Naruto: Deidara’s Struggle

The massive clay octopus, with its writhing tentacles, blocked Kisame's path. Yet Kisame showed no fear. Instead, his speed increased as he swam forward, slicing off the tentacles one by one with Samehada.

"Huh?"

"Isn't Kisame worried that Deidara might detonate that giant octopus? With a clay bomb that size, even Kisame's Water Release techniques wouldn't be able to block the explosion, right?" White Zetsu exclaimed in surprise.

"Fool."

Black Zetsu's deep voice explained, "Explosions are several times more powerful underwater. If Deidara detonated that octopus, he wouldn't escape unscathed either. That's why Kisame dares to charge forward."

"I see," White Zetsu replied, before turning his gaze elsewhere. "Sasori and Itachi are having a fierce fight too!"

"It looks like Itachi is already at a disadvantage."

"Indeed. Without using his Mangekyō Sharingan techniques, Itachi can't compete with Sasori, the strongest puppet master in the ninja world."

As White Zetsu and Black Zetsu discussed the two battlefields, Deidara made an unexpected move.

He brought his right hand's index and middle fingers together and slowly raised them to his chest, assuming a stance as if he were about to detonate the clay bomb.

Kisame's pupils contracted instantly!

Deidara wouldn't actually detonate it, would he? Wasn't he afraid of dying?

No, wait! Maybe this isn't his real body at all! That's the only reason he'd dare to do this!

If that's the case, then I'm in danger!

Kisame didn't dare continue tangling with the clay octopus. He immediately turned and summoned a chakra shark, which enveloped him and swiftly carried him away.

Boom!

A muffled explosion followed, accompanied by a surge of water. However, it was far less powerful than Kisame had anticipated.

He glanced back in confusion, only to see the clay octopus still intact in the water. Meanwhile, Deidara had reached the edge of the oval-shaped water prison and, with a splash, had escaped it.

In midair, Deidara threw out a new Clay Bird, regaining his mobility. Perched atop the bird, he glanced back at Kisame within the water prison and smirked.

"Kisame, Yagura Karatachi is all yours."

"Until next time."

"Tch! I've been played by Deidara!" Kisame muttered in frustration. He had realized by now that Deidara had only been bluffing to scare him into retreating. At the same time, Deidara had detonated a small clay bomb, using the resulting propulsion to push himself backward and escape the water prison centered around Kisame.

Huff, huff!

Gasping for air, Deidara's red-clouded Akatsuki cloak fluttered in the wind as he stood atop his Clay Bird, somewhat battered. He arrived at the battlefield where Sasori and Itachi were fighting.

Unlike the friendly sparring between Deidara and Kisame, Sasori and Itachi's battle had turned serious. For now, Itachi was at a disadvantage. His genjutsu, typically his greatest strength against most enemies, was completely ineffective against Sasori.

Deidara hurried to intervene and stop the fight.

If this continued, Itachi might have to use his Mangekyō Sharingan. It was better to let him conserve his ocular power—otherwise, he might go blind before he could even see his foolish little brother again.

"Deidara, what's going on?" Sasori, controlling Hiruko, leapt to Deidara's side and asked.

"Nothing, just a minor disagreement," Deidara replied dismissively, unwilling to elaborate with Zetsu nearby.

"Let's go!" Deidara turned his Clay Bird around. He wanted to exchange a few words with Itachi but decided against it. Now was not the time—after all, there were eyes watching in the shadows.

The two of them traveled swiftly and soon caught up with the defecting group ahead.

"Masters, where are Kisame and Itachi?" asked Suigetsu Hōzuki, who was temporarily leading the defectors.

Although they had escaped quite a distance, they could still faintly see the battlefield behind them. The sight of the massive waves stirred by the fight had left them in awe. Even from afar, the scale of the battle had impacted them.

"They're covering our retreat. Let's keep moving," Deidara replied.

"Is that so?" Suigetsu seemed uneasy. Earlier, he had clearly seen Deidara and Kisame in conflict, leaving him unsure of the situation.

Compared to the unfamiliar Deidara and Sasori, Suigetsu trusted Kisame more. However, faced with Deidara's overwhelming strength, he dared not question further.

Due to the presence of many civilians and low-ranking ninja in the defecting group, a journey that would normally take Deidara and Sasori just over a day ended up taking five days. Finally, they successfully landed in the Land of Waves.

Here, Konan, accompanied by members of the Xuanyuan Group and some outer-circle members, had been waiting for their arrival. After a smooth handover, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The defection incident had finally come to a successful conclusion.

It was foreseeable that this defection would send shockwaves throughout the entire ninja world. The name of Akatsuki was likely to see its first widespread recognition.

"Sister Konan, where will they be settled?" Deidara asked. About one-third of the defectors chose to leave, while the remaining two-thirds decided to stay. This was understandable—after all, the outside world was unfamiliar to them.

Sticking with the organization that had freed them from their suffering seemed like a more trustworthy option.

"Amagakure," Konan replied succinctly.

Amagakure!

Hearing this name, Deidara realized that his earlier suggestion had been accepted. Nagato was now willing to reveal his base, at least to some extent. Otherwise, he wouldn't have exposed Amagakure.

In the original series, Nagato had kept Amagakure hidden until the very end.

"By the way, how's that little girl Karin doing?" Deidara suddenly remembered the girl he had saved and handed over to Konan. He wondered how she had been arranged.

"She's in Amagakure," Konan replied.

"I've heard that the leader of Amagakure is the so-called 'Demi-God' Hanzo. Why are you and the leader there as well?" Sasori asked, puzzled.

At the mention of Hanzo, Konan turned to glance at Sasori before calmly explaining, "Hanzo is dead. Amagakure is ours now."

Hiss!

Hearing this, Sasori was taken aback. Hanzo, after all, was the one who had sparked the Second Great Ninja War. Leading the small and weak Amagakure, he had simultaneously declared war on Konohagakure and Sunagakure. Although he ultimately didn't achieve victory, it was clear to any discerning observer that Amagakure had held him back.

During the Second Great Ninja War, Hanzo had fought against the Kage of multiple villages. With his sheer strength, he had kept the Rain Country undefeated against the armies of the great ninja villages.

The title of "Demi-God" wasn't self-proclaimed—it was earned through battle!

And yet, such a legendary ninja had died silently.

However, considering that their leader possessed the legendary Rinnegan, Sasori quickly came to terms with it. After all, the Rinnegan was said to hold incomprehensible power.

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