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The snowy plain was now a rampaging forest, a tide of heavy, crushing timber!
The Raikage roared, "Is this… the First Hokage's Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence?!"
But then—the trees blossomed. Flowers, a riot of colors, erupted across every branch.
Ōnoki's eyes widened. "No… I'm afraid it's Flower Tree World!"
Pollen filled the air. Poisonous, all-encompassing. The Five Kage had nowhere to run. They fell, one by one, succumbing to the toxin.
"Dammit…!!!"
"Gaara…!!!"
Temari raised her giant triple-fan, ready to charge into the field and blow the pollen away with Wind Style!
Whoosh! A shadow lashed out, binding her feet.
"Uncle! Why stop me?!"
Shikaku Nara's voice was sharp. "That is not a battle for us to intervene in! Have faith in the Five Kage!!"
As Ōnoki fell, an old memory flashed: the arrogant, dominant form of Uchiha Madara looming over him. 'Since that day, I've worshipped power. I swore never to fall in the same place twice. But in the end, what changed? Am I to die here, having accomplished nothing? How… unsatisfying.'
In his fading consciousness, his hand closed on a fistful of earth. Shards of buried rubble cut into his palm. The sharp pain cut through the fog—and ignited the unyielding will buried deep in his soul.
No.
He would not fall here. Not now. Uchiha Sasuke… as unbelievable as it was, he already held the same terrifying presence as Madara. If the Five Kage fell today, who would stop the next "Madara" from rising?
Ōnoki forced himself upright, swaying. He took a sharp breath, formed the seals, and pressed his hands together.
Particle Style: Detachment of the Primitive World — Boundary Release!
SHOOOOM!!!
A massive, expanding beam of disintegration light swept outward. It scoured the field, erasing the Flower Tree World down to its very roots.
A, Gaara, and Mei Terumī staggered back to their feet.
Mei pressed a hand to her forehead. "Lord Tsuchikage…"
Ōnoki's eyes held a different light now. "Listen, Kage. Today was a wake-up call. In the past, we fought, we schemed, we wore each other down. And while we were busy tearing each other apart, our enemies grew beyond anything we imagined. It's not too late to realize our mistake. We must set aside our pride. Only by uniting our strengths do we have any hope of turning this around!!!"
Mei's lips curved. "Gladly."
Gaara's voice was calm. "It should have been this way from the start."
The Raikage cracked his knuckles. "The Hokage's still under that bastard's foot! Follow me—we get her back NOW!!!"
CRACKLE!!
A burst of lightning, and the Raikage shot forward. The other three Kage moved as one, right behind him.
"Come on, then."
A faint smile touched Sasuke's lips. The Susano'o drew back its skeletal bow.
THWIP!
The chakra arrow screamed through the air. The Raikage weaved, a bolt of living lightning, his speed undiminished. He reached the Susano'o, scooped up the fallen Tsunade—but before he could retreat, the Susano'o's greatsword came crashing down!
The Raikage's eyes blazed. He raised his right arm, covered in crackling Lightning Armor, and met the blade head-on!
BOOOOM!!!
His armored gauntlet shattered into pieces. The impact drove his feet deep into the earth, buckling his knees.
"DON'T YOU DARE UNDERESTIMATE THE RAIKAGE!!!"
With a furious roar, he pushed back against the overwhelming force, forcing his body to stand straight!
"Nice one, Raikage!!!"
Ōnoki arrived like a storm, slamming his palms to the ground.
Earth Style: Moving Earth Core!
RUMBLE…!!!
The ground beneath Sasuke heaved violently. A massive pillar of rock erupted, lifting the Susano'o into the air.
The sword in its grip faltered for a split second—enough for Gaara's sand to whip out, wrap around the blade, and yank it free!
Swish!
Mei leapt high.
Lava Style: Melting Apparition Jutsu!
A torrent of corrosive acid poured from the sky, eating away at the Susano'o's skeletal frame.
She didn't let up.
Water Style: Water Severing Wave!
SHIIING!!!
A high-pressure jet of water, sharp as a blade, punched straight through the acid-softened ribs of the Susano'o!
