"Watch out!"
Kakashi's sharp eyes caught the subtle difference in color on this batch of clay creatures, but his warning came a fraction too late. Dozens of Konoha shinobi paid the price with their lives.
"Deploy the Four Violet Flames Formation now! We can't wait any longer!" Kakashi ordered decisively, his voice firm as he realized the ground near Deidara was still inaccessible.
"Four Violet Flames Formation!" came the synchronized shout.
Four Jonin-level Konoha shinobi moved in unison, forming hand seals to erect a barrier. A curtain of violet-black light shot up from the ground, surrounding Deidara before he had time to react. When the clay White Zetsu clones attempted to charge out, they were instantly reduced to ash upon contact with the barrier.
Phew!
The group collectively sighed in relief. At least the enemy was contained for now.
Although the Four Violet Flames Formation wasn't perfect in execution, it should hold the enemy for a while. After all, barriers grew stronger the smaller they were. In this case, the forced larger size had weakened the barrier's individual defensive points, making it more susceptible to targeted attacks. However, Deidara's explosions were inherently wide-range. Concentrating the damage at a single point, like Raikiri, wasn't his style, so they figured the barrier would suffice.
Kakashi stepped forward, his voice calm but probing.
"Your abilities must originate from Iwagakure's Explosive Corps. How did you end up here?"
"Isn't it obvious? I defected," Deidara replied with a smirk, tapping the scratched headband of Iwagakure that adorned his forehead. He didn't mind humoring Kakashi with a little chat, after all, with Konan handling the infinite explosion tags in the valley and Sasori dealing with the Sand shinobi, there was no rush.
"Tell us everything about your organization, and perhaps we'll go easy on you," an ANBU standing beside Kakashi chimed in. His masked voice carried a steely edge. "Also, what's happening on the Kirigakure side?"
"You don't honestly think you've captured me, do you?" Deidara chuckled, his eyes gleaming with amusement.
The ANBU tilted his head slightly, his expression hidden, but his tone betrayed his confidence.
"The Four Violet Flames Formation can trap even Kage-level opponents. What makes you think you're an exception?"
Deidara laughed louder. "You don't think I'm Kage-level? Interesting."
Reaching into his pouch, he pulled out a sizable chunk of clay and shoved it into his mouth, chewing it with deliberate slowness.
"Before my art is complete, let me ask you something."
Still chewing, his speech slightly muffled, he asked, "Who gave the order for such a cold-blooded slaughter, killing even civilians?"
Kakashi's unease grew as Deidara swallowed more clay. His instincts screamed that something was wrong.
"White Monkey, no more talking! Retreat, now!" Kakashi shouted, grabbing the ANBU operative and leaping back.
Inside the barrier, Deidara spat out a white, winged clay figure.
Boom!
The figure rapidly expanded, transforming into a massive humanoid shape several meters tall. Despite its comical appearance, it exuded an ominous aura of death.
Deidara mounted his C2 dragon, ascending high to minimize the impact of the impending explosion.
"This rushed C3 #18 won't match the one I used against Yagura, but it should suffice to breach a barrier."
"Too powerful, and I'd end up bombing our allies below the canyon too. That would be... inconvenient," he mused, a mischievous smile creeping across his face.
"Art is an explosion! Hah!"
BOOM!
The Four Violet Flames Formation twisted and warped under the strain of the explosion. Like a balloon on the verge of bursting, the barrier failed within seconds. The four Jonin maintaining it collapsed, their chakra completely drained. The deafening explosion ruptured their eardrums, and their eyes were blinded by the intense light before the shockwave consumed them entirely.
The blast's sheer force generated a system notification:
[Ding! Detonation achieved: Konoha forces heavily decimated. Earned XX Shock Value.]
Konoha's forces scrambled to retreat, their ranks thrown into disarray. Even the shockwaves reached the Sand shinobi across the canyon, knocking many to the ground.
"Is it Wind Release?"
"Or Earth Release?"
The confused murmurs spread among the Sand shinobi. Only a few, like Baki, stood firm, their expressions filled with shock.
What kind of jutsu could cause such devastation? Even Shukaku's Tailed Beast Bomb wasn't this powerful!
"Retreat! Fall back now!" Baki ordered, realizing the futility of continuing. He had initially hoped Konoha would clean up their battle before lending assistance. Instead, Konoha had been wiped out.
In classic Sunagakure fashion, they decided it was time to cut their losses and retreat. As the Sand shinobi scattered, Konoha followed suit. Despite the chaos, their disciplined forces left behind elites to cover the retreat, preventing Deidara from gaining an easy advantage.
Back in the canyon, the battlefield was unrecognizable, reduced to a scarred wasteland. The Akatsuki regrouped, with Suigetsu excitedly approaching Deidara.
"Deidara-nii! You were amazing!" Suigetsu cheered, barely scratched from the encounter. Despite his age, Suigetsu was already a Chunin-level shinobi, molded by the harsh environment of Kirigakure.
"Want to learn?" Deidara teased with a sly grin.
"Really? Can I?" Suigetsu's eyes lit up, but he hesitated. "Wait… isn't your ability like a kekkei genkai? How could I learn that?"
"You're practically made of water, aren't you?" Deidara countered.
"What's that got to do with anything?" Suigetsu tilted his head in confusion.
"You could carry my bombs inside your body and self-detonate!" Deidara joked. "Kaboom! One strike, one kill!"
"No way!" Suigetsu recoiled in horror. "That sounds worse than death!"
Amused by Suigetsu's reaction, Deidara turned to Konan as she glided toward him.
"What should we do with the Konoha prisoners?"
Deidara glanced over the captives. Most were Root members, notorious for their cold-blooded missions targeting shinobi and civilians alike.
Wait—was that a familiar face?
"Bring him to me!" Deidara ordered, his eyes locking onto Shimura Kiyoto. "What a surprise, an old friend!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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