"Rasengan!"
A swirling sphere of chakra struck Deidara, sending him flying. But mid-flight, the figure dissolved into a clump of white clay—it was just a clay clone.
"Haah!"
A swarm of clay spiders leaped onto Jiraiya, exploding in a puff of smoke. It was a Shadow Clone.
Classic. A textbook Naruto-style substitution sequence.
"Got you now, kid!"
A massive shadow loomed over Deidara. Gamabunta, wielding a short blade, leaped high into the air. The blade's tip aimed directly at Deidara, ready to cleave him in two.
Swoosh!
A clay rock worm burst out of the ground. But instead of targeting Gamabunta in midair—whose size was daunting even for the clay beast—it veered sideways, ramming Deidara out of harm's way.
As Deidara was flung through the air, he fired a clay rope from his right hand, anchoring it to a nearby tree to absorb the impact.
Now's my chance!
"Wind Style: Vacuum Wave Barrage!"
Jiraiya expertly timed his attack, predicting Deidara's landing spot perfectly and leaving him no time to breathe.
"C2—Golem!"
A colossal clay giant emerged, shielding Deidara. He took a moment to glance at the other side of the battlefield. The clay serpent he'd sent to engage Gamaken and Gamahiro was being overwhelmed. It was no match for the two toads.
"Bunta! Oil!"
"Got it!"
"Toad Oil Flame Bullet!"
Jiraiya jumped onto Gamabunta's head, spitting flames downward. Gamabunta followed up with a blast of black oil, fueling the inferno. The scorching flames surged across the battlefield, leaving no room for Deidara to hide.
The clay golem melted within seconds, forcing Deidara to retreat underground, searching for an opening to counterattack.
Since the fight began, Jiraiya had dominated the battlefield. Things were not looking good for Deidara.
"C2—Rock Worms!"
Deidara crafted a swarm of smaller rock worms this time, each about three to five meters long. Though smaller, their numbers multiplied exponentially, creating an overwhelming swarm.
"Haah!"
The ground beneath Gamabunta buckled from the force of the explosions. The toad leaped into the air, groaning, "Ow! My feet!"
"Bunta! Stay focused! The enemy's attacks haven't stopped yet!" Jiraiya barked.
More clay worms leaped from the ground, reaching surprising heights and closing in on the airborne toad and its rider.
"Water Release: Gunshot!"
Gamabunta countered with a barrage of water bullets, shooting down the airborne worms.
Jiraiya wasn't idle either. Rapidly weaving hand signs, he shouted, "Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!"
The area beneath the clay worms turned into a quagmire, immobilizing them. Escaping it would take time they didn't have.
"Now's our chance, Bunta! Get in close!"
Jiraiya's strategy was straightforward—close the distance. The closer they got, the harder it would be for Deidara to use his explosives without risking himself.
"Damn it!" Deidara clicked his tongue. The relentless duo of Jiraiya and Gamabunta was giving him a headache.
So far, he'd summoned clay serpents, the parasitic insect nest, the golem, and multiple rock worms. The sheer effort had drained nearly half his chakra. While he wasn't running on empty, he couldn't afford to waste any more without shifting the momentum.
"I need to get airborne. Once I'm in the sky, things will be in my favor."
"Legendary Sannin, let's see how you handle this!"
"C2—Salamander!"
A gigantic clay salamander appeared, its entire body a toxic-looking purple-black hue. Unlike the earlier creations, this one reeked of danger. Deidara had mixed Sasori's poisons into the clay, making it lethally venomous.
[Shock Value +2000: Jiraiya]
[Shock Value: Pending… Gamabunta]
"Hey! Does this guy spit out everything?" Gamabunta grumbled.
"Now it's turning into that damn Ibuse!" Jiraiya cursed, referencing Hanzo's salamander summon.
"What do we do?" Gamabunta asked while charging forward.
"Use ninjutsu first! That salamander's color is wrong—it's definitely poisonous!"
Although the intel on Deidara hadn't mentioned venomous clay creatures, a ninja had to adapt to unexpected situations.
"Water Release: Gunshot!"
Gamabunta spat out another volley, but two massive clay white snakes emerged from Deidara's palms, detonating mid-air to intercept the attack.
Swoosh!
The salamander surged forward, jaws wide open, spewing a dense purple mist.
"Damn it! It's poison!"
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
Jiraiya tried dispersing the gas with a gust of wind. But as the mist cleared, he realized the salamander had hidden something inside—dozens of clay wasps, their irregular shapes immune to the gusts.
This is the real attack!
The wasps closed in rapidly. Jiraiya had no time to react.
"Ninja Art: Needle Jizo!"
His hair extended and wrapped around him in a defensive cocoon. Confident in its durability, Jiraiya braced himself.
Small clay wasps… their explosions can't be that strong, right?
Boom!
Jiraiya spat blood, a searing pain radiating from his core as though his organs had been ripped apart.
What? How is the explosion coming from… inside me?
Wait—the parasitic insect nest!
Jiraiya's mind flashed back to the giant insect nest Deidara had summoned earlier. Amidst the chaos, he'd dismissed it, thinking it was useless. That moment of neglect had cost him.
"Damn it…"
Deidara looked slightly disappointed. Jiraiya's constant movement had limited how many parasites the nest had planted in his body, preventing a critical blow. Still, it had bought him enough time to take to the skies.
Mounted on a clay bird, Deidara ascended. Finally, the battlefield was his.
"Now the fight's in my hands!" Deidara grinned, exhilarated.
"Let's see how you handle being the one on the defensive, Jiraiya!"
"C2: Enhanced Variant—Dragon!"
A massive clay dragon roared as it emerged.
[Shock Value +3000: Jiraiya]
[Shock Value +2000: Gamabunta]
[Pending: Gamahiro…]
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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