Sasuke abandoned the crumbling earth pillar, leaping toward Mei. The Susano'o reformed around him, a massive fist already swinging!
Mei had no time to dodge. She braced herself—
But at the last possible second, a shield of condensed sand, controlled by Gaara, slammed into place before her, taking the Susano'o's crushing blow.
Ōnoki's hands slammed into the earth once more, chakra surging.
Earth Style: Mountain Sandwich Technique!
KABOOM—KABOOM—KABOOM!!!
The earth split. Two mountain-sized halves of the battlefield heaved upward, closing in like a pair of giant hands. The Susano'o threw out its arms, straining to hold them apart.
Ōnoki's gaze was icy. "You're finished…!"
Earth Style: Added-Weight Rock!
GRRRIND!!!
The crushing pressure on the Susano'o multiplied instantly. Cracks spider-webbed across its form, pushing it to the brink of collapse.
From behind his mask, Sasuke's voice held genuine admiration. "Yes. This is what I wanted to see… This is how the Five Kage should be!"
CRACK!
Just before being crushed, wings of white cursed seals burst from Sasuke's back. He shot upward, a streak of white, escaping the closing mountains.
BOOM. The two halves slammed together.
Ōnoki watched the escaping figure soar into the sky. Disappointment flashed, but was quickly overshadowed by resolve. "Hokage! Are you alright?!"
Having fallen in the heart of the Flower Tree World, Tsunade had absorbed the most pollen. Her recovery was the slowest. Regaining consciousness, she flexed. The wooden spikes impaling her body were expelled by sheer brute force. The seal on her forehead glowed—Creation Rebirth activated. Injuries that would have killed anyone else vanished in moments.
Ōnoki watched, awed, then chuckled. "With regeneration like that, no wonder you took the front line."
The Five Kage stood shoulder-to-shoulder, their gazes fixed on the sky.
Mei spoke first, her tone grim. "The Mangekyō Sharingan, the Wood Style of the Senju… Either alone would make a formidable foe. But he has both, plus a host of other abilities. It's beyond troublesome. I'm not trying to demoralize us, but even with all five of us… victory is far from certain."
Ōnoki shook his head. "It's too early for that conclusion, Mizukage. The Five Kage have never truly fought together before. No one can predict the power that combination might unleash!"
A grinned fiercely. "Now that's more like it!!"
Gaara's sand swirled. "My sand can provide a platform for aerial combat…"
Tsunade cracked her neck. "Then let's begin."
Four discs of solid sand formed, hovering in the air.
Ōnoki waved a hand. "No need to prepare one for this old man."
Gaara's expression was flat. "I forgot. You can fly."
"Not flying," Ōnoki corrected, floating up. "Something better."
He landed squarely on the Raikage's broad shoulder.
The Raikage bristled. "Hey! You old fossil, are you using me as your damn mount?!!"
"Idiot," Ōnoki sighed. "Think about it."
A moment of silence. Then the Raikage's eyes lit up. "…Oh. Oh!"
Ōnoki smirked. "Glad you're not a complete fool."
The Raikage jumped onto his sand disc. "Seriously, old man. For the first time… I'm impressed."
Ōnoki chuckled. "Haven't you heard? Elders are national treasures."
Whoosh. The Five Kage ascended.
"At this altitude, my large-scale Earth Techniques lose their foundation," Ōnoki mused, hands resting on the Raikage's shoulders. "But the same holds true for his Wood Style…"
Earth Style: Super Light-Weight Rock Technique!
"Raikage… you're the spearhead."
CRACKLE—ZZZZT!!!
A flash of lightning. The Raikage became a blur, shooting across the sky.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. 'Using Super Light-Weight Rock to maximize speed. Then, at the moment of impact, switching to Super Heavy-Weight Rock for devastating force. A combined taijutsu-ninjutsu from the Tsuchikage and Raikage… Not something to take lightly.'
But.
Its weakness was glaring. That body, light as a feather during the charge… Wind Style was its greatest counter.
Sasuke's hands formed a single seal.
Wind Style: Typhoon Passing!
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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