Deidara's Change

"I didn't expect that he would actually manage to take away the Three-Tails. How infuriating." said Naruto with frustration. Earlier, in his attempt to deal a decisive blow to the Three-Tails, he concentrated the power of the Rasenshuriken, which he could normally use twice, into a single attack. Otherwise, the attack wouldn't have been powerful enough to cause such significant damage to the Three-Tails.

That's why he refrained from attacking until he summoned his shadow clone, which was absorbing natural energy in preparation for any unforeseen circumstances. This cost him a little time, but with his vast sensory perception, he could have easily foiled Deidara's plan if he hadn't just exited Sage Mode during the clone summoning.

Therefore, he unintentionally gave Deidara an opportunity. In the end, Deidara truly outsmarted everyone and managed to take away the Three-Tails with almost no harm to himself. It was something he could be proud of.

"You're right, Naruto. It's hard not to fall into his trap when he plans meticulously. He initially came for the Three-Tails, and his abilities are just too attention-grabbing. I couldn't afford to not pay attention to him, as letting his explosive clay detonate would have been dangerous." Kakashi persuaded Naruto. Naruto also understood Kakashi's reasoning.

Although Naruto had matured a lot, there was one thing he couldn't change: he didn't have Shikamaru's intellect. Even Kakashi, who was incredibly composed, fell for Deidara's deception. Let alone Naruto, so unless it was Shikamaru or someone like Temari, who possessed exceptional intelligence, or Ryoha, Tsunade, Kurenai, and others who were both perceptive and powerful, or someone with absolute strength who could crush all schemes and plots.

Therefore, in a situation where Deidara used his clever strategy, it was difficult for Naruto not to be deceived. It could be said that a composed Deidara was the most formidable. When he fought Sasuke, he was provoked by Sasuke's Sharingan, which sparked his anger and resentment towards Itachi. As a result, he lost his composure. Otherwise, with the current composed Deidara, even if his explosive clay was countered by Lightning Release, he might not have necessarily lost.

"That's right, Naruto. If you become stronger, you'll be able to handle him easily the next time you face him. Then, all his schemes will be useless." said Kiba with a smile. Honestly, although Kiba was displeased for a while after losing to Naruto, it was precisely that unexpected defeat that made him mature rapidly.

Although he still had a bit of an arrogant attitude, his previous attitude of looking down on others and thinking highly of himself had been completely changed even before the Chunin Exam ended. It could be said that among the 12 Rookies, Shikamaru and Shino matured the most, followed closely by Sakura, and surprisingly, Kiba was the one who came out on top in the end.

"Yeah, you're right. This time, I put a lot of effort into the Three-Tails. If it weren't for Sage Mode, which allowed me to perceive his true form and attack with the Rasenshuriken, he would have been done for. But I still feel like I'm not strong enough." Naruto said with a moment of pride, but he quickly regained control of his emotions. He remembered the terrifying visual jutsu Ryoha possessed, which had rendered him helpless. That technique pierced through everything and left a deep abyss on the ground, as if it had divided the earth in half with an immeasurable chasm.

Thinking about it, Naruto knew that although he had become much stronger and had long surpassed Sasuke, his most important bond, it was precisely because he constantly pursued Ryoha that his goal became more distant and challenging. This stimulated his potential even more, resulting in his continuous improvement. From relying solely on the power of the Nine-Tails in the beginning to now, even without the Nine-Tails, his strength had not diminished but instead increased. All of this was the result of Naruto pushing himself and his potential while chasing after Ryoha.

But because he used Ryoha as the target he had to surpass, the longer he chased, the more he realized Ryoha's terrifying power and the gap between them. It could be said that from the moment he became aware of Ryoha, he realized that he had always been ahead of everyone else, whether it was in terms of strength, training, or mentality.

However, although Naruto increasingly felt the threat and the gap between him and Ryoha, it also constantly motivated him. The fire of determination in his heart had never been extinguished.

Even if he suffered defeat time and time again, it only served to make Naruto stand up more resiliently each time. It could be said that as long as Naruto didn't die, he would undoubtedly become an incredibly formidable and outstanding powerhouse in the near future. This applied not only to his strength but also to his spirit and will. Of course, all of this depended on Naruto staying alive and continuing to walk the path he had chosen.

"Deidara-senpai, you're amazing. You managed to snatch the Three-Tails away from the people of Konoha without getting injured. I never expected Deidara-senpai, who only plays with clay, to be so formidable." Tobi suddenly appeared on Deidara's clay dragon and spoke words that infuriated him to no end.

"Tobi, I've recently come up with a unique way to kill you. Would you like to give it a try?" Deidara's forehead formed a cross, and his voice became incredibly dark.

"Tch, do you have any new and exciting ways to kill me? When you had no hands, you suffocated me to death. And when you had hands, you just blew me up. That's all you've got." Tobi replied carelessly, as if he were talking about someone else and not himself.

"Wrong. It's a death by face-planting." Deidara kicked Tobi from the thousands of meters in the air, simultaneously placing a clay explosive bird next to him. The resulting shockwave from the explosion accelerated his descent.

"Ahhh!! Deidara-senpai, how could you do this?" Faintly, Deidara could hear Tobi's incredibly piercing screams coming from below, which made him feel a sense of relief.

"Hmph, what I lack now, aside from greater strength, is a technique that can restrain the Hiraishin. Even if it's just for an instant, it would be enough. But in the short term, I am lacking in strength. Ah, if only I had taken a few more of those technique manuals written by the old men when I left Iwagakure. At least then I wouldn't be so clueless right now. But it seems that old man's Dust Release is quite formidable."

"Should I go back? No, I am a rogue shinobi. I can't go back. But Kakuzu, Hidan, and Sasori... I won't let you die in vain. The eternal pursuit of art, huh? I'm starting to understand why you, Mr. Sasori, always spoke so honestly about it. If I had immortal body like Hidan, I wouldn't have to worry so much about Ryoha."

"Oh well, I'll just have to bear the shame. As long as I can become stronger and defeat Ryoha, one moment of embarrassment is nothing. I'll go back and find the old man Tsuchikage! Kakuzu, Hidan, and Sasori, just you wait. Soon, either I'll bring Ryoha to you or he'll bring me to you. Then we can discuss what truly constitutes art!"