"Hiss..."
Naruto took a deep breath, activating his Rapid Healing to mitigate pain and turning on Courage Blessing to enhance his physical attributes while waiting for Galio's passive skill to charge.
"Now!"
Naruto's eyes snapped open, and he unleashed a Serious Punch directly at the incoming C3's explosion.
Galio's passive skill, Colossal Smash, allowed his next attack to deal additional magic damage in a small area after a cooldown.
Naruto combined this with the raw destructive power of the Evening Elephant when opening the eighth gate. The Evening Elephant's successive air cannon strikes had once overwhelmed even Six Paths Madara, rendering him nearly defenseless.
However, Naruto wasn't aiming for continuous air cannons. Instead, he sought to compress and explode the very air around him with a single devastating blow!
Boosted by the Courage Blessing, which heightened his physical power, and the magical enhancement of Colossal Smash, Naruto couldn't even predict the power of this strike. All that remained was to see the outcome.
Boom!
Naruto's glowing red fist smashed forward. The air at the point of impact shimmered with a tri-colored halo spreading outward like ripples on water, moving with a surreal slowness.
But as the blue magic damage effect manifested, the tri-colored halo shattered in an instant.
The air itself began to swirl into a vortex, resembling a black hole as it absorbed the fragmented light.
When the vortex reached its saturation point, it abruptly ceased spinning and compressed into an object no larger than an egg. Then, with a faint cracking sound, the 'egg' fractured, and from the fissures emerged a phenomenon Naruto had never seen before, a dazzling black laced with a spectrum of colors!
Whoosh!
The highly compressed 'black egg' began to expand rapidly. Strangely, no sound accompanied its explosion. Any object touched by the multicolored black light, including Deidara's prized C3, was instantly swallowed into the void, leaving no trace.
Even the sound of the explosion itself was nullified, absorbed by the expanding blackness.
To an observer, this all seemed to unfold over a long period. But in reality, only three seconds had passed since Naruto's punch.
"Crap! Run!"
Seeing the rapidly expanding black light, Naruto didn't hesitate for a moment. He stomped hard on the ground, grabbing Kisame, Itachi, Deidara, and the unconscious Sasori before retreating at light speed.
In Naruto's expectation, the air explosion would simply end with a 'boom'.
However, the situation before him clearly showed that this was not an ordinary explosion.
In his previous life, Naruto had read some astronomy stories when he's young. One particular theory about the Sun's hypothetical disappearance came to mind. It involved complex concepts like nuclear fusion, though he couldn't recall the exact terms. All he knew was that such bizarre phenomena were dangerous, and staying far away was the smartest choice.
However, since his Eight Gates could only be used for five seconds. Once the time is up, he quickly releases the state to avoid any impact on his body.
Whoosh!
As Naruto retreated, he mentally thanked his habit of leaving Flying Thunder God's marks at regular intervals along his path. Using these marks, he teleported multiple times, golden flashes of light streaking through the air, until he was a safe 10 kilometers away.
Naruto's caution wasn't unwarranted. After all, Deidara's C3 was powerful enough to destroy an entire village under normal conditions. And though this particular bomb contained less explosive clay, its quality remained top-tier.
What's more, as Naruto witnessed the C3's explosion being completely swallowed by the black light, reduced to nothingness, he became increasingly certain that the two phenomena were on entirely different energy levels.
Moreover, Naruto couldn't be sure if Deidara's C3 had truly been obliterated or merely merged with the black light. If it was the latter, the fusion of those energies could trigger an even more devastating explosion.
While Naruto was retreating, the black light continued to expand rapidly. By the time they came to a halt, the black light had already grown to a massive 100-meter diameter.
The immense sphere of black light began to emit unstable ripples. A gentle breeze passed by, disrupting the precarious balance of the black light.
BOOOOM!
A deafening explosion that shook the world erupted.
Within the 100-meter energy sphere, the absorbed materials and energies collided violently, generating a cacophony of explosive sounds.
Even from 10 kilometers away, Naruto and his group could hear the explosion, which is comparable to the loudest thunderclap.
Not only that, but they could feel the searing heatwave on their faces, sharp and biting, a testament to the sheer magnitude of the explosion.
For the heat to reach them even at this distance underscored just how terrifying the epicenter must have been.
Before long, they saw a massive mushroom cloud rise into the sky. Unlike ordinary smoke-filled clouds, this one was a kaleidoscopic blend of black hues, painting a surreal and ominous scene.
With that, the explosion finally subsided.
Kisame, standing next to Naruto, was utterly stunned, mumbling expletives under his breath. His usual witty demeanor had completely vanished, replaced by sheer disbelief.
He had never seen Naruto use this technique before. Moments ago, he had watched Naruto throw a single punch. There's no complicated hand seals, no intricate preparations, just one punch.
Previously, Kisame thought Naruto's fist could easily kill Deidara. Now, however, it seemed that punch could annihilate the entire Akatsuki in one blow.
'This… this is just insane!'
After finally snapping out of his daze, Kisame patted the still-dumbfounded Deidara on the shoulder, then said with a smirk. "Deidara, did you see that? And that was just one punch from Naruto-kun!"
"Aba aba aba!"
Deidara's mouth opened and closed, but no coherent words came out. His mind was blank, his thoughts scrambled as he stared at the kaleidoscopic black cloud lingering in the sky.
This wasn't just a blow to his pride, but a direct assault on his core beliefs. Deidara had always lived by the motto 'Art is an explosion'.
Even in the face of stronger opponents, he never felt inferior because he believed his path of artistic explosions was unmatched.
But Naruto's punch…
That one explosion felt like a strike to his very soul. It shattered his convictions and left his artistic ideals in ruins!
The kaleidoscopic black cloud was the epitome of destructive beauty… its power, its impact, and even its aesthetic were all leagues beyond anything Deidara could imagine.
This was the 'Perfect Art'.
Thud!
When Deidara snapped back to reality, he abruptly knelt before Naruto. Not only did he fulfill his earlier promise to 'wag his tail like a dog', but he even went further… doing something his arrogant nature would have once deemed impossible.
"Woof, woof, woof! Please, Naruto-sama, let me serve you! I promise I'll be a better dog than Kisame!"
Deidara showed no shame or hesitation. On the contrary, he seemed delighted by his own shamelessness.
At this moment, he clearly understood that Naruto was the strongest person he had ever encountered. And serving someone with such overwhelming power was not disgraceful, it was an honor.
More importantly, the artistic heights displayed by the kaleidoscopic black cloud were irresistible to him. For years, Deidara had pursued the concept of art without ever finding a definitive form.
But now, he was convinced, this explosion was the pinnacle of art, the very embodiment of his lifelong pursuit.
'This kid sure knows how to adapt to the situation.'
Kisame couldn't help but laugh at Deidara's drastic change in attitude, though he also felt a twinge of exasperation.
Deidara might excel at creating bombs, but his sudden devotion to Naruto added another layer of competition among those seeking Naruto's attention.
Naruto, however, was far less concerned about all this. His gaze remained fixed on the kaleidoscopic black cloud still lingering in the sky.
Despite his composed exterior, his heart was racing, as he had never anticipated the explosion's destructive power to be so overwhelming.
Deep down, he couldn't help but shudder at the thought.
'Thank goodness I ran… or I'd be dead for sure.'