The night in Sunagakure is no longer just about howling winds and cold starlight. Improved Chakra streetlights extend along the main street and defensive walls, emitting a soft and steady white light that clearly outlines the village's contours.
High in the sky, the " Heavenly Net " early warning system, proposed by Shira and designed by Maki and Kankuro, was operating silently. Countless miniature Chakra runes, incorporating the energy sensing technology of the Land of Snow, were distributed above Sunagakure and in the airspace several kilometers around it.
Any unidentified object that exhibits obvious Chakra activity or moves at high speed will trigger alarms in the Kazekage Building's monitoring room and at several key defense points.
Tonight, the alarms came faster and more shrill than expected.
"Northeast direction, 15 kilometers away, high-altitude target, strong Chakra reaction, extremely fast speed! Identified, 87% match with ' Deidara ' signature in the intelligence database!"
In the monitoring room, Ishikawa stared intently at the complex crystal display panel before him, speaking rapidly. After years of training, he had been promoted to Special Jōnin, specializing in intelligence analysis and early warning systems.
Almost simultaneously with the alarm sounding, several commands were rapidly transmitted through the newly established Chakra communication network.
In the northeast corner of Sunagakure, the " Kite's Nest " air defense position is built against the cliff. The four metal devices, shaped like giant birds with outstretched wings, have already been preheated, and the runes on their surfaces are swirling with a blue light ready to be unleashed.
This is the "Anti-Air Ballista Modified," which combines Puppet Technique, Chakra Cannon technology, and some of the Land of Snow's energy compression concepts. Its range and power far exceed those of traditional ballistae.
"Target locked! Distance 10 kilometers! Optimal firing range!"
"Cannons No. 1 and No. 3, armor-piercing concussion shells, predict their evasion routes A and C! Cannons No. 2 and No. 4, high-speed tracking shells, covering routes B and D! Fire!"
The commander gave the order.
"Buzz--Whoosh whoosh whoosh!!!"
Four energy beams, each a different color and trailing a striking flame, tore through the night sky, forming a three-dimensional interception net at supersonic speeds, enveloping the blond figure leisurely flying in from afar on a giant clay bird.
Deidara sat atop his C2 Giant Bird, admiring the twinkling lights of Sunagakure below—a stark contrast to the "barren and dilapidated" description in the intelligence reports—with the interest of an artist examining a new canvas.
"Hmm? This seems a bit more interesting than I imagined, hmm."
Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of several rapidly expanding points of light in the distant night sky, and his pupils contracted slightly. "What the hell?"
Confident in his aerial advantage and the clay explosives, he paid little attention and maneuvered the giant bird with a nimble side roll, attempting to evade.
However, the four beams of light seemed to have a life of their own, adjusting their trajectories in mid-air. Two of them even accelerated suddenly, blocking his two seemingly most reasonable dodge routes!
"Tracking? Interesting, hmm!" Deidara chuckled instead of being surprised, clapping his hands together and instantly creating several clay birds. "Try this! C1 Clay Spider!"
The clay bird met the light arrow head-on. However, the anticipated interception explosion did not occur. The two "armor-piercing shockwave bullets" flashed with runes the instant they made contact with the clay bird, and a powerful shockwave erupted first, instantly disrupting and nullifying the Chakra structure inside the clay bird, while the light arrow itself continued its trajectory undiminished!
The other two "high-speed tracking missiles" drew strange arcs, bypassing the blast radius and heading straight for Deidara's body!
"What?!" Deidara's expression finally changed; this was completely beyond his understanding of conventional ninja tools.
In a moment of haste, he suddenly pushed off the back of the giant bird, leaping backward while simultaneously maneuvering it to crash into the two nearest light arrows.
Boom!
A violent explosion lit up two fireballs in the air, shattering the C2 Giant Bird into pieces. Although Deidara managed to escape in time, he was thrown back by the blast wave and tumbled out of the air, managing to regain his footing rather awkwardly in mid-air, the Clay Bird beneath his feet swaying slightly.
"You bastard! How dare you ruin my art! Huh!"
His blond hair stood on end, his anger blazing, his previous composure completely gone. However, before he could regain his composure or launch a counterattack—
" Wind Release: Kamaitachi's Great Breakthrough!"
" Puppet Technique - Black Ant - Modified, launch the capture net!"
Below, on the ground, the patrol squad led by Temari, who had already received the warning and were lying in ambush in the designated area, along with the improved Black Ant puppet controlled by Kankuro, launched an attack simultaneously!
