My Lord, Times Have Changed! / Let the Iwa Ninja Despair for Good

With a raised hand, a chakra membrane appeared in front of him. The Blue Shield Rays dissolved upon touching the membrane and were absorbed as chakra.

This is the enemy's artillery position; their ranged units are all here.

The Storm Release was just the prelude; more escape techniques followed immediately.

They were all collected by Uchiha Shingen.

The escape techniques below have become sparse, and the enemies have noticed this.

"It really is the Rinnegan?"

In the distance, Ōnoki, who was entangled with Rasa, frowned.

After Ōnoki went to the Land of Rain, Iwagakure reduced its actions against Rain Village.

His lower back was aching slightly. He was being very careful to maintain his condition, but this level of combat was still too much of a burden for someone his age.

I really don't want to get old...

Ōnoki was very disappointed.

He and Sarutobi Hiruzen were once legendary figures on the battlefield and had clashed many times.

They also became shadows of their respective villages around the same time.

Decades have passed, and they are no longer the same people they were back then.

As he sighed, Ōnoki suddenly saw Uchiha Shingen raise his hand to the Cloud Ninja below.

His brow twitched, but Ōnoki didn't speak immediately.

The next moment, the repulsive force swept across the array of Cloud Ninja, sending limbs and severed arms flying everywhere.

If a normal person were to take a direct hit from Shinra Tensei, their body would be completely destroyed – that would be the proper etiquette.

The combined long-range firepower of the Yanyun forces suddenly dropped sharply.

Uchiha Shingen flew to the other side and landed next to Rasa.

This guy kept trying to lure Ōnoki into using Dust Release with Sand Ninja Techniques, but Ōnoki wasn't falling for it.

After landing, Uchiha Shingen asked, "Lord Kazekage, what happened to your son?"

"He took a hit from Tailed Beast Ball." Rasa looked at Uchiha Shingen. "I don't know who it was, but they used Space-Time Ninjutsu to create a Tailed Beast Ball, which exploded right next to him. But that actually woke him up."

His tone didn't quite match the content of his words.

"I know that, it was the Fourth Mizukage who did it." Uchiha Shingen's tone was enthusiastic. "Don't worry, I have already defeated him and avenged your son."

"... Thank you!"

"You're welcome. It's my basic quality to go to great lengths for an ally."

Chapter Thirty-Four: My lord, times have changed!

After joking with Rasa, Uchiha Shingen looked at Ōnoki.

One look was enough to tell he wasn't planning on leaving.

In the original timeline, he risked his life to fight Uchiha Madara; in this timeline, he's risking his life to fight himself.

The chubby boy served as the Tsuchikage for decades, a life of military service. Today, he dies in Leaf Village, a fitting end to his life on the battlefield.

"Shingen, you killed Karatachi Yagura, didn't you?" Ōnoki said. "And you killed Mist Ninja too, didn't you?"

"Yes, this is the best ending for Yagura." Uchiha Shingen nodded. "He became the Mizukage as a war hero, and he died for the village as the Mizukage. That's good. Even though we were enemies, we can still understand each other in this respect."

"Only you Uchiha Clan would say something like that," Ōnoki laughed. "But killing me won't be so easy, you know. Leaf Village will have to pay a price."

"You are the Tsuchikage. Keeping you in Leaf Village, even if it comes at a price, is acceptable."

"In the end, you couldn't hold back anymore. It seems that what Uchiha Madara couldn't do back then, you're doing today." Ōnoki gritted his teeth. "Then, let's show the Uchiha Clan the backbone of Iwagakure!"

As he finished speaking, he pulled out a cube.

The "core" representing Dust Release was very stable within the square barrier, which shimmered with a faint fluorescence.

The next moment, it suddenly extended and slammed down like a Vajra staff.

[In this world, what's the point of talking about backbone, Ōnoki?]

With a wave of his hand, Uchiha Shingen's chakra membrane reappeared, swallowing a portion of the incoming Dust Release barrier.

Upon seeing the barrier destroyed, Ōnoki immediately activated his Dust Release Core to enter explosion mode.

To everyone's eyes, a bright white light erupted from where the three were, along with a shockwave from the explosion.

Once the dust settled, Uchiha Shingen remained motionless, the shockwaves that struck him blocked by a chakra membrane that seemed almost tangible.

