Whoosh!
The giant white bird shrieked as it hurtled toward Hidan, who stood frozen in place. Its two thick wings flapped rapidly, stirring up a faint gust of wind on the ground below.
So it seemed like Deidara was giving up aerial superiority and switching to a close-range attack?
But in the next instant, Deidara made his move. Standing atop the bird, he plunged both hands into the clay ninja tool pouches at his waist.
Hoo!
Kakuzu narrowed his eyes and stood beside Hidan, clearly on high alert.
He knew that at this moment, Hidan couldn't move—if he stepped out of that circle, the entire Curse Jutsu would come to an immediate end. So like a bodyguard, he stayed by Hidan's side.
"Heh heh, let me see just how tough you guys really are!"
As Deidara guided the bird into a dive straight at Hidan and Kakuzu, he suddenly yanked it upward just before impact, sending it soaring skyward in a sharp arc, leaving behind a glowing white arc in the air.
This way, if Deidara launched his jutsu mid-flight, they would already have initial speed and direction, making them even more unpredictable.
[Explosive Clay - Detonation Bombs!]
Pulling his hands from the pouches, Deidara gripped the prepared bombs tightly with a practiced motion. As the bird shot upward, he hurled them forward in one smooth, fluid motion—effortless and precise, as if he'd done it a thousand times before.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
The bombs flew incredibly fast, their speed boosted by inertia and gravity, leaving only ghostly white streaks hard to track with the eye. Even Kakuzu could barely make out the faint trails rocketing toward them.
Unsure what kind of attack it was, Kakuzu's face twisted—he wanted to dodge immediately, but Hidan stood right behind him and was temporarily unable to move, so there was no choice but to stand firm.
Though Hidan could be really annoying in daily life, after working together for so long, Kakuzu clearly understood his teammate's position.
[Earth Release - Earth Spear Jutsu!!!]
Stepping forward instantly, Kakuzu positioned himself directly in front of Hidan and activated his ninjutsu at the same time to boost his defense. His skin darkened instantly, a blackish hue spreading across his exposed flesh, transforming his appearance entirely.
But he didn't stop there. Kakuzu wasn't foolish enough to use his body to block an unknown enemy attack. The very next moment after activating Earth Spear Jutsu, he triggered another technique.
[Earth Release - Earth Wall Formation!]
Bending his knees slightly, Kakuzu slammed one hand against the ground. Instantly, a solid earthen wall erupted from the earth, rising quickly to shield him.
Standing firmly atop the bird, Deidara formed a hand seal with one hand, his bangs whipping wildly in the wind. His expression serious, he kept his eyes locked on the enemy, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
When he saw his bombs drawing close to the enemy—though blocked momentarily by their techniques—he still shouted the detonation command without hesitation:
"Haa!!!"
With a loud roar, the detonation bombs immediately reacted and exploded.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The bombs detonated near the earthen wall, and the intense shockwaves instantly took effect on it.
Crack! Crack! The power of Deidara's bombs was immense. Kakuzu's Earth Release could barely hold up anymore — countless small cracks appeared on its surface like a spiderweb, densely packed and continuously spreading across the entire wall.
Behind the earthen wall, Kakuzu's expression shifted slightly as he was momentarily stunned by the sheer force of Deidara's ninjutsu, but he quickly regained his composure.
No matter how strong this kid is, he still hasn't hurt me — that's all that matters.
Meanwhile, Han, who had been kneeling on the ground, also sprang into action the moment Deidara attacked.
Although the Curse Jutsu had seriously wounded him — even piercing through his heart — thanks to the tailed beast's vitality, he still managed to grit his teeth and endure for a while longer without dying or falling into unconsciousness from severe injury.
He was fully aware of just how dire his condition was. Yet the moment he moved, he was already hunting for a chance to strike back.
If he went down, he'd drag his enemy with him — no matter what!
He'd made a mistake before and walked right into his enemy's trap. But if there was still a shot, he'd make it count — now!
"Hm? Blocked it? Then how about this one?! Can you block this too?!"
Standing atop his giant bird, Deidara circled above Hidan and Kakuzu.
This time, many explosive items made from clay reappeared in his hands.
And this time — they were miniature, intricately crafted clay spiders!
[C1 - Clay Spiders!!]
"Now, die within the explosion!! Haha!"
Deidara's voice carried a hint of madness, somewhat similar to Hidan performing his Jashin ritual earlier.
His clay explosives were categorized into distinct grades — starting with the basic level, then escalating through C1, C2, C3, C4, and C0.
Of course, the later the level, the greater the power — each with its own unique effects!
Since Han's heart had already been pierced due to damage sharing with the enemy, his death was inevitable anyway. Therefore, Deidara no longer held anything back.
Grabbing handfuls of spiders, Deidara hurled them down at Hidan and Kakuzu like rain. His grin widened, eyes narrowing repeatedly — he loved watching powerful opponents vanish in an instant through his art of explosions!
So they shared the damage, huh?
Who cares! Han was already doomed anyway — he wouldn't waste time worrying about such things anymore.
Thinking this way, Deidara directly unleashed the more powerful C1-level explosive clay at Hidan.
"Damn it, bastard!"
Han dodged sideways, then looked up and saw Deidara throwing down an enormous number of explosive spiders from the sky — completely indifferent to the fact that he himself remained linked to the enemy and would share the damage.
Clutching his chest wound, Han's face turned extremely pale.
Although his heart had suffered a critical wound, the enemy might not have intended to kill him outright. The strike missed his heart's core, grazing the atrium instead — a stab wound, not a fatal one.
