Konoha's Genius is a bit Ordinary?

When Kakashi saw Natsuro appear, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief, a smile spreading across his face. He knew this guy couldn't possibly be in trouble.

"Natsuro!" Ino's eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but call out.

"Hmm, hold on. Let me take care of him first," Natsuro said with a smile as he handed the unconscious Naruto over to Kakashi.

After escaping from the barrier, Natsuro had been considering his next move. Should he go back to save Gaara, or return to reassess the situation?

However, when he sensed his Flying Thunder God markings, he realized that two of them were very close by.

Could it be that someone had brought kunai marked with the Flying Thunder God technique nearby?

As he hesitated over which direction to head to first, he sensed the Nine-Tails' rampage. That decided it, he would prioritize Naruto's side.

In a way, Natsuro's arrival was entirely thanks to Deidara's earlier attempt to distract Kakashi and the others with his taunts!

At this moment, Natsuro lifted his gaze to the fleeing Deidara, a smirk forming on his lips. Trying to escape now? Do you think you can?!

The light on Natsuro's 'Ink' sword extended once more. This time, however, the sword's shadow seemed to resonate with the cries of countless birds.

This strike was Chidori Blade!

Without hesitation, Natsuro swung the Chidori Blade at Deidara.

Deidara, flying on his clay bird, glanced behind at the enormous lightning sword shadow chasing him. Sweat began to bead on his forehead.

Why? I've already sped up this much. Why does it feel like I'm still within its range?

It was as though... as though that sword could extend infinitely!

No matter how he changed direction, it seemed futile, it was only making the sword shadow close in even faster.

At that moment, terror flashed across Deidara's face. He finally understood why the other four had failed. This kind of enemy wasn't just stronger, it was on an entirely different level. He and his comrades had never stood a chance.

As the sword shadow drew nearer, Deidara almost imagined it as a giant lightning eagle, and himself as its prey.

Sweat dripped from his brow as the mouths on his hands frantically chewed clay, creating countless small birds that flew toward the lightning eagle in an attempt to delay its approach.

But to Deidara's despair, the clay birds didn't even have a chance to get close before they were struck down by the lightning surrounding the eagle.

No matter how special his clay was, it was still earth-based, fundamentally weak against lightning. The birds lost all functionality and plummeted helplessly to the ground.

Watching his falling explosive clay, Deidara realized everything he'd done was in vain. Against this opponent who completely countered him with both strength and elemental advantage, he had no chance of escape.

He couldn't dodge this strike. It was the absolute difference in power and compatibility.

As the dazzling sword shadow loomed ever closer, Deidara's face didn't show fear but rather regret.

Regret that he hadn't yet showcased his ultimate art.

However, as he stared at the Chidori Blade, Deidara couldn't help but admire its artistry. The beauty of the lightning's explosive power captivated him.

Perhaps... dying under this blade wouldn't be a bad choice.

This thought flashed through his mind, but he quickly shook it off, his face twisting into a fanatical grin.

How could I face such supreme art without giving my own ultimate response?

The next moment, the clay bird beneath him accelerated, and Deidara ripped off his cloak, baring his upper body. A mouth sat prominently on his left chest.

Laughing maniacally, Deidara stuffed all of his remaining clay into the chest-mouth, not caring if it could handle it.

When he ran out of clay, he even tore apart the bird beneath his feet, reverting it back to clay and feeding it to the mouth.

With no support, Deidara fell straight out of the sky.

The lightning eagle, accompanied by countless shrill cries, finally struck Deidara.

However, there was no scream. Deidara focused all his energy on his final masterpiece, using every bit of his chakra to shield the explosive clay within him from the lightning's effects.

As for his body? He didn't care, he let the lightning destroy it.

Finally, a faint smile appeared on Deidara's charred face.

"Ascend, my ultimate art—C0!"

..

At that moment, Deidara, his face filled with fanatical excitement, shouted loudly:

"Bear witness! Art... is an explosion!!!"

As his voice echoed, all the explosive clay inside his body began to expand rapidly.

"BOOM!!!"

The ensuing explosion was catastrophic, as if capable of consuming everything in its path. Trees, soil and everything within its reach was obliterated.

Natsuro and the others instinctively poured more chakra into their feet, trying to stay steady on the violently shaking ground and avoid falling.

Everyone stared at the blinding explosion in the distance, as if Deidara's final cry still lingered in their ears.

So… this is the art of explosion?!

The horrifying blast stretched across several kilometers, leaving everyone dumbfounded. They began to understand the truth in Deidara's words.

