Naruto: Deidara’s Struggle

"Watch out!"

Kakashi's sharp instincts immediately noticed the subtle difference in the color of these clay creatures.

But his warning came too late, and once again, dozens of Konoha ninja paid the price with their lives.

"Deploy the Four Violet Flames Formation immediately! There's no time to wait!" Seeing that no one could get close to Deidara on the ground, Kakashi decisively gave the order.

"Four Violet Flames Formation!"

With a synchronized shout, four Jonin-level Konoha ninja formed hand seals simultaneously. A purple-black barrier rapidly rose from the ground, encasing Deidara before he could react.

The clay White Zetsu creatures that continued charging out collided with the barrier and instantly disintegrated into ashes.

Phew!

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, they had managed to trap the enemy.

Although the Four Violet Flames Formation hadn't achieved the perfect effect they had hoped for, it seemed unlikely that the enemy would escape anytime soon.

After all, barriers become stronger the smaller their radius. However, due to the large area they were forced to cover this time, the barrier's defensive strength at any given point was relatively weaker, making it susceptible to targeted breaches.

That said, Deidara's explosive techniques were inherently wide-ranging. Unlike jutsu like the Lightning Cutter, which could focus damage on a single point, his abilities couldn't be concentrated in such a manner. Hence, the barrier should hold for now.

"Your abilities must have come from the Stone Village's Explosive Corps, right? How did you end up here?" Kakashi stepped forward, his tone a mix of inquiry and interrogation.

"Obviously, I defected. Isn't it obvious?" Deidara pointed to the scratched-out Stone Village insignia on his forehead protector. He didn't mind chatting with Kakashi for a bit; after all, Konan was handling the infinite explosive tags on the other side of the valley, and Sasori was keeping the Sand ninja at bay. There was no rush.

"Be honest and provide information about your organization, as well as what's happening with the Mist Village. It'll save you some suffering," said another Konoha ninja in ANBU attire.

"You don't actually think you've captured me, do you?" Deidara smirked at him.

The masked ANBU ninja's expression was hidden, but his tone made it clear that he indeed believed so.

"The Four Violet Flames Formation can trap even Kage-level shinobi. Let alone someone like you."

"You don't think I qualify as a Kage-level shinobi?" Deidara pulled out a large chunk of clay with his right hand and took a big bite, chewing it vigorously.

"Before my art is complete, I'd like you to answer one question," he said, his words slightly muffled as he chewed.

"Who gave the order to slaughter civilians so cold-bloodedly?"

As Deidara swallowed more and more clay, an ominous feeling surged in Kakashi's heart.

"White Monkey! Stop talking! Retreat immediately!"

Kakashi grabbed the ANBU ninja and retreated rapidly. Inside the barrier, Deidara spat out a white humanoid figure with wings.

Boom!

The figure expanded into a massive doll, several meters tall. Its comical face carried an eerie aura of death as it stood silently within the barrier.

Deidara, riding his C2 Great Dragon, ascended rapidly to minimize the impact of the impending explosion.

"This hastily crafted C3 Number 18 isn't nearly as powerful as the one I used against Yagura Karatachi, but it should be enough to break a barrier."

"That's fine, though. If it were too strong, I'd end up blowing up my own allies in the canyon below."

"Art is an explosion! Hah!"

BOOM!

The Four Violet Flames Formation began to warp and distort, like an overinflated balloon about to burst. The four Jonin maintaining the barrier lasted only two seconds before their chakra was completely drained, causing them to collapse to the ground.

The deafening explosion shattered their eardrums, causing blood to stream from their ears. Their eyes were blinded by the intense light, but these agonies lasted only a moment before the spreading explosion consumed them entirely.

As the system's notification chimed repeatedly with Shock Value gains, countless slower Konoha ninja met the same fate. The powerful shockwave even reached the Sand ninja on the opposite side of the canyon.

The Sand ninja were blown off their feet, and the ground beneath them seemed to tremble continuously.

"Was that a Wind Release?" "Or an Earth Release?"

Those were the initial thoughts of the Sand ninja.

Only a few, like Baki, who managed to remain standing, realized the truth. His eyes widened in disbelief, his expression even more shocked than when he had seen the Third Kazekage turned into a human puppet.

What level of jutsu could cause such devastating damage?

Even Shukaku's Tailed Beast Ball wasn't this destructive!

"Retreat!" "Retreat!"

Baki dared not stay any longer. They couldn't even handle Sasori, and he had been counting on Konoha to finish their battle and come to their aid.

Who would've thought Konoha would collapse first?

True to the Sand ninja's usual mix of recklessness and cowardice, it was time to retreat and regroup.

With the Sand ninja withdrawing, the Konoha forces, as the direct victims, had even less will to fight. They followed Kakashi in a hasty retreat.

To their credit, the Konoha ninja's discipline shone through, as their elite forces covered the rear during the retreat, preventing Deidara from taking full advantage of the situation.

When Deidara returned to the canyon, the area was unrecognizable. The survivors were regrouping and tending to their injuries.

"What are the casualties?" Deidara asked Hōzuki Ritsuki.

"Very few, thanks to the three of you!" Ritsuki replied with newfound respect.

These three were clearly formidable individuals, and it was impossible not to show deference. With their protection, the safety of their group seemed assured.

"Deidara-nii!"

"You're incredible!" Hōzuki Suigetsu exclaimed excitedly as he approached. Despite being under ten years old, he was already a Chūnin-level ninja, having grown up in the harsh environment of the Mist Village.

Of course, this didn't mean his talent surpassed that of Naruto or Sasuke. It simply meant he had unlocked his potential earlier, whereas Konoha's policy was to nurture their ninja more gradually. This approach, while slower, provided a better childhood and reduced the likelihood of psychological issues later in life.

This was, after all, the purpose behind the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, establishing the Ninja Academy. Having observed the Uchiha for so long, Tobirama had developed a keen understanding of the psychological challenges faced by ninja.

"So, do you want to learn?" Deidara asked with a smile.

"Really? Can I?" Suigetsu's face lit up with excitement.

"But isn't your ability similar to a Kekkei Genkai? How could anyone else learn it?" His expression turned hesitant.

"But your body can turn into water, can't it?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Suigetsu asked, confused.

"You could implant one of my bombs inside your body, then charge in and self-destruct!"

Boom!

"The enemy would never see it coming! One strike, one kill!" Deidara explained cheerfully.

"No way!"

Suigetsu shook his head in terror. "Even if I wouldn't die, that would be worse than death!"

After teasing Suigetsu, Konan—no, she flew over—approached and asked, "What should we do with these Konoha captives?"

Somehow, Deidara seemed to have become the most reliable person in the group, even Konan subconsciously sought his opinion.

Deidara glanced at the captives, most of whom were Root ninja. After all, they had been at the forefront, indiscriminately targeting both ninja and civilians.

Wait a minute!

Isn't that an old acquaintance?!

Deidara spotted someone familiar—Shimura Kiyoto!

You sneaky guy, not even sending word that you were part of the deployment. Clearly, you're not interested in building a friendship with Akatsuki.

"Bring him to me!"

~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~

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