38 Gaara
Naruto turned just in time to see Kakashi driving Deidara back across the cave, lightning flashing with every movement. Kakashi had control for now, but Naruto could feel it. The steady drain of chakra. Deidara was stalling, climbing, and baiting openings.
That wouldn't last forever.
Naruto stepped in and swung.
"Wind Style. Wind Slash."
The Ninth Cutter sang. A compressed arc of wind tore through the air and sliced straight through one of Deidara's clay birds mid-flight. The construct split apart and dissolved before it could detonate.
Deidara spun toward Sasori instinctively. "Oi, Sasori! What are you doing? Keep the Nine-Tails brat busy. I'm trying to create art here!"
There was no answer.
His eyes shifted.
Sasori's puppet lay broken on the stone floor. Naruto stood a few steps away from the remains, blade lowered, calm and very much alive.
Naruto met Deidara's stare. "The guy you're yelling for is dead. Don't worry. You'll catch up soon."
The last bird crumbled beneath Deidara's feet, forcing him back onto the ground. He snarled and slapped his palms together, trying to trigger the clay for a retreat explosion.
Kakashi moved first.
A lightning-charged kunai spun through the air and cut straight through the clay construct. The chakra disrupted it instantly. No explosion. Just dead matter.
Deidara cursed under his breath. "Damn it. No space for C3 or C4 in here."
Behind them, Shizune continued stabilizing Gaara, her hands steady despite the chaos. Chiyo stepped forward once she saw Gaara breathing on his own. With a sharp motion, she unfurled a scroll and summoned her white puppets, their strings snapping into place. One of them hurled senbon coated in poison toward Deidara, forcing him to dodge again.
Naruto joined Kakashi's side.
"So," Kakashi said without looking away, "you're done with the puppeteer?"
"Yeah," Naruto replied. "He relied too much on borrowed power."
"You still defeated the Third Kazekage's puppet."
Naruto shook his head slightly. "Just an empty shell. Power without understanding is fragile."
Deidara hissed, backing toward the shattered rear of the cave. "You two are annoying."
Kakashi's Sharingan locked onto him. "Naruto. Cover me."
Naruto nodded and shifted his stance.
Kakashi inhaled once. "Kamui."
Space twisted beside Deidara's left shoulder. Before he could react, the vortex tore through him. His arm vanished, clean and absolute.
Deidara screamed, stumbling back. "What did you do to me?"
"That," Kakashi said calmly, "was my new jutsu. You will not be getting that arm back."
Naruto stepped forward, red chakra bleeding into his arm and down the Ninth Cutter. The blade glowed, heat and pressure warping the air around it.
Kakashi glanced sideways. "Naruto. You good?"
"I'm fine," Naruto said. "This is the blade's second function."
The red aura intensified.
"Ninth Cutter. Ninth Hell Slash."
Naruto swung.
The slash erased the space between them.
Deidara was cut cleanly in half. The force carved a massive groove into the cave wall behind him, stone screaming as if struck by a giant's blade.
His body hit the ground in two pieces.
For a moment, it looked finished.
Then Deidara laughed weakly. "Heh… if I can't beat you… I'll take you with me."
His remaining hand moved toward the mouth embedded in his chest.
Naruto and Kakashi leapt back.
Too late.
Sand surged.
A golden wave engulfed Deidara from every direction, freezing him in place before he could bite down. The sand compressed violently.
"I won't allow it," Gaara said.
He was upright now, seated but conscious, one arm extended. His voice was steady. Focused.
Gaara closed his fist.
The sand tightened.
A muffled explosion detonated inside the sand coffin. The outer layers held. When the smoke cleared, there was nothing left inside. No body. No bones. Only ash.
Silence settled over the cave.
Naruto exhaled slowly.
Gaara lowered his arm, exhaustion catching up to him, but his eyes were clear.
The Kazekage was alive.
And Akatsuki had paid for every step it took inside that cave.
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EVER 100 POWER STONE = 1 EXTRA CHAPTER