Chapter 135: Ōnoki? Leave Him to Me

“Father, Konoha has succeeded again.” “No matter how many times I witness it, I have to admit my admiration for the creativity of Konoha’s shinobi! Such an immense Lightning Release technique—even the Kirigakure couldn’t pull it off… If that boy really invented this, then he reminds me of a truly terrifying enemy.” Senju Tobirama! Even in death, he remained a headache for every village. Ōnoki Remained Silent He stared into the distance for a long time, a trace of doubt creeping into his mind. Did Konoha really send out shinobi just to bombard the Kusa-nin? No… There had to be another reason. Ōnoki grew more cautious, sensing that he had overlooked something. As he pondered, Kanda Kyoichi formed hand seals in the distance. A terrifying tidal wave surged through the forest, extinguishing the remaining flames and washing away any traces of the corpses. Then, the Konoha shinobi withdrew. “This was a display of power,” Ōnoki thought, believing he had grasped part of Konoha’s intent—intimidation. The Kusa-nin had never been known for their unwavering loyalty. Today, they had aligned with Iwa simply because Iwa was stationed in the Land of Grass. But tomorrow? If Konoha proved stronger, they might just switch sides again. Just days ago, Konoha had already repelled them with jutsu, killing a significant number of both Iwa and Kusa-nin. So… If Konoha continued to exert pressure, the Kusa-nin might truly turn against him. After the Konoha forces left, Ōnoki silently approached with Akatsuchi, his expression unreadable. He could still sense the presence of surviving Kusa-nin in the area, among them the one organizing the remnants— Asano Nariki. Ōnoki became even more convinced of his suspicions. Even if the Kusa-nin didn’t outright betray them, they were unlikely to put in much effort from now on. They would likely maintain a neutral, passive stance rather than fully supporting Iwa. After all… No one could guarantee clear skies every day. The same lightning that had struck their shinobi today could easily rain down on Kusagakure tomorrow. And they could not withstand Konoha’s wrath. What a terrifying technique! He needed to find a countermeasure—fast. --- “Ōnoki Has Left” “After today, he definitely won’t trust the Kusagakure anymore. Not that it matters—those guys have zero credibility. Betrayal is just a matter of time.” Kyoichi walked back with the squad. Due to the unusual weather, only a small number of shinobi had been deployed. Most were stationed at the border, guarding against a possible counterattack from Ōnoki and his Iwa forces. After all… Who could say Ōnoki wouldn’t try to outmaneuver them? Instead of showing up here, he might just go straight for their main base. If they didn’t plan ahead, they’d suffer a heavy loss. Kyoichi wasn’t reckless. While intimidating the Grass ninja was one of his objectives, his primary goal was to draw attention away—to create a distraction for Namikaze Minato’s squad as they infiltrated enemy lines. This grand spectacle was more than enough to seize the focus of Ōnoki and the Kusa-nin alike. Even Hyūga Tō hadn’t been told the true purpose of this mission. Upon returning to camp, they quickly debriefed before dispersing. Only the Third Hokage and Kyoichi remained. They were waiting for Minato’s message. “Hokage-sama, in my opinion, there’s no need to wait so anxiously. You could’ve just called me after receiving the message. You should get some rest—” Kyoichi sighed. He didn’t want to sit around waiting. But the Third Hokage seemed particularly tense and insisted he stay. “Kyoichi, you must understand an old man’s mindset. Ever since my teacher passed away, I’ve only wanted to stabilize Konoha. Though I don’t seem to have made much progress, my nature is still to seek stability.” The Third let out a weary sigh. “Those twelve are the future pillars of Konoha!” “You know, compared to Ōnoki, you really do seem older.” Kyoichi couldn’t help but quip. Ōnoki was much older, yet it was the Third whose mentality had already aged. There was no way Minato’s squad would suffer any casualties. Obito hadn’t even gone on the mission, and Kyoichi had issued multiple directives to ensure their safety. There was no reason for concern. The Third sighed. “You don’t understand. I rarely gamble… but ever since you and Tsunade appeared, I find myself taking more and more risks.” “Well, I’m glad you’re getting used to it. High risk, high reward.” Kyoichi didn’t find it particularly noteworthy. The Third was too cautious, which was exactly why people kept outmaneuvering him. In a way… A noble man is easy to deceive. If Kyoichi hadn’t intervened, wouldn’t the Kusa-nin have continued leeching off Konoha? Since someone was going to exploit the situation… Why shouldn’t it be him? Kyoichi felt no shame. Of course… The Third didn’t know what was going through his mind. Right now, all his worries were focused on Minato’s squad. Just then, a chakra fluctuation appeared. A moment later— A familiar toad emerged on top of a Flying Thunder God kunai. Scanning the surroundings, it quickly locked onto Kyoichi. “Minato says he’s already in position near the Land of Earth’s border. He wants to know when you plan to launch the attack.” “Let me think…” Kyoichi calculated rapidly. Attacking immediately had its advantages. Searᴄh the NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. For example— In the rain, Ōnoki would be wary of their Lightning Release, keeping his attention on them. That would make it harder for him to notice the strike from behind. Moreover, the less time Minato’s squad