"This wretched feeling...!"
Onoki clenched his fist tightly.
When Kaito spoke, Onoki was reminded of the moment he first encountered Uchiha Madara. He had been only thirteen at the time, accompanying the Second Tsuchikage to Konoha for an alliance. However, before they could even reach the village, they were stopped at a temple outside Konoha. Their opponent was none other than Madara Uchiha!
He was overwhelmingly powerful. With just a single exchange, both Onoki and Mu had been utterly crushed! They had barely managed to stand back up, relying on the will of stone passed down from their ancestors, only to be trapped once again by Madara's genjutsu. That moment—of complete helplessness—had haunted Onoki for over fifty years!
Now, seeing Kaito's demeanor, it felt as if he had been thrust back into the past! A wave of inexplicable powerlessness surged through his mind.
"No! No!"
Onoki shook his head, forcing himself back to reality. He murmured, "He's not Madara Uchiha… and I'm no longer the same as before!"
"I'm the Tsuchikage of Iwagakure! How can I lower my head just because of his words?"
"The will of stone, inherited from my ancestors, must not be shattered so easily!"
Gradually, Onoki's gaze toward Kaito became more determined.
"What a pity."
"It seems this ability is still a bit rusty."
Kaito sighed and shook his head.
When Onoki first looked at him, there had been a faint trace of fear in his eyes—weak, but noticeable. Kaito had immediately recognized it as fear stemming from Uchiha Madara! So, he had attempted to amplify that fear, hoping to force Onoki into submission and avoid unnecessary conflict.
However, just as the emotion began to take root, Onoki suddenly broke free! It was as if he had let go of some burden—his fear completely disappeared! With that, Kaito's plan fell apart.
Seeing Onoki's fearless expression, Kaito mused, "Looks like there's no avoiding a fight after all."
"I considered sparing you once. Why must you be so stubborn?"
"What a headache."
Onoki's voice was resolute. "Kaito! I don't care what your goal is!"
"The Four-Tails and Five-Tails belong to Iwagakure! I will not hand them over!"
"Moreover, you attacked my village's shinobi first! I must demand an explanation for this!"
Kaito rubbed his forehead in irritation.
"I wasted so much time talking... and in the end, we still have to fight?"
"Seriously…"
"Is it because I've been too low-key? Is my reputation in the ninja world still not enough?"
Shaking his head, Kaito stopped dwelling on such pointless thoughts.
His gaze toward Onoki and the Iwagakure shinobi turned cold.
"Ten minutes."
"What?"
Onoki frowned, not understanding.
Kaito's voice was icy. "Ten minutes to finish this."
As he spoke, a golden Susanoo began forming around him!
Seeing this familiar sight, Onoki's pupils shrank in alarm!
He immediately shouted, "Chunin and Genin of Iwagakure, fall back! This is not a battle you can take part in!"
"The rest of you, come with me!"
Without hesitation, he launched his attack!
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
Even though Onoki didn't believe Kaito could compare to Madara, he wasn't going to take any chances. He would unleash his strongest attack right from the start!
Clasping his hands together, he formed a small white cone of pure destructive energy. The moment it was fully condensed, he aimed it directly at Kaito, and in an instant, a blinding white light shot toward him!
The beam of light pierced through Susanoo, engulfing both the massive construct and Kaito himself!
"Amazing!"
A rock shinobi shouted in excitement.
"That fool dared to underestimate Lord Tsuchikage's Dust Release!"
"It is estimated that it has already been completely decomposed by now!"
The other Rock Shinobi suddenly erupted in cheers. The power of Onoki's Dust Release was unparalleled in the entire ninja world! No one could survive it!
However, Onoki himself did not share their joy. Amidst the lingering white light, there was no sign of Susanoo disappearing!
Under the astonished gazes of the surrounding shinobi, the white glow gradually faded—only to reveal the third form of Susanoo standing fully intact once again.
Inside, Kaito stood without a single scratch!
"This… this is impossible!"
The Rock Shinobi stared in disbelief. That was Dust Release! How could Kaito, after taking a direct hit, remain completely unharmed?!
At that moment, Kaito slowly spoke.
"So this is Dust Release? Not bad—its power is impressive."
"But it requires quite a bit of preparation time, and the attack speed isn't very fast."
"That said, having this technique alone is enough for you to be called the strongest ninja of this era."
Onoki gazed at Kaito with a grave expression and muttered to himself, "This guy… he's really difficult to deal with!"
"He even withstood Dust Release head-on. It seems his earlier words were not an exaggeration after all!"
Despite his calm outward demeanor, even Kaito was inwardly taken aback by Dust Release's power. He had initially wanted to test its strength by blocking it with his third-stage Susanoo. However, the moment they made contact, Susanoo's defenses were instantly shattered!
Reacting immediately, he slipped into his pocket dimension—similar to Obito's Kamui—barely evading the devastating attack.
"It seems that to truly withstand Onoki's Dust Release, I'll need a complete Susanoo."
"However, if I simultaneously enhance it with both Sage Chakra and Ten-Tails Chakra, even third-stage Susanoo might be able to endure it!"
Kaito quickly assessed the situation and concluded.
He looked at Onoki with an indifferent gaze and said, "Your turn is over. Now it's mine."
As he spoke, Susanoo raised its right hand, and three glowing Magatama immediately formed in its palm.
"Yasaka Magatama!"
"Quick! Defend!"
Onoki, still airborne, shouted the command. The Rock Shinobi below immediately began forming defensive hand seals!
Dozens of large and small earth walls rose from the ground, forming a layered defense in front of the Iwa-nin.
"Will that be enough?"
Kaito sneered at their desperate attempts. This was the strongest attack of Susanoo's third form—one that he had deliberately condensed!
Then, the three golden Magatama spun together and, in an instant, were hurled straight toward Onoki and his men!
"Boom!"
The first earth wall was instantly obliterated!
Then the second.
Then the third…
The Magatama tore through over ten walls in mere moments, losing none of its momentum!
Seeing that the remaining walls wouldn't hold, Onoki urgently shouted, "Kitsuchi! Use Earth Core Shift!"
"Yes, father!"
The shinobi below, Kitsuchi, immediately understood Onoki's intent.
He slammed his hands to the ground, and suddenly, the entire section of land where the Rock Shinobi stood sank rapidly!
Just as the last earth wall was breached, they barely managed to evade the attack!
The Magatama struck the rear of the camp, shattering the ground within a 100-meter radius upon impact!
"That was close!"
Onoki exhaled in relief as he hovered in the air.
Had that attack landed in the middle of their forces, not a single jōnin would have survived. The repercussions for Iwagakure's development would have lasted decades!
The surrounding shinobi also sighed in relief.
They had just narrowly escaped certain death.