Just as the Life Simulator had described, a few days later, the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, arrived at the border between the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire.
Onoki's presence immediately lifted the spirits of the defeated Iwagakure shinobi. However, upon seeing the extent of his troops' losses, Onoki's expression darkened with a mix of shock and sorrow.
He then turned to his son, Kitsuchi, and asked for details about the battle. When he heard that over 2,000 Iwagakure shinobi had struggled to handle Uchiha Akira alone and how their guerrilla tactics had nearly driven them mad, Onoki felt a heavy weight settle in his chest.
He had always known Uchiha Akira was exceptionally talented. However, he hadn't expected Akira to be so overwhelmingly powerful, capable of toying with over 2,000 elite Iwagakure forces by himself. This revelation only solidified Onoki's determination to eliminate Uchiha Akira, no matter the cost.
Upon learning that Jiraiya and Uchiha Akira had led Konoha's forces in an attack, Onoki wasn't surprised. Given that both sides had similar numbers and overall strength, the fact that Konoha had two Kage-level powerhouses meant Iwagakure's defeat was almost inevitable.
"What do we do now?" Kitsuchi asked cautiously, noticing his father's grim expression after their crushing defeat.
"What do you think we should do?" Onoki snapped, raising his hand as if to strike Kitsuchi. However, a crack sounded from Onoki's body, like bones snapping.
"Father, are you alright?" Kitsuchi, who had been ready to dodge, was now shocked and quickly asked with concern.
"It's no good, I really am getting old," Onoki muttered, his raised hand shifting to gently massage his own back. He sighed, shaking his head with resignation.
Aging was an unavoidable reality, and Onoki couldn't deny it any longer. Yet, it was precisely because of his age that Onoki felt an even greater urgency to eliminate Uchiha Akira.
But Jiraiya had already returned to Konoha. If he were to make a move now, it wouldn't be easy to kill anyone from the village.
"Go and contact Konoha. Tell them that I invite their leader to meet at Tetsuyama Pass in three days. Each side should bring only two escorts," Onoki instructed Kitsuchi after a moment of thought.
There was no longer a chance to kill Uchiha Akira in a straightforward battlefield confrontation. So, after weighing his options, Onoki decided that creating an opportunity for a face-to-face meeting was the best approach.
"Understood!" Kitsuchi was somewhat surprised that his father was suggesting a negotiation. The old man was known for his stubbornness, and this proposal was unexpected. However, without questioning it, Kitsuchi nodded and left to carry out the order.
Soon, Konoha received the message from Iwagakure. The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, was inviting Konoha's leader to a negotiation at Tetsuyama Pass.
"Return and tell the Third Tsuchikage that I will be there in three days," Uchiha Akira responded, giving a firm answer.
"Now we can be sure that the Third Tsuchikage's target is Akira. He's trying to create an opportunity to strike," Shikaku Nara remarked after the Iwagakure messenger had left.
It seemed that everything was unfolding just as Uchiha Akira had anticipated.
"So, we can turn this to our advantage," Akira replied with a smile, then turned to Hyuga Hiashi. "Have the preparations at Tetsuyama Pass been completed?"
"Yes, everything is ready," Hiashi nodded, looking at Akira with a sense of awe.
It was impressive enough that Akira had predicted Onoki's intentions. But that he had also foreseen that Onoki would choose Tetsuyama Pass as the meeting place? It was nothing short of astonishing.
Two days ago, when Akira had instructed Hiashi to set up at Tetsuyama Pass, Hiashi had been puzzled. Why prepare a trap when it seemed like the fighting between Iwagakure and Konoha was over?
But now, with Iwagakure requesting a meeting at Tetsuyama Pass, Hiashi was utterly shocked.
"Preparations at Tetsuyama Pass are complete?" The members of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio exchanged looks of disbelief after hearing the conversation between Akira and Hiashi.
"Yes, I set everything up two days ago, just as Akira instructed," Hiashi confirmed.
Apart from Kakashi and Might Guy, who seemed to have guessed something, the rest of Konoha's leaders looked at Akira with utter astonishment.
He had known the location in advance and even prepared it ahead of time? How could he have possibly known?
