Ōnoki's voice cracked with rage as he struggled to process what he had just witnessed. His curses came out sharp, but hollow, lacking real weight behind them. Anyone watching closely might have mistaken his tone for something almost pitiful, as if the Third Tsuchikage had lost more than just composure in that moment.
His body felt heavy, his back aching as disbelief settled into his bones.
The Third Raikage had actually died.
Just like that.
It felt unreal, almost like a distortion of reality itself.
"Genjutsu?" he muttered under his breath, clinging to the thought like a lifeline.
He had cursed the Third Raikage's stubbornness more than once in the past. He had even thought about scenarios where the man might fall. But not like this. Not today. And certainly not in this way.
The Third Raikage had been invited by him, brought into this alliance to pressure Konoha together. Now that same man had fallen, and worse, the cause was Dust Release.
How was he supposed to explain this to the Hidden Cloud Village?
The Lightning Country's shinobi were not known for patience or understanding. They would not listen to explanations. Even if they did, it would not change what had happened.
The fact remained that Dust Release had taken the Raikage's life.
Nothing could erase that.
Suspicion would be inevitable.
They would think the Tsuchikage had betrayed them, or worse, coordinated with Konoha's Lightning Flash to eliminate their leader.
Shock gave way to unease, and unease quickly turned into frustration. For the first time, Ōnoki felt something unfamiliar creeping in.
Regret.
He had once believed war could be controlled through careful calculation. If things went wrong, he would adjust. If alliances failed, he would shift strategy.
But everything had been spiraling.
First came the fall of the Hidden Mist's stability, then the collapse of the Land of Water's resistance. Sunagakure followed, surrendering before the situation could stabilize. Even powerful forces like Roshi had been captured, and elite Iwagakure forces were forced into retreat.
Every move forward had been met with an even harsher response.
And now the Third Raikage lay dead.
The war was no longer following any predictable pattern.
But regret did not last long in Ōnoki's heart.
It was replaced by anger.
Sharp, burning anger.
This was not the first time he had been pushed to the edge. Not the first time Konoha had disrupted his expectations. And yet, every time he thought he had prepared enough, something worse followed.
He clenched his teeth.
The Uchiha name surfaced in his mind like an old wound reopening. A past humiliation he had never truly forgotten. Even now, at the height of his power as Tsuchikage, that bitterness remained.
"Why are those cursed eyes still around," he thought darkly.
His gaze shifted, and in that moment, he locked eyes with Hayashi.
Hayashi calmly sealed the Third Raikage's body into a scroll, as if it were nothing more than routine. No hesitation, no hesitation at all. Once done, he began walking forward.
That simple movement shattered whatever composure Ōnoki had left.
He immediately rose into the air.
Distance was safety.
At least, that was what he told himself.
He could not afford another Dust Release incident on this battlefield. If that boy released it again, countless Iwagakure shinobi would be wiped out in an instant.
He imagined Kitsuchi fighting below, only for everything to vanish in a flash of white light. The thought alone made his chest tighten.
The Raikage could be considered a loss.
But more losses like that would break the entire war effort.
Fortunately, Hayashi did not chase upward. He simply stood there for a moment, as if weighing the situation.
Unable to fly, he had no immediate way to deal with Ōnoki hovering above.
Instead, he vanished.
Using the Flying Thunder God technique, Hayashi reappeared elsewhere on the battlefield.
A marked kunai lay embedded in an enemy shinobi's skull nearby, evidence of his sudden arrival.
The battlefield paused for a split second.
Confusion rippled through both sides.
Konoha shinobi exchanged looks, unsure of what had happened. Iwagakure ninjas hesitated, their instincts unable to keep up.
Then realization struck.
If Hayashi was here, then the Third Raikage was no longer on the battlefield.
Morale shifted instantly.
Konoha's forces surged with renewed confidence, while Iwagakure's lines began to break under pressure.
Hayashi moved forward without hesitation, stepping directly into the chaos.
Three elite Iwagakure jonin immediately converged on him.
One carried a long blade, his expression already resigned to death. Another surged forward with Lightning Release concentrated in his fists. The third moved low and fast, his posture tight, hands hidden in preparation for a sudden strike.
They attacked from different angles, coordinated and precise.
The sword user was the first to fall.
A hidden technique struck him midair, binding him instantly and crushing his momentum.
The Lightning Release user pushed forward anyway, even as his chest began to cave under unseen pressure. Blood leaked through his armor, but he refused to stop.
He still tried to strike.
Still tried to reach Hayashi.
But each step became heavier than the last. His attack weakened, turning from a lethal blow into something almost meaningless. In the end, his fist only barely lifted before his body gave out completely.
He collapsed before ever making contact.
The third shinobi moved differently.
He spun through dust and confusion, releasing concealed weapons from hidden angles. His movements were sharp, desperate, refined through countless battles.
But it did not matter.
Hayashi caught him effortlessly, lifting him by the head as if weight meant nothing.
The shinobi did not struggle. Instead, he smiled faintly, as if satisfied to have reached this moment at all.
Then he triggered his final hidden weapon.
A poisoned strike, purchased at great cost, meant to guarantee death upon contact.
But before it could land, Hayashi tilted his head slightly.
The attack missed completely.
The shinobi froze in disbelief.
That was the last thing he ever understood.
His head was crushed instantly, turning into lifeless ruin.
The last remaining attacker tried to retreat, but a sudden strike pierced through his chest before he could escape.
He collapsed without another word, his body falling lifelessly into the dirt.