Deidara glanced at his nearby Clay Fire-Breathing Dragon, a satisfied expression on his face. During the past six months of recovery, he had devoted himself to developing new artistic creations. The earlier Weaver Spider and now the Fire-Breathing Dragon were among his latest innovations.
However, the designs weren't particularly appealing. For instance, the Weaver Spider had an oversized abdomen to store as much webbing as possible, making it look bloated. Similarly, the Fire-Breathing Dragon had an unusually thick belly and throat—necessary to prevent self-damage during its explosive attacks. Because of its thick "skin," the dragon appeared flabby and somewhat unshapely.
"What do you think, Mei Terumī? Still want to fight?" Deidara called out toward the lake.
"Of course! As the Mizukage, I must protect my village's interests, even at the cost of my life!" Mei's resolute voice echoed across the water.
She sprinted forward, adding, "Though you're strong, you should know that during our previous encounter, I didn't use my full power."
"Don't underestimate me, handsome!"
"Water Release: Heaven's Cry!"
Mei spat out water needles from her mouth. Their penetrating power rivaled that of senbon needles, especially when wielded by a Water Release master of Kage-level skill.
The web shield was useless against such high-speed attacks. Even the Fire-Breathing Dragon couldn't react in time to use its Dragon Breath. However, as always, physical attacks were ineffective against Deidara.
The water needles pierced countless small holes into Deidara's body, making him look like a sieve. Yet, his injuries began healing almost immediately.
Wait!
Deidara frowned.
"Noticed it, have you?" Mei smirked.
"Kirigakure has a Water Release secret technique called Cutting Rain, which can strip the chakra from an enemy's jutsu. I incorporated that technique into my Heaven's Cry earlier."
"When I used Water Severing Wave before, I realized you could turn into clay. So I predicted you wouldn't dodge this attack. How does it feel, having your chakra diminished significantly when my needles pierced you?"
Indeed, ninja battles left no room for carelessness.
Fortunately, Deidara had invested points into Chakra Enhancement, significantly increasing his chakra reserves. If this had happened during his earlier days in Kirigakure, he might have lost nearly half his chakra from this single attack.
Also...
"That's Clayification! What's with calling it 'turning into mud'?"
"Do you even have eyes?" Deidara grumbled in annoyance.
But Mei didn't respond. Instead, she unleashed another Fire Release jutsu from her mouth:
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet!"
Faced with the scorching flames rushing toward him, Deidara responded decisively:
"Clay Serpent Hands!"
Boom!
The Fire Dragon Bullet was obliterated. But Mei, now within ten meters of Deidara, opened her mouth again:
"Lava Release: Melting Apparition!"
This time, the volume of high-temperature acid was unprecedented, surging toward Deidara with full force.
The Weaver Spiders spun webs to intercept the attack, but the acid gradually enveloped them. Deidara created a Rock Worm, which carried him underground to escape. At the same time, he detonated the four Weaver Spiders.
"Ha!"
The explosion scattered the acid, while the Fire-Breathing Dragon nearby began swelling again, preparing to unleash its Dragon Breath on Mei.
"Not on my watch! I'll protect Mizukage-sama!"
Chōjūrō swung Hiramekarei, now transformed into a massive hammer, striking the dragon's head. The impact caused the dragon to misfire, redirecting its flames toward the lake.
"Hot! Hot! Hot!"
Kisame, still locked in battle with the Three-Tails, was caught off guard by the unexpected attack. He hastily used Water Formation Wall to defend himself, but he had underestimated the power of the Dragon Breath, resulting in burns to his right hand.
Even Samehada stuck out its tongue, appearing visibly distressed.
"Deidara, can't you aim properly?" Kisame's voice carried a hint of irritation from the lake.
Emerging from the underground, Deidara chuckled mischievously. "Sorry, Kisame."
Boom!
The Clay Manda swept Chōjūrō aside with its tail before lunging toward Mei. Meanwhile, Deidara calmly chewed on new clay creations.
"Seriously, can you stop spitting things at me? Especially that yellow stuff—it looks like spit and seems so uncivilized!" Deidara teased.
"Die, you brat!" Mei snapped, her anger flaring. It was the first time anyone had described her Lava Release in such an insulting manner. She felt utterly humiliated.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow River!"
The ground beneath the Clay Manda transformed into a flowing river of mud, forcing the creature to retreat.
Crash!
The Manda raised its head high before slamming into the ground, burrowing deep underground.
"Earth Release: Splitting Earth Turning Palm!"
Mei attempted to crush the Manda underground, but her Earth Release skills weren't strong enough to achieve such precision. Perhaps someone like Ōnoki could pull it off.
Crash!
With a loud rumble, the Manda burst out from directly beneath Mei, swallowing her whole.
"Mizukage-sama!"
"Mizukage-sama!"
Chōjūrō and the Kirigakure shinobi shouted in alarm.
Deidara, however, had no intention of detonating the Manda. Given its size, an explosion would likely affect him as well.
Slash!
A high-pressure water blade appeared, slicing open the Manda's neck. Mei emerged from the cut, but she was greeted by a swarm of Clay Parasite Bugs filling the sky.
"Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique!"
Mei unleashed her "insecticide" technique once again. The acidic mist quickly corroded the bugs, but as they disintegrated, they emitted a gray toxic smoke that blended inconspicuously with the mist.
"These bugs are useless against me," Mei declared confidently.
"Are they really?"
Another Rock Worm emerged from the ground. Mei tried to evade it but suddenly felt her body weaken, her movements slowing by a fraction.
That fraction was enough for the Rock Worm to tightly ensnare her. With Deidara capable of detonating it at any moment, the battle was effectively over.
"I mixed toxins into the Clay Parasite Bugs. When exposed to high temperatures, the toxins vaporize into poisonous smoke."
"I knew you'd use Skilled Mist Technique. How does it feel to lose?"
Mei rolled her eyes, her restrained posture unexpectedly exuding a seductive charm. "You really are a stingy little pretty boy."
"Mizukage-sama!" Chōjūrō, Ao, and the Kirigakure shinobi rushed forward, weapons drawn and ready for battle.
The Rock Worm binding Mei slowly loosened. She looked at Deidara in surprise.
"You're not going to kill me?"
"For enemies standing in my way, I don't mind killing them," Deidara replied.
"But for others, or those who pose no threat, I prefer not to act excessively."
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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