Whoosh!
Faced with the surging waves, Itachi certainly didn't plan to brute-force his way through.
As a genjutsu specialist, Itachi also possessed notable mastery of fire-style techniques. However, against such an overwhelming scale of water-style ninjutsu, his fire-style was simply no match.
To forcefully counter it, he'd have to rely on Susanoo. But unlike his foolish little brother, Itachi wasn't one to recklessly waste his ocular powers, blinding himself after just a couple of uses.
With nimble leaps, Itachi danced through the cascading waves, effortlessly evading the torrents as though it were second nature.
"Second squad, use Water Gunshot!" The commander in the rear was visibly frustrated. He hadn't expected a genjutsu user to display such agility, dodging every attack with ease and remaining completely dry.
"Water Style: Water Gunshot Jutsu!"
Dozens of water bullets shot toward Uchiha Itachi, dense as raindrops, leaving no room to evade.
"Got him!" a Mist ninja shouted excitedly.
But the next moment, the figure they struck exploded into a flock of crows, scattering in all directions. Itachi reappeared in a different location.
It wasn't teleportation or a space-time jutsu. Itachi had cast genjutsu on the entire second squad the moment they locked onto him.
As observers, Deidara and the others saw through the illusion instantly.
In reality, the second squad's water bullets hadn't even targeted Itachi. Instead, they had turned on their own allies in the first squad, causing massive casualties.
"What?!" The higher-ups of the Blood Mist faction were stunned. Such powerful genjutsu was beyond their imagination.
"It's the Sharingan!"
"That man… it's Itachi Uchiha!"
Someone sharp-eyed noticed the red gleam in Itachi's eyes and immediately recognized his identity.
Even for Itachi, this level of genjutsu required the Sharingan. It was no wonder true genjutsu specialists were so rare in the ninja world—it was incredibly challenging to reach Kage-level proficiency in this discipline.
Realizing their opponent was Uchiha Itachi and witnessing his otherworldly genjutsu, the Blood Mist faction shifted their focus to the nearby Sasori and Deidara.
The real battle began!
C1—Serpent Swarm!
Deidara pressed his palms to the ground, summoning a swarm of clay snakes reminiscent of a bootleg Formation of Ten Thousand Snakes. The serpents slithered across the battlefield, surrounding the Mist ninjas.
"What are these creepy things?!"
The Mist ninjas found themselves encircled by the eerie, unending creatures. Worse yet, they couldn't afford to relax for a moment, as letting even one snake get close would spell disaster in an explosive instant.
"Use Lightning Style!" one ninja shouted after discovering the clay creations' weakness.
"Lightning Style: Thunder Ball!"
"Lightning Style: False Darkness!"
"Lightning Style: Shockwave!"
In an instant, waves of lightning techniques surged forth, decimating Deidara's clay constructs and clearing the battlefield.
Don't underestimate Mist ninjas' proficiency in Lightning Style. Thanks to water's conductive properties, Lightning Style was an excellent companion to Water Style, making Mist ninjas second only to Kumogakure in lightning mastery.
"Hah!" A Blood Mist Jonin wielding a massive blade let out a triumphant laugh. He pointed his sword at Deidara and taunted loudly, "What now, brat? Watch me cut you down!"
C1—Spiders!
In response, Deidara unleashed a swarm of white clay spiders with purple stripes. With a spring of their legs, they lunged at the overconfident Mist Jonin.
"Useless!"
"Lightning Style: Thunder Wave!"
The Jonin's blade crackled with violet lightning as he swung it, releasing a wave of electricity that engulfed the spiders. However, he failed to notice the subtle color difference in these constructs.
Boom!
Caught off guard, the Mist Jonin was blown to bits.
Deidara stepped forward, his presence so commanding that the remaining Mist ninjas instinctively retreated in fear.
"Allow me to introduce my anti-lightning masterpieces!" Deidara declared, his mouth full as he chewed his clay. "You're the first to witness them!"
C2—Spider Queen!
Deidara unveiled a clay creation perfectly suited for large-scale combat. However, the sparse notifications from his shock value system dampened his enthusiasm. The Mist Village, weakened and lacking elite Jonin, couldn't provide much value.
Meanwhile, Sasori stood nearby, maintaining a low profile. He evaluated the situation inwardly.
"That brat's impressive," Sasori thought, observing Deidara's innovations. "He actually developed clay that resists Lightning Style."
Not wanting to expose his true form in public, Sasori opted to let Deidara take the lead. Although, truth be told, he wasn't any less formidable.
From above, Deidara hovered on his clay bird, gazing down at the Mizukage Office in the Mist Village's center.
"Still no movement? Is Obito planning to keep Yagura hidden forever?"
He considered storming the building and confronting Mei Terumi directly. Even if he did nothing, Yagura's passive stance tonight would spell the end of his leadership.
After tonight, the Blood Mist faction would suffer devastating losses, leaving them divided and distrustful. Simultaneously, the reformists led by Mei Terumi would solidify their resolve against Yagura.
Still, Deidara didn't want to give Obito or Black Zetsu any extra time. In the ninja world, time always brought unexpected developments. Who knew what schemes they might concoct?
Suddenly, a surge of powerful chakra erupted from the Water Shadow Tower.
Deidara's lips curled into a grin. With his experience facing tailed beasts, he immediately recognized it.
"Three-Tails' chakra… Yagura is finally coming out."
"It's the Mizukage!" The Blood Mist ninjas cheered, finding hope in their leader's emergence. After enduring a demoralizing defeat at the hands of just three opponents, they finally regained a semblance of morale.
"Foreign ninjas, you will pay for this!" Yagura declared, his boyish face masked by a cloak of Three-Tails' chakra. In his hand was a massive hook-shaped weapon, resembling an oversized, unopened umbrella.
"Finally," Deidara smirked, bracing himself as he reached into his clay pouches. "I've been waiting for you."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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