For ordinary people, both types of injuries would be fatal, but for a Jinchūriki, there was still some room to fight back.
Because the Jinchūriki and the Tailed Beast were bound together, when the Jinchūriki suffers a deadly wound, the Tailed Beast will transfer its own life force to the Jinchūriki in an attempt to delay the process of death.
This was one reason he didn't die immediately and was still able to maintain mobility. Of course, it also presented an opportunity for him to counterattack.
"Evade!"
Facing the sky full of Clay Spiders, Kakuzu shouted at Hidan, then swiftly dodged aside.
The enemy held an aerial advantage, and their attacks were incredibly powerful and brutal. With explosions raining down from above, all he could do was dodge.
As he moved, he shouted a warning — afraid Hidan might do something reckless. Although Hidan possessed an Immortal Body, as his longtime partner, Kakuzu knew this immortality had limitations.
If blown into countless fragments, even with his Earth Grudge Fear, it would be difficult to reassemble Hidan!
Whoosh! Naturally, Hidan wasn't stupid. Witnessing the power of the first explosion, he understood he needed to dodge; otherwise, taking it head-on would bring nothing but pain.
He gripped the black spear lodged in his chest with both hands, then yanked it out in one swift motion. He then pushed off the ground with one foot, chasing after Kakuzu as he retreated backward. The wounds on his body weren't particularly troubling — he could feel pain, but none of them were life-threatening.
As for Han, the moment Hidan pulled the spear from his chest, he spat another mouthful of blood. The wound on his chest tore wider, and hot blood gushed uncontrollably from it, flowing through the gaps in his armor...
"It worked!!"
Deidara narrowed his eyes, then once again controlled the Giant Bird to dive downward while his hands plunged into the clay bag, kneading it once more.
He had two goals in mind when launching the attack: One was to confirm whether the enemies truly possessed immortality or near-immortality as he suspected; the other was naturally to see if he could force Hidan out of that Curse Jutsu Ritual Circle and temporarily free Han.
Had Hidan chosen to endure Deidara's explosion just now, Deidara wouldn't have hesitated to keep attacking — not even for Han's sake. After all, Han was already beyond saving, so pulling back wouldn't have made much difference. If they didn't dodge, his first goal would've been accomplished.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
In midair, the Clay Spiders contracted their bodies. As they neared the ground, their limbs suddenly spread outward, slowing their descent before touching down.
These descending Clay Spiders did not explode immediately upon landing; after Hidan and Kakuzu evaded, they landed directly onto the ground. It looked like they had a mind of their own, hopping across the surface while pursuing the pair.
[Lightning Release: Electrification Technique]
Kakuzu's face remained expressionless as he formed hand seals with both hands across his chest. In an instant, his back swelled unnaturally, like something was about to burst out of him—a grotesque creature tearing free from its human host.
Puchi!
His clothing tore apart at the back, revealing a mask connected by black threads.
The moment the mask appeared, it slowly lifted forward in the direction Kakuzu faced—right toward the incoming swarm of clay spiders.
Zizi!
Electricity gathered at the mouth of the mask, just like a laser cannon charging up. Within a split second, the mask fired a blindingly fast electric shock straight into the swarm of leaping clay spiders.
"Hah!"
Deidara saw everything unfold. A moment before the clay spiders were struck, he instantly triggered the explosion.
Lightning would render the Leicetu harmless if it detonated early. So he triggered them early before they could even get close.
Also, watching Kakuzu in this state, Deidara's eyes flickered slightly. Before now, Kakuzu had shown nothing but close-range taijutsu skills, but now...
Hidan stood beside Kakuzu, his expression darkening as he raised one hand to shield his eyes from the smoke of the explosion.
He never really learned those flashy ninja techniques (Ninjutsu). Ever since dedicating himself to Jashin, conventional jutsu no longer held meaning for him. His fighting style became brutally simple—relying on the Death Curse by Blood. He fought at close range, drew his enemies' blood, and used it to activate the curse that killed them!
That's why dealing with someone like Deidara was tough—he couldn't even get within touching distance.
"Let's go!"
From atop the giant bird, Deidara suddenly shouted loudly, causing Kakuzu's pupils to contract sharply. He immediately turned his head toward where Han had been earlier.
Because Hidan had just performed his Curse Jutsu and stabbed his own heart, Kakuzu had selectively forgotten about that jinchuriki. To him, though maybe not dead on the spot, the jinchuriki should have definitely lost all combat effectiveness and become useless baggage.
But it was only now that he realized—the pierced jinchuriki was attacking again!
[Boil Release - Monster Unrivaled!!!] A furious voice erupted, and the air itself seemed to ignite with heat.
Han locked his gaze on Hidan. As soon as Hidan stepped outside the ritual circle, Han realized their connection was broken. And so, even before Deidara spoke, he had already begun moving.
Without caring about his wounds, he clenched his right hand into a fist, steam blasting violently from his entire body, like a fully operational steam engine.
His target? Hidan—the one who drove him to this desperate state!
As long as Hidan lived, Han would find no peace! Since he himself didn't have much time left anyway, the culprit responsible deserved to die too!!
Sshi!
Seeing Han appear seemingly out of nowhere in front of him, Hidan sucked in his breath through his teeth, his brows furrowing tightly.
He wasn't particularly worried though—because… he was chosen by LordJashin, an immortal being!
"Die already! You crazy Akatsuki Organization freak!"
Han stomped the ground, and the surface beneath instantly cracked under the force of his power. With that force, he launched himself even closer to Hidan, his blazing crimson eyes fixed on Hidan's face—now back to normal.
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