Under the weight of their amazed gazes, Akira didn't offer much explanation. Instead, he focused on discussing the details of the upcoming meeting.
After finalizing the specific plans, all that remained was to wait for the day of the negotiations.
Each of Konoha's leaders silently marveled at Akira's foresight and even found themselves preemptively pitying the Third Tsuchikage.
As one of the five Kage, the most powerful individuals in the ninja world, Onoki was about to walk right into a trap of his own making.
The meeting was his idea, and he chose the location. But little did he know that Konoha had already laid a trap for him. This was something Onoki could never have anticipated.
Three days passed quickly, and Uchiha Akira set off for Tetsuyama Pass, bringing along Hyuga Hiashi and Naruto Uzumaki.
While the Ino-Shika-Cho trio was formidable as a team, their individual strengths were not as significant. Kakashi hadn't fully recovered from his injuries, and Might Guy still needed time to heal. After considering his options, Akira decided that bringing Naruto was the best choice.
As for Jiraiya? Akira couldn't leave the vanguard without a Kage-level protector. Who knew if Iwagakure might launch a sneak attack if both he and Jiraiya were absent?
After all, events had shifted, and the original plot from the Life Simulator could change due to the butterfly effect. It was a very real possibility.
Moreover, if Akira had brought Jiraiya, Onoki might have hesitated to make a move against him.
Under the watchful eyes of both Konoha and Iwagakure, each side dispatched people to surround Tetsuyama Pass.
On the mountain, Uchiha Akira finally came face to face with the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki.
"It's a pity there aren't any reporters here. Otherwise, we might take a photo to commemorate this moment," Akira suddenly remarked after the two sides had settled in.
Onoki, meeting the so-called greatest genius of the Uchiha clan and the entire ninja world for the first time, looked deeply at Akira, his expression one of mild surprise.
"What's so special about our meeting?" Onoki asked, slightly puzzled by Akira's comment.
"In the ninja world, those who surpass Jonin are called Kage-level shinobi. The Third Tsuchikage is probably the oldest Kage-level fighter in the world today."
"And I? I'm likely the youngest Kage-level fighter in the world today. Doesn't our meeting today have some significance?" Akira replied with a smile.
"Now that you mention it, I suppose it does," Onoki chuckled, nodding in agreement, his demeanor appearing quite amicable.
"I expected Jiraiya to be the one coming this time. I didn't expect to see the one they're calling the greatest genius in the ninja world," Onoki continued, subtly complimenting Akira while also suggesting that he hadn't anticipated Akira's presence and thus had no plans to harm him.
"This mission is under my command," Akira explained, though inwardly, he couldn't help but scoff at Onoki's blatant lie.
"Alright, let's get down to business. Regarding this negotiation…" After a bit of small talk, Onoki began to discuss the details of the negotiation.
However, just as they reached a critical point in the conversation, countless black sealing script symbols suddenly appeared, crawling swiftly over Akira and his companions as if they were alive.
As the seals took hold, Akira immediately felt his chakra flow slow down, as if it were falling asleep. The speed of his chakra circulation dropped by 70 to 80 percent.
It was like a car that had been speeding along at 100 miles per hour suddenly slowing to a crawl at 20 or 30 miles per hour.
"So, this is how he planned to prevent me from using the Eight Gates technique? A sealing jutsu to catch me off guard?" Akira realized, his mind piecing together the Life Simulator's predictions with what was happening now.
"What is the meaning of this, Third Tsuchikage?" Despite the sealing jutsu's effects, Akira's expression remained calm as he addressed Onoki.
"Apologies, Uchiha Akira, but today, you must die here," Onoki declared, his tone hardening as he revealed his true intentions. His hand rose as if to strike.
"Damn it, you old man! You're really going to attack us!" Naruto exclaimed, feeling his chakra flow slow down by 30 to 40 percent. He squirmed uncomfortably and cursed at Onoki.
"They… they knew I was going to make a move?" Onoki's confidence wavered as he noticed Akira's composure and heard Naruto's outburst. A sense of unease began to creep into his mind.
"Sorry, Onoki, but today, you're the one who's going to die here," Akira said with a smile, returning Onoki's words with eerie precision. As his voice trailed off, the environment around them began to change…
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