The explosion erupted in the center of the village. A mushroom cloud soared into the sky as a terrifying shockwave spread outward, engulfing everything in a storm of smoke and debris. The deafening blast left Naruto and the others with ringing ears, unable to hear anything around them.
All they could see was the village they had just left being consumed by the blinding light.
Heaven and earth lost their color.
Deidara's attack truly drained the world of all hue. Though the explosion was brief, its intensity lingered. As the dazzling light faded, thick, gray-black smoke blanketed the sky. Through the haze, Naruto and Sasuke could faintly make out a massive crater several thousand meters wide.
Around the crater were ruins pushed to the edges by the shockwave. Through the Sharingan, Sasuke could see mottled bloodstains in the debris—clearly, many had died in the explosion.
"What the hell just happened?!"
"Who would launch something like that?!"
After a long moment of stunned silence, Naruto snapped out of it. Gritting his teeth, he raised his head to the sky. As his emotions surged, the Tailed Beast's chakra leaked from his seal, and a cloak of chakra formed around him without his realizing it.
"You must be the Konoha ninjas."
"I'm a subordinate of Lord Raiden. You're heading to the Hidden Sound Village to find him, right? I'll take you there."
Just then, a giant white bird descended toward them. A figure leapt down and landed before the three.
Deidara removed his monocle and smiled at Naruto and the others.
"You're Lord Raiden's subordinate?"
"You're the one who did that?!"
Sasuke recognized him immediately. The blond man before them had been the one who dropped the strange white object on the village. Hearing this, Naruto turned his head, his eyes locked onto Deidara.
"Hmm? Yeah."
"I was following Lord Raiden's orders to handle something—and it's handled now."
"Don't misunderstand. I saw your trail from the air and waited until I was sure you wouldn't be caught in the blast before I released it."
"I've also heard about your mission to deliver a message to Lord Raiden."
Deidara assumed Naruto's glare was from fear—that he was worried he'd been caught in the blast. So he tried to explain.
But Naruto's anger had nothing to do with fear.
Hearing Deidara admit to the bombing, Naruto could no longer hold back. He formed a Rasengan in his right hand and charged at Deidara.
"Hey, hey, hey!"
"What are you doing?! I'm on your side—we both serve Lord Raiden!"
Seeing Naruto rush at him with a Rasengan, Deidara panicked and waved his hands frantically.
But his words only made things worse. The phrase "we're on the same side" felt like a personal insult to Naruto. He accelerated.
"Eh?!" Deidara gasped as Naruto's speed increased. When he reached him, Deidara quickly grabbed Naruto's wrist and flipped backward to evade, putting distance between them.
Naruto, thrown off balance, stumbled and crashed to the ground. The Rasengan struck the earth.
Boom!!!
A loud explosion shook the area as dust filled the air. Sasuke reacted quickly, grabbing Hanako and moving them away.
When the dust cleared, a ten-meter-wide crater had formed, two to three meters deep.
Seeing this, cold sweat slid down Deidara's face. Naruto had really tried to kill him.
But Deidara still didn't understand why.
Naruto climbed out of the crater, shaking the dust off. Missing his mark only made his mood worse. The Tailed Beast's chakra surged again, and his cloak grew stronger—he had entered a two-tailed state.
"Why did you suddenly attack me?! If you don't give me a reason, I won't let this slide—even if you're a Konoha ninja!"
Deidara stood at the edge of the pit, shouting down with a frown.
"Hmph! You need me to spell it out for you?!"
"You bastard!" Naruto growled. Suddenly, he vanished from the crater.
"So fast! Even faster than before!" Deidara could barely follow Naruto's movement. With no time to dodge, he quickly formed a hand seal.
Boom! In a flash, Naruto appeared in front of Deidara and punched straight through his stomach. His fist shot out of Deidara's back.
But instead of blood, Deidara's body lost color, turned to clay, and crumbled to the ground.
It was a clone.
Naruto withdrew his fist and looked around, searching for the real Deidara.
"Naruto, to your right!"
Sasuke, holding Hanako at a distance, shouted a warning. Naruto immediately dashed into the nearby forest.
The moment he entered, a series of explosions erupted inside. Bright flames shot skyward.
Two figures leapt from the trees—Deidara, who had escaped using a substitution technique, and Naruto, whose clothes were now tattered from the blast.
Deidara's expression was serious.
Only the two of them knew what had happened inside.
Deidara had planted bomb traps in the woods, expecting Naruto to chase him. While the clay bombs didn't use much material, each one had the power of multiple explosive tags.
