At this moment, Ōnoki had already located Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Without any unnecessary words, the moment he spotted his target, Ōnoki dived straight toward him.
Hiruzen squinted slightly, crossing his twin blades. A streak of lightning surged from the weapons and shot toward the sky.
Crack!
A deafening roar split the air as silver-white lightning slashed down diagonally from the sky.
Under normal circumstances, he would worry about the lightning he summoned harming his own forces, so he wouldn't dare to use Lightning Release: Kirin. But now, with a bright and obvious target in the sky, what was there to hesitate about?
In the blink of an eye, the thunderbolt struck.
The Ōnoki in midair was instantly reduced to a pile of ash.
Yet from within the electric glow, a figure darted out—behind him, the target struck by the lightning had merely been an Earth Clone.
Even so…
After dodging the attack, Ōnoki couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
High altitude—
The key to countering this jutsu was right there!
Unfortunately…
At this point, figuring out how to counter Lightning Release didn't matter anymore.
Ōnoki glanced back.
Everywhere he looked, Iwagakure's forces dominated the battlefield. Many Iwa-nin who had spotted him had already regrouped, breaching Konoha's defensive lines and closing in on his position.
Konoha's numbers were inferior to Iwagakure's, so in direct confrontation, Iwa-nin held the upper hand.
If he could kill or capture the Third Hokage, the battle would take a drastic turn…
At the very least, Sarutobi could serve as an invaluable bargaining chip in negotiations.
Konoha's ANBU stepped forward, surrounding and protecting the Third Hokage, but Hiruzen simply waved them off.
"Go deal with the others. Ōnoki isn't at full strength—he doesn't stand a chance against me."
With that, he sheathed his Lightning Blade.
After all, he wasn't truly proficient with swords.
In a real battle, his ninjutsu would prove far more effective.
"Yes!"
The ANBU operatives dispersed.
Ōnoki, of course, had no intention of being polite. This battle concerned the fate of Iwagakure, and if Hiruzen wanted to handicap himself, the Tsuchikage wouldn't feel the slightest bit ashamed—if anything, he'd complain that the Hokage wasn't going easy enough.
The moment the ANBU left, he flickered forward, appearing right in front of Hiruzen.
But Sarutobi instantly flickered backward.
At the same time…
Countless shuriken materialized out of nowhere, blotting out the sky as they rained down upon Ōnoki. The airborne Tsuchikage swiftly dodged, enhancing his fists with Earth Release to swat away several projectiles.
Before he could catch a break, a Water Dragon surged upward, crackling sporadically with silver-white lightning—
Cooperation Ninjutsu: Lightning Water Dragon Bullet!
As a master of all chakra natures, Hiruzen specialized in these types of hybrid techniques.
Earth Release countered Water Release.
However…
When Water Dragon Bullet was infused with Lightning Chakra, Earth defenses became utterly ineffective.
Ōnoki didn't dare to take it head-on.
He submerged into the earth, using Hidden Mole Jutsu to avoid the incoming lightning-infused water dragon.
However…
The moment he burrowed underground, he felt the entire terrain soften beneath him.
Ōnoki immediately realized something was wrong.
He surfaced instantly—but it was already too late. The entire battlefield had been turned into a flowing mire, sweeping him backward like a raging river, carrying him straight toward Iwagakure's Earth Release barriers.
Ōnoki was dragged a significant distance before he managed to substitute out at the last moment.
When he reappeared…
Hiruzen Sarutobi had already pulled some distance away.
Ōnoki used Body Flicker to catch up, only to be met with a barrage of Earth Bullets erupting from the ground and a massive Fire Dragon Bullet roaring toward him.
Combination Jutsu—Earth Dragon Flame Stream!
And…
It was launched from an unpredictable angle.
Ōnoki could feel just how troublesome Sarutobi was.
If Kyoichi was fast and elusive, then Hiruzen was experienced and cunning. His diverse combinations of jutsu, coupled with his unexpected casting angles, made him an absolute nightmare to deal with.
Faced with such a technique, Ōnoki had no choice but to unleash Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique.
However…
The moment his Dust Release swallowed the Earth Dragon Flame Stream, Hiruzen had already used Earth Release Substitution to reposition himself.
Yet this time…
Ōnoki anticipated his move and flickered forward first!
Rock Fist--Added Weight Rock Technique!
Boom!
The ground beneath them shattered violently.
But then…
A staff erupted from the earth.
Ōnoki had no time to form another Dust Release attack and was forced to dodge.
At that moment, however, he sensed something off.
Rain?
This rain…
No! Oil!
His instincts screamed danger. He immediately formed hand seals and slammed his palm onto the ground, summoning a massive rock arm to shield himself.
But instead of fire—
A flood of lava came pouring down!
Ōnoki was caught off guard.
He had assumed the black rain was one of Hiruzen's tricks—he hadn't expected that in just this short time, Kyoichi had already arrived. The searing lava surge swallowed the battlefield, giving him no time to think.
He had no choice but to use Dust Release again.
However…
Kekkei Tōta consumed an enormous amount of chakra. Even for someone of his caliber, he couldn't afford to use them too many times. He had already spent a considerable amount dealing with Kyoichi earlier, and now, he was being forced to use it twice more.
His chakra reserves were running low.
If it were just Hiruzen, he still believed he could fight it out.
But now, with Kyoichi also here…
Even though there were several Iwa-nin squads closing in from behind Kyoichi, Ōnoki knew they weren't fast enough to catch up. At best, they could help contain Hiruzen.
Ōnoki ascended into the sky.
This was the altitude he had determined to be safe.
Through the rain and mist, visibility was poor, but through his sensing abilities, he could still discern many things.
