Ōnoki Fought to the Death

Obito watched the two charging towards him, a slight smile curving his lips behind his mask.

It's finally here.

The Fourth Raikage and the Third Tsuchikage were two of the strongest fighting forces in the Allied Shinobi Forces of this era. If it were the real Madara Uchiha, he might be excited and looking forward to a thrilling battle.

But Obito is not Madara.

He doesn't need to fight, he only needs to win.

All he needs is for the Eye of the Moon Plan to be successfully implemented.

So--

Ōnoki's Dust Release arrived first.

"Dust Release: Technique of Detachment of the Primitive World"

The cone-shaped barrier beam travels at speeds exceeding the limits of visual perception. This is the Kekkei Tōta, a power that Kekkei Genkai, fusing the three nature transformations of wind, earth, and fire to form a terrifying technique capable of disintegrating all matter into atoms.

Theoretically, it's an absolute hit; theoretically, it's an absolute destruction.

Obito did not dodge.

He didn't even move.

The beam of Dust Release passed through his body, through the trunk of the ancient cedar tree behind him, through all the trees, rocks, and ground within three hundred meters behind him, and finally disappeared into the distant horizon.

A cylindrical tunnel with a diameter of five meters appeared on the battlefield. Everything inside the tunnel—including the air—disappeared, leaving only an absolute vacuum.

But Obito was still standing there.

His body was intact, his black robe undamaged, not even the Kakuzu fluttered.

It was as if what had just passed through wasn't Dust Release, but merely an illusion.

"What?!" Ōnoki's pupils shrank dramatically.

He had over sixty years of combat experience and had seen thousands of Ninjutsu, but he had never seen anything like this—no, he had only heard of it. The Fourth Hokage's Flying Thunder God could be used to teleport away, and the Raikage's extreme speed could be used to dodge, but this person didn't even move!

He withstood the Dust Release head-on and emerged completely unharmed?!

"It's not over yet!"

A's roar rang out from Obito's left.

In his Lightning Armor Mode, the Fourth Raikage's speed surpassed the speed of sound. He appeared beside Obito, his right arm, crackling with violent lightning, sweeping across, aiming for Obito's neck.

"Double Lariat--!"

This time, Obito made a move.

It wasn't a dodge, nor a block; it was just a slight tilt of the head.

Ai's fist pierced through his skull.

Like passing through a fog, a shadow, a non-existent illusion, the terrifying kinetic energy and Lightning Release Chakra carried by the fist encountered no resistance, blasting directly backward—

Boom!

The ancient cedar tree, that thousand-year-old tree, was reduced to a shower of wood chips by Raikage's attack. The wood chips scattered like cannonballs, blasting dozens of deep craters into the surrounding ground.

But Obito remained standing in the same spot.

A's fist was still in the position of Obito's "head," but there was no contact between the two. Lightning flashed and passed through Obito's body, but caused no harm.

"What... what kind of technique is this?!" Ai retreated rapidly, landing next to Ōnoki, his face showing disbelief for the first time.

Ōnoki's expression was equally grim. "Space-Time Ninjutsu... but not teleportation. His body is still here, but it seems he's entered another spatial dimension..."

"Well analyzed."

Obito spoke. His voice, echoing through the mask, had a metallic quality. "But unfortunately, it's too slow."

He raised his right hand and pointed it at Ōnoki.

"The Banshō Ten'in"

Without Hand Seals or warning, a terrifying gravitational force instantly acted on Ōnoki. Tsuchikage felt his body lighten, and he was uncontrollably thrown towards Obito.

Earth Release: Added-Weight Rock Technique!

Ōnoki reacted extremely quickly, almost instinctively applying a state of super gravity to himself. His flight speed decreased sharply, but he continued to move, his feet carving two deep furrows in the ground.

"Dust Release: Technique of Detachment of the Primitive World"

This time it was a cylinder, covering a huge area, almost sealing off all of Obito's space to dodge.

Obito became intangible again.

The beam of Dust Release passed through his afterimage and shot into the distance. The Banshō Ten'in was also interrupted because the caster was "non-existent".

