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Chapter 168: Falling into a Trap
Chapter 168: Falling into a Trap
A dazzling white light engulfed the canopy of the dense forest, accompanied by a sweeping force of destruction.
In an instant, the lush treetops turned to ashes, and the sturdy tree trunks crumbled and collapsed.
Caught within the blast radius, the five members of the Xuanyuan clan had no time to escape. Their faces paled, and they quickly slapped their hands together, shouting,
"Barrier Technique: Five Elements Accretion!"
The powers of fire, earth, wind, water, and lightning burst forth from their bodies, combining into a solid protective barrier around them through the art of sealing techniques.
Just as they finished, the searing white light descended.
Rumble, rumble, rumble! The ground shook violently, sending rocks flying in all directions.
The power of the bomb was enough to obliterate an entire village. The dense forest below was instantly vaporized, and the remaining force continued to peel away layer after layer of earth.
"It's indescribably beautiful! I may be boasting, but it's the truth. My artistic creation is truly perfect! Yes!"
Deidara, standing on his Clay Bird, spread his arms wide, admiring the unparalleled beauty created by the aftermath of his C3-18 explosion.
Even a minute later, as the massive explosion subsided, leaving only thick smoke in its wake, Deidara, far from feeling regretful about the fleeting nature of his art, nodded in satisfaction. He turned his gaze back to the altered landscape below, now a massive crater.
Due to the lingering smoke, everything within the crater was hazy and indistinct.
However,
"Under the power of C3-18, those five must have been reduced to ashes. Hmm."
Deidara was confident in his artistic creations.
He controlled the Clay Bird beneath his feet to descend to a lower altitude, intending to witness the fate of those who had failed to appreciate his artistic genius.
Flap, flap! The Clay Bird's wings beat rapidly as it descended, dispersing the smoke with each powerful stroke.
Soon, everything below came into clear view for Deidara.
And then he let out a soft sound of surprise.
"They weren't blown to bits? Hmm?"
Deidara looked on with surprise as the five members of the Xuanyuan clan were still alive in the crater, albeit in a pitiful state, their auras weak and fading.
"Tsk, tsk! Wouldn't it have been more poetic to perish in the face of my magnificent art? Instead, they stubbornly cling to life, choosing a far uglier death."
Deidara hadn't seen how the Xuanyuan clan had managed to survive, but their weakened auras and diminished strength were undeniable.
In his eyes, their fate was sealed; they were merely prolonging the inevitable.
In that case, they might as well have perished in the artistic explosion he had created moments ago.
At least then, they would have become a part of his grand artistic masterpiece.
Deidara scowled, his right hand dipping into the ninja pouch filled with clay, ready to deliver the final blow.
Just then,
The leader of the Xuanyuan clan suddenly raised his head. With hand seals already formed, he slammed his hands down and shouted,
"Earth Style: Mud Flow River!"
In an instant, a long ladder made of countless stones, like a flowing river, rose from the ground beneath the Xuanyuan clan's feet, carrying them swiftly upward toward Deidara.
Even now, Deidara had no interest in engaging in close combat with the Xuanyuan clan. The Clay Bird beneath him spread its wings once more, ascending back into the sky.
However, the sudden turn of events caught him off guard.
"Secret Technique: Blast Bugs!"
Similar to the previous explosion, a blinding flash of light erupted from the Xuanyuan clan, engulfing Deidara at its center.
Caught off guard, Deidara felt a momentary blindness wash over him. Fortunately, the intense light was fleeting.
He blinked, and his vision returned to normal.
"Now, what just happened? Hmm?"
Deidara stared at the Xuanyuan clan, perplexed by their actions.
In stark contrast to their previous aggressive demeanor, where they eagerly closed in, willing to trade five lives for one, the Xuanyuan clan now seemed like different people. With practiced precision, they executed a sharp turn and fled with all their might, their backs turned as if the stubbornly resilient fighters from before had been replaced.
Their behavior baffled Deidara. Why choose this particular moment to stop fighting? It made no sense at all.
And what was with that flash of light earlier? They seemed to be building up to something powerful, only to fizzle out afterward. What was the point of all that?
Deidara was thoroughly confused.
However, the Xuanyuan clan knew exactly what they were doing.
After the flash of light momentarily blinded Deidara, the Blast Bugs, generated by their secret technique, had seized the opportunity to parasitize his body.
Now, with each use of chakra, the Blast Bugs would absorb it and continue to grow until they eventually exploded.
This golden-haired brat seemed to have a fascination with explosions, so they decided to let him experience one firsthand.
There was just one thing to keep in mind: the Blast Bugs needed time to absorb chakra and reach their explosive potential. If their host became aware of the situation and stopped using chakra, the process would be delayed.
Although the Xuanyuan clan had protected themselves with a barrier during Deidara's C3-18 explosion, it had barely held, and their chakra reserves were severely depleted. Now, having expended even more chakra on the Blast Bugs secret technique, they were left with minimal strength. To avoid being dragged down to the underworld by their enemy, their only option was to flee for the time being.
Hagoromo turned his head to glance back at Deidara, who was still unaware of his impending doom.
In Hagoromo's eyes, Deidara was as good as dead.
Unless, by some stroke of incredible luck, he happened to stumble upon Tsunade, the legendary medical ninja, like the Fourth Raikage had in the past.
But Tsunade was now the Hokage of Konoha, and her presence was firmly rooted there.
Thus, Deidara's fate was sealed.
Watching the Xuanyuan clan flee for their lives, Deidara, though confused, would not let them off the hook so easily.
He was about to craft a new batch of clay bombs for the pursuit when he suddenly paused, sensing something amiss.
"There's something alive inside me??"
As he began to mold a new batch of clay bombs, a process that inevitably involved infusing chakra into the clay, Deidara immediately noticed something unusual within his body.
Unlike most people afflicted by the Blast Bugs secret technique, who remained unaware of the parasites' presence and continued to use chakra until it was too late, Deidara's keen senses had alerted him to the anomaly.
With a furrowed brow, he halted his handiwork and began to investigate the strange sensation.
(End of Chapter)
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