Chapter 242: Dust Release vs. Wood Release!

As Ōnoki flew out, Shūichi nodded slightly to Kitsuchi before stepping outside and effortlessly taking to the air, catching up to the Tsuchikage.

When Ōnoki glanced back and saw him, his eyes widened in shock. "That's my technique!"

Shūichi chuckled. "The Light-Weight Rock Technique isn't particularly difficult. While it's not ideal for combat, it's quite handy for travel."

Ōnoki clenched his fists in frustration, his anger barely contained.

Meanwhile, Kitsuchi, who had rushed out of the house as well, looked up at Shūichi in stunned silence. Seeing him use the same technique as his father, Kitsuchi muttered to himself, "He defeated the Fourth Raikage with Lightning Release… Is he planning to use Earth Release now? No… Father's strongest ability is Dust Release."

"Could he possibly use that too?"

Kitsuchi's expression turned grim. He quickly created a clone to call for reinforcements while leaping onto the rooftops, following the two figures in the sky as they headed toward the outskirts of Iwagakure.

More and more Iwa-nin began to follow in pursuit.

Ōnoki increased his flying speed, and soon, the two had left the village behind.

---

Stopping mid-air, Shūichi looked back at the vast, barren Iwagakure. There wasn't a hint of greenery in sight. He couldn't help but laugh. "Tsuchikage-sama, this place is far too dry and lifeless. Without any greenery, it looks so dull and uninviting."

Having visited all five major ninja villages, Shūichi could somewhat understand why Konohagakure and the Land of Fire were frequently targeted.

The environments of the other four villages were simply... unappealing.

Kumogakure and Iwagakure were much the same, dominated by barren, rocky landscapes.

Sunagakure was the worst—living in a sea of sand.

Kirigakure had its greenery, but the oppressive humidity, small islands, and frequent typhoons made it far from ideal.

Konohagakure, on the other hand, was situated in a lush, resource-rich region with a pleasant climate.

If Shūichi were in their shoes, even he might covet such a place.

But now, his allegiance was firmly with Konoha.

Although Shūichi's words were spoken matter-of-factly, Ōnoki found them deeply insulting and responded with a cold snort. "Don't get too cocky, young man."

Shūichi shook his head and replied earnestly, "Tsuchikage-sama, I'm simply suggesting that planting some trees here would greatly improve the scenery."

Ōnoki frowned. "You're here because of the Land of Grass, aren't you?

"Konoha wants to annex Kusagakure, and the Land of Fire wants to absorb the Land of Grass. Neither I, Kirigakure, nor Kumogakure will allow it."

"You might have succeeded with your tricks against the Third Mizukage and the Fourth Raikage, but those won't work on me."

Shūichi smiled faintly and descended, landing gracefully on a towering rock pillar.

By now, Kitsuchi, Dongseki, and several dozen Iwa-nin had caught up.

(T/N: Dongseki a Random NPC, Ignore Him!)

"Third Tsuchikage-sama!" Dongseki called out loudly.

Ōnoki looked down and said sternly, "None of you are to interfere in this fight."

Given Shūichi's strength, Kitsuchi and the others would be of little help.

The young troublemaker before him possessed teleportation techniques on par with the Fourth Hokage and the Second Hokage.

Ōnoki knew all too well the consequences of facing such speed.

The Second Hokage had only perished because he stayed behind to cover his comrades, much like the Third Raikage, who allowed himself to be surrounded. Otherwise, neither would have fallen in such battles.

Even the Third Raikage's legendary speed was something Ōnoki knew he couldn't match if the man had chosen to flee.

In truth, it was less that the Iwa-nin had surrounded the Third Raikage and more that he had single-handedly held off tens of thousands of them.

---

Shūichi, hearing Ōnoki's declaration, smirked. "Tsuchikage-sama, you're truly as spirited as ever. Then allow this humble kid to witness the might of Dust Release!"

Ōnoki's gaze sharpened. "Watch closely!"

With that, Ōnoki clasped his hands together, forming a transparent, conical barrier that shot toward Shūichi with incredible speed, aiming to envelop him completely.

It was evident that Ōnoki had been preparing this technique beforehand, as it formed far faster than usual.

However, even this speed was far too slow for someone like Shūichi.

With a flash of lightning, Shūichi vanished, leaving only a faint trail of sparks behind.

When the Dust Release detonated, it disintegrated nothing but a segment of the rock pillar Shūichi had been standing on.

"Tsuchikage-sama, you're too slow. Is it your age catching up with you?"

Shūichi's voice came from behind Ōnoki.

Sweat beaded on the Tsuchikage's forehead as he soared through the air, rapidly forming hand seals to summon multiple Earth Release clones to surround himself.

Although Ōnoki held a significant advantage in aerial combat, that advantage was meaningless against Shūichi.

---

Suddenly, a burst of lightning illuminated the sky.

From the ground, Kitsuchi and the others watched in awe as streaks of lightning zipped through the air, shattering Ōnoki's clones one after another into fragments of stone.

"So fast!"

"Is that the Lightning Release Teleportation, like the Third Raikage's?"