Ōnoki landed back on the ground, staggered a couple of steps, and grabbed onto a charred tree stump for support. A sharp pain shot through his old back—the sudden increase in weight and the pull of gravity had aggravated his old injury.

"Old man!" Ai rushed to his side.

"I'm fine..." Ōnoki gritted his teeth and straightened up, staring intently at Obito. "But there's something wrong with him. Space-Time Ninjutsu, gravity manipulation... these aren't Madara Uchiha's abilities. How could Pain's Rinnegan abilities be on him?"

"You're right."

Obito heard it. His single eye narrowed slightly behind his mask.

They saw right through me.

No, not completely, but Ōnoki's suspicions had already arisen. This old guy had lived too long and seen too much; he could detect the abnormality simply by looking at the fighting style.

We can't delay any longer.

We need to act quickly and decisively.

Obito his hands together in front of his chest, forming a hand seal.

It was a simple, basic hand seal, but everyone present felt it— the Chakra in the air was boiling, converging towards a certain point, where it was compressed, condensed, and underwent a qualitative change...

"Watch out!" Ōnoki roared.

But it was too late.

The sky darkened.

It wasn't a dark cloud, nor a shadow, but an object—a gigantic sphere so large it blocked out the sun—falling from outside the atmosphere, its friction with the air creating a fiery trail, like a hammer of divine punishment crashing down on the earth.

"The Tengai Shinsei..."

Ōnoki looked up at the ever-growing meteorite, his wrinkles appearing even deeper in the shadows.

He had seen this technique recorded before. It was one of Madara Uchiha's signature Ninjutsu, summoning meteors to destroy everything. However, the records indicated that it required the Complete Body Susanoo and that the preparation time was very long...

This person not only knows how, but also does it so effortlessly!

"Get out of the way!" Ai roared, activating his Lightning Release Armor and preparing to charge to the side.

But Ōnoki didn't move.

He looked behind him.

There, Kitsuchi and Kurotsuchi were leading the Iwagakure in a fierce battle against the Four-Tails, while Darui and Xi were holding back the Two-Tails and the Five-Tails. The other Jonin were struggling to hold on against the attacks of the Six-Tails, Seven-Tails, and Eight-Tails.

If he and Ai had dodged, where would the meteorite have hit?

Allied positions.

Those Jonin still fighting, those pillars of the village in the future, will be wiped out by this attack.

"Ah," Ōnoki's voice was unusually calm, "Take everyone and retreat."

"What?!" Ai turned his head sharply, "Old man, you—"

"Go to Konoha." Ōnoki interrupted him, his hands clasped together in front of his chest again, the light of his Dust Release shining brighter than ever before. "Tell Tsunade, tell Jiraiya, tell them everything that happened here. And the enemy is not something Konoha can control. We must unite, the Shinobi World must truly unite."

"What the hell are you talking about!" A grabbed Ōnoki's shoulder. "If we're going, we're going together! Dust Release can disintegrate this thing, we'll go together—"

"I can't decompose it all," Ōnoki said with a wry smile. "The size of this meteorite... I don't have enough Chakra. But I might be able to decompose half of it. The rest is up to you."

Ai was stunned.

He looked into Ōnoki's eyes, and in those aged eyes there was no fear, no hesitation, only determination.

Just like the look in Mifune's eyes when he charged towards Four-Tails.

Like the gaze of those samurai who knew they were doomed, yet still stood in front of the Tailed Beast.

"You..." Ai's voice choked.

"Go!" Ōnoki pushed him aside, his entire body floating up to face the falling meteorite. "This is an order! An order from the front-line commander!"

Ai clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms, and blood dripped from between her fingers.

Then he turned around and roared with all the strength he had left:

"All troops—retreat! Retreat towards Konoha —!!!"

The sound was like thunder, echoing throughout the battlefield.

All the ninjas still fighting heard it. They looked up and saw the meteorite that blotted out the sky, and a small figure floating in the air, radiating white Dust Release light.

At that moment, everyone understood.

