When Deidara woke again, he found himself in the woods on the island where he had been hiding, bound to a thick tree trunk by several vines.
The dull ache at the back of his head left him somewhat dazed. It took him a while to slowly recall what had happened before he lost consciousness.
Is this the First's strength? Just how strong is that guy Kizaru? Deidara thought to himself. As a genius, he had never been one to accept defeat. His recent growth in strength had only further fueled his ambition to challenge his elders.
But this battle had undeniably brought his restless heart back down to earth. He knew very well that the First had defeated him without even using his full strength. If the battle hadn't taken place above the sea and in the sky, where he held the advantage, he would have suffered an even more crushing defeat.
Still, Deidara didn't think that using the terrain to his advantage was dishonorable. That had always been his fighting style. His creed was to use every available means to gain the upper hand in battle—and even win.
Bound by the vines, he formed a Hand Seal with one hand and controlled several miniature Clay Spiders to crawl out of his pouch. About the size of ordinary spiders, they quickly scuttled around to the other side of the tree trunk, then detonated on their own, blasting apart the vines wrapped around it.
Once free, Deidara stood up, working the numbness out of his hands and feet, and began checking whether he was missing anything.
After confirming that the First had merely tied him up on the island, he reached into his pouch with his right hand and took out a lump of clay, ready to sculpt a new