The air was thick with shock and disbelief.
"Hey, no way… Deidara‑senpai, Ashveil… that guy Ashveil actually, with just one powerful move, destroyed the Earth Country?" Tobi stammered, lips trembling. His eyes wide, he could only watch the devastation around him.
Everywhere in his sight were ruins, the remnants of entire towns leveled by Ashveil's Conqueror's Haki‑infused attack.
Buildings lay in rubble, vegetation uprooted and smashed, and countless shinobi lay strewn across the ground, their agonized cries filling the air.
There was no doubt left: the entire Earth Country had been affected by the shockwave unleashed by Ashveil's overwhelming force.
"This is Ashveil's true strength," Tobi whispered, stunned.
"I never expected that even someone as powerful as Onoki was taken down by him," Deidara added, his voice heavy with disbelief as he approached Ashveil.
Tobi followed closely behind, both of them staring at the destruction in stunned silence.
Just then, from beneath the shattered remnants of rubble, a familiar figure stirred.
Onoki, once lying completely immobile, coughed violently and forced himself to his feet. His eyes, filled with unwavering determination, locked onto Ashveil.
Ashveil blinked in slight surprise.
"Onoki… your will is truly strong," Ashveil acknowledged, respect evident in his voice. "If we speak of fighting spirit, your resolve in this world is among the greatest."
Deidara's jaw dropped. Onoki was struggling to stand by sheer force of will.
"Onoki… damn it! That old immortal actually stood up again!" Deidara growled. "I didn't expect him to withstand something that powerful."
Even Tobi, shaken from earlier awe, stared in disbelief. Ashveil's attack rivaled the strongest Shinra Tensei the Six Paths of Pain could muster, yet Onoki somehow rose again. The man's stubborn heart was truly unbreakable.
Onoki steadied himself, looking toward Black Earth, who lay injured beside him. Pain and frustration etched his face.
"I never imagined that our Earth Country would fall to someone like you… Does this mean we old fools are no longer capable?" Onoki's voice wavered with age and exhaustion.
But before he could speak further, he staggered, then collapsed back to the ground with a thud.
Tobi's eyes went wide. "So he stood up purely with his willpower…"
"That's some insane determination!" Deidara muttered, awe and fear in his voice.
Ashveil approached the fallen Onoki with solemn respect. No matter the world, true strength demanded respect.
"It's unfortunate," Ashveil said calmly, voice devoid of malice. "But your opponent is me. You will not achieve victory here."
Onoki grit his teeth against the pain, his voice trembling but defiant.
"Akatsuki… this old man will never let you walk free."
"Go to hell!" Onoki growled.
Suddenly, a massive Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique blossomed around Onoki. The surrounding air churned violently as the explosive force of his jutsu erupted outward with hurricane‑level intensity.
Deidara and Tobi exchanged horrified glances.
"Is this ancient Onoki still releasing this technique? With such injuries? Is he some kind of demon?" Deidara's voice shook.
Tobi could only gape. He'd seen many formidable shinobi in his life, but never someone in such a battered state unleash such explosive power.
Even Ashveil allowed a faint smile of intrigue to touch his lips. He wanted to see just how long Onoki could sustain such resolve.
But then, as quickly as it began, Onoki collapsed again in a cloud of dust.
The massive jutsu vanished. The battlefield fell silent for a moment.
Deidara and Tobi were left with bewildered expressions.
They had expected Onoki to fight longer, to last against Ashveil's might. But the old man had given everything he had just to rise briefly.
Even Ashveil didn't predict Onoki would fall so definitively.
The realization dawned on both ninjas nearby, their shock deepening.
"Lord Onoki… the strongest Tsuchikage in history… fallen," one whispered in disbelief.
Ashveil paid no mind to their stunned reactions. "Deidara, take the Five‑Tails and leave."
As Deidara moved to obey, Ashveil's internal system chimed pleasantly.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for defeating the Five‑Tails. Reward received: 1000 Conqueror's Haki points, and Devil Fruit Ability unlocked: Ice‑Ice Fruit!"
Ashveil allowed a slight smirk to form as he considered the new ability.
Ice‑Ice Fruit… it reminded him of the freezing prowess of an individual from the Shinobi World, someone whose age was closer to Naruto's and Sasuke's yet whose strength far surpassed theirs. If not for plot protection, that person's power would be extraordinary.
To unlock this Devil Fruit ability at its peak potential would be a significant advantage in future missions, especially for capturing Tailed Beasts.
Ashveil reviewed his status briefly:
Host: Ashveil
Conqueror's Haki Points: 10000
Devil Fruit Abilities: Tremor‑Tremor Fruit (Extreme), Magma Ability (Extreme), Search Ability (Extreme), Glint‑Glint Fruit (Extreme), Ice‑Ice Fruit (Extreme)
Additional Fruits: Tanuki Fruit, three Artificial Devil Fruits, African Hyena Fruit
Skills: Flash Movement (100 meters), Conqueror's Haki Passive Shield, Shinra Tensei (Self‑created), Conqueror's Haki Fusion, Golden Conqueror's Haki, Overlord Color Domain
Items: Healing Potion, ham, hamburger, cola, red wine, turkey meat, salad…
Ashveil glanced toward Deidara and Tobi, who were still frozen in disbelief.
"What are you both waiting for? The short break is over. If we don't leave now, when will we?"
Only then did they begin to snap out of their stunned trance. Swallowing hard, they nodded in unison.
"But there are still some shinobi around," Deidara muttered. "They must have heard the explosions…"
"I'll handle them," Tobi said eagerly, excitement in his voice.
But just as he took two steps forward, Ashveil reached out and pulled him back gently.
"There's no need. Just follow and watch," Ashveil said calmly.
Ashveil strode forward, and the remaining ninjas of the Earth Country trembled at his approach.
"It's him… the one who defeated our Tsuchikage!"
"Fight! Fight him!" they cried, launching wave after wave of jutsu.
Ashveil didn't even glance at their attacks as he walked through them. Explosive tags detonated all around him, but Ashveil continued forward unscathed, protected by his hardened Conqueror's Haki and indomitable presence.
Boom after boom erupted, but within Ashveil's protective domain, Deidara and Tobi experienced a revelation — this was the raw power of a true powerhouse.
"Is this… Ashveil's strength?" Deidara murmured, voice trembling.
"Yes," Tobi agreed, awestruck.
Ashveil continued onward, his presence spreading outward and forcing one ninja after another to the ground, unable to withstand his overwhelming aura.
When he finally paused, Ashveil spoke to Deidara.
"The next destination is the Rain Hidden Village, so this part is yours."
Deidara swallowed hard, nodding as he summoned a giant clay bird. They mounted it and began their flight toward the Rain Hidden Village.
Far below, Foam, once a powerful shinobi from the Rain Hidden Village, sensed a disturbance and sprinted from his hidden refuge into the open.
He had long felt that something was off about his home, that it was increasingly under unseen influence, as if everyone, including the Rain Kage, had become mere puppets.
"I heard there's a mysterious force in the Rain Hidden Village," Foam muttered, staring at the sky. "Now I know it's true."
He braced himself, fear and determination in his eyes.