"Lord Tsuchikage--!" Kurotsuchi's cries rang out.

"Go!" Kitsuchi Tu grabbed his daughter, his eyes bloodshot, and retreated rapidly. "Execute the order! Everyone, retreat!"

The Cloud Village and Iwagakure Jonin to retreat, fending off the Tailed Beast's pursuit while attempting to break through towards Konoha. Their faces were streaked with tears, anger, and resentment, but they did not hesitate.

Because that was a retreat order that the Tsuchikage obtained at the cost of his life.

Ōnoki looked down at the retreating Allied forces and a smile appeared on his lips.

That's good.

The future of Iwagakure, the future of Cloud Village, the remaining samurai of the Land of Iron... and Konoha, Sand Village, Mist Village. This war has only just begun; they still have a chance.

As long as there are still people alive.

He looked up; the meteorite was already close at hand. The immense wind pressure made his white hair dance wildly, and the white light of Dust Release flickered intensely at his fingertips.

"Technique of Boundary Detachment..."

It was neither a cone nor a cylinder, but a cube of the largest possible size. The white light spread out from it, forming a huge cubic barrier with sides of 100 meters, heading towards the meteorite.

Touch.

Break down.

The tip of the meteorite disappeared silently in the light of the Dust Release, turning into the most basic molecules and dissipating into the air. But the meteorite was too big, with a diameter of over three hundred meters, and the cubic Dust Release could only cover one-third of it.

The white light is fading.

Ōnoki's Chakra was being rapidly depleted. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his body trembled from the strain, but his hands remained steady, and the Hand Seals remained intact.

Hold on a little longer.

Let's break it down a bit more.

Make the rest smaller, and smaller still...

Earth Release: Ultra-Light-Weight Rock Technique!

The last of his Chakra was applied to the remaining parts of the meteorite. Not to attack, but to reduce its weight and slow its speed, buying even a second of time for the retreating Allied forces below.

The white light went out completely.

Ōnoki fell from the sky.

The remaining portion of the meteorite—still a massive object with a diameter of hundreds of meters—continued its descent, but due to its reduced weight and slower speed, it was no longer capable of causing a devastating impact.

Ai's figure soared into the sky at the last moment.

His Lightning Release Armor burned to its limit, and his entire right arm cracked due to the excessive strain, the blood evaporating into red mist in the lightning.

"Hell Stab - One-Finger Nukite --!!!"

The strongest spear pierces the final meteorite.

There was no sound at the moment of impact.

Because the sound was drowned out by a much larger energy explosion.

The meteorite exploded—not shattered, but shattered. The massive rock mass split into hundreds of fragments of varying sizes, raining down on the earth like a storm. Each piece could kill a ninja, but compared to the intact meteorite, this was a world of difference.

Ai was sent flying from the center of the explosion, crashing heavily into the ground and leaving a 30-meter-long trench. His right arm hung limply, with at least three bones broken, Lightning Release Armor completely extinguished.

But he is still alive.

The coalition forces are still alive.

The torrential rain of gravel caused casualties, but most of the Jonin managed to dodge or defend themselves. They continued their retreat, rushing headlong towards Konoha without looking back.

Because if you look back, you'll see something you don't want to see.

Ōnoki lay on the scorched earth, his chest rising and falling slightly. His Chakra was exhausted, his internal organs were bleeding profusely from overexertion, and his vision was beginning to blur.

But he heard it.

I heard the rumble of rubble hitting the ground, the sound of ninjas retreating, and the roars of the Tailed Beast fading into the distance.

That's enough.

Footsteps.

The footsteps weren't those of retreating soldiers; they were those of approaching soldiers.

Ōnoki struggled to open his eyes, and in his blurry vision, a figure in a red cloud and black robe crouched down.

It's wine, that messenger of war.

The man looked at him calmly through his eyes behind specially made lenses, without the mockery of a victor, without the fanaticism of a killer, only a... assessing calm.

"You are brave, Lord Tsuchikage," Sake said, her voice eerily gentle, "But bravery cannot change the outcome."

