"Self-Destruct Clone!!"
"HA—!"
Deidara roared.
In an instant, ten life-sized clay replicas resembling him dropped from the sky, landing steadily around the three Cloud ninja.
They looked like pale, corpse-like scarecrows.
The next moment—
The clay figures began to glow intensely. The surrounding temperature spiked—
And then—
BOOM!!!
All ten exploded simultaneously.
A terrifying shockwave swallowed the three Cloud ninja whole.
Sand and dust blasted into the sky.
"Damn it!"
Deidara glanced downward briefly, then steered his clay bird out of the swirling dust and soared higher.
"If that old man hadn't confiscated my clay, I could've made something way stronger!!"
He clenched his fists in frustration.
Not only was he being hard-countered by Lightning Release users—
His real strength was also limited due to Ōnoki seizing most of his explosive clay.
Deidara could instantly produce small-scale bombs like C1—
But larger constructs like the C2 dragon or the C3 'No.18' bomb required time and preparation.
Against experienced jōnin—
Small, instant bombs were unreliable unless they struck a vital point.
This self-destruct clone was already the strongest attack he could use without preparation.
—
On the ground—
Amid the dust-filled crater spanning twenty meters—
A massive summoned land turtle shielded the three Cloud ninja.
Its shell was completely shattered.
Blood and flesh were exposed across its back.
"Hiss—!"
The turtle let out a painful cry as blood sprayed from its neck—
Then—
It dissolved into smoke and vanished.
Even a defensive summon like this—
Couldn't withstand Deidara's explosion.
"This brat is dangerous…"
Yozuki Hayabusa covered his mouth and nose, pulling his two teammates up from the crater.
"My turtle!!" Tōroi cried in anguish.
After taking that blast—
His summon likely wouldn't survive.
Hayabusa placed a hand on his shoulder.
"We'll get compensation once we capture him. You can go to Turtle Island and catch as many as you want."
Then his tone turned sharp:
"No more wasting time. Iwa reinforcements will be here soon—finish this quickly!"
The three exchanged glances—
Then formed hand seals again.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
They slammed their hands onto the ground, injecting chakra.
The next moment—
"SCREEECH—!"
A piercing cry tore through the sky.
Three giant falcons shot upward from the dust like arrows—
Soaring high.
Each ninja mounted a massive black falcon with a wingspan of nearly ten meters.
Their eyes were protected by membranes.
Their beaks were serrated.
Their talons gleamed like reaper's scythes.
These were apex aerial predators—
The very reason behind the name Falcon Squad.
They had hunted countless enemies with these summons.
Against someone with aerial superiority—
You needed to fly as well.
Otherwise—
You'd just get kited to death.
—
Standing atop his falcon—
Hayabusa stared at Deidara's clay bird a hundred meters ahead and shouted:
"Any response from Thunder Squad?!"
Usagi yelled back:
"They're on their way!"
"Good!" Hayabusa roared. "Take him down before they arrive—full assault!"
The three falcons shrieked, wings beating violently—
Despite their size, chakra-enhanced speed made them as fast as lightning.
—
"Tch."
Deidara glanced back at the pursuing falcons—
A grin crept onto his face.
But when he reached into his pouch—
His expression stiffened.
His clay…
Was almost gone.
He silently cursed Ōnoki again.
He could create more with chakra—
But that would take time.
And he didn't have enough explosive yield for immediate combat.
As he scanned the terrain below—
His eyes lit up.
But before he could act—
The falcons had already surrounded him from three directions.
"Kid, give up," Hayabusa said coldly. "Come quietly and avoid unnecessary suffering."
Deidara looked around at the three of them and shook his head.
"You're too weak."
"Weak?" Hayabusa sneered. "You still don't understand your situation."
He waved his hand.
"Attack! Use Lightning Release to disrupt his bombs!"
From just one exchange—
He had already figured it out.
Their Lightning Release could interfere with the clay explosives.
They countered him.
As long as they played it safe—
Victory was only a matter of time.
The three falcons lunged forward—
Ready to tear Deidara and his clay bird to pieces with their claws.
Deidara scoffed.
"If I had enough clay, you lightning users wouldn't even matter!"
Then—
Without hesitation—
He spread his arms and leaned backward—
Falling off the clay bird.
Freefall.
They were over 600 meters above the ground.
"Detonate—!"
Deidara formed a one-handed seal.
BOOM!!!
The clay bird exploded like a blazing star in the sky—
Even under the sunlight, it shone brilliantly.
A massive shockwave engulfed the three falcons and their riders.
Hayabusa's pupils shrank.
"Are you insane?!"
In his mind—
No ninja would willingly abandon their flight at that height.
They assumed Deidara wouldn't dare.
At most—
He'd try to hijack one of their falcons.
But instead—
He chose madness.
Before they could react—
BOOOOM!!!
The explosion consumed everything.
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