Deidara's Clay Dragon could no longer hold on.
It dropped toward the sea, lurching from side to side. Wind whistled through its holes like a mournful cry.
Pakura and Chiyo drew closer overhead.
The glow of Scorch Release washed over the dragon's ruined wings, turning their edges red.
Sasori did not dare let his guard down.
A mechanism in Hiruko's left arm thudded, launching a cylinder.
It spun through the air, spraying countless poisoned needles in a sudden downpour.
The silver tips glinted blue in the sunlight—the sheen of poison.
Pakura frowned. The Fireballs beneath her feet burst three times in succession, throwing her sharply to the side. On her back, Chiyo formed a one-handed seal and used Chakra to hold herself firmly in place.
The needles grazed past them, leaving trails warped by the heated air.
"Deidara seems to be running out of clay," Chiyo said quietly. "They can't keep flying. We'll fight them on the ground."
Pakura nodded.
Having Chiyo on her back did not stop Pakura from forming Hand Seals, but her Scorch Release Flight Technique required constant adjustments to the number and angle of her Fireballs. The extra passenger inevitably reduced her maneuverability in the air.
She guided the Fireballs beneath her feet lower and pressed toward where Deidara and Sasori would land, cutting off their options.
The Clay Dragon was riddled with holes, and its Chakra barely flowed. Every beat of its wings came with a teeth-grating creak.
Sometimes the wings even jammed completely.
Gritting his teeth, Deidara fired every small Clay Bomb the dragon had left.
Small clay dragons and spiders spread across the sky in a defensive screen.
The white clay creatures swarmed toward Pakura.
Chiyo curled a finger, and two puppets shot out of the scroll in her hand.
"Father and Mother."