Flying up to the same height as the Susanoo, Ōnoki aimed his Dust Release at Isamu and Senba.
"You killed so many of my Iwagakure Ninja. Today, you will pay for it with blood. Die!"
With a furious glare, Ōnoki unleashed Dust Release directly at the father and son.
"Father!"
Seeing the white cubic Dust Release racing toward them while his father remained motionless, Senba couldn't help but shout.
Stepping in front of Senba, Isamu slowly raised his right hand. At that moment, his eyes shifted from the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan to the Rinnegan.
The instant the Dust Release touched him, it was completely absorbed.
This was one of the Rinnegan's abilities—the power to absorb all ninjutsu except taijutsu. It was an absurd ability, one that rendered most ninjutsu specialists completely helpless.
"Nani!? How is that possible!?"
Watching his Dust Release vanish without effect, Ōnoki froze in disbelief. He had imagined countless ways it might be blocked, but never that it would simply be absorbed.
Senba's eyes widened as well. Such a terrifying Kekkei Tōta had been neutralized so effortlessly. His father was truly monstrous.
"Nothing is impossible," Isamu said calmly. "Ever since I attacked Iwagakure years ago, there has never been any possibility of you standing against me. Your strength may have reached its peak over the years, but I haven't been standing still either."
He lifted his chin slightly, looking down at Ōnoki with complete confidence.
"Damn it! I refuse to believe I can't defeat you! Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique—!"
"Your struggle is meaningless. Universal Pull."
Before Ōnoki could complete the technique, a powerful force yanked him forward. In an instant, he was dragged directly in front of Isamu, who seized him by the throat.
"T-This power… You…!"
With his neck gripped, Ōnoki could barely speak. Staring into Isamu's Nine-Tomoe Rinnegan, he felt genuine fear.
"Is this pointless battle really worth continuing, Ōnoki?" Isamu asked coldly. "More than five thousand people are already dead. Do you truly intend to sacrifice even more?"
As he spoke, Isamu dispelled the Complete Body Susanoo. He and Senba descended to the ground while he continued holding Ōnoki by the throat.
"Lord Tsuchikage!"
"Lord Tsuchikage!"
The surrounding Iwagakure Ninja panicked at the sight of their leader being captured. Yet none dared to charge forward.
"Ōnoki, look around you."
When Ōnoki refused to answer, Isamu forcibly turned his head toward the battlefield.
Corpses littered the ground.
"This battle was unwinnable from the beginning," Isamu said. "Continuing it will only create more victims. Is this really what you wanted?"
Looking at the fallen Ninja, conflict flashed across Ōnoki's face. Yet he still glared fiercely at Isamu.
"They died because of you! To fall against a powerful enemy is an honor. I am proud of them!"
"You stubborn old fool!"
Isamu threw Ōnoki to the ground and planted his foot firmly on his face.
Crunch.
He ground his heel back and forth without mercy.
"The Ninja World remains trapped in endless conflict because of leaders like you. If people showed even a little more tolerance and compassion, countless tragedies could be avoided."
His foot pressed harder.
"The older your generation gets, the more stubborn you become. Just looking at you is irritating."
"Damn you…!"
Humiliated before the entire army, Ōnoki trembled with rage.
"If I ever get the chance, I swear I'll kill you!"
"A chance?" Isamu scoffed. "Do you really think you'll ever have one? The strong don't concern themselves with the weak. If you knew you'd end up like this, maybe you should have trained harder when you were younger. It's far too late now."
"Lord Tsuchikage!"
A Jonin who closely resembled Ōnoki finally rushed forward, unable to endure the humiliation any longer.
Looking at the man, Isamu felt a sense of familiarity but didn't dwell on it.
With a casual kick, he sent Ōnoki flying toward the newcomer.
"If you want him, take him."
What Isamu didn't know was that this very kick would leave Ōnoki with chronic back problems for years to come, permanently reducing a significant portion of his combat effectiveness.
"Father, are you alright?"
The Jonin caught Ōnoki and quickly checked on him.
Father?
Realization dawned on Isamu.
So that's Kitsuchi. No wonder he looked familiar. He's the one who helped restrain the Ten-Tails during the Fourth Great Ninja War.
"Kitsuchi, I'm fine," Ōnoki said through gritted teeth. "Take everyone and retreat. We cannot defeat Uchiha Isamu. Withdraw immediately!"
Despite his hatred, he had not lost his judgment. Facing an opponent like Isamu, victory was impossible.
Holding his aching lower back, Ōnoki slowly stood and glared at Isamu.
"Uchiha Isamu, I admit defeat this time. But remember this well—one day, I will repay every bit of humiliation that you and your son have inflicted upon me."
Isamu naturally understood what he meant.
Ōnoki was planning to outlive him.
Unfortunately for him, that strategy was doomed to fail.
"Heh."
Isamu chuckled.
"I'll be waiting, Ōnoki."
"Hmph! Retreat!"
With a final snort, Ōnoki led the surviving Iwagakure Ninja away.
As the army withdrew, Senba turned to his father.
"Father, are we really just letting them go? They're enemies of Konoha. Why not eliminate them once and for all?"
As he spoke, he made a throat-cutting gesture.
"Why should I?"
Isamu shook his head.
"If I wanted them dead, it would only take a moment. But I'm tired of war. The conflicts between the great villages do nothing except destroy families and leave more children without parents."
His gaze drifted toward the retreating army.
"Winning a war for Konoha isn't something I particularly care about anymore."
"I see…" Senba murmured.
At that moment, he realized that his father felt very differently about Konoha than he did.
Senba had grown up in the village. It was his home, and naturally he felt attached to it.
But Isamu was different.
After everything he had experienced, especially during the last great war, his attachment to Konoha had long since faded.
For him, Konoha was simply a place.
Nothing more.
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