"What speed! Is this Space-Time Ninjutsu?"
Deidara yanked the giant clay bird beneath him upward, but in the next instant, he saw Saitama Uchiha had already teleported directly under his body.
His eyes narrowed slightly. Although he knew beforehand that the enemy possessed Space-Time Ninjutsu, experiencing it firsthand still felt incredibly fast and sudden.
[Whoosh!]
Saitama activated Flying Thunder God, grabbed his weapon mid-air, twisted his body, and slashed backward with a reverse strike.
[Crackling!]
The Chidori Current erupted along the blade, forming a concentrated energy blast that shot straight out like a beam from its tip.
"Totally unexpected!"
Standing atop the clay bird, Deidara quickly took several steps back, deliberately dodging Saitama's attack.
[Whoosh!]
A thin, long streak of white lightning pierced through the belly of the clay bird, then tore right through its body and jutted out near Deidara's feet.
Though Saitama knew his strike was difficult to evade, his opponent was Deidara, so he remained cautious and added some predictive movement.
So, even as Deidara dodged around on the bird's back, Saitama still predicted exactly where he'd step.
This strike relied entirely on his earlier visual observations before activating Flying Thunder God—but now proved extremely effective.
Feeling the sudden shift beneath him, Deidara's body froze. But before he could react, the Chidori Current-based technique erupted from below, piercing straight through his chest and protruding from his shoulder blades with a sharp gleaming point.
Impaled midair on the Lightning Release, his expression became frozen in disbelief.
"This doesn't *feel* right!"
Saitama tightened his grip on his weapon; the moment he heard a 'piercing' sound while stabbing through Deidara's body, something seemed off.
Frowning slightly, he swiftly turned around to face the looming threat behind—Onoki. He hadn't forgotten about the real troublemaker!
If Deidara couldn't be killed, so be it—the current opportunity wasn't ideal anyway. Although he could briefly stay airborne using the traits of Snake Sage Art, unlike Deidara or Onoki, he couldn't remain flying at high altitudes for long. That put him at a disadvantage.
Plus, aerial combat had many downsides—he wasn't accustomed to fighting like this, making it hard to find his usual rhythm in offense.
[Dust Release - Original Severing Technique!]
Boom!
A white light flashed. Saitama crossed both arms over his chest and instantly vanished into thin air.
"Deidara, are you alright?"
Without checking on Saitama's condition—although it appeared he'd been struck by his Dust Release technique—Onoki knew full well that Saitama must have once again used Flying Thunder God to dodge. The disappearance was merely an optical illusion created by his speed, as though he had been disintegrated by the dust technique.
Over there, the Clay Clone bird that had been pierced seemed to have lost control. Its flapping wings became extremely uncoordinated, and its body swayed violently.
Standing atop it, Deidara had been impaled through the chest by a Lightning Release surging up from below the bird. His hands still tightly gripped the glowing white lightning chakra.
Zizi!
In the next second, Deidara's face rapidly turned pale, the expression of pain instantly disappearing as he melted like a candle into the Clay Clone beneath his feet, becoming a large bulge.
Pfssk!
Then, an arm stabbed out from within the bird's back, followed by a head forcing its way out. Meanwhile, the wobbling giant bird gradually regained balance.
The one emerging from the bird's body was naturally Deidara. At the exact moment Saitama vanished, he realized he was in danger. While commanding the bird to rise higher, he quickly activated his Clay Clone technique, slipping inside the bird's belly to avoid the attack.
This method was extremely secretive, and at the same time, Saitama's use of the Flying Thunder God technique just barely lost sight of him—his Sharingan failed to track it completely.
Still, even so, the Lightning Release Saitama fired through the bird's abdomen nearly struck him directly.
Thankfully, it missed in the end, allowing him to narrowly escape that fatal strike.
Even having dodged Saitama's attack, Deidara remained deeply shaken.
He already felt mentally at a disadvantage when facing a lightning-user, let alone someone like Saitama Uchiha—an absolute master of Lightning Release. So right from the start, he hadn't planned to fight Saitama head-on. The reason he kept circling high above was simply to avoid being hit.
But he hadn't expected even the sky to be unsafe for him—Saitama's abilities were completely unlike any ninja he'd faced before.
"I'm fine!"
Deidara said, his face somewhat pale, sprawled on top of the bird, staring at the pile of white clay formed from the melted Clay Clone, his eyes filled with some lingering fear.
"He should be gone now! Still, better be careful—we need to leave immediately if anything feels off. As for Raikage, there's no time to worry about him now…"
Onoki slowly approached Deidara, warily eyeing the spot on the bird's back recently pierced by lightning, which under Deidara's chakra control was now gradually repairing itself.
He didn't land directly on the bird's back; the Flying Thunder God Technique had left him on edge, fearing any hidden tags. He feared Saitama might have left traps there, waiting for him to step closer before delivering a deadly blow.
"Yeah…"
Deidara nodded slightly, one hand pressed onto the bird's back.
