Published at 17th of September 2024 4:45 pm

Chapter 75 The Heart of Stone: 3 The Breaking Point

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

The oppressive weight of the Three-Tails’ chakra filled the air, making it hard to breathe. Yagura stood transformed, his body wrapped in the protective aura of the massive, monstrous turtle beast he housed within. The ground beneath him cracked and trembled as the sheer power radiating from his form distorted the landscape around him.

Deidara hovered above, excitement coursing through his veins. His hands moved quickly, forming more clay creatures—bigger, more elaborate than before. Each one was a piece of his ultimate masterpiece, and the sheer scale of destruction he planned sent a thrill through him.

“Just look at him, un!” Deidara shouted over the roaring wind and the sound of the chakra swirling below. “This is art in its purest form, un! A battle of life and death, destruction and creation!”

Sasori stood a distance away, unmoved by Deidara’s excitement. His focus was on the task at hand: capturing the jinchūriki alive. The battle had escalated quickly, and while Deidara was reveling in the chaos, Sasori’s mind was already analyzing the next step.

“We can’t let this drag out,” Sasori said, his voice cutting through the chaos with cold efficiency. “His chakra is growing more unstable. If he loses control, the Three-Tails will emerge fully.”

Deidara grinned, his eyes wild with excitement. “Then let’s push him to the limit, un! I want to see the Three-Tails in all its glory!”

Sasori’s expression darkened behind Hiruko’s mask. “This isn’t a game, Deidara. If the Three-Tails is fully released, we’ll lose the chance to capture him.”

“Tch. Always the killjoy, huh?” Deidara muttered, but he knew Sasori was right. Capturing a fully unleashed Tailed Beast would be a disaster, even for the Akatsuki. Still, the temptation of witnessing the raw power of the Three-Tails was almost too much to resist.

Yagura, sensing the imminent danger from both his opponents, roared as the chakra around him pulsed violently. The air crackled with energy as his control over the beast wavered. He knew he couldn’t hold back much longer, but he wasn’t about to give in to the Akatsuki without a fight.

With a fierce cry, Yagura slammed his hand into the ground, sending a massive wave of water surging toward Deidara and Sasori. The water twisted and coiled like a living creature, crashing toward them with incredible force.

Deidara’s clay bird darted upward, barely avoiding the tidal wave as it slammed into the cliffs below. Sasori, in contrast, didn’t move. Instead, Hiruko’s tail shot out, anchoring him to the ground as the water crashed around him, leaving him untouched.

“Impressive,” Sasori muttered under his breath. Despite the overwhelming power Yagura wielded, Sasori could see the cracks in his control. The jinchūriki was strong, but he was starting to lose focus. The battle was taking its toll.

Deidara, always the opportunist, seized the moment. He formed another hand sign, sending a massive clay dragon hurtling toward Yagura. “Let’s see how you like this one, un!”

The dragon opened its jaws wide, releasing a barrage of smaller explosives that rained down on Yagura. Each one detonated in quick succession, sending shockwaves through the battlefield. The explosions were bright and deafening, lighting up the misty sky in flashes of orange and red.

But Yagura wasn’t finished yet. His hands flashed through a series of hand signs, and a thick wall of water erupted from the lake, shielding him from the worst of the blasts. Even as the explosions rocked the landscape, Yagura remained standing, his chakra growing more unstable by the second.

Deidara’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “He’s still standing, un! This is getting interesting!”

Sasori, however, was losing patience. He needed to act before Yagura lost complete control. With a swift motion, he summoned one of his prized puppets from his collection: the Third Kazekage. The black, iron sand that the puppet controlled spilled out, swirling around Sasori like a deadly cloud.

“Enough games,” Sasori said coldly. The iron sand shot forward with incredible speed, bypassing Yagura’s water defenses and wrapping around his legs and arms. The metal constricted tightly, pinning the jinchūriki in place.

Yagura struggled against the iron sand, his chakra flaring wildly as the Three-Tails’ influence grew stronger. The protective aura around him cracked and rippled, but the iron sand held firm, slowly draining his strength.

“This is our chance,” Sasori said, his fingers twitching as he tightened his grip on the puppet strings. “We need to seal him now.”

Deidara grumbled, clearly disappointed that the battle was nearing its end. “Fine, fine, un. But it was just getting good.”

Sasori ignored him, focusing on Yagura’s faltering chakra. The jinchūriki’s control over the Three-Tails was slipping, and if they didn’t act fast, the beast would break free. Sasori moved quickly, preparing the sealing jutsu that would trap Yagura and prevent the full release of the Tailed Beast.

But Yagura wasn’t giving up without a fight. With a roar, he summoned the last of his strength, breaking free of the iron sand with a surge of raw power. The ground beneath him shattered as he unleashed a wave of chakra, sending Sasori’s puppet flying backward.

Deidara’s eyes widened as Yagura’s form shifted, the Three-Tails’ chakra beginning to take over completely. “He’s losing it, un!”

The jinchūriki’s body twisted and morphed, the Three-Tails’ influence transforming him into something monstrous. His eyes glowed with a wild, primal energy, and his voice was no longer human as he roared in defiance.

Sasori cursed under his breath. The situation had spiraled out of control faster than he anticipated. They were running out of time.

“Deidara,” Sasori called out, his voice tense. “We need to contain him now.”

Deidara grinned, pulling out one final clay creation from his pouch. It was a massive sculpture, more intricate and detailed than anything he had used before. “Time for my ultimate art, un,” he said, his voice filled with anticipation.

He tossed the sculpture into the air, and as it hovered above Yagura, Deidara formed the final hand sign.

Katsu.

The explosion that followed was unlike anything the battlefield had seen. The sky lit up with a blinding flash of light, and the force of the blast sent shockwaves through the air. The ground shook, and the lake rippled violently as the explosion consumed everything in its path.

When the smoke finally cleared, the battlefield was silent. Yagura lay unconscious, his body charred and broken, but still alive. The protective aura of the Three-Tails had receded, and the jinchūriki’s chakra was completely drained.

Sasori approached cautiously, his puppet hovering beside him. He checked Yagura’s pulse, confirming that he was still breathing. “It’s done,” he said quietly, his voice filled with a mix of relief and exhaustion.

Deidara landed beside him, a satisfied grin on his face. “See? I told you I could handle it, un.”

Sasori shot him a cold glance but said nothing. The mission was complete, but the toll it had taken on both of them was evident.

As they prepared to transport Yagura back to the Akatsuki hideout, Deidara glanced back at the wreckage of the battlefield, his grin widening. “That was a real masterpiece, un.”

Sasori said nothing. To him, the mission had been messy, chaotic—anything but a masterpiece. But in the end, it didn’t matter. The jinchūriki was captured, and the Akatsuki’s goals were one step closer to completion.

Share