Deidara tossed his Akatsuki Robe into the wind and tore out the stitches sealing the mouth on his left chest. A huge tongue emerged. He grabbed his explosive clay and stuffed it all into the mouth on his chest.
"Hahahahahahahahaha... this is my ultimate art! I'm going to blow myself up! The blast radius is ten kilometers! No matter how you use Susanoo, you won't escape being blown to pieces!!!"
Horror spread across Sasuke's face. "What...!?"
"Hahahahaha, yes, that's the expression! That's what I wanted! Terror from the depths of your soul in the face of my ultimate art!!!!"
Deidara's body, impaled on the great sword, began turning transparent. The black lines inside him contracted toward his chest, forming a black "explosive core"!!
"Die! This time, I'll make good on my word!!"
"Tremble!"
"Marvel!"
"Despair!"
"Weep!"
"After my death, my art will achieve its ultimate transcendence!!"
"That's right... art is!!"
—"An explosion!!!!!!!"
BOOM...!!!!!!!!!!
Deidara's final scream and Sasuke's horrified face froze in that instant. The explosion's waves of fire pierced the heavens, engulfing everything within!!
Crack...!!
A piercing agony violently dragged Deidara's thoughts back to reality!
He stared blankly at the hand piercing his chest, then raised his eyes, fixing them on the face of that "child," half a head shorter than himself!
Yes, Sasuke, who had just died to his ultimate art, stood alive before him. The six-pointed stars in his eyes showed none of the fear Deidara wanted, only the same cold stillness that filled him with inferiority and helplessness!
And they were not in the skies above the forest where they had fought, but outside the inn.
"W-why... how could this happen?"
Sasuke said calmly, "Haven't you always wanted to kill me? I granted your wish in that genjutsu."
Deidara's eyes widened in disbelief. "Genjutsu? You