Ōnoki tried to say something, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Sake reached out, not to attack, but simply to gently brush across Ōnoki's forehead and close his eyes.

"Go to sleep," he said. "Your time is over."

Then he bent down and hoisted Ōnoki's body onto his shoulder.

Incredibly light. The strongest Tsuchikage, who ruled Iwagakure for decades, was nothing more than a withered old man's body after his death.

The wine turned and walked towards Obito.

Obito remained standing in the same spot, watching the direction in which the Allied Forces retreated, his eyes behind the mask thoughtful.

"Lord Madara," Sake bowed, "The remnants of the allied forces have retreated towards Konoha. Should we pursue them?"

Obito remained silent for a moment.

Then he shook his head.

"Give them three days." His voice regained its cold authority. "Three days to let them escape to Konoha, to let them gather their last strength, to let them huddle together for warmth in their despair."

He turned his head and looked at the wine bottle carrying the corpse on his shoulder.

"Then, I will be there to wipe out the last resistance of the Shinobi World..."

Jiu bowed his head. "Lord Madara is wise."

"You did a good job." Obito's gaze lingered on Sake's face for a moment. "Did you find Sasuke?"

"We have a lead," Jiu replied flawlessly. "He should be operating near the Land of Rice Fields, but he's very secretive. We need more time."

"As soon as possible." Obito turned and walked towards the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. "The Eye of the Moon Plan cannot afford any unforeseen circumstances."

"Yes."

Obito's figure merged into the Uzumaki and disappeared.

The six Jinchuriki followed the golem into the spatial passage one by one. Finally, the golem itself pried open space with its ten fingers, its massive body squeezing into the crack and disappearing.

On the battlefield, only Jiu remained.

And the corpse on his shoulder.

He stood there and waited for ten minutes.

It was confirmed that Obito had indeed left, that there was no one monitoring nearby, and that there were no living people on the battlefield except for corpses.

Then he put down Ōnoki's body and sat down cross-legged.

Byakugan, open.

Safety.

Neji —now we can call him by his real name.

Behind the lens, the veins around the pupils of those Byakugan bulged, and the gaze pierced through Ōnoki's corpse, penetrating the skin, muscles, and bones, reaching the deepest cellular structure.

He was observing.

Observe the body of Dust Release user, observe the backlash of Kekkei Tōta Limit on the user, and observe the structure of the Chakra pathways of a ninja who has mastered the fusion of wind, earth, and fire nature transformations.

This is valuable data.

Orochimaru would be interested.

Of course, Ōnoki's corpse itself is also a valuable resource. Dust Release Kekkei Tōta's Kekkei Tota can be extracted through Impure World Reincarnation.

But Neji did not act immediately.

He simply watched quietly, recorded quietly, and pondered quietly.

He had witnessed the entire battle. Obito's Hollowfication, the Rinnegan's power, the might of the Tengai Shinsei, Ōnoki's desperate act, A's explosive power, the Allied Forces' defeat...

Everything is proceeding according to plan.

No, not entirely according to plan. He hadn't expected Obito to directly use the Tengai Shinsei, nor had he expected Ōnoki to die such a heroic death.

But this doesn't affect the overall situation; in fact, it gives them enough time.

The Eye of the Moon Plan was underway, Obito's attention was entirely focused on Konoha and the Nine-Tails, and Zetsu was busy mobilizing the White Zetsu army. No one noticed what this "loyal subordinate" was doing.

No one noticed that when he was surveying the battlefield, he had left the same markings at seven key locations.

These markings will come in handy someday, at some crucial moment in the future.

Neji stood up and once again hoisted Ōnoki's body onto his shoulder.

Then he Hand Seals.

Flying Thunder God Technique.

It's not long-distance teleportation, just short-distance movement. The target is the entrance to the Sound Village Underground Base, a hidden canyon fissure.

Space distorted, and the figure vanished.

The battlefield fell completely silent.

Only scorched earth, bloodstains, dismembered bodies, and broken swords prove that a battle had just taken place here.

A war that lasted less than half an hour, yet completely changed the landscape of the Shinobi World.