The Strongest Artist in Naruto

Deidara glanced at the clay fire dragon beside him, a satisfied grin spreading across his face. Over the past six months of recovery, he'd poured his efforts into developing new artistic creations. The Weaver and now the Fire Dragon were among his latest masterpieces.

Still, their designs left much to be desired. The Weaver's swollen abdomen, optimized for storing vast amounts of web, gave it an ungainly appearance. Similarly, the Fire Dragon had an excessively thick hide around its belly and throat. While necessary to prevent premature detonation, the extra thickness made it look bloated and clumsy.

"Well, what do you think, Mei Terumi? Want to keep going?" Deidara called out across the lake.

"Of course! As the Mizukage, it's my duty to protect my village's interests—even at the cost of my life!" Mei's firm reply echoed over the water.

She sprinted forward, calling out, "You're strong, no doubt about that. But during our last encounter, I wasn't going all out. Don't underestimate me, pretty boy!"

"Water Style: Water Needles!"

From Mei's lips erupted a barrage of water needles, their lethality rivaling that of senbon needles. As an expert in Water Style, her attacks carried devastating precision and power.

Against such piercing speed, Deidara's webs were useless. The Fire Dragon couldn't even muster a breath attack in time. However, physical attacks no longer posed a threat to Deidara.

The water needles riddled his body with countless holes, making him look like a sieve—but the wounds began to heal almost immediately.

Something was wrong.

Deidara frowned.

"Figured it out?" Mei smirked.

"There's a secret Water Style technique in Kirigakure called Cutting Rain. It strips chakra from enemy techniques. I wove it into my attack."

"I noticed during our last clash that you could transform into clay. That told me you wouldn't bother dodging. So, how's your chakra holding up after my attack shredded through it?"

Never underestimate a shinobi's resourcefulness.

Thankfully, Deidara had been training to increase his chakra reserves. Otherwise, an attack like that would have drained him by half.

"First of all," Deidara muttered irritably, "it's clay transformation, not 'turning into mud.' Do you even have eyes, lady?"

Mei didn't dignify his complaint with a response. Instead, she launched her next attack:

"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"

As a searing wave of fire surged toward him, Deidara's response was swift.

"Clay Serpent Barrage!"

The resulting explosion neutralized the flames, but Mei was already closing in, her hands forming another jutsu:

"Lava Style: Dissolving Technique!"

A massive wave of corrosive acid surged forward, the largest Deidara had seen her conjure yet. This was no longer a test—she was serious.

The Weaver's web managed to intercept some of the acid, but the intense heat began to melt even its own structure. Deidara quickly crafted a rock worm, using it to burrow underground and escape. At the same time, he detonated four of his Weavers.

Boom!

The explosion scattered the acid in all directions. Meanwhile, the Fire Dragon's belly began to swell as it prepared to unleash a devastating breath attack at Mei.

"Not on my watch!"

Hiramekarei, wielded by Chojuro, smashed into the Fire Dragon's head, causing its aim to veer off toward the lake.

"Hot! Hot! Hot!" Kisame, locked in combat with Isobu nearby, found himself blindsided by the redirected attack. Despite raising a Water Wall for defense, the intensity of the Dragon's breath left his right arm scorched.

Even Samehada seemed to wince, its tongue lolling as though in discomfort.

"Deidara, can you at least aim properly?" Kisame shouted from across the water.

Deidara emerged from the ground, chuckling unapologetically.

"Sorry, Kisame."

The battle continued with relentless intensity. Deidara's Clay Serpents lunged at Mei, only to meet her counters with Lava Style and Water Style techniques. Despite his mocking complaints about her attacks—comparing her Lava Style's acid to spitting phlegm—Mei refused to back down.

Finally, one of Deidara's creations managed to ensnare Mei with its coils. Poison-laced gas, released from his earlier insect bombs, had slowed her movements just enough for the serpent to strike.

"You mixed poison into your clay?" Mei groaned, struggling against the bindings.

"Of course. I figured you'd use your Boil Style to neutralize my insects. The toxin activates under high heat, releasing a gas that would catch you off guard."

Mei sighed, her expression equal parts exasperated and impressed.

"What a petty genius you are."

As the shinobi of Kirigakure rushed to their Mizukage's aid, Deidara ordered the serpent to loosen its grip. Mei blinked in surprise.

"You're letting me go?"

"For enemies who block my path, I don't hesitate to kill," Deidara replied. "But for others—those who don't pose a real threat—I'd rather not waste the effort."

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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