Without a doubt, the Konoha Military Police Force member Ōnoki had just run into was none other than Uchiha Ryūjin.
Ryūjin had only just received the Flying Thunder God Technique as a sign-in reward and was still buzzing with excitement. Who could have guessed he'd suddenly collide with an intruder, and one who could fly at that?
"What the hell? He's airborne?"
Ryūjin froze. For ordinary ninja, flight was nearly impossible, something only a handful could manage across the entire Ninja World.
"Hovering in mid-air without any support… that's clearly Ōnoki's Ultra-Light-Weight Rock Technique… wait, that skinny frame and massive nose—damn, it's middle-aged Ōnoki!"
Recognition hit, and Ryūjin broke into a cold sweat.
"Are you kidding me? Konoha's at war with Iwagakure, and the Tsuchikage just shows up inside the Village—what's next?"
Even with the Rinnegan as his personal cheat, Ryūjin didn't dare underestimate Ōnoki.
"Thank heavens I just got Flying Thunder God. If I can't win, at least I can run…" He allowed himself a sly smirk at the thought of his new ability.
The smirk vanished in an instant. The moment he tried to teleport, panic struck—he hadn't marked a single Flying Thunder God seal yet. The technique could only jump to a pre-set location.
"Son of a—"
Ryūjin froze, but it wasn't over. He could still copy Minato's Flying Thunder God second step: slap a seal on a Kunai and hurl it far away.
As he reached for a Kunai, Ōnoki acted. With a flick of his wrist, multiple Kunai shot straight at him.
Shff-shff-shff!
The hiss of slicing air struck like blades, stealing his breath. A lethal blur flashed before his eyes. He couldn't track all the weapons—this was the raw power of a Kage, overwhelming, an absolute curb-stomp for a lowly Genin.
Every hair on his body stood on end, muscles taut, reflexes screaming. Any delay meant instant death. He abandoned the Kunai, striking the empty air instead.
"Shinra Tensei!"
A repulsive force burst outward.
Shff-shff-shff!
The three incoming Kunai were flung aside, clanging against the wall in a spray of sparks. Ōnoki's eyes widened—what was this technique? No hand seals, just raw invisible force?
"Asura Path!"
Before Ōnoki could recover, Ryūjin seized the opening and triggered the Rinnegan's Asura Path.
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!
Three missiles streaked toward him. The Asura Path required no cybernetic grafts; it was pure ocular power. Nagato had proven it, channeling chakra remotely through his Pain bodies, using Asura Path flawlessly with no modifications.
The missiles closed the distance. Ōnoki had never seen such weapons, yet he could feel the threat. He banked sharply to evade, only to realize the warheads tracked him. There was no escape. At this close range, they were already in his face.
"Earth Release: Rock Clone!"
Ōnoki clapped his palms, shaping clay into three stone duplicates. The missiles slammed into the clones, exploding in a blinding fireball. Shockwaves hurled Ōnoki like a cannonball into the wall.
"Impossible—Konoha has a monster like this? Who is he!"
Terror flashed across the Tsuchikage's face. A teenager had just routed him in seconds. This was Konoha's true depth.
"Where'd he go?"
When the dust cleared, the boy who had crushed him had vanished. Flying Thunder God was an S-rank space-time ninjutsu; no trace remained.
"I came to abduct Hiruzen, yet I can't even beat a Konoha kid?" Ōnoki muttered, composure cracking.
Shff-shff-shff!
Anbu operatives arrived, drawn by the echo of the blast, surrounding him.
Hiruzen Sarutobi flickered in using Body Flicker Technique, landing before Ōnoki.
"Ōnoki! You've got guts showing your face here!" Hiruzen snarled. He paused, seeing the battered, panting Tsuchikage.
Who in Konoha could have done this?