A raging wind blade and several large metal nets shimmering with sealing runes attacked, sealing off Deidara's space for descent and low-altitude hovering.
Meanwhile, in Sunagakure, piercing air raid sirens blared throughout the village. Civilians, guided by local authorities, entered the newly built underground bunkers in an orderly fashion.
The well-trained Sunagakure quickly took their defensive positions, and the new "gecko"-style climbing puppets carried the ninjas to the highest points of the buildings. Wing-suit puppet squads formed low-altitude formations for vigilance. The entire village resembled a giant beast that had suddenly tensed its muscles and bared its spikes.
In the Kazekage's Office, in front of the huge surveillance screen, Rasa's face was ashen. Shira stood beside him, her gaze calmly fixed on Deidara's disheveled figure on the screen. "They've arrived as expected, not far off from the predicted time and direction."
"The information you shared was very accurate."
Rasa glanced at Shira. Months ago, Shira had provided the village's higher-ups with a detailed analysis of the abilities of some members of the Akatsuki organization, citing "obtained through special channels." This analysis highlighted Deidara's aerial advantage, the characteristics and weaknesses of his clay explosives, and Sasori of the Red Sands's Puppet Technique and poison techniques.
In response, Sunagakure strengthened its air defense capabilities, equipped it with special warheads, and provided training to all Jonin and Special Jōnin on how to respond to them.
"We can't let him bomb indiscriminately near the village," Shira said. "According to the plan, we'll force him towards ' Quicksand Valley ' outside the village. It's open and has our pre-set traps. Scorpion should be nearby to provide backup, or he may have already infiltrated there."
Rasa nodded and said in a deep voice into the communicator, "Execute Plan A. Drive the target away to the Quicksand Valley. Note that Sasori of the Red Sands may be lurking. All personnel, activate your gas masks. Puppet forces should prioritize detecting signals from non-friendly Chakra."
With the order given, Sunagakure's defense system began to operate efficiently. Deidara found himself in an unprecedented predicament.
No matter which direction he tried to approach Sunagakure from, he would be met with precise and fierce anti-aircraft fire. The energy arrows Eight Gates, some with shockwave interference, some with tracking capabilities, and some even with the release of smoke and Genjutsu energy.
The ninjas on the ground coordinated perfectly, using Wind Release, ranged ninja tools, and puppets to harass him relentlessly. What was even more troublesome was that the opponent seemed to know his attack patterns very well, always managing to interfere with or intercept his clay explosives before they could take shape or be thrown.
"Damn it! These Sunagakure Village bastards are as annoying as flies!"
Deidara's several attempts to charge forward failed, and he was nearly caught in a specially made metal net imbued with Lightning Release Chakra, which made him yell in anger.
He noticed that the Sunagakure's defenses were intentionally forcing him in a certain direction. "Trying to lure me there? Hmph, perfect, old man Sasori is probably getting impatient. Let me show you true art! Hmm!"
He flew towards the direction of the Quicksand Valley, while simultaneously creating clay with both hands, preparing to deliver a powerful blow.
The Quicksand Valley is a wide desert located a few kilometers away from Sunagakure. The terrain is undulating and full of soft quicksand pits, making it difficult for ordinary ninjas to stand, but it has less impact on puppeteers and flying units.
When Deidara flew angrily over the Quicksand Valley, the sight below made him pause for a moment.
In the center of the valley, on a relatively hard rocky ground, stood several people quietly.
Leading the group was Kazekage Rasa, surrounded by golden sand, exuding an imposing aura. Slightly behind him was Gaara, carrying a gourd on his back, his expression calm, the sand beneath his feet flowing slowly as if it were alive.
On either side stood several senior Jonin, including Baki Yura, as well as Shūji and Ishikawa, who had just arrived and whose eyes were sharp.
What made Deidara's eyelids jump even more was that on a towering rock to the side sat an old woman dressed in a white elder's robe, resting with her eyes closed— Chiyo.
Ten steps ahead of the crowd, Shira stood with his hand on his sword. The night wind ruffled his gray hair and the corners of his clothes. He tilted his head slightly, looking at Deidara hovering in the air, his eyes like those of someone looking at Asuka caught in a net.
"Wow, quite a grand lineup, huh?" Deidara grinned, trying to appear calm.
