Deidara's Resolve

"Damn it!" Deidara slammed a fist into a chunk of metal beside him. "Is there really nothing we can do? Yeah!"

Not far away, Sasuke Uchiha leaned against a ruined wall, struggling to stay conscious. He had heard their conversation and spoke weakly but clearly.

"Unless we have an attack that can completely destroy this entire moon-sized ship in an instant, wiping out the foundation of the 'divine kingdom' he relies on and breaking his immortality, then..."

He looked toward Naruto, who was barely holding out against Boros's furious assault, his golden light flickering. Sasuke's voice sank. "Naruto's defeat is only a matter of time."

"Blow up this entire moon-sized ship in an instant?" Deidara repeated under his breath. Horror flashed through his one eye.

Then a near-mad light, mingling realization with resolve, gradually displaced every other emotion.

He fell silent for a moment, as though making an unbearably heavy decision.

He raised his head and looked at Sasuke and Sasori. His voice was unnervingly calm.

"Sasuke Uchiha! Use your Rinnegan to take Sasori, Naruto Uzumaki, and yourself out of here. Yeah."

He paused. His voice trembled almost imperceptibly, as though he were giving his last instructions, but his resolve never wavered.

"I have an attack that can do it."

"When the time comes, I'll take that arrogant alien bastard down with me."

His gaze passed over Sasuke and Sasori, then seemed to pierce the ship's walls and turn toward the distant Shinobi World.

"Afterward, I'm leaving my son Haimā and my daughter Klee in Konoha's care. Look after them for me. Yeah."

"Deidara!" For the first time, Sasori's usually cold electronic voice wavered, edged with urgency.

"You're going to use that thing?! Its power has never even been tested! The theoretical model isn't complete! It's too risky!"

"Enough, Sasori!"