But no matter how powerful or earth-shattering, every explosion eventually fades.

As the smoke and fire dissipated, everyone looked at the massive crater left behind and swallowed hard. Had they been caught in that explosion, they wouldn't have stood a chance of surviving.

Now the question arose: just how powerful was Natsuro, who had forced Deidara to self-destruct with a single strike?

Kakashi glanced at Natsuro, unsure what to say. If he wasn't mistaken, that technique was based on Chidori, but the sheer power and the extended range…

No matter how Kakashi thought about it, even if he wielded such a sword himself, he didn't have the chakra reserves to sustain it, nor could he maintain Chidori's destructive force over such a long range.

And yet, it had been so short a time since their last encounter, and Natsuro's strength seemed to have undergone another qualitative leap, so much so that Kakashi could no longer comprehend his level. The speed of Natsuro's growth was simply terrifying.

Ino's eyes sparkled as she gazed at Natsuro. She had never doubted his strength, but seeing it firsthand now filled her with even greater admiration and pride.

This is my boyfriend. Amazing, isn't he?

If Kakashi and Karin weren't present, she might have already jumped into his arms.

On the other side, Karin stood frozen, mouth opening and closing repeatedly, unable to process what she had just witnessed. Her astonishment was written all over her face.

A massive question mark loomed in Karin's mind.

So… this is the Natsuro that Sasuke spoke of? The one that group of people came rushing to save?

But with Natsuro this strong, how could they even qualify to save him?

If he couldn't handle an enemy, wouldn't their entire group be useless, not even enough to fill the gaps between his teeth? At best, they'd just drag him down.

Karin couldn't help but wonder what they had been so worried about earlier, it was completely unnecessary!

Meanwhile, Natsuro sheathed his 'Ink' Sword and flexed his hand, which had gone numb from the shockwaves of the explosion. Looking at the massive crater caused by the blast, he couldn't help but sigh.

"Truly, all artists are madmen."

In the end, the lightning eagle and sword shadow formed by his Chidori had been completely annihilated by Deidara's explosion.

But Natsuro felt no regret. After all, Deidara had used his life to unleash his ultimate power. If it hadn't been enough to counter his attack, that would have been the real surprise.

Turning to Ino, Natsuro asked, "How did you all get here so fast? Is the Mōryō situation already resolved?"

In truth, Natsuro found this strange. His travel speed was far beyond that of normal ninjas. The fact that they had arrived so quickly suggested they had followed closely behind him almost immediately after he left.

Moreover, their journey must have been rushed to catch up this quickly.

Ino then explained what had happened during the Mōryō incident, including their encounter with Orochimaru. She looked at Natsuro with concern. Even though she didn't usually follow these matters closely, she understood how complicated the situation must be.

"So that's how it is," Natsuro murmured, realization dawning as a slight smile appeared on his lips. Everything now made sense.

He had suspected that Danzō might have ties to the Akatsuki, but couldn't figure out how. After all, Tsunade had been keeping a close watch on Danzō.

Still, no matter how closely Danzō was monitored, he always found ways to act in the shadows. Natsuro wasn't surprised to learn he had collaborated with Orochimaru to establish contact with the Akatsuki.

Orochimaru, having worked with Danzō in the past, would know secret channels for communication. Birds of a feather flock together.

Through Orochimaru as a middleman, Danzō had coordinated with the Akatsuki to orchestrate this trap.

But neither Danzō nor the Akatsuki had anticipated that just before Natsuro fell into the trap, he would undergo a qualitative transformation.

In fact, Natsuro was quite curious to see Danzō personally attempt to interact with the Akatsuki.

Natsuro imagined that if things played out this way, the Akatsuki's nominal leader, Pain, might personally meet with Danzō.

He couldn't help but wonder how Danzō would react upon seeing those Rinnegan eyes, would it be in delight or sheer terror?

Unfortunately, none of this would ever come to pass, which left Natsuro feeling some regret.

Noticing the concern on Ino's face, Natsuro reached out and pinched her cheek gently, saying, "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything. And you've seen my strength so you know those rats can't hurt me."

Ino pulled Natsuro's hand away from her cheek. Though she was already used to this kind of gesture, she still felt a little self-conscious with others around.

Listening to Natsuro's gentle voice and recalling all the moments they had shared, Ino thought about how he had never once made empty promises. A stunning smile gradually appeared on her face, and she nodded softly.

"Okay."

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Currently on Chapter 257 - Maybe Caged Birds can be Free?