Under the cleansing power of Dust Release, the vines and rocks disintegrated into their atomic states. After completing the technique, Ōnoki steadied himself, clutching his aging back, and used sensory ninjutsu to confirm no remaining chakra signatures in the vicinity. Finally, he let out a long, relieved sigh.
He hadn't initially intended to unleash such a massive Dust Release technique. The immense chakra cost and uncontrollable power risked harming Byakuya, potentially souring the relationship between Iwagakure and Amegakure.
However, the moment he saw the Wood Release technique, an inexplicable fear rose within him, compelling him to escalate his attack.
Decades ago, a young Ōnoki, only thirteen years old, had accompanied his teacher, the Second Tsuchikage Mu, on a visit to Konohagakure. There, he encountered his lifelong nightmare—Madara Uchiha.
With unrivaled power, Madara had crushed both him and his teacher, leaving a permanent mark on Ōnoki's memory.
That terrifying figure, however, was eventually defeated by the First Hokage—through the overwhelming might of Wood Release.
Thus, even if it came at a great cost, Ōnoki was determined to eliminate Byakuya, a potential Wood Release user. He feared the reemergence of such a force in the ninja world, even if Byakuya wasn't nearly as powerful as the First Hokage.
"Finally rid of this trouble. I'll need a proper rest after this," he muttered to himself.
As if responding to his musings, Byakuya suddenly appeared in front of him. Startled, Ōnoki instinctively stepped back a few paces, his voice tinged with shock.
"JESUS! Are you human or ghost?!"
"Of course, I'm human," Byakuya said, stepping closer with a feigned look of lingering fear.
"Still, Tsuchikage-sama's Dust Release is truly formidable. If my real body had been in the forest just now, I might not have survived."
"You anticipated my use of Dust Release?"
Ōnoki's shoulders turned down. He knew the biggest weakness of Dust Release was its hit-or-miss nature.
Byakuya nodded. "Tsuchikage-sama's mastery of Dust Release is famous, so naturally, I was prepared for it. Only a fool would try to withstand Dust Release head-on."
Ōnoki fell silent. Byakuya's words were undeniably true—no one would willingly face Dust Release directly.
Yet, as Byakuya stood so close, Ōnoki calculated his chances. He still had a considerable amount of chakra left. If he seized this opportunity to strike, would victory be within reach?
After a brief consideration, Ōnoki dismissed the idea.
He couldn't be sure if the Byakuya in front of him was the real body or a Wood Clone. If he exhausted all his chakra on a gamble, he might end up defeated by Byakuya—a humiliation unworthy of a Kage.
Sensing Ōnoki's thoughts, Byakuya's expression turned serious.
"Tsuchikage-sama, I suggest you hold back. Otherwise, I might truly get angry. After all, I only came here as a tourist, yet you've attacked me repeatedly."
Ōnoki's expression also hardened, adopting a more equal stance as he responded.
"Enough with the banter. State your true purpose. What deal do you want to strike with me?"
Byakuya shrugged and said casually:
"I'm honestly just passing through. I only stepped in to rescue my subordinate. If it weren't for your disciple Deidara inexplicably bombing us, we would've left Iwagakure long ago."
"So, it's Deidara's fault?"
Ōnoki silently cursed Deidara in his heart. The young man's obsession with explosive art had not only caused trouble for others but nearly cost Ōnoki dearly against Byakuya.
But then, why was Byakuya's subordinate near Iwagakure in the first place?
Thinking of this, Ōnoki sneered coldly. "Why was your subordinate near Iwagakure's borders? Was he a spy infiltrating my village, caught by our defenses?"
Byakuya shook his head. "It wasn't your shinobi. It was Konoha's ninja who attacked my subordinate."
Ōnoki looked doubtful. "Your Amegakure has good relations with Konoha. Why would they target your Rain Shinobi?"
"Tsuchikage-sama should know that between nations, there are no friends—only interests."
After a pause, Byakuya added, "Besides, the years of war in Amegakure's history can't be separated from Konoha's meddling. I personally hold little goodwill toward them."
"Is that so?"
Ōnoki remained skeptical, his mind beginning to piece together Byakuya's motives and background.
Based on the information obtained from Iwagakure, Byakuya and others such as Yahiko, who are part of the leadership of Amegakure, were originally wandering orphans in the Land of Rain. Later, Yahiko and his group were mentored by Jiraiya, one of the Three Legendary Sannin of Konoha.
As for who trained Byakuya, Iwagakure's intelligence department has never reached a clear conclusion.
Some speculate that Byakuya might be a descendant of a long-extinct ninja clan; otherwise, it would be impossible for him to possess such strength at a young age. After all, the strength of a ninja depends not only on talent and hard work but also significantly on lineage and inheritance.
A ninja with a father who was a Kage often achieves at least elite jonin strength.
After witnessing Byakuya's use of Wood Release, Ōnoki began to suspect that Byakuya might carry the bloodline of the Senju Clan. As for why Byakuya appeared in Amegakure instead of Konoha, that remains a mystery. Perhaps he was abducted as a child or faced persecution in Konoha.
This may explain why Byakuya has consistently concealed his identity, is unwilling to return to Konoha, and even harbors considerable hostility toward it.
Ōnoki began pondering whether this hostility could be leveraged to recruit Byakuya to serve his purposes.
After deliberating for a long time, Ōnoki asked,
"Byakuya, I can represent Iwagakure. Can you represent Amegakure? If so, we might be able to engage in deeper negotiations. After all, if Iwagakure and your village can establish a cooperative relationship, it could help us both overcome weaknesses while maximizing strengths."
"I can represent Amegakure to discuss matters with the Tsuchikage," Byakuya replied.
He paused momentarily, then looked into the distance and said,
"We can talk until the battle between Deidara and Konan concludes."
Ōnoki froze for a moment. Wouldn't negotiations between villages normally take days? Why was the time so short?
Byakuya glanced at Ōnoki and explained,
"I don't want anyone else to know about our conversation. On the surface, it's better if Iwagakure and Amegakure have no apparent connection. It would be troublesome if this information got out."
"Why?" Ōnoki was puzzled. From his perspective, Byakuya was likely here to discuss territorial divisions in nearby smaller nations. Was there really a need to be so secretive?
Byakuya took a deep breath and turned his gaze toward the direction of the Land of Fire.
"Tsuchikage-sama, I want to briefly discuss matters concerning Konoha and Sunagakure. Don't you think they've become too powerful? I'm planning to take action against them in the future."