*Boom!*
*Boom!*
White, dove-like clay bird soared through the sky, while countless white clay spiders dropped to the ground one after another, erupting into massive explosions.
"Hahaha! Orochimaru! Come out and face me!"
Deidara laughed wildly as he hurled clay bombs down from the air with both hands.
For him, this kind of exhilaration was a first.
Exciting—so damn exciting!
Joining the Akatsuki had been the best decision of his life. Back in Iwagakure, he'd only played around with a few explosives, and Ōnoki wouldn't stop nagging him. But now—now he could unleash his art freely.
"Art is an explosion!"
---
"This guy... isn't he completely insane?"
Hidan muttered under his breath as he watched Deidara's frenzied bombing spree.
At this point, looking at Deidara in his maniacal state, Hidan didn't have the guts to argue with him anymore.
As a taijutsu-based shinobi—even with his so-called immortality—there was no way he'd go head-to-head with Deidara.
First of all, Deidara could fly. Once he took to the sky, Hidan could only take the beating helplessly from the ground.
Secondly, Deidara could attack from long range, while Hidan's weapon—the Triple-Bladed Scythe—was purely close combat. He had no way to fight back at a distance.
"He's not crazy," Sasori said, his puppet eyes expressionless, though his tone carried a trace of excitement.
"This is just his true nature showing through."
As expected, Sasori thought to himself—anyone obsessed with blowing things up couldn't possibly be normal.
"Instead of worrying about Deidara, maybe ask Black Zetsu where Orochimaru went," Itachi reminded them quietly.
To him, Deidara's explosions were irrelevant.
What mattered was Orochimaru. It wasn't the Three-Tails inside him, but Orochimaru's purpose in coming to Konoha.
They were still within Konoha's border patrol zone. Orochimaru wouldn't come here for no reason. The only possible motive was Sasuke.
If it had been before, Itachi wouldn't have cared if Orochimaru sought out Sasuke. In fact, he might have wanted Orochimaru to become a whetstone for his brother's growth.
But now... things were different.
The world had changed.
Pain sought to collect all nine Tailed Beasts. Though Itachi didn't yet understand his true goal, one thing was certain—it wasn't the "peace" Pain claimed to pursue.
Even if it was, that kind of peace wasn't one Itachi could accept.
"As expected, Itachi-san is reliable. You two are far inferior to Itachi-san!" As Uchiha Itachi's loyal fan, Kisame seized the chance to praise him, making Itachi a bit embarrassed.
'Kisame treats me so well... and yet I'm using him. I'm sorry, Kisame. But for Sasuke's sake, I have no choice.'
It wasn't that Kisame wasn't good enough—just that, in Itachi's eyes, nothing in the world could compare to a single strand of Sasuke's hair.
"Orochimaru is still ahead," Black Zetsu reported. "Should one of you make a move?"
But his suggestion made Hidan want to slash him with his scythe.
"Black Zetsu, tell Deidara to stop bombing. I'll handle this next," Sasori volunteered.
Watching Deidara flaunt his "art", the puppet master in Sasori couldn't stand idly by.
He would prove that eternity was true art—while fleeting explosions were nothing but blasphemy.
Black Zetsu glanced up at the airborne Deidara, the corner of his mouth twitching.
He had planted spores on Deidara's cloak, but without the nourishment of natural energy, they couldn't grow into White Zetsu clones. Which meant... there was no easy way to communicate.
Wait. He'd forgotten something.
Raising his hand, Black Zetsu infused chakra into the ring he wore.
"Moshi moshi, Deidara? Pull back for now and conserve your strength. Let Sasori take the next round."
"Tch! I haven't had enough fun yet... Fine, I'll give Sasori a turn. But remember, my explosions are the true art!" Deidara grumbled before steering his clay bird to return.
As Deidara descended, Sasori asked, "Black Zetsu, give me Orochimaru's exact position. I'll use my puppets to force him out."
"Right here," Black Zetsu pointed forward. "Within a hundred meters ahead—he's still moving underground!"
"This guy can really burrow..." Deidara muttered as he landed, grudgingly impressed by Orochimaru's ability to slither through the earth as if it were water. If only Orochimaru would pop out long enough to take a few clay bombs to the face—that would be ideal.
"Here I go."
Sasori pulled out a scroll, summoning a flying puppet, and leapt onto it, gliding forward in pursuit.
"I didn't know Sasori could fly too!" Deidara exclaimed, half jealous.
"Don't worry," Black Zetsu explained quietly. "His puppet can only sustain flight for a short time, and it drains a lot of chakra. He rarely uses it unless absolutely necessary—like now, to chase Orochimaru."
Seeing Deidara's suspicious stare, he quickly added, "Rest assured, I only know that because I helped him find the materials for that puppet."
Hearing Black Zetsu's explanation, Deidara tentatively believed him.
Among shinobi, guarding one's secrets was second nature.
If Black Zetsu had been spying on them, it would have caused far more trouble.
"Look—Sasori's moving!" Kisame pointed, drawing everyone's attention.
They saw Sasori reach the designated area, summoning several attack-type puppets that plunged into the ground and began striking violently.
Some unleashed chakra drills, others slicing blades, and others yet formed powerful digging constructs.
Though not as flashy as Deidara's explosions, the results were far more effective.
Trapped underground, Orochimaru had no choice but to emerge.
*Hiss~*
Sticking out his tongue, Orochimaru glared at Sasori, his eyes filled with malice.
"Sasori... you're blocking my way?"
"Cut the talk. Prepare to die!"
Sasori was never one for long conversations. As soon as he spoke, the Third Kazekage Puppet raised its hands and unleashed the Iron Sand Gathering Assault.
Countless streams of black iron sand condensed into a massive cube that came crashing down on Orochimaru.
A simple technique—yet one carrying immense destructive power.
The sheer weight alone was enough to crush most opponents outright.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
If Sasori wanted a fight, Orochimaru wasn't about to hold back.
His hands morphed into dozens of venomous serpents that lunged at Sasori, their fangs gleaming with toxic green light.
At the same time, Orochimaru countered the descending cube.
"Triple Rashomon!"
Three colossal gates burst from the earth, forming a dome-like barrier above him to block the falling iron sand.
"Blade!"
Sasori uttered a single word.
He didn't need many. Only effective ones.
A flash of light swept across the battlefield. By the time Orochimaru realized what had happened, his serpents were already severed—cleanly sliced in two.
On the Third Kazekage Puppet's arm, a broad gleaming blade extended—the weapon that had effortlessly cut through Orochimaru's attack.
"Orochimaru, you're not escaping today!"
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