"That's the Red Devil of Uzushio!"
Tanaka's strength profoundly shocked everyone.
If they already thought he was powerful before, now they realized they had underestimated him, and that he was clearly on the same level as their respective Kages.
Previously, Tanaka's confrontations with the other villages were merely one-sided fights, where he massacred his opponents while remaining untouched. Only now, facing Oonoki, did they all realize how much he had been holding back — how powerful he truly was.
Moreover, this time the shock was visual. Just by watching from a distance at the location of the confrontation between Tanaka and Oonoki, it was clear how strong they were — that Tanaka had reached the level of power everyone dreamed of: the highest level among the Kages.
The impact of the fight between Tanaka and Oonoki could be felt, even kilometers away.
Tanaka, noticing that he couldn't gain an immediate advantage, though realizing that Oonoki was tiring faster than he was, decided to "cancel" his attack. He retreated, causing the flaming hurricane to explode in almost nuclear fireworks.
"BOOM!"
The sound reverberated, as the image of a mushroom cloud appeared. Soon, at the point of impact, a deep crater emerged, with burn marks around it.
Oonoki, caught off guard, was thrown far away, losing control of his attack and being forced to cancel it.
With a complicated expression, Oonoki observed his opponent — Several years younger than him.
'What a terrifying boy...' he thought.
Even after all that, Oonoki noticed that, although Tanaka looked a bit tired, it was just slight fatigue, almost insignificant.
"Boom! Boom! Boom...!"
At the same time, thunderous sounds echoed from the other side — Strong enough to cause ripples in the air as the ground constantly trembled.
"That direction... It's where Mito Uzumaki is," Oonoki murmured, comprehensively.
Tanaka, flying, now only 100 meters away from Oonoki, spoke: "So, do you still intend to continue? If I were you, I would take your people and return to your village. By now, you should have realized that you have no chance of victory, and prolonging this will only make you a fool who sacrificed his people in vain."
He was serious, without the slightest hint of sarcasm or mockery.
'My goal for appearing in this war is already accomplished. Now, everyone must recognize my power and wouldn't dare go against Uzushio recklessly,' Tanaka thought. Especially knowing that everyone must understand he possessed this level of power despite being so young, which would make them even more cautious as time passed, not daring to act against Uzushio like what happened in Naruto.
Oonoki, who heard this, was surprised. Not because he thought Tanaka was right or that he actually was. But because at this point, he understood why the boy hadn't seemed to want to kill him up until now.
"Boy — No, Tanaka Uzumaki. How about coming with me to my village?" Oonoki asked with his hands behind his back: "If you come with me, I promise not to continue the war and to bring my people back. Not only that, but you will gain several privileges that your village wouldn't be able to give you."
"You want me to betray my village?" Tanaka narrowed his eyes.
"Hahaha! How can this be called betrayal?" Oonoki laughed. "I'm not asking you to rebel against your village. I simply admire your talent and believe you would thrive even more in my village. Don't you agree? While Uzushio is strong, its focus is mainly on Fuuinjutsu. In other areas, they might not offer the same opportunities. On the other hand, the Stone Village is different. We have a vast array of techniques and jutsus that could help you reach new heights. You might even become my successor as Tsuchikage in the future!"
When he finished speaking, his eyes were shining.
In fact, he wasn't merely joking. If Tanaka became a ninja of the Stone Village, Oonoki was willing to train him personally and even make him his successor. As for the fact that Tanaka was an outsider? That didn't matter much at the moment. So far, Oonoki didn't have a promising successor who could protect his village, and that constantly worried him. Having Tanaka by his side would be even better than winning the war!
As for the possibility of betrayal after becoming a Stone ninja? Oonoki was a shrewd old man. He believed that by offering enough rewards and showing Tanaka the benefits and honor of belonging to the Stone Village, he wouldn't need to worry too much.
Unaware of Oonoki's thoughts, Tanaka smiled slightly while shaking his head in refusal: "I'm sorry, but I'll have to decline. While what you say has some truth, I don't intend to be part of another village. I was born and raised as a ninja of Uzushio, and I will continue to be."
Oonoki stared intently at him, listening to every word and sensing the firmness in his voice. He realized that convincing this boy would not be easy — perhaps even impossible — so he gave up. However, he wasn't going to simply accept the refusal. His eyes became more dangerous as he said, "Then, if you return Han to me, I will retreat."
Although he didn't achieve his main objective, Han was still important to the village. Now, if none of his demands were met, then... even knowing the chances of victory were slim, it would still mean war!
Hearing this, Tanaka pondered.
Han now knew that he had some involvement with the Revolutionary Army — though he didn't know exactly what his connection to 'them' was.
Although Han was currently sealed, handing him back went against Tanaka's principles. Especially considering the objective he had in mind when thinking about what he wanted to do with Han — or more precisely, with the Five-Tails.
Oonoki, who was waiting patiently, saw Tanaka's expression change.
"I'm sorry, but I will have to decline your request," Tanaka replied. "I have already handed him over to the Revolutionary Army."
"You...!" Oonoki gritted his teeth.
How could he not understand what this meant?
And how could he not realize how difficult it would be to try and recover Han?
After all, several days had already passed, and he knew what was happening in Amegakure. Especially with Hanzo now stationed in the Grass Village, powerless even to enter the village that had once belonged to him.
Oonoki began to plan and think of the best current scenario. He didn't want to simply give up and return empty-handed. However, he understood that if he continued, there was a high chance he would die at the hands of this Uzumaki boy…
His death was not the main issue. Without him, the Stone Village would be at the mercy of the other villages. Although there was still Rōshi, he was, at best, on the same level as Han. Not to mention that there was no one good enough to succeed him as Tsuchikage.
The more he thought about it, the more upset he became.
'Do I really have to submit to this humiliation and return empty-handed?' Oonoki thought, feeling frustration take over. 'No, I can't do that! Not after everything I sacrificed in this war!'
Quite hypocritical of him, given that he, along with the other villages, had glimpsed a moment of weakness in Konoha and decided to exploit it, forming an alliance against Konoha.
Now that he saw the odds of victory were unfavorable, with even the chance of not making it back alive, he still wanted something in return for ending the war on his side.
[X+VII=17]
In Amegakure, Hanako gracefully jumped toward the table where Zephyr was.
"Hey, hey, Zephyr-sama~" She leaned her arms on the table while resting her head on them, looking sideways at Zephyr.
"Hm?" Zephyr looked at her, raising his left eyebrow: "What is it, Hanako-chan?"
"Isn't it time to open the dungeon?" She asked with a slightly wild smile: "I'm dying to punch something – zombies make great punching bags, after all~"
"Did your older sister annoy you again?" Zephyr hit the mark.
"Hehe~" She stuck out her tongue, looking around to make sure they were alone before answering: "As expected of Tanaka-sama, I can't hide anything from you. Yes, I fought with her, but it's her fault this time!"
"What happened this time?" Zephyr didn't bother correcting her about how she addressed him, as he knew that while they were on Sky Island, his identity was safe.
||- Note -||
If you enjoyed this chapter, don't forget to cast your vote with a Power Stone! Your support means the world and keeps me motivated to bring you new chapters.
Chapter 111 is already released on Pa treon!
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