That was...
Ōnoki?
Kyohiko gazed into the distance.
This was his first proper look at Ōnoki.
The current Ōnoki wasn't as exaggeratedly short as he would be in later years—just slightly smaller than an average person. Standing atop a stone giant, he still carried an imposing aura.
The stone golem stood between the two sides.
Ōnoki suppressed his anger, doing his best to remain calm.
However...
As he looked into the distance and saw the fallen bodies of Iwagakure shinobi one after another, while Konoha's medical ninja tended to their own wounded, his heart found it difficult to stay composed.
"Jiraiya, does Konoha intend to declare war on Iwagakure?"
"Ōnoki, we weren't the ones who started this. Did you really think Iwagakure could walk away unscathed?"
Jiraiya's stance was firm.
Though he disliked war, he also believed Kyohiko had a point.
If peace was sought through compromise, the end result would only be a repeat of Sarutobi Hiruzen's story.
Hadn't he and Tsunade pushed Sarutobi Hiruzen aside precisely because they believed the old man's policies were harming Konoha?
They couldn't repeat those mistakes.
"Exactly, Ōnoki. Asano Yū has already paid the price for his own ambitions. As the instigators, you should pay as well!"
Mūi voiced his agreement.
Ōnoki glanced at Mūi, his mood worsening further.
Originally, he and Asano Yū had been cooperating smoothly—they had even agreed to jointly oppose Konoha. But then, unforeseen circumstances arose, leading to Asano Yū's death and Mūi's rise to power.
This Mūi was completely aligned with Konoha, putting them in an almost hostile position.
The most infuriating part was—
Konoha's way of doing things had changed far too drastically compared to before.
Especially Jiraiya.
As Sarutobi Hiruzen's student, Jiraiya had inherited his mentor's tendency for compromise and weakness. By Ōnoki's estimation, Jiraiya should have been more than happy to maintain a peaceful standoff between the two sides.
Precisely because of this, Ōnoki hadn't paid much attention to the situation at the border.
Who could have guessed that Jiraiya would disregard all principles of fair play and suddenly launch an attack on their border? And...
Were these people truly so useless?
They couldn't even guard a single bridge?
If Konoha was attacking, they should have just destroyed the bridge!
Ōnoki's mood darkened even further, and his tone couldn't possibly remain civil.
"So, Konoha wants to—"
"Tsuchikage-sama!"
Just as he was about to deliver a few harsh words, a shinobi below urgently called out to him. Soon after, one of them even climbed up from behind the stone golem.
Ōnoki paused briefly.
From behind, the voice spoke again.
"Tsuchikage-sama, they have a Wood Release user. They rebuilt the bridge."
What?
Ōnoki nearly lost his composure.
W-Wood Release?
He couldn't help but feel a surge of dread.
That was the First Hokage's Kekkei Genkai—a power that had once been invincible, creating a myth of unrivaled strength.
Konoha had another Wood Release user now?
Ōnoki desperately wanted to know the full situation, his heart pounding with unease. But at this moment, he couldn't afford to show weakness.
"If Konoha wants war, Iwagakure does not fear you."
Ōnoki pretended to be unafraid, but his words already placed him in a defensive stance.
If Konoha truly had Wood Release...
No!
If they had Wood Release on the same level as the First Hokage, Konoha would have already attacked, just like they did with Kusagakure.
Konoha wasn't that merciful.
Ōnoki's tone gradually grew firmer.
"When it comes to defense, Iwagakure fears no one in the world!"
"Oh? Then let's fight!"
Jiraiya didn't summon Gamabunta.
Against Particle Release, a massive target like Gamabunta would only be harder to maneuver, potentially putting the toad in danger. It was better to swarm the old man together.
No matter how strong Ōnoki was, he was still just one man.
Even if they had to deal with a jinchūriki, with Minato's sealing techniques and Kyohiko's Wood Release, subduing him wouldn't be too difficult.
The advantage was theirs!
Thinking of Kyohiko...
Jiraiya couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
If not for Kyohiko's mastery of Wood Release, given the forces they had, he wouldn't have had the confidence to challenge Ōnoki like this.
After all, Iwagakure had numbers on their side.
Ōnoki's anger flared, but the more heated he became, the more he needed to stay calm.
It was precisely this "Will of Stone" that had allowed him to lead Iwagakure to greater strength, step by step, to where they were now.
Konoha. Jiraiya.
Wait—
According to intel, Sunagakure had already entered the war. There was no way Jiraiya didn't know.
The more Ōnoki thought about it, the more something felt off.
A thin layer of sweat formed on his back as he stood atop the stone golem, trapped between advancing and retreating.
However, before Ōnoki could find a way to save face—
"Sensei, let's move."
Kyohiko whispered a reminder.
Jiraiya scratched his head. "Wouldn't that be bad? He looks like his brain just froze."
"That's exactly when we should ambush him!"
