"So you like playing with explosions? Fine. I'll show some mercy today and teach a bumpkin like you what a real explosion is."
Shengu Xuan's cold, mocking voice echoed through the empty cavern. Facing Deidara, who was on the verge of madness, he showed no panic whatsoever. Instead, he looked as though he were watching a clown putting on an energetic performance.
"You arrogant brat! Before my C3 No. 18, every defense is paper-thin! Die! Experience the ultimate allure of art! Hm!" Deidara roared hysterically.
He yanked his hands out of his clay pouch and hurled an enormous mass of white Explosive Clay, shaped like a bizarre doll, straight down at Shengu Xuan's head!
As this Clay Bomb, called C3 No. 18, fell, it swelled in the wind, becoming a terrifying bomb the size of a small hill in the blink of an eye! This was the ultra-high-yield bomb Deidara took such pride in. He had once nearly leveled all of Sunagakure with this move. Its terrifying destructive power was enough to instantly wipe out every living thing within several kilometers!
"This is bad! Retreat! An explosion on this scale will catch us in it!" Kakashi's face turned deathly pale at the sight of the gigantic bomb plummeting like a meteor. Grabbing Naruto and Sakura, he started to race out of the cavern.
Granny Chiyo was trembling with fear as well. In all her long years, she had never seen such a crazed method of attack.
"Trying to run? Too late! Art is-an explosion! Ha!" Standing on his bird high overhead, Deidara abruptly formed hand seals, a sickly fervor gleaming in his eyes.
It was the critical instant before C3 No. 18 detonated and destroyed everything.
Shengu Xuan tilted his head slightly upward. Deep within his abyssal black eyes, an