"Dust Release: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu!" The middle-aged Ōnoki shouted in mid-air, pushing both hands forward as a white light beam shot toward Uchiha Ryun.
Ryun's body shuddered, and he immediately used the Body Flicker Technique to retreat. The white light struck the ground where he had just stood, causing the soil to split and vanish into nothingness.
His pupils contracted as he looked up at the sky, where Ōnoki stared down at him with hostile eyes.
"Father!" Kitsuchi looked up, his face filled with relief. He was saved!
Ōnoki of the Two Scales, the Tsuchikage, wielder of the Dust Release Kekkei Tōta, a combination of Wind, Fire, and Earth chakra. The Dust Release: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu could decompose all matter, turning it into nothingness.
He was the proud disciple of Mu, the Second Tsuchikage, and now the Third Tsuchikage, a man of immense power!
"Uchiha Ryun, is it? Interesting. I'll give you ten breaths to hand over the Four-Tails Jinchūriki and release my son. I promise I'll only kill you!" Ōnoki looked down, his eyes filled with mockery.
Ryun deactivated his Sage Mode and flew up to Ōnoki's height. He raised his head to meet Ōnoki's gaze, but the moment their eyes met, Ōnoki's body trembled violently.
'There is no alliance. You can only submit to Konoha. The Iwa-nin are nothing but trash. (Ōnoki clenched a stone tightly, then let it go.)'
'This is our Iwagakure's most precious stone. (Ōnoki carefully wiped it, only for the First Tsuchikage to casually throw it away and replace it.) No one will notice if you swap it out. What matters is your will.'
Memories flooded Ōnoki's mind, and his eyes turned bloodshot as he glared at Ryun, whose appearance eerily resembled Madara Uchiha.
"What is your relationship with Madara Uchiha?" Ōnoki's voice was thick with hatred.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Ryun replied coldly. He had no intention of revealing that he knew about his origins.
"You don't know? Fine. Then I'll send you to the Pure Land so you can ask Madara yourself!" Ōnoki's eyes burned with the desire to tear Ryun apart.
"Dust Release: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu!" Ōnoki gathered an even larger and more destructive beam of light, firing it at Ryun.
"Crazy old man!" Ryun dodged with the Body Flicker Technique. Ōnoki gave Kitsuchi a signal to retreat.
Kitsuchi nodded and fled with the remaining wounded soldiers. Their triumphant arrival had turned into a humiliating escape.
Ryun, furious at the old man's madness, shouted, "Susanoo!"
A golden-red Susanoo materialized, towering over Ōnoki in an instant, blocking the sun. Ōnoki looked up, his body freezing in terror.
He secretly punched his own thigh to steady himself, then took a deep breath and prepared another Atomic Dismantling Jutsu. But Ryun's Susanoo swung a massive sword downward.
Ōnoki fired the Atomic Dismantling Jutsu upward, disintegrating the part of the sword that would have struck him. He remained unharmed in the air.
A mental barrier shattered in Ōnoki's mind. The Susanoo wasn't invincible. Madara Uchiha might not be unbeatable after all!
If Ryun knew what he was thinking, he would have scoffed. 'If Madara himself were here, let's see if your Atomic Dismantling Jutsu would work against his Perfect Susanoo.'
Ryun snorted. This damned Dust Release and its decomposition ability were truly disgusting.
With Kitsuchi's forces gone, Ōnoki glanced at Rōshi, who was sealed and guarded by Konoha shinobi. He sighed inwardly. It seemed Konoha would hold onto him for now.
"Hmph, Uchiha brat. We'll meet again." Ōnoki gave Ryun one last look, deciding it wasn't worth wasting more time, and flew away.
Ryun narrowed his eyes. "Stop! Do you think you can just come and go as you please?"
Ōnoki paused mid-air and turned back. "Boy, do you realize what you're saying?" Blocking Ryun's Susanoo slash had boosted his confidence.
His back straightened, his chin lifted arrogantly, and he pointed his chin at Ryun.
[Ding. Congratulations, host, for completing the challenge of matching a Jinchūriki with your physical body, capturing Rōshi alive, and defeating the fully transformed Four-Tails Son Gokū. Reward: Sage Art: True Several Thousand Hands, Top Transformation Buddha.]
Ryun smirked. He had been annoyed by Ōnoki's arrogance, and while the Dust Release's decomposition ability had been troublesome, the Sage Art he just received would let him crush Ōnoki.
Orochimaru watched Ryun with anticipation. Even though Ryun hadn't killed Ōnoki earlier, his performance was still impressive.
Perhaps Ryun still had another trick up his sleeve?
Ōnoki's Dust Release: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu was infamous across the shinobi world for its ability to decompose anything. Countless elite shinobi from various nations had fallen to this technique.
At just eighteen, Ryun could hold his own against it. This war would likely end soon—even if Ryun couldn't defeat Ōnoki, Ōnoki would still fear him.
"Age does not define ability. I may be young, but today, I wish to test myself against Ōnoki of the Two Scales!" Ryun's eyes gleamed with determination.
"Young man, your Susanoo can't touch me. True, my Dust Release can't touch you either. For that, you deserve praise!" Ōnoki paused. "But that doesn't mean you can challenge me!"
The Tsuchikage's aura surged, surpassing even Hiruzen Sarutobi's. A weak nation needed a strong leader to rise quickly and contend with Kumogakure.
Even if Ryun resembled Madara and had the Susanoo, he was still too weak—or rather, Ōnoki was simply too strong now!
Ryun took a deep breath and activated Sage Mode. A sage's markings appeared on his face, and his pupils transformed into golden dragon eyes as he stared at Ōnoki.
Ōnoki snorted. He had heard of Sage Mode—hadn't Hashirama Senju used it during the Warring States Period? Today, he would see how strong Ryun's Sage Mode really was.
Ryun clapped his hands together, releasing chakra outward. The sheer volume forced all Konoha shinobi to retreat over ten steps—except Orochimaru, who stood still, watching Ryun intently.
The ground trembled. Ōnoki, unaffected in the air, waited to see what this Uchiha youth could do.
"Sage Art: True Several Thousand Hands!" The earth cracked as a colossal Thousand-Armed Kannon emerged, towering over Ōnoki in seconds and blotting out the sun. Ryun stood atop the statue's head.
Ōnoki's jaw dropped. His pupils shrank as he looked up, his blood running cold.
"A monster. He's a monster!" Though Ōnoki had overcome his fear of Madara, facing such a behemoth filled him with despair.