The onlookers were filled with disbelief, their hearts racing with tension.

Shūichi's feats were too extraordinary to ignore.

---

In the sky, even as his clones were destroyed, Ōnoki quickly adapted. He descended from the air, slamming his hand onto the ground. Sharp stone pillars erupted densely around him, creating an intricate forest of jagged spikes.

To be honest, it had been a long time since Ōnoki had used such a basic Earth Release technique.

Clearly, this move was meant to restrict Shūichi's overwhelming speed.

However, Shūichi did not charge into the forest of stone pillars. Instead, he reappeared outside of it.

Surrounded by crackling lightning, he raised his hand, and a blue beam of light shot out.

Takemikazuchi's Lightning Beam!

The beam tore through the stone pillars, shattering them on impact. Tendrils of lightning branched outward like tree limbs, piercing and collapsing the remaining pillars in a destructive chain reaction.

Ōnoki narrowly avoided the devastatingly fast attack, his body swerving in midair with moments to spare.

At that moment, Shūichi lowered his hand, dispersing the Lightning Release, and said with a smile, "Tsuchikage-sama, I can also use Earth Release. Please, give me some pointers!"

The ground rumbled as he spoke, and a massive stone giant rose from the earth with a thunderous roar.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The earth quaked as the stone giant took colossal steps, marching toward Ōnoki.

Ōnoki quickly formed hand seals, and beneath him, another stone giant emerged from the ground, lifting him as it charged forward to meet the incoming threat.

The two titanic figures collided, fist against fist, with a deafening boom. Shockwaves rippled outward, sending shards of rock flying in all directions.

Ōnoki's expression shifted as he realized his giant's arm had been blown apart by the impact, while Shūichi's creation remained entirely unscathed.

Ōnoki immediately took to the skies again, but the next moment, his stone giant was obliterated by a powerful strike from Shūichi's.

Undeterred, Ōnoki landed atop Shūichi's giant and encased his right hand in rock before slamming it down in a mighty punch.

Rock Fist Technique!

CRACK!

The stone giant's head cracked under the blow but didn't shatter. What sent a chill down Ōnoki's spine, however, was the molten lava beginning to bubble up from within the cracks.

Lava Release!

Without hesitation, Ōnoki activated the Ultra-Added-Weight Rock Technique on himself. With his enhanced strength, he obliterated the giant's head, sending molten rock spraying in all directions as he leaped skyward.

But the lava giant was undeterred. Its head rapidly regenerated, this time sprouting two additional dragon heads.

The dragon heads opened their mouths and unleashed scorching beams of light at Ōnoki.

Flame Dragon Breath!

Seeing this, several Iwa-nin gasped in shock.

"It's Scorch Release!"

"He's combined Lava Release and Scorch Release perfectly!"

Kitsuchi and the others, who had seen Shūichi use both the lava giant and Scorch Release before, instantly recognized the move.

However, unlike last time, where Scorch Release merely coated the giant's exterior, the fusion was now seamless and undetectable.

"This guy… he's gotten so much stronger since last time!"

Watching Shūichi stand there nonchalantly, as though spectating his own fight, Kitsuchi couldn't stop cold sweat from dripping down his back.

---

Ōnoki dodged the Dragon Breath midair and quickly clasped his hands together. When he opened them, Dust Release emerged once more.

This time, the sluggishness of the lava giant worked to Ōnoki's advantage. The conical barrier of Dust Release easily enveloped the massive figure and then detonated, disintegrating the enormous creation entirely.

Shūichi watched calmly as the lava giant was erased from existence. He had to admit that the power of Dust Release was truly formidable.

Its weakness, however—or rather, Ōnoki's weakness—was the slow casting speed.

Against a fast opponent, it was almost impossible to land a direct hit unless allies could help restrict the target's movement.

Still, Dust Release was a technique akin to a snowball: its destructive power scaled endlessly with chakra. If someone like Hashirama Senju had wielded it, he could've easily blanketed a massive area, leaving no time for escape except for teleportation users.

---

Ōnoki landed back on the ground, slamming his hands down.

The ground around Shūichi cracked open, and four stone giants erupted from the earth simultaneously, their eight massive fists descending upon him in unison.

The next moment, however, Ōnoki and the surrounding Iwa-nin widened their eyes in disbelief.

Thick, sturdy vines burst forth from the ground, rapidly growing and coiling around the stone giants' arms like giant serpents. The crushing fists froze midair, unable to descend further.

"Wood Release!"

Ōnoki gritted his teeth, barely able to contain his shock.

"Wood Release… That's Wood Release!"

"The secret technique of the God of Shinobi!"

"He… he's actually mastered it!"

The Iwa-nin couldn't help but gulp nervously.

Around Shūichi, more vines emerged, wrapping around the stone giants. With immense force, the vines tore them apart, reducing the colossal constructs to rubble in a cacophony of destruction.

Amid the rising dust, Shūichi clasped his hands together.

Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!

In an instant, the earth split apart, and countless massive trees surged upward, their trunks thick and gnarled. The trees spread forward like dragons and serpents, forming an unstoppable green tide.