"What, is Sunagakure coming out in full force to welcome an artist? Too bad, I'm only interested in that Jinchūriki." He pointed at Gaara.
" Deidara," Shira spoke, her voice clear in the night wind, "Your clay explosion's weakness lies in the Chakra shaping and stabilization phase before detonation, especially against high-frequency vibrations and lightning-attribute interference."
"Your flight advantage is not absolute against a defensive system with air-to-air tracking and area-of-effect suppression capabilities. Furthermore, you have an impatient temperament and are prone to losing control when your art is rejected. We are aware of these factors."
Deidara's smile froze on his face, his eyes gradually turning dangerous. "How... did you know that?"
"That's not important." Shira's hand slowly rested on the hilt of her sword. "What's important is that you and your companions are not going anywhere today."
Hahahaha!
Deidara seemed to have heard the funniest thing and burst into laughter, "You guys? Hmm! Old Man Sasori, stop hiding! Looks like we need to get rid of these eyesores of an audience first!"
Before he could finish speaking, a seemingly ordinary patch of sand to the side suddenly exploded! A figure wrapped in bandages and wearing a strange mask shot into the sky—it was Sasori of the Red Sands's true form puppet.
At the same time, shadows writhed from all directions, and dozens of puppets of various shapes and sizes, exuding a chilling killing intent, emerged from under the sand and behind the rocks, subtly surrounding the Sunagakure members.
The most eye-catching of them were the Human Puppet of the Third Kazekage, and nearly a hundred " Performance of a Hundred Puppets " puppets with uniform appearances and wielding sharp blades.
"Scorpion..."
Granny Chiyo slowly opened her eyes, looking at the Human Puppet of the Third Kazekage. A deep pain and complexity flashed in her cloudy eyes, but more than that, there was a resolute determination.
"It really was you. Toying with the bodies of the dead, to desecrate the shadows of the village, your path has long been utterly distorted."
"Old woman, you still talk too much."
Scorpion's voice came through the puppet, cold and flat, "The corrupt old era should have been swept into the dustbin long ago. Eternal beauty is the ultimate art I pursue. Today, I will use you to test the performance of my newly improved 'Hundred Machines'."
Battle is imminent.
"Proceed according to plan!" Rasa shouted, and golden sand erupted around him, transforming into a towering wave that swept towards the Third Kazekage Human Puppet and some of the Hundred Puppet Puppets. He intended to use his own strength to restrain Sasori's strongest combat force.
"Understood!" Baki, Yura, and the others immediately dispersed to meet the other Hundred Puppet Puppets. They had clearly received targeted training and cooperated with each other, using Wind Release Ninjutsu and specially made ninja tools to destroy the puppets' joints and Chakra Threads.
Shūji Hand Seals, and wind and fire Chakra rose from his body. He locked onto several puppets that were trying to flank him and launched a fierce attack.
Ishikawa, meanwhile, moved around the perimeter, constantly throwing Kunai to disrupt the coordination of the puppet formation.
Gaara didn't move. His sand acted like a living barrier, firmly protecting his core area, while he calmly observed the overall situation, especially Deidara was frantically dropping Clay Bomb from the air.
Granny Chiyo rose from the rock, her fingers trembling, and several small scrolls slid from her sleeve. "Sasori, let this old woman teach you what a true puppet's heart is!"
" White Secret Technique: Ten Machines Near the Pine!"
Ten ancient-looking puppets, exuding an imposing aura, instantly appeared and faced the hundred machines controlled by Scorpion.
These masterpieces created by Monzaemon, in Chiyo's hands, unleashed astonishing fighting power, and for a time they fought fiercely against the numerically superior Hundred Machines.
Shira's target is Deidara, and also those seemingly most threatening, hidden "trump cards" of Sasori.
Enraged by the precise anti-air attacks from the ground and Shira's words, Deidara unleashed his fury, brandishing his arms wildly. "C2 - Dragon! C3 - Eighteen! I'll turn you all to ashes! Hmm!"
A clay dragon and a giant cartoon bomb rained down from the sky. Gaara finally moved, clasping his hands together. " Shield of Shukaku!"
Endless sand mixed with Shukaku's Chakra transformed into a giant shield covering half the valley, brazenly meeting the C3 bomb head-on.
boom--!!!
The explosion was earth-shattering! The sand shield trembled violently and cracked, but ultimately withstood the attack. The clay dragon, however, was blown off course by the combined Wind Release Ninjutsu of Baki and the others, crashing into a distant cliff and exploding.
