"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"
Three deafening explosions echoed through the battlefield. Jing Hang retracted his Rakshasa Shield, coughing violently as the dust kicked up by the clay bombs enveloped him.
Moments later, the dust settled, revealing a gruesome scene—more than a dozen Sand Village ninjas lay in pools of blood.
"Dammit!"
Jing Hang clenched his teeth, glaring furiously at the Iwagakure ninja circling overhead. In the sky, several faint black dots began descending toward him.
Shit! Are they coming for more? Can't they give it a rest?!
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Drizzle!"
With one hand forming seals and the other aiming upward, Jing Hang unleashed a barrage of fine iron sand, resembling bullets fired from an anti-aircraft machine gun, targeting the descending clay bombs.
"Do you really think mere iron sand can stop my clay bombs? All it does is add a bit of shrapnel to my explosions. Even the Third Kazekage was nothing special."
Hovering in the air, Danaer smirked disdainfully.
But his smugness didn't last long. He soon realized that his meticulously crafted clay bombs had turned into harmless lumps, like mud splattered on the ground.
What the hell is going on?!
Of course, the iron sand was imbued with "magic." By infusing the iron sand with lightning chakra, it rendered any clay bombs—whether C4 or C5, regardless of their explosive yield—completely inert. After all, in the original manga, Deidara's various "explosive techniques" were subdued by Sasuke's lightning release, forcing him to resort to desperate measures like nano-scale bombs and his "Pakkun Star" technique. Yet, even then, the best he managed was killing a single snake.
But letting this guy keep flying overhead wasn't an option. It was like giving the Iwagakure ninjas a beacon to follow.
"Pengman! Take the brothers and retreat! I'll deal with him!"
After giving his orders, Jing Hang stepped onto his Iron Truth-Seeking Orb and shot straight into the sky.
"Ha! We've finally lured him out. Signal Danaer to lead Jing Hang over here! Akatsuchi, make sure the sealing team is ready! Mojiru, Daishi, take your squads and head to the direction Danaer indicates to clear out the Sand Village ninjas!"
Seeing Jing Hang ascend into the air, Kitsuchi barked his commands excitedly.
One ninja immediately pulled out a mirror, reflecting light signals toward Danaer in the sky.
"Leading the Third Kazekage above the main army? That'll take some finesse."
After a brief moment of contemplation, Danaer manipulated his clay bird to circle counterclockwise twice, signaling his acknowledgment.
Before long, Jing Hang had closed the distance to the young ninja. Danaer didn't flee immediately, instead controlling his bird to hover up and down in place.
Hmm, decent chakra control. He's got talent.
Upon closer inspection, Jing Hang noticed the boy bore a striking resemblance to Deidara from the manga, albeit without the mechanical eye.
"Iwagakure's White Zetsu—what's your relation to him?"
Jing Hang opened with a question. Since Deidara hadn't been born yet, this guy was probably either his father or uncle. After all, White Zetsu was the only known user of clay techniques in Iwagakure.
"He was my senior, though he had already died in battle when my master took me under his wing."
Ah, so he's Onoki's last disciple.
Danaer showed no signs of fear, his words brimming with youthful confidence. This immediately earned Jing Hang's admiration; he always appreciated self-assured, spirited young individuals.
Jing Hang nodded approvingly.
"Young man, what's your name?"
"Danaer!"
The boy replied.
A wave of sentiment washed over Jing Hang. The gears of fate had shifted with his intervention. Originally, Deidara was supposed to be Onoki's disciple in his later years. But now, with Onoki prematurely dealt with, it seemed he had managed to nurture a disciple nearly identical to Deidara during his imprisonment. The irony of it all was undeniable.
"Impressive! Talented at such a young age. Come, let me test your mettle!"
Jing Hang smirked devilishly, his eyes gleaming with a hint of killing intent. A prodigy like this would inevitably become a formidable enemy to the Sand Village. Even if he only reached Deidara's level, it would still pose a significant threat. Given Onoki's influence, recruiting him was out of the question. A talented adversary from a rival nation was a threat that had to be eliminated.
"Then I humbly ask for your guidance, Kazekage-sama."
Danaer plunged his hands into his pockets while simultaneously maneuvering his clay bird to turn and fly away.
Hmm? Trying to kite me? I'm not Gaara.
Suddenly, Jing Hang's expression shifted as he entered Sage Mode. His Iron Truth-Seeking Orb transformed into a streamlined shape, accelerating sharply and closing the gap with Danaer in an instant.
"So fast! Is this the power of a Kage?!"
Danaer could hardly believe his eyes. The acceleration was under three seconds—was this a joke?!
He quickly adjusted his flight posture, rolling and climbing in an attempt to shake off Jing Hang's pursuit. But Jing Hang's speed far outmatched the clay bird's, sticking to him like glue.
Worse still, the clay bird required space and angles for its maneuvers, whereas Jing Hang'sIron Truth-Seeking Orb could move almost vertically with minimal turning radius.
Even the best propeller-driven fighter planes stood no chance against a jet; this was a textbook example of dimensional superiority.
Jing Hang closed in, delivering a precise hand strike to one of the bird's wings. The blade-like edge cut through the wing effortlessly, causing the bird's flight to falter and tilt to one side. Fortunately, the bird had four wings, preventing it from crashing outright.
Seeing this, Danaer leapt off the bird, shocking the observing Kitsuchi and his men.
"No! That kid's about to—"
Just as Jing Hang was about to channel lightning chakra into the bird, Danaer, now in free fall, formed seals and shouted:
"Explode!"
The bird's body swelled ominously, as if ready to detonate.
In a split second, Jing Hang flattened himself, allowing his Iron Truth-Seeking Orb to envelop him completely, forming what looked like an iron coffin.
"Boom!"
The bird exploded mid-air, creating a fiery orange sphere in the sky.
"Bravo!"
The watching Kitsuchi and his men cheered at the spectacle.
Meanwhile, Danaer, still descending, had already molded a new clay flying device. Though it resembled an owl, its craftsmanship was noticeably rough and lacked fine details.
Mounting his clay owl, Danaer gracefully circled back to inspect the aftermath.
Suddenly, a barrage of iron sand shot toward him, raining down like a storm.
Danaer was startled, quickly pulling his owl higher, but he was a fraction too slow—the iron sand struck the owl's belly, leaving a series of small dents.
"That was close! Almost—"
Before he could finish his thought, the clay owl began spiraling downward uncontrollably.
"No! There's lightning chakra in the iron sand!"
Danaer panicked. His master had warned him that lightning release was the nemesis of clay bombs. Once exposed to lightning chakra, even the most potent bombs would revert to ordinary mud.
Desperately, he reached into his pocket, hoping to craft another device before hitting the ground.
But Jing Hang wasn't about to let up. Seeing his attack land successfully, he immediately dove toward Danaer aboard his Iron Truth-Seeking Orb, aiming to finish the job.
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