Under the stunned gazes of Kitsuchi and the other Iwa-nin, the wave of vegetation surged toward Ōnoki.

"Are we really not going to intervene, Kitsuchi?" Dongseki asked, his voice tense.

Kitsuchi's expression was grim, and he gritted his teeth as he shook his head.

---

Ōnoki soared into the sky, but massive tree vines whipped through the air, blocking his ascent.

More and more vines appeared, weaving into a dense net that restricted Ōnoki's movements, preventing him from breaking through to higher altitudes.

Within mere seconds of hesitation, Ōnoki found himself surrounded by an expansive forest.

Every towering tree in this massive woodland was his enemy, all converging toward him with relentless momentum.

Having witnessed Hashirama Senju's power in the past, Ōnoki knew all too well the terrifying might of Wood Release.

Without hesitation, Ōnoki clasped his hands together and opened them wide, unleashing a cylindrical barrier of pure energy.

Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!

Ōnoki spun his body, causing the cylindrical barrier to sweep in a wide arc.

In the next instant, all the trees within the barrier's path disintegrated into fine dust.

Centered around Ōnoki, four-fifths of the massive forest vanished in an instant, leaving only a dense field of jagged stumps behind.

However, after performing this technique, Ōnoki was left panting heavily, sweat streaming down his face.

"Impressive..."

Shūichi silently praised him, as if he were watching the same Ōnoki who once fought Uchiha Madara.

But...

Shūichi raised his hand, activating his Wood Release once more.

Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees!

In a flash, new trunks began to sprout from the tree stumps, growing rapidly.

"What?!"

Ōnoki was stunned, gritting his teeth as he prepared to gather his strength again.

Before he could act, massive flower buds began blooming atop the growing trees. As the petals opened, clouds of pollen spewed forth, saturating the air.

Ōnoki inhaled just a single breath before his body weakened, and he fell to his knees.

"Damn it... this bastard..."

He struggled to rise but was soon bound by tree branches that coiled around him, lifting him into the air.

The next moment, Shūichi stepped out from within a nearby tree trunk, a smile on his face.

"Tsuchikage-sama, you've lost."

Ōnoki gritted his teeth, attempting to resist.

Shūichi ignored him and instead turned his gaze toward the direction of Iwagakure.

"Tsuchikage-sama, wouldn't this jutsu look spectacular if unleashed upon Iwagakure?"

"The village is so barren and lifeless. Planting a few trees wouldn't hurt. I'm sure Kurotsuchi would love it."

Ōnoki's body stiffened as he struggled. "You insolent brat! You're threatening me!"

Shūichi nodded lightly. "Indeed, Tsuchikage-sama, I am threatening you."

"To be frank, if not for the presence of a more important enemy, and if not for Kurotsuchi, you would be as dead as the Third Mizukage by now."

"And as for Iwagakure—destroying it would be just another jutsu to me."

"But, you see, I'm a peace-loving person."

Ōnoki thought that was the most absurd statement he'd ever heard.

Yet, at the same time, he felt a deep sense of defeat.

This moment reminded him of his past encounter with Uchiha Madara, a time when he felt equally powerless.

However...

Looking at Shūichi's smiling face, Ōnoki roared, "You brat, I am not the same person I was back then!"

"Don't underestimate the power of the Tsuchikage!"

As his words fell, the branches binding Ōnoki suddenly shattered.

He had applied the Ultra-Added-Weight Rock Technique to himself.

Now free, Ōnoki's right arm became encased in rock, and he charged at Shūichi, delivering a powerful punch.

Shūichi raised an eyebrow and met the attack with a punch of his own.

BOOM!

The air exploded with force, debris scattering everywhere. Ōnoki's body was sent flying backward, slamming into a tree trunk before sliding to the ground.

Struggling to lift his head, Ōnoki looked at Shūichi in disbelief.

"Not bad strength," Shūichi commented, shaking his hand slightly. Then, in a flash, he used the Body Flicker Technique to appear beside Ōnoki and placed a complex sealing formula on him.

"Tsuchikage-sama, consider this a friendly warning."

"If Iwagakure insists on meddling in the affairs of the Land of Grass, I won't hesitate to start a war."

Shūichi's smile faded as he spoke coldly.

"I'm not the Third Raikage. Numbers mean nothing to me."

"Even ten thousand Iwa-nin would be dealt with in a single jutsu."

Ōnoki clenched his teeth so hard his gums bled, but he couldn't deny the truth of Shūichi's words.

After delivering his final warning, Shūichi suddenly smiled again.

"This concludes our exchange."

"Tsuchikage-sama, I'll be taking a portion of the Five-Tails' chakra."

"Remember today's lesson."

With that, Shūichi's body rapidly turned to wood, transforming into a massive tree.

Ōnoki froze in disbelief. "A Wood Clone?! That was a Wood Clone?!"

He had been defeated by a clone.

In that moment, an overwhelming sense of despair filled Ōnoki.

"That bastard... he's truly reached the level of the God of Shinobi from back then!"

"Facing someone like this alone... there's no chance of victory."

(End of Chapter)

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