Chapter 155: Roshi’s Wrath

"Where are they?"

Rōshi and the Iwa Ninjas concealed themselves on a high mountain along a path they had deduced the Konoha troops would have to take after days of careful observation.

There was no way Rōshi would tolerate the Konoha forces advancing into the Land of Earth's heart to wreak havoc.

"Lord Rōshi, they're still about 100 kilometers away," an Iwa Ninja reported respectfully.

"Let them come closer, and then we'll give them a proper beating. We'll make sure Konoha understands that the Land of Earth isn't a place they can enter as they please," Rōshi said in a low voice.

The aura of the Tailed Beast emanating from his body was enough to make his subordinates shiver.

"Yes, Lord Rōshi," the Iwa Ninjas replied in unison, falling silent as they waited patiently behind Rōshi for the Konoha troops to arrive.

"Uncle, I have a bad feeling about this," Fugaku said uneasily. "We should've brought some Hyūga Clan members this time." The deeper they went into the Land of Earth, the more uneasy he felt.

"Do I have to beg them to come?" the Uchiha Clan Head snapped. "If they want to go to the Land of Wind, let them. Our Sharingan is no worse than their Byakugan."

His tone was sharp, not from disagreement but from irritation. He couldn't stand the idea that missions might hinge on the Hyūga Clan's involvement.

"Well, better safe than sorry," Fugaku added, glancing at his uncle's face before falling silent.

The uneasy tension lingered.

The Land of Earth stretched out before them in vast plains. Though the group had chosen a seldom-used route, the open landscape offered little sense of security.

As they advanced rapidly, they drew closer to Rōshi's concealed position.

Spotting the looming high mountains ahead, the Uchiha Clan Head signaled for a stop.

The location was too risky. If Iwa Ninjas were positioned on the heights, an ambush would inflict heavy casualties on their forces.

"I'll go take a look," Fugaku offered, sensing his uncle's concern.

"Go, and be careful," the Clan Head replied with a nod.

Bang!

A puff of smoke cleared to reveal a clone of Fugaku.

"You go take a look," Fugaku instructed the clone.

"Why don't you go?" the clone retorted immediately, its independent consciousness evident.

Fugaku's head veins twitched in frustration.

"Huh?" The Uchiha Clan Head shot a sharp look at the clone, and it obediently complied.

"Fine, I'll go. Why so aggressive?" the clone muttered while running ahead.

The Konoha troops waited in place, watching as Fugaku Uchiha's clone gradually disappeared from sight.

"Lord Rōshi, do we attack or not?" one of the Iwa Ninjas asked, unsure of their next move. The ambush seemed on the verge of failure.

"So what if we've been discovered? Kill them," Rōshi said without hesitation. There was no one in the Konoha team he feared.

Without another word, Rōshi charged down the mountain, followed closely by the Iwa Ninjas.

"Sure enough, there's someone—"

Bang!

Fugaku's clone was obliterated by Rōshi before it could even finish saying "ambush."

"Oh no, it's the Fourth-Tailed Jinchūriki," Fugaku muttered, his expression shifting drastically as the clone's memories returned to him.

He recognized Rōshi, and the memory of the Jinchūriki's destructive power was still vivid. They were hopelessly outmatched. That Ōnoki had deployed a Jinchūriki to guard against Konoha, even while fighting Kumo Ninja, was a bitter realization.

"What?" the Uchiha Clan Head exclaimed. "Retreat!"

His composure broke as he urgently shouted for a withdrawal.

But Rōshi wasn't about to give them that chance.

"Earth Release: Iron Prison!"

After forming a hand seal and slamming his hand onto the ground, Rōshi channeled a massive amount of chakra into the earth.

The ground beneath the Konoha troops shook violently.

In an instant, the earth caved in, forming a massive circular depression. The area was surrounded by towering iron walls.

Smoke and dust filled the air, obscuring everything. When the debris settled, the Konoha ninja realized they were trapped inside the towering iron walls.

Without the ability to fly, escape seemed nearly impossible.

"What do we do?"

"We're surrounded!"

The Konoha ninja began to panic. Everyone understood the destructive power of a Tailed Beast, and now they felt like fish in a barrel.

"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"

The Uchiha Clan Head wasted no time, using a powerful Fire Release technique to try and breach the iron wall.

Forming the necessary hand seals, he gathered a significant amount of chakra within his body. After highly compressing it, he unleashed a massive fire dragon from his mouth.

Under his control, the blazing dragon charged directly at the iron wall.

Boom!

The impact echoed loudly, and molten iron began to drip from the wall. However, the attack lacked sufficient power to burn all the way through.

The Uchiha Clan Head narrowed his eyes, preparing to unleash more Fire Releases.

Before he could act, the ground shook violently once more. The Iwa Ninjas outside had raised the earth and were now leaping into the iron enclosure.

Bang!

Rōshi landed first, his presence marked by a flamboyant scarlet-red tail behind him.

"Lava Release: Scorching Stream Rock Technique!"

Without hesitation, Rōshi formed a hand seal and spat out dozens of magma balls, targeting both the Uchiha Clan Head and Fugaku.

The massive magma balls, each larger than a person, hurtled toward their targets with a roaring sound.

As the balls approached, the Two and Three Tomoe Sharingan in the Uchiha Clan Head and Fugaku's eyes quietly spun to life.

The trajectory of the magma balls became clear to them, and they dodged effortlessly, letting the molten projectiles smash into and partially break through the iron walls.

"Huh? Uchiha Clan?" Rōshi sneered, his tone filled with disdain. "I'll take your Sharingan."

He recognized the famous dōjutsu technique of Konoha and saw an opportunity to claim two pairs of valuable eyes as a prize.

"You're talking nonsense," the Uchiha Clan Head snapped, glaring at Rōshi and immediately activating Genjutsu.

With the power of his Sharingan, Rōshi's eyes dulled, and his movements faltered for a moment.

"Lava Release: Lava Rain!"

In his vision, Rōshi saw the Uchiha Clan Head and Fugaku charging toward him. Reacting instinctively, he formed a hand seal and spewed a torrent of dense lava raindrops from his mouth.

The deadly lava droplets scattered in all directions, forcing the Uchiha to navigate the dangerous onslaught.

"Ah~!"

"Lord Rōshi, what's wrong?"

...

Rōshi's Lava Release pierced through the Iwa Ninjas around him, igniting their clothes upon contact with the lava rain.

"Fugaku, go!"

The Uchiha Clan Head, sweating from the strain of controlling Rōshi with his Sharingan, gave the urgent command.

"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"

Fugaku opened his mouth, unleashing a sea of flames that spread across the battlefield. The fire scattered the Iwa Ninjas, though Rōshi remained unaffected, continuing to move erratically within the inferno.

"Damn it!" Son Gokū, the Four-Tails, finally lost his patience and supplied Rōshi with a surge of chakra.

"Oww!"

Rōshi let out a thunderous yell as a violent aura erupted from his body. The crimson red chakra surrounding him grew denser, and his form began to change.

Four tails unfurled behind him as he transformed into a Half-Tailed Beast. With this newfound strength, Rōshi shattered the Uchiha Clan Head's Sharingan-induced Genjutsu.

"I want you dead!" Rōshi growled, his gaze shifting to the fallen Iwa Ninjas around him. Understanding what had happened, his fury surged.

Bang!

Rōshi's lava-coated right fist obliterated Fugaku's "Great Fire Annihilation" with ease.

Fire Release versus Lava Release left the Uchiha at a significant disadvantage.