Chapter 318: Ōnoki, Look at Me—Who Do You Think I Am
The battle on the ground raged on, and shinobi continued to fall one after another.
But in the sky, the battle was far from intense. On the contrary—it was quiet. Or rather, it was a one-sided beatdown, with Li Yao's Wind Release Clone toying with Ōnoki.
After realizing his Dust Release couldn't even scratch Li Yao's Wind Clone, Ōnoki—a man in his sixties who relied on Lightened Boulder Technique just to move at normal speed, a man so old that bending over could throw out his back—had nothing left to fight with.
In terms of speed and reflexes, Li Yao completely overwhelmed him.
Every time Ōnoki formed a Dust Release technique, a Wind Slash would interrupt it and leave a fresh cut on his body.
All he could do was flee around the sky while Li Yao chased him.
"Fire Release..."
"Earth Release..."
"Wind Release..."
In the air, Ōnoki desperately used three different chakra natures in succession—only to earn himself more wounds.
Meanwhile, the transparent barrier shimmering faintly around Li Yao's Wind Clone nullified every ninjutsu that came near.
"As expected... the Fourth Kazekage's Wind Slash comes with a terrifying defensive technique of its own."
Ōnoki finally understood—he couldn't do anything to the Fourth Kazekage. Meanwhile, the Fourth could kill him at any moment.
From the moment they took to the sky and the Fourth easily matched his flight speed, Ōnoki knew.
The Kazekage flew faster than him. Combined with that terrifying Wind Slash and its range, he could've died countless times by now.
Shing!
Squelch!
Another Wind Slash cut through, and Ōnoki, floating midair, stopped moving.
He was the Tsuchikage—not a clown to be played with. He had his pride and would no longer let himself be humiliated.
"Huff... Enough of your twisted fun, brat!"
Bloodied and breathing heavily, his chakra chaotic, Ōnoki's eyes still gleamed sharply as he stared at Li Yao's Wind Clone.
"I nearly... No, if not for White Zetsu, you'd already be dead by my hand."
"It's just... what a shame. The man who once stood above all now can't last more than a few moves against me. So dull."
Li Yao's Wind Clone shook his head with a sigh. Ōnoki had given up—stopped resisting. Watching him struggle just wasn't fun anymore.
What made it entertaining was the desperate resistance. Watching someone surrender was boring.
He couldn't help but feel nostalgic—back then, the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki had made him despair. And now, even a clone could toy with him effortlessly.
"Turns out my talent was even greater than I imagined," Li Yao thought, somewhat in awe of himself.
"What do you mean?"
"We've fought before?" Ōnoki asked, puzzled.
Li Yao's Wind Clone's musing left Ōnoki as baffled as the Third Raikage had been.
When had he ever fought the Fourth Kazekage?
And almost killed him?
If he remembered correctly—
The Fourth Kazekage first made a name for himself during the Second Great Ninja War, on the border between Sunagakure and Konoha in the Land of Rivers.
There, he had fought Konoha's Sakumo . The Sand shinobi clashing with Iwagakure in the Land of Rain were an entirely different group.
Back then, Ōnoki had been busy on the Horn Peninsula fighting the Third Raikage. He had never engaged any Sand shinobi in serious combat.
Besides, during the Second Great Ninja War, the Fourth Kazekage was just thirteen or fourteen. Even against Sakumo , he could barely flee—facing Ōnoki's Dust Release would've been certain death.
And if he'd somehow survived that... Ōnoki would definitely remember.
"What are you even talking about?" Ōnoki finally asked aloud.
"Heh... Looks like I'll have to jog your memory another way," Li Yao's Wind Clone smirked.
With a thought, he released a wave of genjutsu chakra directly into Ōnoki's body.
"Hm? Genjutsu...?" Ōnoki frowned.
The moment the genjutsu chakra invaded him, he felt it. But at his level, genjutsu didn't work—unless it was a Mangekyō Sharingan-level illusion, it couldn't break through Dust Release chakra's defense.
Or so he thought...
Wait—why wasn't it working?
"Something's wrong!"
Ōnoki's expression suddenly changed. His Dust Release chakra wasn't resisting the genjutsu at all—the invading chakra moved freely.
Li Yao smiled.
Back then, his genjutsu couldn't break through Dust Release. But ever since gaining Rinnegan chakra, his Yin Release illusions had reached a level Dust chakra couldn't defend against.
"What is this...?"
Soon, Ōnoki felt his body slipping out of his control.
He panicked. This sensation—it was definitely genjutsu.
He had been caught!
He looked at the Fourth Kazekage's eyes.
No Sharingan.
Then how?
Why!?
Unable to resist, his body stopped obeying him. Even the chakra supporting his flight failed, and he began to fall.
Whoosh!
Li Yao's Wind Clone casually summoned a ribbon of wind that wrapped around Ōnoki, keeping him aloft.
Snap!
He snapped his fingers, activating a soundproof barrier. No matter how loud they spoke inside, no one on the ground would hear.
"How can you use such terrifying genjutsu?"
Ōnoki could still speak, though his body was paralyzed.
And still—he didn't recognize the illusion. Didn't suspect who the Fourth Kazekage really was.
Li Yao's Wind Clone felt bored. He hadn't expected Ōnoki to remain this clueless.
Ōnoki's precious daughter, Huitu, had once been captured by him and subjected to this very same genjutsu.
Surely, when she was rescued, she told him about it.
During the Five Kage Alliance against Li Yao, they had all studied his abilities—including this one.
And now Ōnoki himself had fallen victim to it—and still hadn't realized who was standing before him.
Maybe today's events had been too overwhelming. Ōnoki couldn't even question the Fourth Kazekage's identity.
Li Yao's Wind Clone sighed and floated Ōnoki in front of him.
"Ōnoki, look closely—who am I?"
As he spoke, his face began to twist and shift—transforming into the face of the real Li Yao, the one who had fought the Five Kage all those years ago.
That face—combined with the question—finally broke through Ōnoki's foggy mind.
"L-Li Yao!!!!"
Ōnoki's pupils shrank. He gasped in disbelief, staring at the face before him.
That face—he could never forget.
The man who was once hunted by the combined might of all Five Kage. Ōnoki would never forget him.
But…
"I-Isn't… isn't he dead? No one survives a Dust Release—let alone…"
But his voice faltered.
He remembered now—he had just seen Dust Release get sliced in half.
If Li Yao could do that now… maybe he had survived back then too.
"Don't doubt yourself, Ōnoki," Li Yao said with a smile. "Your Dust Release really is powerful. If not for White Zetsu saving me back then, I'd be dead. You did kill me."
"…"
Ōnoki fell silent. Despite the disbelief still in his eyes, this time—he believed it.
It all made sense now.
Only Li Yao could possess such terrifying talent.
To wield a Wind Release at Kekkei Tōta level, and a genjutsu that even Dust Release couldn't defend against…
Only Li Yao, with his cursed gift of instantly mastering any Kekkei Genkai he touched, could do this.
No ordinary person could master a Kekkei Tōta and also develop such overwhelming genjutsu.
(END CHAPTER)
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