Pulling his wandering thoughts back, Zou Hyuga turned his attention to the battlefield again.
After the Shadow Guard members were defeated, Ōnoki waved his subordinates back, then slowly rose into the sky, his gaze fixed on Hiruko with deep wariness.
Without a doubt, after seeing Hiruko wield multiple kekkei genkai, Ōnoki abandoned his contempt and regarded him as an opponent on his own level.
To show that respect, Ōnoki hovered in the air and cupped his hands around an empty space.
Dust Release chakra gradually formed a dazzling cube, then stretched into a long, square beam that shot toward Hiruko, who stood motionless on the ground.
Whoosh!
As the beam sliced through the air, Hiruko seemed to sense its murderous intent. His eyes cleared, and with the speed boost provided by Swift Release, he easily dodged the Dust Release attack.
Then he looked up at Ōnoki and sneered, "So this is all the Tsuchikage amounts to."
Ōnoki said nothing. He steered the beam after Hiruko, carving trenches wherever it passed as Dust Release annihilated stone and earth alike.
Despite darting from side to side, Hiruko ultimately failed to evade the Dust Release attack. The light engulfed part of his body.
Yet Dust Release, which annihilated everything, seemed to lose its effect on Hiruko. With his palm extended, he strained to absorb the chakra within it, indirectly weakening its power.
Seeing this, Ōnoki's expression darkened as he hovered overhead. His enemy had already displayed five different kekkei genkai, each honed to a proficient level.
Where had this monstrous ninja come from, and what was his purpose in entering the Land of Earth?
In the distance, Zou Hyuga gradually furrowed his brow as well. He studied Hiruko's palm in puzzlement. The release technique Hiruko used to resist Dust Release bore a striking