"It's not over yet! Try this! C4 Garuda!" Deidara grinned maliciously, releasing tiny bombs that were barely visible to the naked eye, attempting to dismantle the group from within.
" Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!" Shūji Tsukasa shouted, not attacking Deidara, but unleashing an incredibly condensed hurricane in the direction Garuda was spreading!
The hurricane incorporated his exquisite control over airflow and his ability to draw in the energy of natural wind, instantly creating a high-speed rotating chaotic vortex that engulfed, shredded, and scattered the vast majority of the micro-bombs!
The few that managed to escape were detected in advance by Gaara's Eye of Sand and blocked by a barrier of fine sand.
"What?! Even C4...?"
Deidara's eyes widened, a chill finally creeping into his heart. His opponent knew his methods far too well!
Just then, Sasori, who had seemed to be entangled by Chiyo and Rasa, suddenly snorted coldly, "Annoying insects, time to clear them out. Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets: Infernal Prison!"
Dozens of Hundred-Puppet Machines simultaneously opened their mouths, spewing out scorching flames that instantly turned a large area into a sea of fire, forcing Baki and the others to retreat repeatedly. Several puppets even suddenly self-destructed, destroying Chiyo's two Chikamatsu puppets.
"Now!" Sasori's puppet body suddenly broke free from Rasa's entanglement, its chest mechanism opening to reveal a dark, gaping cannon muzzle, within which terrifying energy gathered—this was his strongest attack, combining his core Chakra with poison techniques and explosive mechanisms, a trump card originally intended for dealing with powerful enemies or breaking through enemy lines! "Taste this! Poison Flame Ball!"
A purplish-black beam of energy, wreathed in deadly poisonous mist and intense flames, shot fiercely toward Shira, who appeared to be defending against Deidara's attack and seemingly preoccupied with other matters, as well as Gaara and Rasa behind her!
"Watch out!" Chiyo exclaimed.
Rasa manipulated the golden sand to defend, Gaara's sand also rushed in rapidly, but this attack was too fast and the power was too concentrated!
However, despite this sudden and deadly attack, Shira showed no sign of panic.
He didn't even turn around; he simply slowly released his hand, which had been resting on the hilt of his sword.
He raised his head, looked at Deidara who was filled with surprise and uncertainty in the air, glanced at Sasori who was determined to win in the distance, and then took a deep breath.
Seven Heavens Breathing Method - Fourth Activation, Activated!
There was no earth-shattering aura emanating from him; instead, the air around him suddenly seemed to "sink," the light appeared to distort slightly, and the bluish-gold life veins beneath his skin suddenly lit up before instantly receding.
An indescribable sense of oppression, like the awakening of a primordial beast, silently spread out from him.
The next moment, he moved.
It wasn't a beam of light heading towards Deidara, nor towards Sasori.
The solid ground beneath his feet suddenly shattered, and he was like a cannonball launched from a gun—no, he transformed into a humanoid, bluish-white storm of destruction—rushing at an extreme speed that was impossible for the naked eye to perceive towards the area where Scorpion had released the " Poison Flame Ball," as well as the dozen or so special puppets that had never been activated and were hidden underground in that area, which Scorpion used as his last ambush force and retreat guarantee!
"Not good!" Alarm bells rang in Scorpion's mind. He wanted to control the puppet to intercept or protect himself, but Shira was too fast! Faster than his thoughts could process!
"Sandstorm, continuous attack!"
Cold and violent, it sounded like a proclamation from the depths of hell, echoing in the eye of the storm.
Then, everyone witnessed a scene they would never forget.
Wherever that bluish-white storm of destruction passed, the air was rubbed and ignited by the extreme power and speed, emitting a deep rumble of thunder and blinding flashes of lightning!
Within the storm, there were countless afterimages of fists, feet, elbows, and knees, all condensed to a tangible form! Each strike carried the terrifying power to split mountains and shatter rocks, and contained the "qi" that Shira had cultivated for many years to reach the pinnacle of perfection, as well as the life energy that the Fourth Activation had been stimulated to its extreme!
Boom boom boom boom boom boom--!!!!!
The continuous, ear-shattering explosions replaced all other sounds! They weren't Ninjutsu explosions; they were pure physical forces bombarding the puppets, the ground, and the rocks, creating the most savage and direct symphony of destruction!
