120. Onoki Who Cannot Escape From The Dust

The presence of Uchiha among the Kumogakure troops was an ominous development for Iwagakure.

Ōnoki's face turned completely grim. His suspicions grew stronger—this had to be a scheme by Konoha. They were leveraging the conflict between Danzō and the Uchiha to push the clan away from Konoha temporarily, creating the illusion of separation.

If Danzō were sacrificed as part of this plan, it would make the Uchiha look like an independent force while secretly maintaining their ties to Konoha. This way, Konoha could claim deniability, distancing themselves from Uchiha's actions while reaping the benefits of their intervention.

Konoha had publicly declared neutrality in this war, but by letting Uchiha participate, they could argue they had no control over the clan's actions. Meanwhile, with Uchiha's current strength, they could rival the village itself and turn the tide of any battlefield.

"Well played! Well played! Well played! Sarutobi Hiruzen truly deserves the title of Shinobi hero. This strategy is brilliant—absolutely brilliant!"

Ōnoki shouted "Well played" three times in a row, his fury palpable.

He didn't dwell much on why Konoha would cooperate with Kumogakure. After all, Iwagakure and Konoha had a history of animosity—it wasn't far-fetched to think Konoha would favour Kumogakure, with whom their conflicts were comparatively minor. The alliance, in that context, made sense.

If Yagami had known what Ōnoki was thinking, he would have rolled his eyes and replied: "You're overthinking this. Our relationship with Konoha is truly nonexistent..."

"Tsuchikage-sama! The front line is collapsing! Uchiha's forces are ruthless! The Iwagakure Jōnin teams can't even survive three exchanges against them!"

Another ninja burst into the headquarters to report. The grim update left everyone inside stunned.

"No! They're just Jōnin—why is there such a massive difference in strength?"

An elder of Iwagakure began to speak, only to trail off mid-sentence.

Of course, the answer was obvious: They're Uchiha. Jōnin or not, their strength was on an entirely different level. This wasn't unusual at all.

"Damn it! Why is it always Uchiha? Why..."

Ōnoki's face twisted as if recalling a bitter memory, his expression becoming increasingly menacing.

Although anger consumed him, he didn't doubt the report's accuracy.

If it had been any other clan turning the tide of war single-handedly, he would have been sceptical. But with Uchiha, it was entirely believable.

"Of course, it's because...Tsuchikage-sama, you've been slow in giving orders!"

A lazy voice echoed outside the headquarters, causing Ōnoki to nearly lose his breath in shock.

When had he...

Huang Tu and the other Jōnin immediately assumed defensive stances, cautiously pulling back the door curtain.

Yagami stood just outside, casually holding an Iwagakure shinobi by the neck. His Mangekyō Sharingan glinted ominously as he surveyed the room with a detached, almost bored expression.

Around him, the bodies of defeated Iwagakure shinobi littered the ground. The stark silence confirmed that Yagami had eliminated everyone near the headquarters without any of them noticing.

"Mangekyō Sharingan! Are you...Uchiha Yagami?"

Ōnoki's pupils contracted slightly as he locked eyes with Yagami. The aged Tsuchikage regarded the Uchiha warrior as if facing an insurmountable adversary.

"It's an honour to be recognized by the great Tsuchikage so easily," Yagami said with a faint smile. "However, our Uchiha Group is a professional organization, and we must honour our employer's requests…"

Without further warning, he launched his attack.

"Fire Style: Rock Fire Dazzling!"

With a nonchalant flick of his hand, Yagami unleashed a Fire Style technique. The ground beneath the Iwagakure headquarters trembled violently, and fiery tendrils resembling coiling dragons erupted from below, wrapping themselves around their targets like serpentine vines.

"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!"

Onoki slammed his hands together, quickly forming seals to create an earthen barrier that shielded his comrades.

"My ninjutsu isn't so easily countered," Yagami remarked, his smirk unwavering.

The dragon-like flames collided with the earth's wall. Instead of dissipating, they slithered into the wall's structure, reemerging on the opposite side to continue their assault.

The unique properties of Yin-enhanced ninjutsu allowed for unparalleled adaptability, making it exceedingly difficult to neutralize using conventional means.

"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"

Ōnoki swiftly retaliated, releasing a transparent, cube-shaped beam of light that annihilated the approaching flames and surged toward Mingfeng.

"Time Stop!"

Yagami knew better than to confront Dust Release head-on. Its destructive power was legendary, capable of disintegrating even Uchiha Madara's Susanoo. It wasn't something he—or even someone like Hashirama—could withstand directly without immunity to ninjutsu.

Dodging such a swift and absolute technique wasn't feasible either. However, Mingfeng had another trump card.

After awakening the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, the burden of his unique time-stopping ability had significantly diminished. Fully activated, it allowed him to halt time for around three seconds, though shorter pauses, like now, required minimal chakra and pupil power.

Instead of using this power wastefully to land a fatal blow, Mingfeng employed it strategically.

In the frozen moment, Ōnoki's Dust Release disintegrated mid-flight, collapsing harmlessly before it reached its target.

Ōnoki blinked in shock, staring at his hands as if searching for an explanation. His Dust Release had failed inexplicably, and even the Weighted Rock Technique he relied on to hover faltered.

"What just... happened?" the Tsuchikage muttered, bewildered.

"Tsuchikage-sama," Yagami began, his tone calm but laced with subtle menace, "Raikage-sama asked me to eliminate you. However, killing you doesn't serve Uchiha's interests. Why don't we settle this as a display?"

Yagami's words carried a veiled warning. While he was fulfilling his contract with Kumogakure, Uchiha had no intention of escalating the conflict into an irreversible blood feud with Iwagakure. If Ōnoki were to fall, the Fourth Raikage could deal with it himself.

"Hmph! Arrogant Uchiha brat," Ōnoki growled, though his voice wavered. "Do you truly think you can defeat me? I…"

Whatever retort the Tsuchikage intended died in his throat as Yagami's chakra surged.

A skeletal figure materialized around Yagami, growing larger with each passing second. The onlookers watched in stunned silence as the spectral frame of Susanoo formed—a half-length skeleton that swiftly grew muscles and donned armour.

Under the wide-eyed gaze of Ōnoki and his shinobi, the towering Susanoo took its full form. Legs sprouted from the spectral entity, wings unfurled from its back, and its armour gleamed with a divine, warlike brilliance.

Yagami's Susanoo was no ordinary construct. Its colossal size dwarfed any previously seen, and arcs of lightning encircled its form like a deadly barrier.

The addition of nine glowing belts further distinguished it, radiating an aura of overwhelming dominance.

The battlefield was awash with its oppressive presence, leaving Ōnoki and his shinobi rooted in place, unable to muster the will to resist.

"A god of war…" someone whispered, their voice trembling.

Ōnoki clenched his fists, his fury eclipsed by a growing sense of dread. He had underestimated this Uchiha—and now faced the consequences of that miscalculation.

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