If ordered to retreat right now, he'd turn without hesitation. At this moment, the faith of a ninja meant nothing to him.
Saitama Uchiha was exactly the kind of opponent perfectly suited to counter him. No matter how proud he had once been, at this moment, he clearly understood the gap between them!
Huuu!
The wind howled as the two stood tense, scanning the area below and around them repeatedly to confirm Saitama had truly disappeared.
After a long while, they exchanged glances.
"Take Raikage and that Kumo Ninja with us—we'll have to pay a visit to Kumogakure."
Onoki spoke, his expression quite strange.
The scene of the Tsuchikage heading toward Kumogakure with the Raikage's corpse was already bizarre enough to possibly provoke war. But now, Onoki could not care less about consequences. He could only hope that Kumogakure wasn't filled exclusively with brutes who were not all that bright.
"Earth Release - Earth Clone!"
With a quick hand seal formed at his chest, two swirling masses of chakra flowed outward from both sides of his body. Gradually solidifying into mud, they took shape into exact replicas of himself.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
The two clones exchanged glances with their original before diving downward immediately.
Even though he hadn't located Saitama for quite some time, Onoki still felt uneasy about personally going down to deal with Raikage's remains. Therefore, he chose a more cautious approach.
After all, Saitama Uchiha had pretended to leave during what happened at the Land of Iron, only to return and kill the Raikage here. He definitely didn't want to end up like the Raikage!
Truly cautious! No wonder he's the longest-serving Tsuchikage. This level of steadiness really sets him apart.
Saitama appeared atop a distant stone pillar far away from where he previously fought, watching Onoki's Earth Clone technique unfold while smirking slightly.
Ambushing the Raikage a second time was already more than the mission had called for.
As for the current situation with two shadows of the Tsuchikage appearing, a simple probing attack without reaching objectives meant it was time to retreat.
Though fighting against the two Earth Release users seemed troublesome, dealing with flyers was a real pain in the neck for Saitama too.
Therefore, knowing when to call it quits while you're still ahead was Saitama's principle. After trying against Deidara yielded no results, there was no shame in retreating first either.
Of course, his earlier pullback didn't mean he'd given up on this area entirely. He just relocated to his current position in case opponents might make mistakes or get careless.
But apparently, Onoki proved even more prudent than he'd anticipated.
"Looks like the chance is gone. Time to leave."
Watching Onoki's clones carrying Raikage's and Darui's corpses flying upward into the sky, Saitama shifted his gaze sideways.
Where his eyes moved, two figures stood there.
"Long time no see, Saitama-kun!"
Orochimaru and Kimimaro stood on a lower stone pillar beside him. Orochimaru wore his signature eerie smile as he spoke.
Actually, Saitama had detected Orochimaru's presence earlier, but since critical moments of battling Raikage were unfolding, he didn't waste time looking around.
When the Tsuchikage arrived, Orochimaru masked his presence so thoroughly that not even the sensors could detect him until he reappeared just now.
"Long time no see!"
Saitama fixed his gaze on Orochimaru, eyes probing as though trying to unearth something buried within him.
"Saitama-senpai!"
Kimimaro stood behind Orochimaru, giving Saitama a slight nod as greeting.
"Never thought you'd call me here just to ask for my help..."
Orochimaru gazed at the two distant black dots in the sky, his eyes brimming with intense interest. A faint glimmer of greenish light flickered — like a predator scenting blood.
"Not really. Calling you was just an extra precaution. If Onoki had arrived a little earlier, I wouldn't have won so easily, and Raikage probably wouldn't have died either."
Saitama didn't feign modesty, but his tone stayed neutral, neither arrogant nor boastful.
"You're just letting them walk away?"
Orochimaru kept watching the retreating figures of Onoki and the other, eyes shifting subtly.
By the time he showed up, Saitama had already got everything under control, so he didn't reveal himself immediately.
Then Onoki's sudden arrival caught him off guard for a moment, so he chose to stay concealed.
"That can't be helped. But it's no big deal. Mission's done. All wrapped up nicely."
Saitama stared at the horizon, voice carrying little regret.
"How did things go on your end?"
"Results are pretty good. Got what we needed. I'll start planning after we get back."
Orochimaru gave a slight nod, voice staying calm and even.
"Thanks."
Saitama fell silent for a moment before suddenly meeting Orochimaru's gaze and saying just that.
Truthfully, Orochimaru had given him tremendous help, so speaking such words at this moment felt completely natural.
"Hehehe." Orochimaru smiled, his pale skin making him look particularly eerie. "You're full of surprises. But my reasons for helping aren't purely for your sake either. I've got my own goals too. No need to say more than that."
"Besides, I'm quite curious about this 'new world' you mentioned."
"Alright then, I'll leave things up to you from now on!"
Saitama returned to his usual self and turned his gaze elsewhere.
