Even though Naruto's Fluid Wind Mode wasn't the fastest movement technique on the ground—it still couldn't match the Fourth Raikage's Lightning Release Chakra Mode—the situation was completely different in the air.
When it came to aerial combat, especially against simple tracking missiles, almost no one could keep up with Naruto's speed.
Compared to Deidara and Sai, who relied on chakra-created birds to fly, or Gaara and Rasa, who used sand to remain airborne, Naruto's direct control over the wind placed him in an entirely different league.
Even Ōnoki, who could fly using the Light-Weight Rock Technique, was just as agile but couldn't match Naruto's incredible speed.
To truly rival Naruto in aerial mobility, one would need to be at least at the Six Paths level.
Only those who possessed the power of the Six Paths—such as Six Paths Obito, Six Paths Madara, or even Ōtsutsuki Kaguya—could naturally fly while matching Naruto's speed through their overwhelming chakra and godlike abilities.
At this point in the Ninja World, Naruto's flight speed was simply unmatched.
Deidara's guided missiles were fast, but in Naruto's eyes, they were nothing remarkable.
With effortless agility, Naruto weaved through the sky, dodging every missile before charging straight toward Deidara.
Deidara's expression immediately changed.
"He's fast..."
"What the hell is wrong with this Nine-Tails brat?!"
Panicking, Deidara quickly created more decoy missiles and launched them toward Naruto.
"Hmph!"
Boom!
Explosions erupted across the sky. Flames soared upward, violent shockwaves spread in every direction, and Naruto's figure disappeared into the thick smoke.
Even so, Deidara didn't lower his guard. He immediately ordered his C2 Dragon to retreat.
A moment later, Naruto burst out of the smoke completely unharmed.
Without hesitation, he swung the Kusanagi Sword.
"Hurricane Style: Wind Release—Vacuum Sword!"
A massive blade of compressed wind erupted from the sword, slicing through the sky like a giant crescent before crashing toward Deidara.
Deidara's face turned pale.
Realizing the terrifying power behind the attack, he desperately tried to escape.
Although he barely avoided a direct hit, one of the C2 Dragon's enormous wings was instantly severed.
"Damn it!"
Deidara lost his balance and fell again.
Refusing to give up, he quickly created another giant clay bird and escaped, seemingly abandoning the damaged C2 Dragon.
However, he had no intention of leaving it behind.
It was merely a trap.
The moment Naruto began pursuing him, Deidara detonated the entire C2 Dragon.
"Hmph!!"
The explosion created by such an enormous amount of explosive clay was beyond imagination.
Its destructive force spread across several square kilometers.
The sky blazed like a miniature sun, the earth shook violently, and a massive crater appeared below as rocks and debris were blasted in every direction.
"What do you think of that?!"
"My art is an explosion! Hmm!"
Despite Naruto's incredible defense, Deidara was convinced that no one could survive such an attack without suffering serious injuries.
At the same time, he began breathing heavily.
He had used numerous high-level techniques in succession, consumed an enormous amount of explosive clay, and nearly exhausted his chakra reserves.
But he believed it had all been worth it.
As the flames gradually faded, the smoke slowly dispersed, and the dust settled...
Deidara narrowed his eyes.
There, in the middle of the battlefield, Naruto was still standing.
A massive sphere of swirling wind completely surrounded him, protecting him like an absolute barrier.
He hadn't suffered any serious injuries.
"What... is that?!"
Deidara stared in disbelief.
Even Naruto was breathing slightly heavier than before.
In truth, he hadn't done anything complicated.
He had simply expanded the range of his Fluid Wind Armor, allowing the violently rotating Wind Release Chakra to spread in every direction until it formed a gigantic spherical barrier.
A complete wind barrier.
Thanks to this "absolute domain" combined with the triple-layered defense of the Fluid Wind Armor, Naruto had survived the devastating explosion without a scratch.
After catching his breath, Naruto fixed Deidara with a cold stare.
"So... your explosions aren't that impressive after all."
Those words struck Deidara like a dagger through the heart.
His teeth clenched tightly, and his body trembled with rage.
"What... did you just say?!"
"You scoundrel! How dare you disrespect my explosive art?! I'll never forgive you!"
In terms of offensive and destructive power, Deidara ranked among the strongest members of the Akatsuki.