Kyohiko replied in a hushed tone.
Jiraiya fell silent.
This kid really had no respect for the rules of engagement!
But...
Ahem!
Ōnoki did say that Iwagakure feared no one when it came to defense.
In that case...
"You ready?"
"Yeah."
Kyohiko nodded.
Minato had already sent the signal back—his Wood Clone could be dispelled at any moment.
Jiraiya nodded, then glanced to the side.
"Minato?"
"Ready."
Minato gave a slight nod.
Jiraiya grinned.
"Then—"
"Attack!"
"Target: Ōnoki!"
With a sharp command, Jiraiya swiftly formed hand seals and clasped his hands together.
Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!
In the next moment, the ground beneath Ōnoki's stone golem transformed into a vast swamp.
The massive bog quickly swallowed the giant creature whole.
Ōnoki roared in fury, "Jiraiya! You dare ambush me?"
"Ambush? You just said you weren't afraid of Konoha—that means we're already at war! Or are you saying you don't want to fight anymore?"
Jiraiya retorted without a hint of guilt.
Ōnoki immediately used the Super Light-Weight Rock Technique to levitate in midair.
He really didn't want to fight anymore!
Jiraiya's confidence was too overwhelming, making him uneasy. He couldn't shake the feeling that this was a trap.
Almost simultaneously—
Minato hurled a kunai, grabbed Kyohiko, and vanished in an instant.
Ōnoki soared higher into the sky.
His sharp eyes discerned that Minato's teleportation relied on those special kunai.
So—
As long as he kept track of the kunai, evading shouldn't be too hard. He might even be able to obliterate Minato with Particle Release!
The sky was his domain.
That was what he had thought.
But the next moment, an overwhelming surge of chakra erupted from below.
That was—
His attention snapped downward, and he immediately realized the danger.
A diversion!
Ōnoki unleashed his chakra.
Particle Release: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu!
The conical technique enveloped the space where Minato had teleported, but Minato was faster than he anticipated—in the blink of an eye, he had already moved elsewhere.
At the same time—
Below, a water dragon roared.
Sage Art: Thunder Water Dragon Bullet!
The spiraling water dragon surged upward, crackling with terrifying lightning.
The other Iwagakure shinobi naturally wouldn't let Ōnoki fight alone.
Earth-Release Walls, Earth Pillars, and other techniques were rapidly deployed, clearly preparing for a battle of attrition. If it came to that, Konoha would be at a disadvantage.
But—
Konoha's target was only one—
Ōnoki!
High above, Ōnoki had just unleashed Particle Release. Seeing the terrifying power of Kyohiko's jutsu, he no longer dared to underestimate it.
Immediately, he released another Particle Release.
This one was even larger.
The conical barrier swallowed the electrified water dragon whole, reducing it to atoms.
And then—
BOOM!
A violent explosion sent shockwaves rippling outward.
Fortunately, Ōnoki's speed allowed him to stabilize himself midair. But the moment he steadied himself, Minato was already right in front of him.
Ōnoki's fist instantly hardened into stone.
At the same time—
Whoosh!
He teleported behind Minato.
The sky was his domain.
Earth Release: Ultra-Added-Weight Rock Technique!
However—
Before Minato's body could even begin to fall, it erupted in a dazzling burst of lightning.
Lightning Release: Shadow Clone!
Below, the real Minato grabbed Kyohiko and instantly teleported away, avoiding the barrage of explosive tags, kunai, and shuriken.
"Oof!"
Ōnoki took the full brunt of the explosion.
The lightning disrupted both his weight-increasing and light-weight techniques, throwing him off balance and sending him plummeting downward.
At the same time—
Below.
Fire Release: Flame Bullet!
Jiraiya instantly appeared, his shadow clone blocking the attack with an Earth Release technique while his true self formed hand seals and spat out toad oil combined with Fire Release.
Flames infused with toad oil shot upward, deliberately shaped by his control into a narrow, massive column of fire.
Ōnoki, furious, quickly stabilized his Super Light-Weight Rock Technique and gathered chakra.
"Jiraiya, do you really intend to fight to the end?"
If it came to that, he had his Particle Release: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu—he was confident he could make Konoha suffer heavy losses.
Jiraiya's expression turned grave.
This technique was no ordinary threat!
However...
The corner of his mouth curled slightly. "Ōnoki, go ahead and use it. Let's see which is faster—your technique or my people."
Behind him, numerous Konoha shinobi had already scattered, hiding among the trees and behind boulders.
Ōnoki looked up and saw only a single figure drawing a blade.
Konoha Style: Willow!
Ōnoki's vision blurred—suddenly, multiple figures leaped toward him, closing the distance in an instant.
Too fast!
Something's wrong!
Ōnoki immediately dispelled the genjutsu, only to find that one figure had indeed reached him.
To be precise—
It was a shadow clone.
Having been tricked once, how could he afford to underestimate them again?
Whoosh!