The manifestation of the Six Paths of Rinnegan will vary depending on the user.

Taking the Preta Path as an example, Nagato, whose Nagato was always in a state of high output, would absorb the opponent's chakra into his body to replenish his own chakra.

Uchiha Madara forms a shield-shaped chakra defense layer in front of him, called the Blocking Technique Absorption Seal. This seal absorbs all ninjutsu, rendering them ineffective, and also blocks any secondary phenomena caused by the ninjutsu.

This technique was developed specifically for the initial state of the Preta Path. In its initial state, the Preta Path's weakness is its ineffectiveness against natural phenomena caused by ninjutsu.

Uchiha Shingen used a similar approach to Uchiha Madara.

While a membrane's defensive capabilities are not as strong as a shield, it can aid in perception, prevent the opponent from using underhanded tactics, and is quite effective at resisting non-piercing attacks such as shockwaves. In addition, a membrane has better shape-changing capabilities.

"Lord Tsuchikage, you seem somewhat familiar with the abilities of the Preta Path." Uchiha Shingen looked at him. "You didn't seem to be. Were you unwilling to tell the Cloud Village ninja? Lord Kazekage, what do you think?"

Rasa: "... I'll go somewhere else first."

He didn't really want to be with Uchiha Shingen; he felt completely unsafe.

He stepped onto a patch of sand, then nimbly flew away to help his men.

"This kind of provocation is pointless." Ōnoki's voice was cold as he ignored Rasa's departure.

The ground beneath Uchiha Shingen's feet suddenly rose.

Earth Release - Moving Earth Core.

The square earthen pillar lifted Uchiha Shingen into the sky, where several Dust Release secretly released by Ōnoki were already waiting.

However...

"Times have changed, Lord Tsuchikage."

The chakra membrane expanded, and before the Dust Release floating in the air could exert their power, they were dissolved, just like those Mist Ninja were within the blast radius of the Yasaka Magatama.

Throughout the long history of the Ninja World, ninja battles have always been extremely complex. Most of the various ninjutsu techniques are not very powerful, but rather emphasize a wide variety of styles, reflecting less of a contest of strength and more of a battle of wits.

The best representatives of this school of thought are Sarutobi Sasuke and his son Sarutobi Hiruzen.

But starting with Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, this era came to an end.

Strength overwhelmed skill.

The battles between ninjas evolved from various complex tactics into direct confrontations.

When someone is so powerful that you can't kill them, they can instantly heal, and they can easily change the terrain with a single move, making it impossible for you to withstand their attacks, then the traditional tactics really become meaningless.

After these two strongmen died and went offline, the Ninja World briefly returned to its former "prosperity," and the technical players enjoyed a temporary respite.

But once Nagato, this god-like goalkeeper, began to take center stage, the wheels of time were already unstoppable.

Karatachi Yagura, in an era without gods, was a first-rate master.

But it was really easy for Uchiha Shingen to kill him.

The intensity was measured when the whip struck – even without the Rinnegan Sharingan, Karatachi Yagura would have been doomed with just the Sharingan.

So he confidently used the Mizukage to divert the enemy's forces, sending away the vast majority of the Mist Ninja who had attacked in one fell swoop.

Now that he possesses the Rinnegan and can activate Sage Mode at any time, Uchiha Shingen is a true immortal. Without an opponent who excels in either Yang Release or Yin Release, he poses no threat whatsoever.

The Dust Release, developed by the Second Tsuchikage, is indeed unparalleled in destructive power in the current Ninja World, but its greatest, and perhaps only, nemesis is precisely the Rinnegan Preta Path.

The premise is not like Nagato, where there is no secondary development and only basic functionality.

"Does this belong to your Uchiha Clan era?"

Earth Release: Moving Earth Core had brought Uchiha Shingen and Ōnoki to the same height, allowing them to look directly into each other's eyes. Ōnoki could clearly see those eyes.

"It seems you'll be calling yourselves descendants of the Sage of Six Paths from now on. You're even more arrogant than Uchiha Madara!"

