Sasuke Barely Survived

"Lightning Release - Chidori Sharp Spear!" Sasuke first dealt with the Earth Clone using Chidori Stream, then used the Body Flicker Jutsu to dash out from the ground. He then unleashed Chidori Sharp Spear towards Deidara. The whole sequence of actions happened in the blink of an eye.

"Heh, this jutsu is indeed not bad. While its power is lacking, its ability to extend is remarkable. But do you really think this jutsu can harm me?" Deidara stood still, letting Chidori Sharp Spear pierce right through him.

"Uh-huh." Sasuke tried to move, but he was a step too late. Deidara had already appeared not far behind him, stretching out his hands.

"Do you know? You're just lucky to be born into a clan with good Bloodline Limit. If you were just an ordinary person like me, you would be nothing but trash. But I'll show you the importance of postnatal efforts and opportunities compared to natural talents. Let me show you the ability that surpasses your so-called Bloodline Limit, the Sharingan, before you die. This is a Bloodline Selection! Dust Release - Atomic Dismantling Jutsu!"

"What is this?" Sasuke found himself trapped inside a barrier with a glowing sphere around him. A deeply oppressive and dangerous feeling enveloped his mind and body, and he felt like he would die in the next second. This sensation was extremely uncomfortable.

"Idiot, this is the Dust Release of that old man Onoki. Deidara actually learned this. Sasuke, you fool, you've angered Deidara. Damn it, if you're going to die, don't drag me down with you." At a critical moment, Orochimaru, who had been resting and accumulating strength, suddenly roared frantically in Sasuke's mind.

"Dust Release? What is Dust Release?" Sasuke's entire knowledge and abilities were given to him by Orochimaru. His strength, his mastery of Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Taijutsu, and his insights—all came from Orochimaru. But he really had no knowledge about Bloodline Selection.

"Idiot, it's too late to ask now. Once hit by Dust Release, there's no doubt you'll die. It's a Bloodline Selection that surpasses even the Sharingan. It's a kind of Bloodline Limit, but much stronger. Your Sharingan is a dead end when facing Dust Release."

Orochimaru's voice became piercingly sharp. He didn't expect Sasuke to be so miserable. He ended up being implicated, and Orochimaru regretted that he hadn't taken over Sasuke's body from the beginning. He wouldn't have gone to Deidara. But if it were Orochimaru in his clear-minded state, he definitely wouldn't think that way.

Because it was clear that it wasn't Sasuke who provoked Deidara; it was Deidara who specifically sought out Sasuke because Sasuke had taken his target—killing Orochimaru.

So whether Orochimaru snatched Sasuke's body or not, Deidara would still come for him. If it were Sasuke, he must kill Orochimaru after killing Deidara. If Orochimaru took Sasuke's body, then Orochimaru would still be Deidara's target, and he would die anyway.

"Damn it, how is it possible? Is there really something that surpasses the Sharingan?" Sasuke was both shocked and furious. He had always believed that the Sharingan was the strongest. But how could he have known that even if he had the Mangekyo Sharingan, or even the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, if it weren't for Space-Time Ninjutsu, he would have no way to escape Dust Release and would face certain death.

"Die!" Deidara shouted loudly. Although he had said so much just now, it only took about a second. Sasuke, trapped in the barrier, was instantly disintegrated into atoms, beyond repair.

"Heh, that old man's Dust Release is indeed impressive. But even without it, I could've killed you. But to familiarize myself with this ability before killing Itachi, I had to use it. It's my first time using it, and I gained some good insights."

"The next time I use it, my speed will be faster and deadlier. Sasuke, you were just unlucky. But it doesn't matter; you were the first to die under my Dust Release. With your strength, there's no way you could've been my match. Now that Sasuke is taken care of, the next one is you, Itachi."

To be honest, with Deidara's current strength, he didn't really require Dust Release. Despite the slight fatigue in his expression after the battle, he still had a considerable amount of chakra left. On the other hand, Sasuke had very little chakra left and was relying on the cursed mark state to use ninjutsu while being heavily injured. With Deidara's current strength, he could defeat Sasuke even with just explosive clays. However, Deidara just wanted to try out his Dust Release.

Was Sasuke really dead? Yes, he would have been dead if no one helped him. However, there was one person who would never let either Sasuke or Itachi die before the birth of a new Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. Unless both of them activated the Mangekyo Sharingan, one of them had to die. But for now, Sasuke hadn't awakened his, so he needed Itachi's help. That's why Tobi absolutely wouldn't allow him to die.

In another dense forest, Sasuke's figure suddenly appeared. Sasuke, who had been on the brink of death, was now experiencing a sense of joy after surviving. Even Orochimaru felt the same.

"Sasuke, this time I saved you, but it's only this once. You should escape now. If Deidara finds you, you'll be dead for sure. Don't think you're impressive just because you killed Orochimaru. Even without Itachi's existence, you can only live humbly and submissively. There are many strong ninja in the ninja world, and the waters run deep."

Tobi had undergone a transformation; he had lost his usual childishness and his voice now sounded mature and experienced. Sasuke, who had just narrowly escaped death, was at a loss for words. For the first time, he realized how close he was to death, a death without any feeling of pain—a terrifying prospect.

"Who are you?" Sasuke's face turned incredibly ugly. Although the person saved him, that remark about living humbly was the same as what Itachi said, and it dealt a massive blow to his self-esteem.

"That's the attitude you should have towards someone who saved your life. Instead of being arrogant here, you should escape now. Otherwise, you won't even have a chance to run later. Arrogance is relative to strength. If you don't have enough strength, then be obedient if you want to live a little easier. Be humble and live."

Tobi knew he couldn't stay away for too long. He only wanted to take this opportunity to suppress Sasuke's arrogance and show him that the shinobi world wasn't under his control. After all, he didn't want a useless person; he wanted an elite and powerful ninja. He couldn't be by Sasuke's side all the time.

If it weren't for Itachi's insistence on training Sasuke and if Itachi wasn't suffering from a terminal illness, Tobi would have chosen to awaken Sasuke's Mangekyou Sharingan and then gouge his eyes out to give them to Itachi.

After all, compared to Itachi, Sasuke was far inferior in strength, talent, and character. However, Sasuke still had his advantages. At least compared to Itachi, he was much easier to control.