain his authority as the leader—it's crucial for our plans. Any misstep could raise suspicion," Black Zetsu replied.
As the rain subsided, a rare rainbow arched across the valley. A while later, Sasori finally arrived, his puppet Hiruko bearing fresh battle scars.
"Deidara, you went overboard."
"Do you realize your explosion scared the other Nokizaru Group members so badly they fled? It took me forever to capture them," Sasori complained.
Deidara shrugged with a helpless expression.
"What can I say? My art is just that captivating."
"Did you get any intel?" Deidara asked, turning serious.
"It's related to the Daimyo of the Land of Birds. Akatsuki's base there accidentally encroached on his interests, so he issued a ten-million bounty to take it down," Sasori explained.
"What the—?!"
"A measly base worth ten million? Not even a third of Asuma Sarutobi's bounty! How embarrassing!"
Deidara relayed the intel to Nagato via his ring.
"I see. I'll send Zetsu to handle the Daimyo," Pain's cold voice reverberated in Deidara's mind. The experience felt oddly similar to the system's notifications.
Speaking of which, Deidara eagerly opened his system interface.
[Strongest Artist System]
Host: Deidara
Shock Value: 5250/6000
Skill Points: 1
Unlocked Skills: Explosion Mastery Lv.1, C2 Enhanced Dragon, Improved Clay, Chakra Reinforcement, Anti-Lightning Clay
With a new skill point to spend, Deidara hesitated briefly before sticking to his plan: maximizing the destructive power of his explosions. The other skills could wait.
"Let's do this—Ultra-High Heat!"
A grin spread across his face as he activated the upgrade, envisioning the next evolution of his art. Now, his clay bombs could unleash scorching temperatures, incinerating his enemies with devastating heat.
"Art truly is an explosion!"
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
Read more than +100 chapters and support me on Patreon
Patreon(.)com/Jixo