When Ōnoki saw what his Anbu were doing, his fury only deepened. He shouted with all the strength he had left,

"Go get Roshi That boy wiped out tens of thousands of our Rock Ninjas—you're no match for him!"

The surrounding Anbu froze in shock. Their heartbeats quickened, expressions twisting in disbelief.

They had believed the Third Raikage had fallen due to exhaustion, based on the reports from the front lines earlier that morning. The narrative was clear—the Tsuchikage had emerged victorious. But now?

Ōnoki had just admitted that this lone masked individual had annihilated an entire Iwa force—tens of thousands strong.

Even the most ruthless slaughter couldn't make ten thousand elite shinobi vanish in a single day. What was he, some kind of butcher?

They wanted to dismiss Ōnoki's claim as delusion, but one look at the state of his battered body reminded them just how serious this was. The Tsuchikage's decades of reputation didn't allow for lies.

Whoosh!

One of the Anbu snapped out of it and vanished in a blur, dashing off to summon backup.

He knew better than to question orders at a time like this. Whether the story was real or not, anyone capable of bringing Ōnoki to his knees wasn't someone Anbu should face alone.

The remaining operatives turned their eyes back to Kaito. Their grip on their weapons remained tight—but sweat now ran down their palms.

Kaito gave a half-smile.

"So that's why I haven't seen your Jinchūriki yet, Ōnoki. Guess he was waiting for his cue."

His tone was light, mocking, completely unfazed by the possibility of reinforcements.

"By the way, what part of the Land of Earth is this again?" he asked, pointing toward one of the masked Anbu.

"This... This is ten miles inside the border of the Land of Earth. Just past here is one of our major encampments," one Anbu answered, trying to sound confident. "If you don't leave now, our full forces will arrive—and you won't escape alive!"

The tremble in his voice betrayed the threat. This was the man who had reportedly destroyed tens of thousands of shinobi. Speaking up at all took courage most wouldn't have had.

Kaito grinned.

"Right. So he was stationed here after all... the Jinchūriki on house watch duty."

The threat didn't faze him. If the so-called human wave tactic actually worked on him, then he wouldn't have wiped out Iwa's main force earlier.

He became pensive for a moment.

The Kannabi Bridge incident should be coming up soon. Will Obito give his Sharingan to Kakashi? Will Rin's death still drive him over the edge...?

Whoosh!

A sudden gust of wind interrupted his thoughts.

A figure landed with force in front of him, stirring up dust as he appeared.

He wore a purple robe, with wild red hair and a thick beard. The Anbu nearby instinctively relaxed just a little.

This was Roshi, the Four-Tails' Jinchūriki and Ōnoki's right hand.

Roshi's eyes swept over Kaito before settling on Ōnoki, who lay battered nearby.

"Hmph. I've never seen you in such a sorry state, Ōnoki."

The surrounding Anbu turned away, pretending not to hear. The political tension between Roshi and the Tsuchikage was no secret in Iwagakure. Their friction had existed for years.

"Cut the chatter," Ōnoki barked. "I'll support—you take the lead. We must take that kid down today."

"This brat didn't just kill our men—he's just a teen, but his power... If we don't deal with him now, Konoha will have another Senju Hashirama on its hands!"

Roshi frowned but didn't argue. He quickly pieced together what had happened. This masked boy was from Konoha, and had decimated Iwa's front lines single-handedly.

If they let him go, the future would be shaped by his power.

"So Konoha's blessed with yet another genius, huh?" Roshi muttered, stepping forward. "The world always seems to favor that village."

He narrowed his eyes.

"Too bad for you—I won't let you leave. And Ōnoki? You can forget supporting me. Stay back and try not to die. I'll handle him myself."

With that, Roshi leapt into the air, weaving hand seals with practiced speed.

"Lava Style: Scorching River Rock!"

Molten magma erupted from his mouth, glowing spheres of lava launching through the air toward Kaito.

The temperature in the area rose instantly. The sheer heat warped the air, shimmering with visible distortion.

Kaito's gaze remained steady. His hand glowed with a cold white light as he calmly raised it.

Just as he moved to respond—

"Earth Release: Core Rock Disruption!" Ōnoki called out from the side, panting heavily.

The ground beneath Kaito suddenly split apart, collapsing into a massive pit beneath him.

At the same time, Roshi's lava orbs descended, crashing directly into the pit.

"Did... did that do it?" one Anbu whispered.

Crack! Zap!

Suddenly, streaks of white lightning burst upward from the pit, racing toward the lava balls like guided missiles.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Each arrow of lightning struck its target mid-air, piercing the molten orbs and causing them to detonate prematurely. Screeching roars echoed across the battlefield, and a thick smell of sulfur filled the air.

Step. Step. Step.

Footsteps echoed from within the pit.

Kaito stepped out slowly, floating upward with his feet inches off the ground, suspended in midair. His eyes locked onto Roshi with quiet confidence.

"So... the Four-Tails' Jinchūriki shows up at last. Not impressed."

His tone was cold. "You alone? Not enough."

"He's not alone," Ōnoki growled, stepping forward to stand beside Roshi, his face pale but resolute.

Kaito smirked.

"You? You're half-dead. What kind of strength do you have left to show me?"

He lifted his gaze. "Still, it might be fun... Show me what the Third Tsuchikage and your Jinchūriki can do."

Then, his expression shifted slightly. He tilted his head and smiled faintly.

"Hmm? Looks like more friends are joining."

No sooner had he spoken than another group arrived—Iwagakure ANBU, accompanied by medical-nin. Their arrival brought a fresh breeze of chakra to the battlefield.

Leading them was a boy around sixteen years old—tall, composed, and dressed in deep red armor. Despite his age, he stood shoulder to shoulder with Ōnoki, exuding a calm, calculated presence.

---

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