That white "Death God" was falling.
Time seemed to stretch into slow motion at that moment. Sato could clearly see the surface of the gigantic doll. The clay was pulsing eerily like a heart, and every contraction released chakra fluctuations that distorted the air.
It was like the ticking of a countdown.
Before an explosive yield of this magnitude, the so-called "Militia Tactical Manual," the so-called "Defender" rifle, and even the red flag that had just been planted atop the city walls were all completely useless.
Kakashi had pushed his Body Flicker Technique to its limit. His palm was clamped tightly around Sato's shoulder, his knuckles white from exertion. But he knew they were too late. C3 No. 18 had a coverage radius of roughly three kilometers. They could not escape the blast radius and could only get as far from the epicenter as possible.
"Is it over...?" Liao was slung over Asuma's shoulder, staring blankly at the shadow that blotted out the sky.
At that moment, when all hope seemed lost—
A golden flash appeared without warning above the capital of the Land of Grass.
Immediately afterward, a strangely shaped, three-pronged Kunai abruptly pierced the giant clay doll between the brows.
"Deidara, don't you watch where you throw your trash?"
A calm, almost cold voice rang in everyone's ears, overpowering even the wind high above.
A figure appeared out of thin air beside the Kunai. He did not look at the bomb capable of destroying the city. Instead, he slightly turned his head and looked toward Deidara above the clouds.
Naruto Uzumaki.
"You..." Deidara's voice trembled despite himself. "How are you here?! Don't you know how annoying you are?"
Naruto did not answer the somewhat ridiculous tone or words. He simply placed one hand against the enormous C3 doll.