Chapter 212: Art is...Explosive!

Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Shueisha and Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

"Dialogue"

'Thoughts'

-Author notes-

Chapter 212: Art is...Explosive!

The four ninjas were so enthralled in their battles that they failed to notice the Three-Tails Demon beginning to stir.

Whatever the beast had planned to do, however, it would not be able to carry it out.

"Infernal Lotus Blossom."

The fighting was interrupted by Naruto's voice, which resonated through the air. It wasn't loud, but it was imbued with so much chakra that it could likely be heard across the entire island.

"Naruto?! What is… that?" Kakashi's head snapped toward the other side of the lake, where Naruto had been fighting against Orochimaru.

From this distance, it was impossible to see either of them, but what he could see was a colossal flower seemingly made of pure flames floating in the air.

Just an instant after Naruto's voice was heard, the fiery flower burst into a torrent of flames.

The explosion was unlike anything Kakashi had ever experienced before.

The shockwave alone was enough to throw him off balance, even though he was over a mile away. The heat from the blast was as intense as if his face stood right next to a blazing fireplace.

The mist was momentarily blown away, granting them all a brief moment of clarity, only to be replaced by a thick vapor rising from the lake. The immense heat had evaporated an enormous amount of water in an instant.

Kakashi saw that his opponent had become even more distracted than himself.

Deidara stared in awe at the fire, his eyes filled with admiration. "What a magnificent piece of art! Wonderful! Truly wonderful!"

'What's wrong with this guy?' Kakashi couldn't help but think as he observed Deidara's strange reaction to the massive explosion.

He shot a quick glance toward Yamato, who was battling Sasori near the shore. Yamato seemed to be holding his ground, as expected.

'But he needs to finish this quickly', Kakashi thought. He knew Yamato's chakra reserves were limited, and his advantage wouldn't last forever. If Sasori managed to overwhelm him with his puppets, Yamato could still lose.

Kakashi refocused on his opponent just as Deidara pulled out a large amount of clay from the mouth on his hand.

Kakashi grew worried that Deidara might try to replicate the earlier explosion with all that material.

Instead, Deidara shaped the clay into the form of a bird and jumped onto its back.

Realizing Deidara's intent, Kakashi moved to stop him before he could take to the air.

Deidara, of course, had prepared for this. He unleashed dozens of explosives between himself and Kakashi, forcing Kakashi to retreat, and this gave Deidara the chance to ascend.

Once he was airborne, Deidara gained the advantage. From above, he could rain destruction down on Kakashi without fear of retaliation.

But now, from his aerial vantage point, Deidara noticed the strange behavior of the Three-Tails.

The beast stood motionless, and it was staring into the distance. What caught Deidara's attention, however, was its expression. Its eyes were wide, filled with something he was very familiar with in his victims...fear.

"Is it scared of the explosion? What a stupid beast. Hold on, I'll capture you soon," Deidara muttered. Deciding to ignore the demon for now, he pulled out a massive chunk of clay and began molding it. "I'll create something worth being afraid of. My art is expl—"

The Three-Tails suddenly let out a deafening roar. Without warning, it turned and rushed toward the river.

There was only one river connecting the lake to the ocean. It was wide enough for the chakra beast to swim through and escape into the open sea.

"Hold on! Where are you going?!" Deidara yelled in frustration. Capturing the Bijuu was his priority, and if he let it escape, even killing Kakashi wouldn't save him from his leader's wrath.

Fortunately for him, Kakashi was also watching the Three-Tails.

This gave Deidara an opening. He prepared to drop his most potent C2 bomb, enough to kill Kakashi and scare the beast into staying put.

The clay in Deidara's hand continued to grow as he floated a safe distance away, never taking his eyes off his opponent.

"Tsk… I have no choice," Kakashi muttered in annoyance. He had seen firsthand the destructive power of Deidara's clay. Now, with Deidara preparing something even larger, Kakashi knew he couldn't allow it to be unleashed.

From this distance, his options were limited, and he chose the best one.

The three tomoe in his Sharingan began to spin and shifted into a three-pointed star.

Kakashi focused his gaze on the target. "Kamui."

Deidara was caught off guard. Kakashi hadn't performed any hand signs or movements that might signal a jutsu.

Space warped around Deidara, and then a hole opened in the air, sucking everything nearby into it.

Before Deidara fully understood what was happening, his prized creation was gone, along with his right arm.

"Arghhh!" Deidara screamed, clutching at the bloody stump as he retreated further into the sky.

Kakashi knew this was the perfect moment to strike, but the use of Kamui had left him drained. He needed a moment to recover.

But just at that moment, as he was thinking of his next move, he heard Deidara's pained screams echoing in the sky.

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