Shinji watched as Sasuke found himself in mortal danger, his hands already beginning to come together to form a seal.
One quick clap would have been enough to pull Sasuke out of harm's way instantly.
But just as his palms were about to meet, Shinji suddenly stopped.
Under the overwhelming pressure of life or death, Sasuke's instincts had kicked in violently — his Mangekyō Sharingan flared to life on its own.
Driven by his desperate will to survive, a shimmering purple barrier of energy erupted from his entire body.
Only when he caught sight of that dazzling, awe‑inspiring purple light did Shinji relax and hold back.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Another series of explosions erupted, completely engulfing Sasuke in roaring flames.
But as the smoke and dust cleared, the unwritten rule of "no harm behind the smoke" proved true.
Sasuke landed steadily on his feet, the upper half of a massive purple skeletal figure surrounding him, his gaze radiating pure killing intent.
It was only the first stage of Susanoo, but it had been a blessing in disguise — instantly pushing Sasuke's power to a whole new level.
And now that he had awakened it once, summoning Susanoo again in the future would come naturally.
Seeing this, Shinji's expression softened into one of genuine approval.
"Not bad at all."
Hearing Shinji's praise, Sasuke felt a surge of excitement. I've finally unleashed this power!
Yet the moment his tense nerves relaxed, a wave of overwhelming weakness washed over him.
His Mangekyō Sharingan instantly faded, his vision went black, and he collapsed forward onto the ground.
At this stage, Sasuke simply did not have enough chakra or ocular stamina to sustain such a technique.
Even the first stage of Susanoo had drained his mind and spirit completely. Still, there was no real danger — he would recover fully after some rest.
Chaos reigned all around. Explosions went off one after another, filling the air with dust and smoke.
The clay spiders, birds, and centipedes had been hidden in ambush, making them nearly impossible to guard against — they could jump out from any corner at any moment.
Tobi was screaming and panicking, darting wildly back and forth as swarms of clay spiders and birds hurled themselves at him.
Yet not a single one could actually touch him — all noise and fury, but no real harm.
Isobu, the Three‑Tails, was terrified out of his wits. He scurried behind a tree as fast as his tiny legs could carry him — only to find a white clay spider perched there, staring at him curiously.
For the first time in his existence, he truly felt fear. He opened his mouth and blasted out a stream of water.
It looked about as powerful as a child's water pistol.
The white spider, soaked from head to toe, didn't react in the slightest. In its programming, this tiny turtle‑like creature was not marked as a target for detonation.
Being completely ignored…
Isobu felt a strange mix of humiliation and relief. He crept away quietly, and sure enough, no attack came anywhere near him.
This was a new and very odd feeling — equal parts strange and embarrassing.
Tobi was making the most noise of all, yet remained completely unhurt.
Tamamo Hikaru was far smarter. Sensing the danger, he immediately merged with his companion, Crescent Moon, transforming into the Moonlight King Fox.
He moved with effortless grace and elegance, dodging every blast as if dancing through the chaos.
The only one having a truly miserable time was Hidan — he was covered head to toe in soot and grime. It was his own fault, though: the moment he saw anything leaping toward him, his first instinct was to slash it apart.
He swung his scythe wildly, chopping through every spider and bird that came near — only to set them off himself.
The repeated blasts left him dazed and disoriented, and he couldn't even tell where the enemy was hiding.
Amidst all the confusion, a figure slipped silently through the shadows and snatched up the Regenerative Core lying on the ground.
"Got it!"
Deidara grinned triumphantly and turned to flee — only for a long, sharp blade to pierce straight through his back.
"Oh? It's you. What a coincidence. You wanted this thing? You should have just said so — no need to sneak around or fight for it."
Shinji had suspected Deidara would never give up so easily, which was why he had deliberately left Sasori's core out in plain sight. Sure enough, it had worked perfectly as bait.
Deidara glanced down at the blade sticking through his chest, then suddenly bared his teeth in a savage grin.
"When I want something, I prefer taking it with my own two hands — HA!"
He raised the core high into the air, and his entire body swelled outward.
It was nothing more than a clay clone!
BOOM!
The clone exploded violently, sending the core flying high into the air.
From above, a clay owl carrying the real Deidara swooped down, caught the core in mid‑flight, and veered sharply toward the horizon. Laughter echoed loudly from the sky.
But before Deidara could even finish his laugh, a sharp pain struck his face, and he went crashing downward.
The owl tried to catch him, only to be torn apart instantly by Moxi, who had appeared out of thin air.
The moment the first explosions hit, Shinji had used the smoke as cover to send Moxi up into the sky, where she remained hidden and waiting.
He had seen right through Deidara's trick from the start, which was why he had acted so decisively.
As Deidara plummeted toward the ground, certain to die on impact, Shinji simply clapped his hands once.
A blood‑red crystal in front of him instantly shifted shape — and there was Deidara, safely standing right there, with the Kubikiribōchō blade pressed firmly against his neck.
"Hello again. We meet once more."
Shinji smiled warmly, and Deidara froze, not daring to move an inch.
"So — have you thought it over? Will you join us?"
"And if I refuse? Will you just kill me right here?" Deidara's expression hardened, his eyes glinting with madness.
He was already preparing to blow himself up.
But Shinji refused to play by his rules. He calmly took the core from Deidara's grasp, then pulled the executioner's sword away.
"Kill you? Of course not. Our Cult of the Evil God is all about fairness, harmony, and kindness. We never force anyone to do what they don't want — and we certainly don't threaten or blackmail people."
Shinji wore a smile that looked deceptively friendly, while the others made sure to sell the act.
Hidan twirled his Blood‑Scythe, staring Deidara down with malicious intent while hacking away at a nearby tree.
Tobi juggled half a dozen explosive tags, tossing them faster and faster, making everyone's eyes twitch in fear that he might drop one and blow them all sky‑high.
The merged form of Tamamo Hikaru bared its sharp fangs, growling low and deep to intimidate their guest.
Moxi was even more direct — she held two venomous stingers in her hands, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
Only Sasuke remained completely undisturbed, fast asleep on the ground.
Deidara swallowed hard. Should I betray my organization… or blow myself up and take this bunch of maniacs with me?
He wasn't afraid of death — but the thought of going out like this left him feeling strangely unsatisfied.
____________________
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