"So—you chose to cooperate with Konoha?"
Ōnoki's cold gaze bore into Kyoichi, his will as unshakable as a mountain. Not a word of Kyoichi's argument had moved him. What he sought was not persuasion, but clarity: what connection did the Koeda Clan's betrayal have with Konoha? The clan itself was of little consequence—what mattered was what Konoha intended to gain by using them.
Of course, the most reliable method of investigation was to capture Kyoichi alive and hand him over to interrogation specialists, who could directly extract the truth from his mind.
But saying it was easy—doing it was another matter entirely.
The abilities Kyoichi had displayed just now were anything but ordinary. His Camouflage Concealment Technique could be countered thanks to Schist's sensory skills, but the Earth Spear—a high-level earth-style jutsu combining offense and defense—was another matter. Breaking through that hardened defense without killing Kyoichi outright… that would take incredible precision.
As for extracting intel from a corpse… it was extremely difficult, and there was no guarantee the information would even be usable.
Unless there was absolutely no choice, it was always best to take the target alive.
That was why Ōnoki had yet to strike, watching instead.
But in the brief moment he was occupied by Kyoichi, the Yellow Flash of Konoha had not once attacked him in coordination with the boy. Instead, the entire time… he had been moving the Koeda clansmen out of harm's way. Before long, the vast training ground was nearly emptied of people.
This change gave rise to a faint, unsettling thought in Ōnoki's mind.
Perhaps—this was the true purpose behind the Koeda Clan and the Yellow Flash's infiltration of Iwagakure?
"In the end, we had already decided to leave this village," Kyoichi answered glibly. "So tell me—what difference does it make who we cooperate with? As long as it means our Koeda Clan can escape alive, we'd strike a deal with demons themselves. All the more so with Konoha."
He had never expected to accomplish anything against the Third Tsuchikage.
All he needed was to buy time—until Minato had ferried every last clansman to safety. After that, escape would be simple.
"In that case…" Ōnoki's voice grew hard. "There is nothing more to discuss. Earth Release: Light-Weight and Heavy-Weight Technique!"
Ōnoki's decision was immediate.
The truth could be investigated later. What mattered now was killing this insolent brat—Koeda Kyoichi—who had dared betray his village.
His hands wove through seals, and in an instant he soared into the air like a great, many-colored bird.
Flight—one of the rarest abilities in the shinobi world. Across the Five Great Nations, only a handful could master it, and none more famous than the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, known as the "Two Scales." The technique, passed down from the Second Tsuchikage, made him a unique force in the world.
And yet, Ōnoki's most feared ability was not flight—but Dust Release, the lone kekkei tōta that surpassed bloodline limits themselves.
It was said that aside from Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, and his lifelong rival Uchiha Madara, no one had ever withstood the Dust Release created by the Second Tsuchikage. Even the Second Mizukage perished under its power—though his counterattack had dragged the Second Tsuchikage down with him, both dying in mutual destruction.
From that moment on, far-flung Iwagakure and Kirigakure became bitter enemies.
Back to the present—Ōnoki had carried Dust Release to new heights, defeating countless foes with it. Its reputation was unmatched, and within the shinobi world, few jutsu could even be spoken of in the same breath when it came to destructive force.
Only in recent years, as age weighed upon him, had Ōnoki wielded it less often. Kyoichi, still young, had never seen it unleashed with his own eyes.
Until now.
In midair, Ōnoki pressed his palms together, then slowly drew them apart. Between them formed a transparent cube of light. Even from a distance, Kyoichi felt a wave of annihilation unlike anything he had ever sensed.
Not even the Third Raikage had radiated such terror!
Not that this meant the Raikage was weaker—they were simply different forms of overwhelming power.
One thing was clear: Kyoichi's instincts screamed that he could not face this attack head-on. Not even the Earth Spear could withstand it.
"Earth Release: Earth-Flow Wall!"
With a clap of his hands, a towering wall of earth rose up before him.
The next instant—
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
A cataclysmic brilliance descended from the heavens. The wall crumbled as if it had never existed, the ground behind it vanishing into a gaping pit.
"Tsuchikage-sama! Underground!"
Schist shouted, hurling a shuriken to mark Kyoichi's chakra beneath the earth.
Of course Kyoichi had never expected such a basic earth-style defense to block Dust Release. Its purpose was only to delay, to obscure Ōnoki's vision, giving him the moment needed to slip underground with Earth Dragon Hiding Technique.
But with Schist's senses marking him, his position was revealed instantly. Another devastating pillar of light ripped through the soil and stone.
Even so—Kyoichi had refined his earth-style since awakening the Eye of God. His mastery of Earth Dragon Hiding was unmatched, his movements underground as swift as above, guided by intuition and chakra perception. Again, he evaded Dust Release by the narrowest of margins.
Yet the lesson was clear. He now understood, intimately, the terrifying might of Dust Release.
And though he could not "see through" its secrets, he realized why: it was a fusion of wind, earth, and fire—three chakra natures. His Eye of God only granted him mastery over earth. He lacked wind and fire altogether.
So of course Dust Release was beyond his comprehension.
Even so, he had gained much from facing Ōnoki… though now was not the time to reflect on it.
The moment he sensed the final chakra signature of his clansmen vanish—safely evacuated—he surged back to the surface of the now-empty training ground.
From above, Ōnoki caught sight of him immediately. With no hesitation, another transparent brilliance lanced down.
But just before it struck, a flash of yellow light tore across the battlefield—and Kyoichi was gone.
When the brilliance faded, all that remained was a massive crater gouged deep into the training ground of the Koeda Clan.