Chapter 114: Display of Strength

Itachi was shocked. Even the Hokage didn't know about the Six Paths of Pain, yet the man before them did.

He sighed inwardly. At this point, there was no other option—the man had to die.

Otherwise, Itachi's cover would be at risk.

"What arrogance. Let's see what kind of strength you have. Hm~"

Deidara was the first to lose patience. With a flick of his wrist, a small clay bird flew toward Ryo.

Ryo simply stood there, making no effort to dodge or react.

Just as the clay bird was about to reach him, Ryo casually waved his arm.

A barely perceptible wave of psychic energy spread outward.

The bird, as if crashing into an invisible wall, suddenly stopped in midair a few meters from Ryo.

Boom!

The bird exploded, releasing a cloud of black smoke that momentarily shrouded Ryo.

The members of Akatsuki narrowed their eyes.

What had just happened?

It looked as if the clay bird had self-destructed without reason.

"This is going to be a tough fight," Sasori muttered with a bitter smile. However, his eyes gleamed with excitement.

If he could turn this man into a puppet, how much would his strength increase?

"He's not ordinary. Let's finish this quickly," Itachi said, opening his eyes to reveal his Mangekyō Sharingan.

Kisame nodded and pulled Samehada from his back. "Agreed. We have other missions to complete."

"No need!"

Deidara, his pride wounded, clenched his fists. "I can handle this alone. I'll show him what true art is! Hm~"

Sasori didn't speak, but his actions conveyed his intent.

He unfurled a scroll, and with a puff of smoke, the Third Kazekage puppet appeared.

"Tch—"

Deidara clicked his tongue in irritation. "Guess you won't get to witness my art firsthand. But hey, being taken down by the four of us is an honor. Hm~"

Across from them, Ryo remained calm.

He pulled two Poké Balls from his belt and gave the Akatsuki members a look of pity.

"I didn't want to bully you, but since you're so eager, I have no choice."

With that, he tossed the Poké Balls.

Flash!

A Dragonite and a Gardevoir appeared before him.

The two Pokémon immediately noticed the hostility in the air.

Their expressions darkened.

Roar—

Hmph—

Releasing their auras, Dragonite and Gardevoir prepared for battle.

The Akatsuki members were stunned.

"This… this is what the leader was talking about?"

Sasori's mouth twitched as he glanced at his teammates.

The others looked equally bewildered.

"I… I don't know," Kisame admitted.

Deidara felt an urge to strangle Pain.

Was he sending them to die?!

That Dragonite's presence alone was overwhelming! Even if they had eight people instead of four, it might not be enough!

Itachi, though just as wary, felt a strange sense of relief.

Konoha had such powerful forces hidden away? That was a good thing.

"What's the matter? Disappointed? I expected more from the infamous Akatsuki."

Ryo took a step forward and had his Pokémon restrain their auras slightly.

He then shook his head mockingly.

Deidara couldn't take it anymore.

"Damn it! I'll make you understand the power of true art! Hm~"

Before anyone could stop him, he molded clay between his hands, then tossed it into the air.

"C3—Eighteenth Variant!"

The clay expanded rapidly, transforming into a massive Deidara-shaped bomb that plummeted toward the ground.

The other three members of Akatsuki widened their eyes.

They knew this technique well.

It was one of Deidara's most powerful jutsu—capable of leveling an entire village.

Sasori and Kisame were furious.

"Idiot! Are you trying to bring the entire village down on us?!"

Meanwhile, Itachi's gaze darkened.

Deidara was aiming to destroy Konoha.

If Ryo couldn't stop this, Itachi would have no choice but to step in, even if it meant exposing himself.

"Hahaha—"

Watching his bomb descend, Deidara laughed.

"This is true art! Watch closely, hm~"

Across from him, Ryo furrowed his brows.

He was well aware of Deidara's C3 bomb.

And he already had a countermeasure in mind.

Back when he watched the anime, Ryo had thought this technique was quite powerful, understanding that it was a large-scale destructive jutsu.

But knowing was one thing—facing it firsthand was another. His brows furrowed slightly.

For Deidara to unleash such a technique right away, he was either aiming to obliterate everything here or had already decided that Ryo had to die.

"Dragonite, use Thunder Punch on that falling clay bomb!"

Roar—!

Dragonite nodded, flapping its small wings. Its entire body seemed to turn into a shooting star as it charged at the descending clay bomb at high speed.

The Akatsuki members stiffened, their eyes narrowing at Dragonite's sheer velocity.

It was too fast. Even as Kage-level shinobi, their eyes could barely keep up.

If their eyes couldn't follow it properly, how were they supposed to fight it? They'd just be getting hit!

Even Itachi, with his Mangekyō Sharingan active, found himself barely able to track Dragonite's movements.

"It's useless. No matter how fast it is, it doesn't matter. My Eighteenth Variant explodes on impact. If it flies into it, it's just going to die."

Deidara smirked, shaking his head.

He wasn't concerned in the slightest about Dragonite charging at his jutsu.

In his mind, the next second would see the massive explosion consuming everything, with Dragonite reduced to nothing but ashes.

But Ryo's lips curled into a faint smile.

"Is that so? Let's see just how powerful your technique really is."

As he spoke, Dragonite's arm crackled with electricity, filling the air with sharp, sizzling sounds.

Shing!

With a burst of speed, Dragonite instantly closed the distance to the massive clay bomb.

Then, with a powerful swing of its Thunder Punch, the electricity spread across the entire clay construct.

Crackle! Crackle!

Lightning danced across the clay, spreading into every inch of its structure.

It was as if the heavens themselves had decreed judgment upon Deidara's creation, striking it with divine punishment.

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