The Strongest Artist in Naruto

"Sharp observation skills! As expected of one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen!"

"Hmph!"

"From my vantage point earlier, I noticed something interesting. Whenever a Lightning Style jutsu hit one of your grotesque creations, they couldn't explode."

"Combine that with the fact that all the hand signs you used just now were for Earth Style. That means your ability must be some kind of Earth Style variant. Earth Style is naturally countered by Lightning Style, so as long as I stick to lightning, your abilities are useless!" Kurosuki Raiga analyzed confidently, a smug grin spreading across his face.

"Hey! You green-haired idiot! This is art! Not some grotesque creation!" Deidara retorted angrily.

"Whatever. I don't have time to argue with you."

Raiga gripped his twin swords tighter, then stomped forward, launching himself at Deidara with blinding speed. As he charged, he sneered, "My Kiba are among the finest ninja tools. They only require a bit of chakra to unleash continuous Lightning Style techniques!"

"I've killed countless enemies with these swords. You'll just be another tally! Prepare to die!"

"Damn, I can't let this guy get close!" Deidara muttered, quickly molding a clay bird and taking to the sky for his signature aerial tactic. Earlier, against the Grass ninja, he had avoided flying because it would have made them flee. Plus, he couldn't use large-scale explosions with Karin still inside the hideout.

But this time, there were no such restrictions. Against a natural counter like Raiga, any carelessness could lead to disaster.

"I told you, it's useless!"

"Lightning Style: Thunder Fang!"

Raiga crossed his swords, charging them briefly before unleashing a wave of lightning that rippled outwards, obliterating all the clay creatures swarming toward him.

"Flying, huh?" Raiga stopped in his tracks, frowning as he watched Deidara ascend higher into the sky.

"Don't think that'll save you! The power of the Thunder Swords Fang is beyond your imagination!"

"Lightning Style: Thunder Strike!"

A bolt of lightning shot past Deidara, smashing into the ground and shattering a large rock. It wasn't a solitary strike either; multiple bolts rained down, each one guided from the clouds above, relentlessly pursuing the airborne Deidara. Only the agility and maneuverability of his clay bird kept him from being struck.

"Tch! This is bad!" Deidara grimaced mid-flight. He couldn't even use his C2-enhanced giant dragon here; it would just become a bigger target, instantly destroyed by Raiga's lightning.

Calm down. Think. There's got to be a way out of this! Forcing himself to focus, Deidara wracked his brain for a solution.

"Looks like that brat's completely on the back foot," Sasori observed from a distance, debating whether to intervene.

"If big moves won't work, I'll win with sheer numbers instead!" Deidara declared, his mouths working overtime to produce a swarm of miniature clay bombs. Each one was no larger than half a finger when expanded, and their explosive power was weaker than even a standard explosive tag.

But against ninja—most of whom had high offensive capabilities but frail defenses—even minor attacks could be lethal. A kunai to the heart could kill, after all.

"Trying to overwhelm me with quantity now?" Raiga studied the snowfall of miniature clay creations. He pondered briefly. Maintaining a large-scale lightning field was possible with his swords, but the chakra drain would be substantial. If he exhausted himself here, he'd be vulnerable to Sasori later.

"In that case, I'll try this instead."

Raiga raised his left hand, forming a seal with two fingers.

"Hidden Mist Jutsu!"

A thick fog enveloped the battlefield, completely obscuring Raiga's figure. This wasn't ordinary mist—it was chakra-infused, capable of blocking even Sharingan vision. Without specialized sensory abilities, Deidara was effectively blind.

"Damn it!" Deidara cursed. To be honest, he felt like giving up. This was the most frustrating fight he'd had since being obliterated by Uchiha Itachi.

His abilities were countered, his opponent was invisible, and his small bombs couldn't locate a target. Larger bombs would just be sitting ducks, while lightning continued to chase him relentlessly.

"I can't lose! My art won't allow it!"

"Take this!"

"C2—Raptor Bombers!"

Deidara unleashed a wave of clay raptors, directing them in a carpet-bombing pattern. The raptors dove down in droves, each poised to become a devastating explosion upon impact.

"So many of them! Impressive. But it seems you've lost your cool," Raiga sneered within the mist. A ninja should never lose their composure in battle.

"Lightning Burial: Banquet of Lightning!"

Raiga stabbed his swords into the ground, flooding the area with chakra. From the heavens, a dense web of lightning descended, shredding every raptor and even striking Deidara's clay bird. The blast sent Deidara plummeting to the ground.

"This is it! I've won!" Raiga declared triumphantly. He pulled his swords from the ground, silently closing in on Deidara through the mist. With a quick thrust, he drove one of his swords through Deidara's chest.

"I've told you, in the world of shinobi, the one who claims victory too early always loses!"

The "Deidara" impaled on Raiga's sword grinned maniacally, grabbing hold of the blade.

"What are you planning?!" Raiga demanded, unnerved by the crazed look and the strange mouth chewing in Deidara's chest.

"You're the first to witness my ultimate art. Be honored!"

Deidara's body swelled grotesquely as he yelled, "Art is an explosion! KATSU!"

[Kurosuki Raiga's Shock Value +1000]

"Phew! That was close!" Deidara muttered, crawling out of the ground on a clay centipede, disheveled but alive. He would never truly blow himself up for a minor opponent like Raiga. The "self-destruction" was merely a clay clone.

"I thought you were dead," Sasori remarked dryly.

"Lucky me. He panicked and forgot to use Lightning Style. Otherwise, my ultimate art might've been interrupted, and I'd have needed to rely on you, Sasori-danna," Deidara admitted, brushing off the dirt and recalling how narrowly he escaped. If Raiga had been just a bit quicker, Deidara's real body might have been skewered.

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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