This time when Akatsuki mobilized fully, he was the one who passed the info to Orochimaru through a clone. And he was also the one who originally provided intel on the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path — better known as the Physical Shell of the Ten-Tails.
That's why Orochimaru's operation went so smoothly this time.
As for exactly why he wanted part of the Physical Shell of the Ten-Tails, perhaps only Orochimaru himself knew. While Saitama had some theories, he wasn't exactly an experimentalist himself. So there were still some aspects he couldn't fully understand.
Still, whatever requests he'd made of Orochimaru beforehand would likely involve using the Physical Shell of the Ten-Tails or applying discoveries derived from researching it.
As for the details? Better to just leave that to Orochimaru, who clearly enjoyed every moment of it.
The very existence of the Ten-Tails opened up the allure of the Shinobi World to Orochimaru. Now having acquired part of its Physical Shell, the core truth of the Shinobi World lay before him, waiting to be uncovered.
"It won't be long. When we return, it won't take much time before I should be able to resolve your issue!"
While speaking, Orochimaru casually placed his hand on Kimimaro's shoulder, instantly bringing color back to the latter's face.
"Yeah. Our time is limited. It's best to resolve the physical issues as soon as possible."
Saitama nodded. Back then when he was rescued by Madara Uchiha, his body had naturally been marked with a similar cursed seal to the one Madara had previously placed on Obito, as a precaution in case he became uncontrollable.
At first, he hadn't noticed anything unusual about his body. It wasn't until he repeatedly used the "Izanagi" technique with his right eye that he gradually became aware of those powerful cursed seals hidden deep within him.
Because his entire body would instantly transform after using Izanagi, those seals would briefly react and show signs of fluctuation at those moments, which allowed Saitama to slowly discover them.
"Well then, that's it for today. I'll head back first. When the time comes, you come find me!"
Orochimaru patted Kimimaro and turned to leave.
"Okay!"
Saitama continued staring toward Kumogakure and muttered a sentence before Orochimaru and Kimimaro leapt down from the stone pillar and quickly vanished.
"Almost there! Almost there!"
Saitama was excited. Events were unfolding exactly as he anticipated. Everything was under his control. This feeling… felt great!
Whoosh!
A fierce wind blew in, and Saitama's figure instantly disappeared from the spot. White flashes flickered in the air before finally vanishing into the horizon.
After such a long battle, he had grown tired and needed somewhere to rest and plan ahead.
As for Pain, Kakuzu, and Sasori, he couldn't deal with them for now.
He wasn't seriously injured, but he was worn out. Staying cautious was every ninja's top priority.
"The Five Kage Summit has temporarily concluded! The Raikage is already on his way back. Looks like things here are wrapping up too!"
Zetsu appeared on a rock, his upper half emerging as he observed the scene below. His split black-and-white face looked incredibly creepy.
This information had been previously brought by White Zetsu's clone, so he didn't yet know that halfway through his journey back, the Raikage would soon encounter Saitama.
Following Zetsu's line of sight, Hidan stood covered in blood. A large hole pierced his chest, revealing missing internal organs, though it did little to hinder his combat capabilities.
Right now, he stood atop an exposed rocky outcrop. The slender Black Spear in his hand had already impaled his own body, and many other parts bore identical piercing wounds. Blood dripped onto the ground, intensifying the sinister look of the Jashin symbol below him.
Kakuzu crouched beside Hidan, his Akatsuki cloak already torn to shreds by Earth Grudge Fear. Only one Mask Beast remained standing beside him now, while Kakuzu himself was panting heavily, clearly worn out.
As for Sasori, he might have been the best off among the three. Before him stood a well-organized formation of powerful puppets—Roshi, Third Kazekage, and Terumi Mei—each connected to his chest via numerous chakra threads.
Not long ago, they had believed victory was assured, only to be surprised when this Eight-Tails Jinchuriki attempted to deceive them with a severed limb trick. Fortunately, one of Zetsu's clones had timely arrived to warn them.
Once the Jinchuriki's illusionary tactic was uncovered, another fierce battle naturally erupted.
And now, thanks to Hidan's abilities, their enemy was nearly unable to resist further. Undoubtedly, Hidan's immortal and curse-based killing abilities were genuinely overpowered—his strength and tactics constantly blew everyone away.
"Hehehe!"
B no longer had the composed demeanor he displayed at the beginning of the fight. Now in human form, his limbs and critical areas such as his heart had suffered serious damage. If it weren't for the Tailed Beast's chakra keeping him going, he'd already be dead.
His eyes locked onto Hidan, whose body had turned pitch black, covered in a layer of skeletal tattoos. All these bizarre injuries were caused by that man's terrifying ability!
Inside his Inner World, Gyuki was clearly affected, looking sluggish and weakened.
He had indeed paid a price for his carelessness, though this cost seemed heavier than expected.
After communicating with Gyuki once more, they decided to make one final push. Tailed Beast chakra erupted from his body, though clearly weaker than before.
[Boom!]
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