The scorpion's " Poison Flame Ball " beam of light, powerful enough to pierce through steel, was actually shattered and annihilated when it came into contact with the edge of this destructive storm!
The potent poison and flames contained within the pillar of light were completely torn apart and blown away by the extremely violent power and airflow of the storm!
The dozen or so special puppets hidden underground had no chance to play any role before they were hit by countless heavy blows in the instant the storm swept through. Their sturdy shells deformed and shattered like paper, and then exploded into countless fragments!
The mechanisms, poison sacs, and Explosive Tag inside were all prematurely detonated or directly destroyed under the series of heavy blows, which intensified the explosion.
The storm's core, after crushing the underground puppet horde, didn't linger and crashed directly into the core puppet horde of " Performance of a Hundred Puppets," which was slightly stiffened after Scorpion released " Poison Flame Ball "!
Bang bang bang bang bang--!!!
Like a hot knife cutting into solidified butter, or a gale sweeping through withered leaves, the Hundred Puppet Machines, which were enough to give a Jonin squad a headache, were utterly vulnerable in the face of this absolute storm of power.
Whether it was the steel-forged body or the complex internal mechanisms, everything was torn to pieces by the endless, heavy " Sandstorm Barrage, turning into piles of completely destroyed parts, mixed with venom, flames, and sand, flying everywhere.
The storm did not cover a large area, but its destructive power was astonishing.
In just a few breaths, Scorpion's hidden trump cards, his core Hundred Machine Puppet Group, and his hidden underground ambush troops were completely plowed away by Shira 'Isshiki " Sandstorm Barrage," turning them into a wasteland of steel, wood, and stone emitting blue smoke and poisonous fire.
The storm has subsided.
Shira's figure reappeared at the edge of the ruins, slightly panting, with white steam rising from her body, and the bluish-gold veins under her skin slowly dimming.
He slowly straightened up, patted the metal shavings off his shoulder, and calmly looked at Sasori, who was frozen in place because more than 80% of his puppet had been destroyed in an instant and his own puppet had also suffered a backlash. He then looked up at Deidara in the air, who was completely dumbfounded and had even forgotten to sculpt the clay.
The entire room fell silent.
Only the crackling of flames and the distant, still-smoldering sound of scattered puppet parts hitting the ground remained.
"Impossible... This is impossible..." Scorpion's voice trembled with unprecedented bewilderment. He looked at his hard work that had vanished in an instant, feeling that his concept of "eternal art" had been cruelly trampled upon.
"Art... my art..." Deidara murmured in the air, his faith seemingly crumbling.
"It's over." Gaara's cold voice broke the silence. He Hand Seals, and the sea of sand beneath him suddenly surged violently.
" Sand Binding Coffin!"
" Sand Waterfall Funeral!"
In an instant, endless sand engulfed, imprisoned, and slammed down the scorpion puppet's main body, which was sluggish due to the destruction of the puppet and the shock to its mind!
At the same time, another stream of sand shot into the sky like a giant python, coiling towards Deidara in mid-air.
At the same time, Rasa also made his move, his golden sand transforming into countless sharp spikes that pierced Deidara, who was bound by the sand flow, sealing off all his escape routes.
"No--!! My art is an explosion! It's a fleeting flash! Hmm!!"
Deidara let out a furious roar of defiance, trying to detonate the last of the clay on his body to self-destruct, but the pressure of the sand made it difficult for him to move, and the golden sand spikes instantly pierced through his limbs.
Under the terrifying pressure of the Sand Waterfall Funeral, Sasori's puppet body emitted a teeth-grinding crunching sound, and finally, with a "crack," its core was completely crushed, and the Chakra reaction completely disappeared.
The battle quickly came to an end after Shira's earth-shattering " Sandstorm Barrage " secured the victory.
Deidara, the Azure Dragon of Akatsuki, Sasori of the Red Sands Virgin, perished in this battle outside the newly renovated and well-prepared Sunagakure.
The night wind blew through the Quicksand Valley, stirring up smoke and dust.
The Sunagakure members silently gazed at the battlefield ruins before them, at the subdued Deidara, and at Sasori buried deep underground, their hearts surging with the pride of victory and the awe-inspiring determination to face even greater challenges ahead.
Shira slowly exhaled a breath of stale air; this was just the beginning.
The threat posed by Xiao is far from over.
He looked up at the deep night sky, where heavier clouds seemed to be gathering in the distance.