"You're wrong, Lord Tsuchikage. Strictly speaking, the vast majority of ninja clans are descendants of the Sage of Six Paths. Otherwise, where would they have gotten so many Yin Release and Yang Release techniques? Intermarriage began in the Ninshu era, and by the Warring States period, it was countless. It's just that their blood relationship with the Uchiha Clan and the Senju of the Forest is slightly closer." Uchiha Shingen's eyes held a hint of pity. "The so-called 'times have changed' means that battles between ninjas are no longer like they used to be. Tactics and such are completely irrelevant; strong ninjas no longer need them."

Although Ōnoki in the original timeline risked his life, his Dust Release was powerless once Uchiha Madara unleashed his Complete Body Susanoo.

Uchiha Madara's Complete Body Susanoo large that even Dust Release couldn't contain it.

At this moment, after absorbing the power of Dust Release, Uchiha Shingen's chakra membrane was still expanding.

Upon witnessing this, Ōnoki attempted to fly away. Facing those eyes, he never used the Clone Technique from the beginning—that would be a waste of his already limited chakra.

But like Karatachi Yagura, Ōnoki was too arrogant.

He shouldn't have appeared in Uchiha Shingen's line of sight, and he shouldn't have failed to keep his distance in time.

The current Uchiha Shingen is far stronger than him; in Uchiha Shingen's eyes, Ōnoki is no different from Karatachi Yagura.

But in Ōnoki's eyes, Uchiha Shingen and Nagato were quite different.

Times have changed. The era of ninjutsu is coming to an end, and the era of pure chakra warfare has begun.

Uchiha Shingen saw what Ōnoki was doing, but he was even faster than Ōnoki.

The Adamantine Sealing Chains was launched from Uchiha Shingen's left hand, moving even faster than Ōnoki's acceleration. It wrapped around Ōnoki in one swift motion, and in that instant, the Ōnoki membrane completely enveloped him.

In an instant, Ōnoki's chakra surged out like a tide, and the Super Light- Light-Weight Rock Technique he was performing was forcibly canceled due to the lack of chakra.

But Ōnoki discovered that he hadn't fallen. The chakra membrane was filled with chakra, and because it was so dense, it lifted him up and continued to draw chakra from him.

He doesn't need to refine it; this ninjutsu will forcibly extract chakra from his physical strength and then drain it away.

The same situation occurred when fighting Pain in the Land of Rain, but Pain didn't have this chakra membrane.

"This technique... Susanoo?!"

"No, I just borrowed the principle. As expected of you, you still have so much chakra at your age," Uchiha Shingen praised. "In that case, we can't let you go even more."

Despite his advanced Ōnoki, Onoki possessed more chakra than the average Jonin of this era.

"Shingen, you... want to wipe us out and dominate this Ninja World...?"

Having lost a large amount of chakra, Ōnoki was becoming increasingly weak. He never imagined that anyone other than Uchiha Madara could make him feel this way.

The despair and helplessness stem from the vast disparity.

So many years have passed, he had almost forgotten that feeling.

"Why should I do something so thankless?" Uchiha Shingen shook his head. "Lord Tsuchikage, you've misunderstood from the start. However, it's not your fault. The two villages will sign a new agreement. But today, for the sake of peace, please take your leave."

Uchiha Shingen pulled Ōnoki over with his left hand, while Kagutsuchi in his right hand had already condensed a flame sword.

It pierced Ōnoki's chest.

It even pierced through Ōnoki's heart.

The power of the Scorch Release technique instantly destroyed the Tsuchikage's heart.

The light of life was fading from Ōnoki's eyes, but before it faded, he kept looking at Uchiha Shingen.

Uchiha Shingen felt regret, but there was nothing he could do.

He wasn't a hot-blooded character, unlike Naruto Uzumaki from the original timeline or Gaara who awakened a great love, who could "recruit" the Tsuchikage with just words.

Besides, these people are already relics of the past. In terms of combat power, they are truly dispensable in the possible final battle. At that time, their only role will be to keep an eye on their respective villages so as not to hold them back and to help fight the White Zetsu army.

There's another way to prevent these villages from holding us back, besides using words.

Beat them until they behave, draw lots until they obey.

It may be rough, but it works.

Uchiha Shingen never doubted that the happy ending in the original timeline was just the beginning of another cycle.

Instead of acting like Uchiha Madara and simply hanging people on trees, adopting a hardcore "peace will naturally come when everyone is gone" approach, it's best to act with the idea of using limited violence to suppress Infinite violence.

Chapter Thirty-Five brought true despair to the Rock Ninja.