Before Pain's Almighty Push was capable of wiping out the entire Hidden Leaf Village, there was already someone else who possessed enough destructive power to level an entire village with a single attack—and that person was Deidara.
In the original story, when Deidara fought to capture the One-Tail Jinchūriki, Gaara, his technique C3: No. 18 possessed enough power to destroy the entire Hidden Sand Village.
If Gaara hadn't used every ounce of his strength to defend with his Sand Shield, the Hidden Sand Village would have been reduced to rubble, with at least half of it completely destroyed.
Now, hearing Naruto dismiss his explosive art so casually, Deidara completely lost his composure.
Instead of provoking Naruto, he had been provoked himself.
After all, Deidara was still a teenager, only two or three years older than Naruto and Sasuke.
He was also someone who became emotional and angered very easily.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have held such a deep grudge against Uchiha Itachi, nor would he have eventually fought Sasuke—another Sharingan user—until he chose self-destruction rather than accept defeat.
The Deidara standing here today was exactly the same.
Initially, he had only intended to capture the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. He wanted to test Naruto's strength and prove the superiority of his art. If things went badly, he could always retreat.
But now...
His anger had completely taken over.
Naruto had neutralized nearly every one of Deidara's trump cards while remaining completely unharmed.
For Deidara, this was an unbearable humiliation.
"Kid! You're dead! Let me show you what true art really is! Hmm!"
Suddenly, Deidara spat out a massive amount of Explosive Clay, shaping it into a bizarre humanoid figure. Flying high above Naruto, he released what appeared to be nothing more than a small clay doll.
But the instant it began to fall—
"C3: No. 18!"
BOOM!!
The tiny clay doll expanded millions of times in an instant.
It transformed into an enormous white figure with terrifying destructive power, like a miniature nuclear weapon descending from the heavens.
The white clay doll possessed grotesque, skull-like facial features, while its arms spread wide like an angel's wings, giving it the appearance of a giant white Shinigami.
The moment it appeared, Naruto's sensory abilities immediately detected the horrifying amount of chakra contained within it.
Cold sweat rolled down his forehead.
"Damn... the power of this attack could actually destroy everything!"
"...But."
Naruto was confident.
With his speed and flight ability, escaping the blast wasn't difficult.
After all, Deidara himself was flying high in the air.
As long as Naruto remained at the same altitude and quickly flew away, he could avoid the explosion's full force.
After all, Deidara didn't intend to die either.
However...
It seemed Deidara had already anticipated Naruto's thoughts.
A cruel smile spread across his face.
"Nine-Tails brat!"
"You might be fast enough to escape C3: No. 18..."
"But Gaara's body lying on the ground won't be so lucky."
"This attack will blast it into pieces! Hmm!"
Naruto's expression changed instantly.
"...Gaara!"
Even if Gaara was already dead, Naruto would never allow his body to be destroyed.
Without the slightest hesitation, he spread his Hurricane Style Wings and shot toward the ground like a cannonball, diving straight for Gaara's body.
Everything had gone exactly as Deidara planned.
"Hmph!"
He burst into triumphant laughter.
The next instant—
C3: No. 18 exploded.
The terrifying explosion possessed enough destructive power to erase the entire Hidden Sand Village.
An overwhelming wave of destruction spread across the battlefield.
Its roar echoed between heaven and earth like the cry of a Shinigami.
"Die!"
Deidara's eyes were bloodshot.
He no longer cared about the Akatsuki's order to capture the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki alive.
All he wanted now was to eliminate the brat who had insulted his art.
BOOM!!!
The world-shaking explosion instantly erased the entire Akatsuki hideout.
The surrounding plains were reduced to barren wasteland.
Forests in the distance disappeared in an instant, reduced to dust and ash.
The towering flames could be seen from dozens of kilometers away.
Even the aftershocks spread across the Land of Wind, causing the earth itself to tremble.
"Hahahaha!"
"Did you see that, you worthless brat?!"
"That... is true art!"
"Anyone who dares mock my art deserves to die!"
"You're finished now! Hmm!"
Deidara laughed wildly, his eyes burning with excitement.
But then—
"Is that really so funny?"
A cold voice suddenly sounded from directly behind him.
Deidara froze.
"What?!"
His eyes widened in disbelief as he instinctively tried to turn around.
But...
He was already too late.
________________________________________
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