The blade slashed past him.
Incredibly fast!
Kyohiko marveled, though he didn't feel regret.
Because...
As Ōnoki twisted aside to dodge—
The next instant—
Flying Thunder God!
Minato appeared, slamming a Rasengan into Ōnoki's back.
Ōnoki reacted swiftly.
The moment he saw Minato, a stone arm sprouted from his back to shield him. But the Rasengan was simply too powerful—and...
This wasn't an ordinary Rasengan.
Flickers of lightning surged within it.
The vibrating Lightning Release chakra, though minimal, granted the Rasengan even greater piercing force.
BOOM!
Ōnoki plummeted toward the ground.
The next instant, the figure above vanished.
Below, Jiraiya's shadow clones worked in tandem with several others, covering the area with ninjutsu and secret techniques while the real bodies all retreated without hesitation.
As he fell, Ōnoki gritted his teeth against the pain and looked up—only to see several kunai flying toward him.
Clasping his hands together, he unleashed Particle Release once more, obliterating the kunai in a single strike.
Immediately after, his son, Kitsuchi, leaped up from below and caught him securely.
Ōnoki's forehead was drenched in cold sweat.
"Medics! Now! Medics!"
Kitsuchi shouted.
Soon, medics rushed over, carrying a stretcher.
Ōnoki shoved them away.
Suppressing his pain, he demanded, "What's the deal with the Wood Release?"
Treatment?
To hell with treatment!
If he didn't figure out Konoha's situation, he wouldn't sleep a wink tonight.
"Father, you can receive treatment while I have someone brief you."
Kitsuchi quickly reassured him.
Ōnoki clenched his jaw against the pain and fury, allowing himself to be placed on the stretcher as the medics worked.
Meanwhile, the shinobi who had fought at the Kannabi Bridge recounted the events.
Hearing this, Ōnoki finally exhaled in relief.
"He didn't participate in the battle?"
"No."
They all shook their heads.
Ōnoki relaxed.
If that was the case, Konoha's Wood Release user was still just for show—incapable of actual combat for now.
He'd been bluffed by Konoha.
Ōnoki snorted coldly. "Jiraiya played me well—using a fake to intimidate me, letting them slaughter so many of our men!"
He was livid.
If not for that idiot spreading false intel earlier, he wouldn't have been distracted and left so vulnerable!
Just as Ōnoki searched for the one who had spoken up—
"Ah—!"
"Tsuchikage-sama, what's wrong?"
"My—my back! It's seized up!"
Ōnoki's forehead beaded with sweat.
The medics gulped before their leader spoke up cautiously. "Tsuchikage-sama, the muscles and tendons in your lower back are strained. You'll need further treatment."
"Damn that Jiraiya!"
Ōnoki roared.
He knew all too well the weakness of his techniques.
The Light-Weight and Particle Release techniques were manageable, but the Added-Weight and Super Added-Weight techniques, combined with Stone Fist, placed immense strain on his lower back.
His back had never been in great shape to begin with.
And now—
That last hit had made it worse!
Damn it!
Suppressing his rage, he growled, "Can you fix it?"
"Y-yes! Of course!"
The four medics nodded frantically, not daring to say otherwise.
At that moment, an ANBU operative rushed over.
Upon arrival, he froze for a second.
"Tsuchikage-sama..."
"Spit it out!"
Ōnoki snapped.
The ANBU nodded, retrieving two scrolls from his waist and handing them over.
"Tsuchikage-sama, these contain critical intelligence gathered by our spies. They were rushed here overnight from the Land of Wind. The operatives were exposed—we suffered heavy losses."
Ōnoki's eyes lit up, and he tried to sit up—only for his back to crack painfully again.
Damn it!
Fury burned in his chest, but he had no choice but to let the medics continue their work.
Lying on the stretcher, he had Kitsuchi unseal the scrolls.
The first one...
"The Third Kazekage is dead?"
Ōnoki was stunned—horrified.
The Third Kazekage was younger than him, but his strength was formidable. With Magnet Release and Iron Sand techniques, few could rival him. Even if he couldn't win, he shouldn't have died.
How was this possible?
But aside from that line, there were no further details.
He moved to the next scroll.
"Konoha employed Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees, killing over a hundred Sunagakure shinobi. Ebizō also perished in this attack."
Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees?!
Ōnoki's pupils contracted.
Impossible!
He had just concluded that Konoha's Wood Release user was weak—likely incapable of combat.
And yet...
Sunagakure had suffered devastating losses to Wood Release.
If he hadn't received this intel...
Ōnoki broke out in a cold sweat.
Devious!
Absolutely devious!
Who the hell is running things in the Land of Grass?
Could Orochimaru be here too?
Ōnoki immediately propped himself up. "What about Orochimaru? Is he still at Kikyō Castle?"
"There's been no word of Orochimaru leaving."
"That's strange! If not him, then who else could be this cunning?"