Soon, the village had been completely evacuated.
The shinobi of the Stone Village stood in stunned silence.
Ōnoki, in particular, cried out in horror.
"Isn't that the Five-Tails? Why is that thing here?"
Squinting, he could make out several figures riding atop it, particularly the White-Masked Man in Black at the front.
A strong sense of foreboding welled up in his heart.
'Isn't this the man mentioned in the intelligence reports, the one suspected to be Uchiha Madara?'
'If this guy is riding the Five-Tails, doesn't that mean Han has already fallen victim to him?'
'Damn it. To think this guy's target really is the Stone Village's Tailed Beasts.'
'He even found the location of the Four-Tails Jinchūriki, Rōshi.'
Even if the man was only suspected to be Uchiha Madara, Ōnoki had absolutely no desire to clash with him.
He glared at Rōshi beside him and spoke in a harsh tone.
"I told you to leave earlier, but you just had to dawdle for over ten minutes."
"Now look what's happened. This guy is here, and running is no longer an option."
The enemy had arrived riding a Tailed Beast. Ōnoki had seen the Five-Tails run before; its speed was astonishing.
Rōshi replied nonchalantly.
"If he's here, he's here."
"Isn't this perfect? This guy stole our village's Five-Tails. Shouldn't we take it back?"
"With you and me here, plus your brawny son Kitsuchi."
"What is there to be afraid of?"
The three of them practically represented the highest combat power of the Stone Village. Rōshi went without saying—he was a Jinchūriki who had developed the Lava Style Armor, granting him immense offensive and defensive capabilities. Naturally, he could also use his Tailed Beast Transformation.
As the Tsuchikage, the old man Ōnoki possessed the Kekkei Tōta, Particle Style.
Kekkei Tōta was a jutsu created by combining three chakra natures to form Particle Style. Its power was devastating, capable of dismantling anything it struck at an atomic level.
Even with his Lava Style Armor, Rōshi had no desire to be hit by that attack.
It was completely unblockable.
At best, Rōshi could only combine two chakra natures to create his Lava Style, an acquired Kekkei Genkai.
As for Ōnoki's son, Kitsuchi, while he didn't possess a Kekkei Genkai, he was undeniably powerful. He had a robust physique and massive chakra reserves.
Even without using the power of a Tailed Beast, defeating Kitsuchi would not be an easy task for Rōshi.
This was especially true because Kitsuchi possessed the Earth Style: Mountain Jutsu. Backed by his immense chakra, this technique could effectively restrain even a Tailed Beast.
Ōnoki glanced at Rōshi.
Although their lineup was incredibly formidable, they were facing Uchiha Madara.
Rōshi had never witnessed Madara's terror firsthand. He had likely been just a child back then and had no idea how horrifying the man truly was.
Given Ōnoki's cautious nature, if he really had to face this monster, he would never act so impulsively. He would have meticulously set up ambushes and laid down various traps.
But right now, there was no other choice. They could only face the battle head-on.
At the very least, he was no longer the weak rookie who had faced Uchiha Madara all those years ago.
He shouted to Kurotsuchi.
"Kurotsuchi, take the other two Jōnin and leave this place. Get to a safe location."
The ensuing battle would undoubtedly be highly destructive.
Ordinary Jōnin would have no impact on the outcome. Just seeing those Mangekyō Sharingan would likely leave them paralyzed.
They would only be a distraction. Naturally, his granddaughter absolutely could not remain on this battlefield.
He couldn't let her get hurt.
"Yes, sir."
The two Stone Village Jōnin prepared to leave. This was not a battle they could participate in.
Their duty was simply to protect Kurotsuchi from harm.
Before leaving, Kurotsuchi looked at her grandfather and father.
"You two be careful."
With that, she left the area alongside the escorting Stone Village Jōnin.
Ōnoki finally relaxed as he watched his granddaughter depart.
He no longer had any lingering worries.
He turned back to the figure standing atop the Tailed Beast.
His heart was filled with unease, but also a sense of excitement.
Perhaps he could finally wash away the humiliation of the past. He was no longer that weak rookie.
He was now the Third Tsuchikage.
Ryōsuke brought the Five-Tails to a halt and observed the people in the distance: the purplish-red-haired Rōshi, the muscular Kitsuchi, and, of course, the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki hovering in the air.
With his current eyesight, he could naturally also see Kurotsuchi fleeing into the distance.
'Interesting. All of my targets are actually here this time.'
He didn't pay much mind to Rōshi, Kitsuchi, or Ōnoki.
When facing these guys, his goal was naturally to subjugate them, which meant simply displaying his overwhelming strength.
Talking, persuading, and reasoning—none of these were as effective as a bigger fist.
What he cared about more was Kurotsuchi. It was exactly as he had expected.
Kurotsuchi was still quite young right now, perhaps only slightly older than Haku.
Truth be told, he was a little disappointed that she couldn't immediately become a resource for him.
However, even at such a young age, the advantage of her long legs was already quite apparent. She had great potential.
He would just take her back and raise her for a while first.
He spoke slowly.
"Five-Tails, Zabuza, stay here and protect Haku and Fū. I will go forward alone."
"If necessary, keep your distance."
"Yes, Lord God King."
The Five-Tails and Zabuza naturally understood that the God King had reached his destination.
The Five-Tails looked at the figures in the distance. It recognized Ōnoki, and the red-haired man was likely the Four-Tails Jinchūriki.
To be honest, it hadn't seen the Four-Tails in a long time, and it hoped the guy would be released.
This time, they had found someone capable of leading the Tailed Beasts.
Zabuza, of course, understood the God King's intentions. He was probably going to unleash his terrifying power again.
After speaking, Ryōsuke leaped down from the Five-Tails and slowly walked toward the enemy group.
He strolled forward, arriving right at the front of the village.
Rōshi looked at the White-Masked Man in Black in the distance, his interest suddenly piqued.
"Let me see what this legendary Uchiha Madara is made of."
Since this guy dared to come after him, he was definitely aiming for the Tailed Beast inside him.
He might not be a match for the enemy alone, but he had two powerful allies by his side.
Ōnoki hurriedly spoke up.
"Be careful, you fool."
Rōshi was simply too impatient.
However, letting him test the waters against the current Uchiha Madara wasn't a bad idea.
He wanted to see just how much strength this elderly Uchiha Madara still possessed.
Rōshi didn't respond to Ōnoki. He would naturally be cautious and had no intention of charging in recklessly.
Instead, he opted for a long-range ninjutsu.
His hands rapidly formed hand signs as he took a deep breath.
"Lava Style: Scorching Stream Rock Jutsu."
He spat out multiple spheres of magma directly at the approaching man.
Ryōsuke hadn't expected the enemy to make a move the moment he arrived.
He looked at the magma spheres, which burned at a temperature far higher than ordinary Fire Style jutsu.
Against such a technique, Ryōsuke had no intention of countering with Fire Style.
After all, the enemy's attack consisted of solid rock spheres; flames couldn't possibly burn them to ashes.
They would only explode and scatter everywhere.
But he now possessed the Rinnegan, which had long since enhanced his body. Even without activating the Rinnegan, he possessed all six chakra natures, which naturally included Water Style.
He simply extended his right hand.
"Water Style: Water Shockwave."