A small white sphere fell from the sky. If it weren't for Deidara's voice from above, neither Jiraiya nor Hashirama would have paid it any attention.
It was simply too small. Even after activation, it was only about the size of an adult's fist—completely different from Deidara's increasingly massive bombs.
It defied the common logic that the larger the size, the greater the explosive power.
Yet, an ominous feeling surged in both their hearts.
Why wasn't Deidara dead? Could it be that the one they killed was truly just a Clone? But then, how did it manage to evade the sensory perception of Sage Mode?
And why was Deidara so confident in this tiny sphere? Where did this confidence come from?
There was no time to think further. Deidara raised his right hand, holding his index and middle fingers in front of his chest, a fanatical and excited smile spreading across his face.
"C4 Enhanced Type: Sun!"
"This is your grand debut. Make sure to shine with your heat and brilliance!"
"Ha!"
Deidara's clear shout had barely reached their ears when it was immediately drowned out by the deafening roar of a massive explosion.
Jiraiya only caught a fraction of the sound before his eardrums were ruptured by the overwhelming decibels.
"Needle Jizō!"
He wrapped himself in his hair, but it was of little use. Being at the epicenter of the explosion, how could such minor measures offer any protection?
So, was this the final chapter of Jiraiya's heroic tale?
He watched helplessly as the high-temperature fireball expanded, consuming everything in its path. In the next moment, it would engulf him as well.
But just as despair set in, countless massive wooden hands reached out, enclosing him protectively. Though the wooden hands alone couldn't withstand the explosion, their constant destruction and regeneration managed to buy a bit of time.
Then, a figure clad in red armor forced its way through.
"Wood Release: Hobi Technique!"
Jiraiya couldn't hear the words, but he felt that must be what was said.
A sturdy wooden shield with a demonic face appeared—Hashirama's strongest defensive technique. It held out against the explosion's core for a full second.
One second was a short time, but for near-Six Paths-level shinobi, even a second could be significant.
Hashirama punched Jiraiya hard, sending him flying out of the blast zone before casting another jutsu.
"Fivefold Rashōmon!"
Five massive demonic gates, each with incredible defensive power, stood in the path of the explosion's shockwave. They held out for another second or so, but the situation remained critical.
Hashirama clapped his hands together, this time putting all his strength into it.
"Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands!"
Another Thousand-Armed Kannon statue appeared. The countless wooden arms on its back moved in unison, not to attack but to weave a thick, solid defensive barrier.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion echoed as boundless light and heat formed a new sun in the sky.
This sun had already consumed many gods and two renowned Buddhas.
"Deidara is going too far!" Nagato and the others were also affected by the explosion.
Even from a distance, the violent shockwave was not something to be trifled with.
The shockwave, accompanied by searing heat, ignited all the vegetation in its path. It was as if the sun itself had fallen to earth, leaving nothing untouched by its flames.
"Hashirama Senju: Shock Value +10,000" "Jiraiya: Shock Value +10,000" "Nagato: Shock Value +5,000" "Tsunade: Shock Value..."
Panting heavily, Deidara sat atop his clay bird. Using two consecutive C4-level clay creations was still too much of a burden for him at this stage.
He looked below with a serious expression. The power of C4 Enhanced Type: Sun was indeed immense, and the close-range explosion had been a complete surprise.
But Hashirama was in an Edo Tensei body, and he was already beginning to regenerate. No matter how many times he was blown up, it wouldn't make a difference.
As for Jiraiya, though he had survived under Hashirama's protection, he was gravely injured and temporarily out of combat.
Deidara wondered how the other battlefield was progressing. Without Itachi's Totsuka Blade, there was no way to seal Hashirama.
"Young man, I'm curious—how did you evade our sensory perception earlier?" Hashirama asked with interest.
Deidara smiled faintly. "You must have noticed by now. The chakra signature in my head was much stronger than in my body."
Hashirama's expression shifted to one of realization. Earlier, Deidara had grafted his head onto a Clay Clone while leaving his body behind with the clone.
In this way, unless someone carefully sensed the chakra distribution, they would naturally assume the Clay Clone—with its much larger chakra reserves—was the real body.
After all, a head is so much smaller than a body in volume.
But in reality, Deidara only needed to leave behind his head. By consuming clay, he could grow a new body and eventually replace the clone's body with his own.
"Do you still have strength left?"
"Honestly, using such a sneaky trick to win feels a bit shameful," Hashirama admitted, somewhat embarrassed.
But given the circumstances, personal pride had to be set aside.
Hashirama clapped his hands again, preparing to attack once more.
"Wait!"
Just as Deidara braced himself, Hashirama suddenly shouted.
Seeing Deidara's puzzled expression, Hashirama scratched his head. "Just kidding. Let's call a truce. I don't want to fight anymore."
"Why?" Deidara and Jiraiya asked in unison.
Hashirama crossed his arms, looking up at Deidara in the sky and then down at the injured Jiraiya on the ground.
"While I respect the three Sages, I believe that destiny is something we must forge with our own hands."
"Following a predetermined fate may seem safe, but it feels hollow and pitiful."
It was perhaps the first time Jiraiya had seen Hashirama so serious, leaving him momentarily stunned.
"But if we don't restore the timeline, the ninja world will be destroyed!"
"The Sage's words were that the world is highly likely to be destroyed, not certain, right? Isn't there still a small chance it won't be?"
"Lord First! You can't gamble the future of the ninja world!" Jiraiya shouted in frustration.
"Exactly!" Hashirama nodded in agreement. "That's why I stepped in."
"But given the current situation, this young man's strength is extraordinary. I believe he has the potential to create that small chance of a miracle."
"Besides..." Hashirama looked at Jiraiya with a serious expression. "If even he can't save the ninja world..."
"Then killing him and leaving the task to you, who are weaker than him, would only lower the chances of success, wouldn't it?"
"I..." Jiraiya was left speechless.
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