But when they hit Naruto, they barely scratched him. His clothes were damaged, but his body was unharmed.
It shocked Deidara.
"Is it the red chakra's protection?"
"That chakra... he's a Jinchūriki!"
Deidara confirmed Naruto's identity. Tension rose. He reached into both ninja pouches, keeping a wary eye on Naruto.
"You said you came on your uncle's orders?" Naruto paused, his voice calm despite the fury in his eyes.
"Uncle? I don't know who your uncle is. I came under Lord Raiden's command."
Deidara stood ready to counter. Though Naruto's voice was calm, Deidara knew the storm hadn't passed.
"Lord Raiden?"
"Then that makes it clear."
"Someone like you doesn't deserve judgment from a village. I'll end you myself!"
Naruto had never wanted to kill someone so badly. Since the day he was born, no one had made him feel this way.
Hiss!
Orange markings appeared around Naruto's eyes. His pupils turned horizontal—he had entered Sage Mode. Deidara felt the overwhelming pressure and rolled aside.
The next second, Naruto punched the ground where Deidara had stood.
Crack!
Spiderweb cracks spread outward as the ground collapsed around Naruto's fist.
The shockwave knocked Deidara off balance. He fell, raising his head just in time to see Naruto about to strike again.
Whir—! Several small clay birds zipped toward Naruto.
But he didn't even try to dodge. Tailed Beast chakra surged, and his cloak evolved—he entered a four-tailed state.
BOOM!!! The explosion engulfed Naruto.
Deidara smiled as he watched the fireball, but the next second, that smile froze.
A figure burst from the flames, shot straight at him, and landed a devastating blow to his back.
Crack! Deidara's spine shattered. Blood spewed from his mouth, and his limbs went limp.
As he collapsed, he stared up at Naruto in disbelief.
"Damn it... I haven't even used my ultimate art... How can I lose to a brat like this...?"
His mind was filled with unwillingness—but his body couldn't move. Even the pain had vanished. His consciousness faded.
There was no surviving that blow.
"You deserved this."
"This is the price for all those civilians who died in your explosion."
"And now, I'm completely sure—my uncle was wrong. A battlefield like this should never have existed."
Naruto stood over him, his voice cold. Sasuke brought Hanako over, and she stared at Deidara's body, eyes filled with satisfaction. At eight years old, she was already old enough to understand vengeance.
"You've learned to wield power without losing consciousness."
"You've definitely grown, Naruto."
"But you're still as naive as ever."
A slightly hoarse voice echoed from behind them. Naruto and Sasuke stiffened and turned sharply—so did Deidara, his dimming eyes flaring open.
"Uncle!"
"Lord Raiden!"
The two were shocked to see him. Neither expected Uzumaki Raiden to appear here—not when he was supposed to be back in the Hidden Sound Village.
What shocked them more was that even with Naruto in Sage Mode and Sasuke using the Sharingan, neither sensed his arrival.
It was as if Raiden had materialized out of thin air.
"I send you on a simple mission, and this is what happens?"
"In the end, it's my fault for misjudging people. When we return, you'll serve directly under me as my personal guard."
Raiden waved his hand dismissively, walked to Deidara, squatted, and placed a hand on his head. He bit his finger and pressed it to Deidara's mouth.
His blood, infused with chakra, flowed into Deidara's body. The shattered spine rapidly healed, and in minutes, Deidara—who had been on the brink of death—stood up again.
Whoosh.
Deidara let out a deep breath and laughed. "I really thought I was done for. Thanks, Lord Raiden." His tone was casual, but his gaze toward Raiden was now filled with loyalty.
This incident had solidified his allegiance.
Naruto, on the other hand, stood frozen—his shock quickly turning into anger.
"Uncle, why did you save him?!"
"Do you know what he just did?!"
"He destroyed a village! Two or three thousand people died because of him!"
"Why save someone like that?!"
Naruto rushed up, his voice trembling with disbelief.
"You're right. He destroyed a village."
"It's unforgivable. That's why I'll keep him by my side—as punishment. And didn't you already teach him a lesson? Let's leave it at that."
Raiden's words hit Naruto like a punch to the gut.
He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Thousands of innocent lives were being brushed off so casually. Was Deidara really worth more than all those lives?
The image Naruto once held of Raiden—a towering symbol of righteousness and strength—completely crumbled.
Raiden had no idea just how much Naruto once looked up to him.
But now, that image was shattered.
"Are you really my uncle...?"
"My uncle... isn't someone like you!"
(End Of Chapter)
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