Swish!
Minato appeared precisely in front of Deidara's real body.
"With Sage Mode and Kurama's chakra, I can easily distinguish between your real body and your clones," Minato stated calmly.
"Sage Art: Great Net!"
Deidara's eyes widened in surprise as a crisscrossing web of wind blades surged toward him. He had made a critical error—he'd forgotten about this entirely.
In the original story, Naruto had used Kurama's chakra to detect even White Zetsu clones.
"Argh!" Deidara leapt backward using his clay bird as a foothold, launching a flurry of explosive clay creatures. The resulting chain of explosions clashed with Minato's wind technique, attempting to neutralize it.
"Sage Art: Wind Cutter Technique!"
Minato unleashed another Wind Release attack, channeling the remnants of the Great Net to continue its pursuit.
Deidara gritted his teeth, feeling a growing sense of frustration. Minato was far stronger than he'd expected—so much so that he regretted not recruiting help for this mission.
Worse yet, his Edo Tensei form gave Minato the upper hand, especially with Kurama's power in the mix.
If only Deidara had known this fight would demand such overwhelming effort. His reputation had been overshadowed in the original story by foes at the Six Paths level, and now, his abilities felt glaringly insufficient.
Deidara's left hand transformed into white clay. He ripped it off with his right hand and flung it forward, smirking as he prepared his masterpiece.
"Even just a single limb—this is part of my ultimate art!"
"Art is an explosion! Hah!"
BOOM!
A massive explosion consumed the area.
[Minato's Shock Value +2000]
[Orochimaru's Shock Value +1500]
[Kakuzu's Shock Value…]
Minato's Wind Release technique was obliterated, leaving a vast area of scorched earth in its wake. Deidara, despite deploying a last-minute clay shield and using his clay-based physiology to dampen the impact, suffered significant injuries.
He crashed to the ground, his body charred in patches. Gritting his teeth, he used his remaining right hand to scoop up clay, swiftly regenerating his left arm and replacing damaged tissues.
"Oi, Deidara! You're not done already, are you?" Hidan's disembodied head called out from a distance.
Though the battle had been an intense flurry of action, only moments had passed. The fragments of debris hurled skyward by the explosion had yet to settle.
"Shut it, Hidan!" Deidara barked, suddenly empathizing with Kakuzu's perpetual exasperation.
Minato stood unwavering, watching as Deidara conjured something enormous from his mouth—a massive clay slug.
"That's Lady Tsunade's summoning beast!" Minato exclaimed.
"Of course not," Deidara corrected with a smirk. "This is my imitation of her slug—crafted from clay. Like hers, it can split and recombine, making it perfect for countering your Wind Release."
C2 Enhanced: Clay Slug!
Minato darted forward, his speed a golden blur. The clay slug instantly moved to intercept him.
"Sage Art: Rasengan!"
Minato unleashed an enormous Rasengan, slamming it into the slug. Yet, as the slug burst apart, it divided into countless smaller ones, nullifying the attack's full force.
Deidara refrained from detonating the slug, knowing Minato could escape with Flying Thunder God.
The fragmented slugs swarmed toward Minato. He teleported away in an instant, landing atop a nearby boulder.
"Sage Art: Vacuum Waves!"
Minato attempted to cut through the swarm with slicing air blades. However, the slugs merely divided further, making his attacks increasingly ineffective.
Minato frowned, sensing Deidara's left arm regenerating while his mouth worked on creating new clay creatures.
"I'll need to step things up," Minato muttered. "Kurama, I need more chakra."
It wasn't that Minato's chakra reserves were low, his Edo Tensei state provided limitless chakra. But to execute his next move, he needed the raw power of the Nine-Tails.
Kurama lazily turned his head, smirking. "Hmph. So, you're asking me for help again?"
"Yeah," Minato admitted, playing along with the fox's ego.
Kurama stretched leisurely. "Fine. I suppose I'll lend you some... this time."
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
A dozen Minato clones appeared, each racing toward Deidara. Some used Flying Thunder God to surround him, striking from multiple directions.
Deidara's clay constructs retaliated, obliterating several clones in a series of powerful explosions. Meanwhile, eight large spider-like creatures emerged from Deidara's mouth, weaving a defensive cocoon around him.
The webbing, a protective shell against Wind Release, proved resilient even against Minato's enhanced Rasengan.
"Hmm?" Minato sensed something underground.
So, he's burrowed deep to avoid direct confrontation.
"Found you!" Minato's heightened sensory abilities pinpointed Deidara's location. Channeling Kurama's chakra into his Rasengan, Minato unleashed a massive Sage Rasengan directly into the ground.
BOOM!
The earth shattered into a deep funnel, obliterating clay creatures in its radius.
Yet Deidara, anticipating the attack, had already moved further underground. By the time the Rasengan struck, he was beyond its reach.
Minato sighed in frustration.
"Tunneling… that's troublesome," he muttered. He'd managed to handle Deidara's aerial maneuvers, but dealing with subterranean tactics was a different story.
"Minato," Deidara's clay clone taunted from above, "are you going to release the Nine-Tails or what? At this rate, you'll never win!"
Inside Minato's mind, Kurama's ears perked at Deidara's provocation. The fox feigned disinterest, though it could barely hide its excitement.
"Kurama," Minato called out. "Looks like I'll need your help again."
Kurama's eyes flickered open momentarily before it shut them again.
"You're begging now, huh?"
"Yeah," Minato replied, resigned.
"Hmph. Fine, just this once. Don't disappoint me."
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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