spent in enemy territory, the lower their chances of being discovered. And the Kusa-nin were unlikely to interfere. Having considered everything— He made his decision. “Now.” “Ribbit?!” The toad, Kōsuke, blinked in surprise before immediately returning to Mount Myōboku to relay the message to Minato. “Hokage-sama, this time, you don’t need to fight personally. Just being there is enough.” Kyoichi explained. If the Third tried the same tactic again, Ōnoki wouldn’t hesitate to retaliate. Dust Release could disintegrate everything— Including lightning. If Ōnoki could neutralize the Third’s Lightning Release, they wouldn’t be able to direct the natural lightning at him. But if the Third held back, Ōnoki would have to keep a constant watch on him instead. That was far more effective. The Third, however, hesitated. “If I don’t fight, who will deal with Ōnoki?” “I will.” Kyoichi’s voice was firm. The Third frowned. Kyoichi, against Ōnoki… “Are you confident?” “To be honest, not really. But while I may not win, I can keep him occupied. Of course, if you have a better candidate, I’d much rather take out other Iwa shinobi instead.” Kyoichi wasn’t the type to chase difficult fights. And Ōnoki was as stubborn as he was powerful. The Third considered other options— Himself, Danzo, Maruboshi Kosuke. Danzo was immediately ruled out. That guy… Never reliable in critical moments. After some thought, the Third realized that aside from himself, Kyoichi was indeed the most capable of tying down Ōnoki. Still, he was reluctant. “I came to the frontlines specifically to deal with Ōnoki. Handing him over to you feels wrong.” “If that’s the only reason, then there’s no need to insist. I’m asking you to stay back not just because you’re the Hokage, nor out of some respect for the elderly. It’s because you’re the strongest Lightning Release user here.” Kyoichi sighed. Without the Third, there was no one else capable of guiding the natural lightning. Sure, Kyoichi could temporarily boost his Lightning Release by tapping into his Sealed Yin chakra and Bijuu chakra, but… That would be pointless. If the Third exhausted his chakra, he wouldn’t recover in time for later battles. “Also, I’d appreciate it if you sent someone to ensure the safety of those kids.” “You don’t need to tell me that.” The Third thought for a moment. “Maruboshi Kosuke will go. You know his capabilities.” “Alright.” Kyoichi had no objections. At this stage, Maruboshi Kosuke was still in his prime. His strength ranked among the top elite jōnin, and balancing combat while protecting a few kids wouldn’t be a problem for him. With the discussion settled, the Third Hokage immediately summoned all the shinobi. Most of them had assumed that after their operation against the Kusa-nin, there wouldn’t be another offensive against Iwa-nin so soon. But barely moments after their return, the Third called everyone together again. This time, he didn’t hold anything back. “A twelve-man elite squad has already infiltrated the rear of Iwagakure’s forces. Meanwhile, the eastern front is under immense pressure. That’s why we must end this quickly—” “The decisive battle is today!” His voice was resolute, stirring the troops. Meanwhile, Kyoichi arrived at Roshi’s sealed tent, summoning a massive Katsuyu clone with the Summoning Jutsu. Then… He absorbed a significant portion of Roshi’s energy to replenish his own. Without hesitation, he issued the next order— “Sealing team, prepare to open a gap in the seal. I need to extract his Tailed Beast chakra.” That’s right… Kyoichi was here to recharge using Roshi. Although he hadn’t been in direct combat for the past few days, he had consumed a considerable amount of Tailed Beast chakra while testing the Eight Trigrams Seal and its effects. “Kyoichi-sama, this…” "Don't worry. As long as I'm here, he won't be causing any trouble." Kyoichi didn’t see Roshi as a threat. Of course… He also didn’t believe that just because Roshi had listened to a few of his pep talks, he would obediently follow orders. That was precisely why he drained his physical and mental energy first. As the seal was loosened slightly, Tailed Beast chakra began seeping out. Roshi regained some energy— But almost instantly, that portion of chakra was also absorbed. "Ugh…" Roshi was speechless. It was humiliating, but he had to admit—this guy was maximizing the usefulness of a prisoner. Outside, the massive Katsuyu clone began dissolving into countless smaller slugs. He didn’t know what they were for, but they definitely weren’t just for wasting chakra. As for the Tailed Beast chakra that had been extracted from him? No doubt it would serve as Kyoichi’s energy source for pseudo-Tailed Beast transformations. …At least he had no real attachment to Iwagakure. Kyoichi continued absorbing Tailed Beast chakra until his Yin Seal was completely filled, unable to store any more. Only then, with some reluctance, did he stop. "Roshi, Son Goku—thanks." "I'll thank you the day you stop being so damn ruthless." Roshi sounded drained, both physically and emotionally. As soon as Kyoichi finished using him, he immediately sealed him back up, not even giving him a moment to recover his stamina or mental energy. "Heh…" Realizing that chances to "meet" Roshi would become increasingly rare, Kyoichi figured he should come up with a way to store even larger amounts of Tailed Beast chakra next time. "As a token of my appreciation, let me invite you to Konoha as a guest. We’re short on personnel here, so we can’t host you properly." With that, he had a Katsuyu clone swallow Roshi— And send him to Tsunade via Shikkotsu Forest.