Chapter 168: Caught in the Trap

Chapter 168: Caught in the Trap

Chapter 168: Caught in the Trap

A blinding white light instantly enveloped the forest canopy.

Accompanying it was a force of destruction that swept everything away.

The lush green foliage above turned to ash in an instant, and the thick tree trunks continually disintegrated downward.

Caught in the explosion's range and unable to escape, the five members of Nokizaru were quick to react. They clapped their hands together and shouted:

"Barrier Technique: Five Elements in Harmony!"

Fire, Earth, Wind, Water, and Lightning forces burst from their bodies, forming a tightly sealed protective barrier around them.

Just as they completed this, the blinding white light fully descended.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The ground shook, stones flew everywhere.

The explosion, powerful enough to destroy a village, left the forest below in ruins.

The lingering force continued to strip away layers of earth for some time.

"It's an indescribable beauty! Although it may sound like boasting, it's the truth. My artistic creations are simply perfect! Hmm!"

Standing on his clay bird, Deidara spread his arms wide, fully appreciating the unparalleled beauty of his C3 No. 18 explosion.

A minute passed, the explosion subsided, leaving only thick smoke.

Deidara was not regretful that his artwork was fleeting; instead, the moment's beauty was even more imprinted in his mind. Satisfied, he looked down at the completely transformed landscape below, now a huge crater.

Due to the lingering smoke, everything in the crater was quite blurry.

However...

"Under the power of C3 No. 18, those five guys should be reduced to ashes. Hmm."

Deidara was confident in his art.

He directed his clay bird to lower its altitude, ready to see firsthand the fate of those who failed to appreciate his art.

The flapping wings of the clay bird quickly dispersed the smoke.

"So, what just happened? Hmm?"

Deidara looked at Nokizaru group, puzzled.

Unlike before, when they were eager for close combat and seemed ready to trade their lives for his, now they were making a sharp turn, fleeing desperately without a trace of their previous tenacity.

What did this mean? Why attack now and suddenly stop? This made no sense.

And what about earlier? He thought they would unleash some powerful technique, but it was just a flash of light? And then nothing?

What was going on?

Deidara didn't understand.

Nokizaru, however, understood perfectly.

When the strong light had blinded Deidara, the secret technique "Explosive Bugs" had already placed eggs inside him.

As soon as Deidara used chakra, the explosive bugs would absorb it, grow, and eventually explode.

This blond kid loved explosions, so he would get to enjoy one personally.

However, there's a catch. The explosive bugs take some time to grow before they explode, and if the host notices and stops using chakra, the process slows down.

After the explosion of C3 No. 18, Nokizaru was barely protected by their barrier. Their chakra was nearly depleted, and after using the explosive bugs technique, their strength was almost gone. To avoid being dragged to the underworld with Deidara, they naturally needed to flee first.

Hagoromo Ming glanced back at Deidara, still unaware of the truth.

In his eyes, Deidara was already a dead man.

Unless, like the Fourth Raikage, he had the incredible luck to run into a medical expert like Tsunade.

But Tsunade was now the Hokage and in Konoha.

Therefore, the outcome was already determined.

Watching Nokizaru group flee desperately, Deidara was puzzled but not inclined to show mercy.

He was about to make another batch of clay bombs for the chase when he paused, sensing something amiss.

"There's something alive inside my body?"

The process of creating clay bombs involved using chakra. As soon as Deidara used chakra, he noticed something wrong with his body.

Unlike most who fall victim to the explosive bugs and remain unaware, continuing to use chakra until it's too late, Deidara's keen senses made him stop immediately, frowning as he investigated further.