Kitsuchi's status was unknown.
The elite squads that had followed him seemed to have been completely wiped out.
Moreover, the number of Iwa-nin along Kyoichi's path was significantly lower than elsewhere—
That bastard had carved a path of slaughter straight through the battlefield.
Without him to keep Kyoichi in check, Iwa-nin had no one who could stop him.
But the most terrifying thing was…
Ōnoki noticed that many Konoha shinobi had small slugs attached to them—someone was using Katsuyu's jutsu to continuously heal their forces.
Tsunade?
Impossible…
According to Iwa's intelligence reports, Tsunade never left Konoha.
As he surveyed the battlefield, witnessing the carnage, he understood—
Iwagakure had lost.
There was no point in continuing to fight.
A heavy sense of sorrow weighed on his heart.
Konoha's geniuses emerged one after another, suffocating the great nations. Just when it seemed like Konoha was finally declining, out came Namikaze Minato and Kanda Kyoichi.
How was Konoha so damn lucky?!
He let out a deep sigh and finally spoke:
"Enough. Iwagakure surrenders."
"Ōnoki, at this point, what leverage do you think you have to negotiate a surrender?"
Kyōichi's voice was indifferent.
"Let's cut to the chase—drop your weapons and surrender unconditionally."
As he spoke, he sealed away the Tailed Beast Chakra.
Ōnoki's so-called "surrender" was nothing more than an attempt to reframe his defeat. Since he had already made his stance clear, there was no need for further bloodshed—but Kyoichi also wasn't going to let him off easy.
After all, Dust Release: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu was still a major threat.
Its wide area of effect meant that even Kyoichi couldn't guarantee he could completely evade it if Ōnoki decided to go all in.
Still…
He needed to apply pressure.
"Iwagakure still has many shinobi left. We are not completely exhausted. If you force us too far, we can always surrender to Kumogakure and fight alongside them."
Ōnoki sneered.
Even though he had conceded, he didn't want to appear weak, lest Konoha demand too much.
"What's there to talk about? Either surrender or fight. Threats?"
Kyoichi smirked, drawing his blade.
"Go ahead. Join Kumogakure. But before you do, your son and your men will all die."
Ōnoki's expression darkened.
Kyoichi continued, his tone casual, "By the way, take a guess—who do you think is raiding your headquarters right now?"
"…Namikaze Minato."
Ōnoki's face remained grim, but he wasn't an idiot.
If he still didn't understand the situation, he wouldn't deserve to be Tsuchikage.
Kyoichi chuckled.
"Let me educate you. Minato has mastered a jutsu from our Second Hokage. A jutsu that was the reason for his nickname—'God of Speed.'"
Both men knew the truth—neither side wanted to continue this battle. They were simply negotiating terms.
However…
What infuriated Ōnoki was this young brat wasn't backing down at all.
Negotiations were supposed to be give-and-take!
Unconditional surrender?
Impossible!
Taking a deep breath, he suppressed his anger.
"Iwagakure does not fear death. Unconditional surrender is out of the question. If you push us too far, I'll take you all down with me."
Ōnoki's voice was cold.
Although his words were harsh, his tone had softened—a subtle indication that he was open to discussing terms.
"Ōnoki, empty threats won't work."
Hiruzen cleared his throat and spoke up,
"Here's the deal—I want Iwagakure to send a force to attack Kumogakure's rear flank. Additionally, you will provide monetary and material reparations. If you can't accept that, then I'd like to see just how many Konoha shinobi your last Dust Release can take down."
Silence fell over the battlefield.
Were Hiruzen's demands excessive?
Compared to Kyoichi's hardline stance, not really. But if Ōnoki agreed, it meant declaring war on Kumogakure.
He didn't want to, but…
Looking at Kitsuchi, Rōshi, and the future of Iwagakure, he had no choice.
Taking a deep breath, he made his decision.
"…Fine. But you must return all our captured shinobi, including our Jinchūriki."
"Ōnoki, I've gotten quite used to using this Jinchūriki. I think I'll keep him."
Kyoichi smirked, holding up a swirling mass of Tailed Beast Chakra.
A killing blow—both to the body and the spirit!
Ōnoki was so furious he nearly spat blood.
"Impossible! The Jinchūriki must be returned!"
"Ōnoki, you were the ones who deployed your Jinchūriki first. Meanwhile, ours remained in Konoha. Now that yours has been captured, there's no way we're just handing them back to you for nothing. It's only fair."
Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped forward, playing the "good cop" role.
Ōnoki saw through their act, of course, but that didn't change his predicament. He had to get the Jinchūriki back—not because he cared much about their power, but because he absolutely couldn't let Konoha keep them.
Otherwise…
With Konoha holding two Jinchūriki, the Land of Earth would be in an even more precarious position.
"Fine, we'll pay a ransom for the Jinchūriki."
"And what about Kitsuchi? He's your own son. Surely he's worth a little extra?"
"Isn't he already included in the list of captives?"
Had there ever been a generation of Konoha this shameless?
Ōnoki felt utterly exasperated.
Why did Konoha have to produce someone like this?
If it were just Hiruzen Sarutobi, he would have accepted his conditions long ago. But now, even captives were being priced based on rank and status—absolutely ridiculous!
"If you want him for free, that's fine," Kyoichi said casually. "But, unfortunately, I accidentally chopped off his hand. With an injury like that, only our village's Tsunade-hime can heal him. Medical fees aren't exactly cheap, you know."
"Ugh…" What's the difference at this point?
Ōnoki's lips twitched. Finally, suppressing his frustration, he gave a curt nod.
"Fine! But that's my final offer!"
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