Chapter 176: Old Man, You'd Better Take Responsibility for Your Words!
With Iwagakure's main force arriving and joining the battle in Kirigakure,
the battlefield now contained massive numbers of elite ninja from both Kumogakure and Iwagakure.
Facing the enemy's overwhelming military threat, Terumī Mei made an immediate decision to launch a full-scale counterattack—she would never compromise with any invader.
From this moment on, chaotic fighting erupted across the entire village.
Aside from Mayumi, Kushina, and the others who remained to guard the Four-Tails and Five-Tails inside the barrier—preventing any enemy from seizing the beasts—
every combat-capable shinobi in the village had now joined this battle that engulfed all of Kirigakure.
Konan, Yūhi Kurenai, Yekura, and the rest all entered the fray.
At home, taking care of little Sasuke, little Naruto, and little Karin, Mikoto stood ready and vigilant.
If not for the need to protect the three babies, she would have already joined the fight.
"Lord Third Tsuchikage, it seems Iwagakure is dead set on invading Kirigakure. Since that's the case, why bother with all those high-sounding words!"
"Let's settle this once and for all!"
As soon as Terumī Mei finished speaking, she immediately attacked Ōnoki in the sky.
She could sense that Ōnoki's strength was terrifying.
Aside from herself, no one else here was likely a match for this old monster.
Facing Terumī Mei's sudden assault, Ōnoki let out a soft snort.
He wasted no words. Bringing both hands together in the air, a white, perfectly cubic shape suddenly materialized out of nowhere.
This transparent cube flew rapidly downward toward Terumī Mei on the ground.
It completely ignored her Lava Release attack. Just as it was about to hit her, it vanished.
The next instant, Terumī Mei was inexplicably trapped inside the cube.
"Lady Fifth Mizukage, you've already lost. This ends here."
"I have no major personal grudge against you, and I don't wish to take your life. Surrender now, order your subordinates to lay down their weapons, and accept defeat."
Ōnoki said gravely to Terumī Mei.
"You're dreaming!"
Terumī Mei gritted her teeth: "Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique!"
She unleashed another of her kekkei genkai abilities, releasing a massive cloud of acid mist far more corrosive than her Lava Release.
As soon as the technique activated, Ōnoki's Dust Release barrier began to corrode and distort.
His pupils contracted slightly as a look of surprise appeared on his face.
His first encounter with Kirigakure's Fifth Mizukage—and she turned out to be this formidable.
Ōnoki pressed his palms together again, then slowly separated them, aiming at Terumī Mei:
"Since you refuse to see reason, don't blame this old man for being ruthless."
Just as Ōnoki prepared to deliver a fatal strike to the immobilized Terumī Mei,
a figure suddenly flew rapidly toward him.
Ōnoki's heart jolted. He looked up.
The incoming figure was covered in wounds and barely clinging to life.
Though facing away and unrecognizable, Ōnoki immediately identified him from the tall, muscular build and that very distinctive slicked-back hairstyle.
It was the Fourth Raikage of Kumogakure.
"A kid from Kumogakure…"
"How did he end up this badly injured??"
After recognizing the identity, Ōnoki was deeply shocked.
The man was a Kage after all. Though Ōnoki had never personally fought the Fourth Raikage, he knew full well that anyone who inherited the Third Raikage's Lightning Release Chakra Mode possessed extraordinary power.
Yet now he was on the verge of death!
Who could have beaten him to this state?
Instinctively, Ōnoki looked up toward the direction the Fourth Raikage had come flying from.
However, at that very moment, a playful voice sounded from directly behind him:
"What are you looking for?"
Hearing the voice behind him, Ōnoki's heart jolted again—he was utterly shocked.
He whipped around and saw an extremely young face staring at him with a half-smile.
"You brat—when did you…?"
Calmly, Ōnoki raised his left hand, palm facing the incoming Fourth Raikage. He activated the Light-Weight Rock Technique, suspending the man in midair and holding him in place.
At the same time, his gaze remained wary and full of uncertainty as he stared at Oborotsuki.
"Old man, what did you just say you were going to do?"
Oborotsuki questioned Ōnoki.
"…What an impolite little brat!"
"This old man is the Third Tsuchikage of Iwagakure—"
"I know who you are. There's no need to introduce yourself. What I'm asking is—what did you just say you were going to do?"
Oborotsuki asked again.
On the ground, seeing this scene, Terumī Mei felt greatly relieved.
"Oborotsuki…"
"This guy was planning to destroy Kirigakure!"
"Leave this place to you. I'll take them to support the other areas!"
Terumī Mei shouted to Oborotsuki, then turned and led the other subordinates to reinforce the regions under attack.
Hearing this, Oborotsuki followed the direction Terumī Mei and the others were heading and looked into the distance.
An ominous feeling rose in his heart.
He had already sensed Zetsu's chakra signature moving around the village.
It was obvious—Akatsuki had arrived.
But the Kage and elite forces of these villages were already blood-mad and blinded by greed. No matter what he said now, they wouldn't listen.
Oborotsuki couldn't leave yet. He had to deal with them first before he could handle Akatsuki's people.
"You said you were going to kill my woman, right?"
Oborotsuki withdrew his gaze and looked at Ōnoki.
Ōnoki's expression was extremely grave. He kept flickering his eyes, carefully sizing up Oborotsuki.
At this moment, hearing Oborotsuki question him again, he answered with a question instead:
"Brat, were you the one who beat the Fourth Raikage into this state?"
Though he already had the answer in his heart, the unprecedentedly dangerous aura emanating from the young man before him made Ōnoki want personal confirmation—he wanted to hear the other party admit it himself.
"Old man, you sure talk a lot."
"You're old enough to take responsibility for the words that come out of your mouth."
"Take this!"
Oborotsuki drew the Decapitation Greatsword and swung it straight toward Ōnoki.
Facing the lightning-fast slash of the Decapitation Greatsword, Ōnoki's pupils contracted sharply—but his hands moved without hesitation.
"Earth Release: Rock Splitting Palm!"
His arms rapidly turned to stone. At the last possible moment, he pressed both stone palms together and caught Oborotsuki's blade in a bare-handed block.
This empty-hand blade-catching technique was more than sufficient against ordinary kenjutsu users.
However, Ōnoki never imagined that Oborotsuki's Decapitation Greatsword was no ordinary weapon.
When attacking, it automatically released blue Divine Fire.
At this moment, three trails of Divine Fire shot out along with the blade wave, instantly striking Ōnoki's body.
"Uwaah…"
Caught completely off guard, Ōnoki was smashed backward by the ferocious force, coughing up blood as he flew.
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