Ōnoki Couldn't Hold Back Anymore

"Kurotsuchi, take Jingxin to get familiar with the place first." Ōnoki, his old face taut, gave Kurotsuchi his instructions before turning to Kitsuchi and saying, "You come with me."

As Ōnoki flew towards the Tsuchikage Office, a distance away from home, he ordered Kitsuchi, "Notify all high-ranking officials. I need to convene an important meeting."

Kitsuchi acknowledged the order and left.

Ōnoki quickly returned to his office, his figure drifting into the room.

The heavy stone door closed behind him, shutting out all external noise.

He walked to the stone table and picked up the brief registration form.

Ōnoki's gaze was locked onto the name Uchiha. The old man's fingers, gripping the paper, tightened unconsciously, his knuckles turning slightly white.

That surname itself was a mark of an era, a symbol of terrifying power.

Ōnoki closed his eyes, and the figure of that man seemed to reappear before him.

Madara Uchiha.

It was at the First Five Kage Summit, when he was merely the First Tsuchikage's guard.

Madara had simply stood there, the chakra emanating from him like tangible darkness, making it hard to breathe.

It was a terror that surpassed individual strength, akin to a natural disaster.

The Uchiha clan, born for battle, their Sharingan's genjutsu, insight, and copying...

Each ability was enough to make any ninja village covet them, and any opponent tremble.

Deep-seated apprehension, etched into his bones.

But now, an Uchiha orphan, a seven-year-old child, had voluntarily come to Iwagakure.

The old man opened his eyes, his gaze refocusing.

He slowly sat down and began to analyze, word by word, every sentence and every expression Jingxin had spoken today.

A calmness bordering on cold analysis, an accurate grasp of the situations in the major ninja villages, an attitude of neither subservience nor arrogance towards himself, the Tsuchikage...

Could this truly be the mind of a seven-year-old child?

Ōnoki subconsciously compared Jingxin to the rumors he remembered about Madara Uchiha's childhood.

Madara's arrogance and dominance were completely different from the composure and rationality Jingxin was currently displaying.

No, it wasn't just different.

Ōnoki keenly sensed that there was something more terrifying about Jingxin.

An absolute control over his own emotions and desires, a strategic, global perspective that transcended his age.

Madara's power was like a volcanic eruption, violent and unrestrained.

Jingxin's potential, however, was more like an undercurrent beneath the deep sea, seemingly calm but containing immeasurable energy.

More importantly, the Uchiha clan represented extreme love, yet easily fell into another extreme.

But Jingxin, his mindset, his rationality, did not possess the possibility of "falling."

"In terms of youth... he's probably even more outrageous than Madara..."

Ōnoki muttered to himself, his voice hoarse.

This conclusion sent a shiver down his own spine.

He bit down hard on his molars, his jawline tightening, trying to suppress the surging excitement in his chest.

Iwagakure, if it could truly possess its own, completely loyal Uchiha, a genius whose potential might even surpass Madara Uchiha...

What would that mean?

Iwagakure's strength would ascend to an unprecedented height.

The balance of the Five Great Nations would be completely shattered!

However, all of this depended on Jingxin's sincerity.

Ōnoki's gaze shifted down again, landing on the last line of the registration form: Chakra natures—Fire, Wind, Earth.

Fire, Wind, Earth.

Dust Release?!

The words exploded in Ōnoki's mind like thunder.

Dust Release, a Kekkei Tōta that surpassed Kekkei Genkai.

Formed by the fusion of Fire, Wind, and Earth chakra nature transformations, it was his signature ninjutsu that had allowed him to dominate the ninja world, and one of Iwagakure's most secret techniques.

An Uchiha, possessing the most basic, and most precious, innate attribute conditions for cultivating Dust Release.

All restraint, all rationality, shattered at this moment.

Ōnoki suddenly stood up from his stone chair, his hands gripping the edge of the table, trembling slightly from the excessive force.

"Heh heh... hah... hahahaha!"

Ōnoki raised his head, his wrinkled old face split into a grin that reached his ears, revealing two rows of stark white teeth.

"Kyoshin Uchiha." Ōnoki's laughter gradually subsided, yet the fanatical gleam in his eyes remained undiminished: "Good! This old man will take that gamble!"

Kitsuchi moved quickly.

The core high-ranking officials of Iwagakure gathered rapidly in the Tsuchikage Office.

The atmosphere was heavy.

Ōnoki got straight to the point: "Kyoshin Uchiha is in our village."

"Uchiha?!" Several gasps rang out, and the expressions of those present shifted drastically, a mix of wariness and fear intertwined.

Ōnoki gave a brief summary of Kyoshin's situation.

Upon hearing of those chakra attributes, the high-ranking officials breathed heavily, their reactions losing all composure.

"We must confirm his sincerity!" the head of the Intelligence Department said excitedly.

"If it is true, we must exhaust all resources to cultivate him!" the Minister of Education's eyes shone: "A loyal Uchiha genius carries immense significance."

The direction of the meeting was clear: prioritize confirming his loyalty, and once confirmed, he would be treated as a core strategic asset.

"His bloodline must be passed on, but we must be mindful of the method," one minister stated: "Everyone knows the reason why he couldn't be allowed to go to Kumogakure, based on his own speculations."

"In a few years, we shall manufacture an 'accidental' opportunity."

The group gave their tacit approval.

Subsequently, a covert observation plan was formulated.

Experts from the Interrogation and Intelligence Departments were dispatched in secret to conduct comprehensive observation and analysis without causing offense.

The testing began quietly.

Kyoshin's life at Ōnoki's residence was disciplined and diligent.

Daily training: shuriken, ninjutsu, and chakra refinement.

When his chakra was abundant, he would use Shadow Clones to cast Sharingan genjutsu upon himself, recreating scenes of terror.

Every time he faced his fear head-on and forcibly broke free, his willpower grew a fraction tougher, and the ocular power of his Sharingan advanced a step further.

He spent an immense amount of time on his training, almost never doing anything unnecessary.

All of this was recorded by the observers in the shadows.

A week later, all reports reached the same conclusion.

Kyoshin possessed a resilient mindset, clear goals, and a high degree of sincerity.

Ōnoki's doubts were completely dispelled, and he convened the high-level meeting once more.

The atmosphere was spirited.

"The observation period is over. Although there are very few reports available for analysis because he spends every day training, Kyoshin Uchiha is trustworthy." Ōnoki's words perked everyone up.

"Formulate a cultivation plan," the Minister of Education chimed in.

"Developing the Sharingan should not be rushed," another minister added: "We lack experience in that area."

"And there is the Dust Release," Ōnoki said slowly, and the conference room fell silent: "Do not forget his chakra attributes."

There was no need to elaborate on how important the Dust Release was to Iwagakure.

It would be no exaggeration to say that the successive Tsuchikage built their legacy upon the Dust Release.

However, due to the extreme difficulty of learning the Dust Release and the harsh prerequisites for study, to this day, Ōnoki was the only one in Iwagakure who had mastered it.

Judging by Kyoshin's level of effort and his rate of progress over this past week.

If Ōnoki were to teach him with care, then...

An Uchiha who could use the Dust Release?