Iwagakure Village
Tsuchikage's Office
The Ōnoki stood quietly as he read the scroll in his hand.
After finishing it, he compared the contents with the report sent by Huang Tu.
"…Just as I thought. Something's wrong."
Murmuring to himself, Ōnoki fell into deep contemplation.
From what could be confirmed now, the so-called joint assault by the three-party alliance was fabricated.
The purpose was obvious—
to provoke the alliance into attacking Konoha.
"Just as Huang Tu inferred in his report, we can rule out both the alliance and Konoha itself."
He frowned deeply.
"Was it the newly appointed Mizukage of Kirigakure?
Or was it that man who recently resurfaced—Uchiha Madara?"
Ōnoki pondered for a long time before picking up another scroll.
This one contained intelligence about Danzo's defection from Konoha.
"A village's second-in-command… why would he defect?"
"Was he, like Orochimaru, expelled by the Third Hokage?"
Ōnoki didn't think Danzo was the one who fabricated the false invasion intel.
The timing didn't quite match.
But if he forced the pieces together… it could still work.
"…Could it be that Konoha's Danzo forged the invasion intelligence,
was discovered by the Third Hokage, and then expelled?"
Thinking about it made Ōnoki's head ache.
He couldn't tell who was truly behind everything.
Still, his cautious nature made him fully agree with Huang Tu's decision to withdraw the main force.
"No matter whose scheme this is, as long as Iwagakure stays still,
we come out as the biggest winner."
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed as someone rushed in.
"Lord Tsuchikage!"
Tieyan burst into the room, face full of urgency.
"…Tieyan?" Ōnoki looked puzzled.
"Aren't you stationed at the Tujushan outpost? Why are you back in the village?"
"You're just a border squad leader—why are you here?"
"Something huge has happened!" Tieyan gasped.
"Drake of Konoha and Minato Namikaze crossed the border and wiped out Captain Huang Tu's elite force!"
"…What did you say?"
Ōnoki's voice shot up, eyes nearly popping out.
Two people from Konoha… wiped out over a thousand Iwa elites?!
Are you out of your damn mind?!
"It's true!" Tieyan said anxiously.
"That Drake used a terrifying technique and sucked the entire force into the sky!"
"Where's Huang Tu?!" Ōnoki demanded.
"Is he alive?"
"…Captain Huang Tu was also sucked in," Tieyan said sorrowfully.
BANG!
Ōnoki slammed his palm down, shattering the desk, and glared at Tieyan.
"Answer me this!
If thousands were sucked away—why weren't you?!"
"I… I…"
Tieyan's face flushed red, unable to respond.
He desperately wanted to say:
I was treating my wounds at Outpost No.1 and changed clothes, so I arrived late.
But even if he said that, would the Tsuchikage believe him?
Whoosh!
Ōnoki shot straight out of the window, flying toward Tujushan.
"Lord Tsuchikage! I'm not finished yet!"
Tieyan shouted desperately—but Ōnoki didn't even slow down.
"…It's over. I didn't even get to mention the negotiation," Tieyan said in regret.
Gritting his teeth, he leapt out the window and chased after him.
Tujushan Ruins
Ōnoki stood amid the devastation, staring up at the massive earthen sphere suspended above.
His expression was grave.
"Earth within a radius of over ten kilometers… all ripped from the ground and condensed into a single mass…"
Now, he believed Tieyan completely.
This was an extremely terrifying technique—
almost certainly a manipulation of gravity.
"Huang Tu is definitely dead.
But that Drake… isn't he supposed to be a Wood Release user?"
Ōnoki silently raised Drake's threat level to the absolute maximum.
"I want to see just how terrifying this technique really is."
His chakra surged violently as he raised both hands toward the sphere.
"Dust Release — Atomic Dismantling Jutsu!"
HUM!!!
A translucent, cubic barrier formed between his palms, radiating dazzling white light.
The next instant—
The beam fired, striking the massive sphere.
Puff!
Dust scattered as a crater appeared on its surface.
"…This…"
Ōnoki froze.
If the total volume of the sphere was a hundred percent—
that attack had erased only one percent.
"…Looks like I'll have to use the full version."
His face darkened as he raised his hands again.
A far more powerful beam of white light blasted out—
This time shaving off three percent of the sphere.
Ōnoki fell into thought.
Moments later, he leapt into the air and flew straight toward the sphere.
Landing on top of it, he took a deep breath and pressed his hand down.
"Ultra-Weight Reduction!"
Buzz—
The sphere's mass instantly dropped dramatically.
Chakra surged along his right arm, encasing it in stone.
"HAA! Earth-Style Rock Fist!"
With a roar, Ōnoki smashed his fist into the sphere.
The massive ball trembled—
then slowly began descending.
BOOOOOOM!!!
When it hit the ground, a thunderous explosion echoed as dust filled the sky.
By the time Tieyan arrived, panting, he saw the Tsuchikage standing at the edge of a gigantic crater, staring blankly.
"Lord Tsuchikage…"
"Tell me, Tieyan," Ōnoki said slowly,
"that technique really was cast by that 'Wood Release Drake'?"
"…Yes," Tieyan nodded with difficulty.
"If he spared you, then he must have had a purpose," Ōnoki said heavily.
"Yes!" Tieyan hurried to speak.
"He said he came to negotiate! But Captain Huang Tu led the elites to surround him!"
"Get to the point!" Ōnoki barked.
"He said—if you agree to negotiations,
you should go to Konoha to meet him."
"And if I don't?" Ōnoki asked coldly.
"Then… he'll throw this earthen sphere into our village."
Ōnoki fell silent.
For a long time.
Finally, realization struck him.
"So that's it…"
"No wonder the Cloud ninja army has been sitting idle in the Land of Hot Water!"
"When Drake's Team Nine intercepted Kumogakure before,
the Cloud must have suffered a huge loss!"
"Damn it!"
"Those Kumogakure bastards—
they didn't share any intelligence at all,
and let this Drake wander straight into our territory?!"
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