The Failed Chain Offensive

Although the clay dragon was enormous and looked imposing, it was actually quite fragile and unsuited for close combat. Its only means of attack was spitting clay from its mouth for ranged assaults. Deidara had originally intended to use the dragon's size to knock Nawaki down to the designated location, then control the dragon to self-destruct. Even if his opponent escaped, he would still accomplish his goal of blowing up the valley. But he had not expected Nawaki to suddenly transform into a Purple Lightning Kirin like some kind of monster. Caught off guard, the dragon had its neck bitten—a crucial passage for spitting clay. With its only attack method blocked, it could only allow lightning to burrow into its body and destroy the structure of the Explosive Clay, turning it into a dud.

In fact, as longtime rivals, Iwagakure knew very well that Skywalker possessed an S-rank ninjutsu called Lightning Release: Kirin. As one of Iwagakure's higher-ups, and with his own ninjutsu completely countered by Lightning Release, Deidara naturally knew of it as well. But according to the intelligence he had received, Lightning Release: Kirin could only be used in a thunderstorm and required a long period of preparation. When he launched his attack, the surrounding environment did not meet those conditions at all. Moreover, as a newly promoted Kage-level fighter, he had had very few chances to make a move, so he assumed Skywalker would not know his weakness. His carelessness had cost him his attack in a single exchange.

With Nawaki's current chakra reserves and years of training, although he had not completed Lightning Release elementalization, he could already perform Lightning Release: Kirin using his own chakra. Combined with Nawaki's chakra control, transforming into a Kirin was nothing—he could even transform into a Titan giant if he