"Rasengan!"
The swirling chakra sphere struck Deidara, sending him flying. However, as his body tumbled mid-air, it gradually transformed into a lump of white clay—it was a Clay Clone.
"Ha!"
A swarm of Clay Spiders leaped onto Jiraiya, exploding with a loud boom and reducing him to a puff of smoke. It turned out that he, too, was a Shadow Clone.
This exchange!
This was the classic Naruto-style clone substitution battle scene.
"Gotcha, kid!"
Suddenly, a massive shadow loomed over Deidara. Gamabunta leaped high into the air, gripping his short sword tightly, its tip aimed directly at Deidara, poised to cut him in half.
Whoosh!
A Clay Rock Worm burst out from the ground. However, it didn't target the airborne Gamabunta—his size was too much for the worm to handle. Instead, the worm swung its head and knocked Deidara aside.
As Deidara was flung through the air, he shot a clay rope from his right hand, which latched onto a nearby tree, dissipating the momentum.
Now's the time!
"Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves!"
Jiraiya, ever precise in his timing and predictions, unleashed the jutsu, aiming directly at Deidara's landing spot, leaving him no room to breathe.
C2 Special Type: Golem!
A massive clay giant emerged, shielding Deidara firmly behind it. Only then did he have a moment to glance at the other side of the battlefield. The Clay Manda was being overwhelmed by Gamaken and Gamahiro. After all, it was merely an imitation, and its combat strength fell far short of the original.
"Gamabunta! Use the oil!"
"Got it!"
"Toad Oil Flame Bullet!"
Jiraiya leaped onto Gamabunta's head, spitting flames from his mouth, while Gamabunta spewed black oil below. The resulting inferno surged forward, engulfing everything in its path, leaving no room for escape.
Within seconds, the Clay Golem melted completely, forcing Deidara to retreat underground while seeking an opportunity to counterattack.
Since the battle began, Jiraiya had maintained control of the fight—a highly unfavorable situation for Deidara.
C2 Standard Type: Rock Worms!
Deidara created a large number of Rock Worms once again. This time, they were smaller, only three to five meters in length, but their numbers had increased severalfold. Quantity over quality was the strategy here.
"Ha!"
The ground beneath Gamabunta suddenly collapsed due to explosions. The shock injured his legs, causing him to reflexively leap into the air.
"Ouch!" Gamabunta cried out mid-air.
"Gamabunta! Stay focused! The enemy's attacks aren't over yet!"
More Clay Rock Worms emerged from the ground, leaping to surprising heights and closing in on Gamabunta and Jiraiya in mid-air.
"Water Release: Water Bullet!"
Gamabunta lowered his head and spat out successive water bullets, knocking the leaping worms back to the ground.
Jiraiya wasn't idle either. His hands quickly formed seals.
"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!"
In an instant, the area where the Clay Rock Worms were located turned into a swamp. Unable to leap or move freely, they were trapped.
"Now's the time! Gamabunta, get close to him!" Jiraiya shouted.
The strategy to deal with Deidara was simple: close the distance. The closer they got, the more restricted Deidara would be, as his explosions were indiscriminate, affecting both friend and foe.
Tch!
Watching Jiraiya and Gamabunta's relentless pursuit, Deidara found himself in a tough spot. He had already created numerous large clay creatures, including the Manda, the Parasite Nest, the Golem, and several Rock Worms, consuming nearly half of his chakra.
Although he still had a decent amount of chakra left, the battle remained far from resolved, and he couldn't afford to waste it recklessly.
He needed to find an opportunity to take to the skies. Once airborne, the fight would shift entirely in his favor.
"Jiraiya of the Sannin, how about trying this move?"
"Maybe it'll remind you of something unforgettable!"
C2 Special Type: Salamander!
A massive clay salamander appeared on the battlefield. Unlike the previous clay creatures, this one was entirely purple-black, exuding a poisonous aura.
The clay salamander had been infused with Sasori's poison during its creation, granting it a highly toxic attribute.
"Jiraiya's Shock Value +2000"
"Gamabunta's Shock Value..."
"Hey! Can this guy spit anything out of his mouth?"
"This time, it's Hanzo's salamander!" Gamabunta exclaimed, referring to Hanzo's summoned beast, Ibuse.
"What should we do?" Gamabunta asked while charging forward.
"Gamabunta, use ninjutsu! That salamander's color looks off—it might really be poisonous!"
Although the previous intel on Deidara hadn't mentioned his ability to create poisonous clay creatures, ninja battles required adapting to real-time situations rather than relying solely on old information.
"Water Release: Water Bullet!"
Gamabunta once again unleashed his giant water bullets, but this time they failed to hit the clay salamander.
Two large white clay snakes emerged from Deidara's hands, and the resulting explosions from their detonation disrupted Gamabunta's water bullets with shockwaves.
Whoosh!
The salamander swiftly crawled toward Gamabunta and Jiraiya, its mouth wide open, releasing a cloud of purple smoke.
Damn it!
It's really poisonous!
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Jiraiya attempted to disperse the incoming poison gas with a wind jutsu. However, as the smoke cleared, it revealed numerous strange-looking clay wasps hidden within, completely unaffected by the wind.
So this was the real killer move!
The clay wasps closed in rapidly, leaving Jiraiya with almost no time to react.
"Ninja Art: Needle Jizo!"
Jiraiya's white hair grew wildly, wrapping around him to form a protective cocoon. Confident in the defensive strength of this jutsu, he assumed the small clay wasps wouldn't pack much of a punch...
Boom!
Suddenly, Jiraiya coughed up blood, a sharp pain tearing through his body as if his internal organs were being ripped apart.
What?!
How could the explosion originate from inside my body?
Wait! It must be the Parasite Nest from earlier!
In an instant, Jiraiya realized the truth. During the chaotic exchanges earlier, Deidara had summoned a massive Parasite Nest, which hadn't seemed to play a significant role and had gradually been overlooked.
But it was precisely this oversight that allowed the enemy to deliver a devastating blow at a critical moment!
Meanwhile, Deidara felt a twinge of regret. Due to Jiraiya's constant movement and position changes, only a small number of parasite bugs had managed to infiltrate his body. Otherwise, Jiraiya would have been severely injured by now.
Still, this was good enough. At least it bought Deidara the time he needed to take to the skies.
Riding his Clay Bird high into the air, the battle finally shifted back to his rhythm. Deidara's excitement grew.
"Jiraiya, the battle is now under my control!"
"Let me show you what it's like to be relentlessly hunted down!"
C2 Enhanced Type: Great Dragon!
Roar!
"Jiraiya's Shock Value +3000"
"Gamabunta's Shock Value +2000"
"Gamahiro's Shock Value..."
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
Explore More Amazing Fanfiction on My Patreon!
Unlock 30+ Advance Chapters and Enjoy Exclusive Stories Early!
👉 patreon.com/GoldenLong