A hunched silhouette became visible through the thick mist.
Orochimaru's expression gradually stiffened—based on the outline, he had already guessed who it was.
"Ōnoki!!"
Tsunade was equally stunned.
The Uchihas stood frozen in place.
In the mist—
The figure approaching had sparse, white hair, an aged face, thick white eyebrows, and sharp eyes. His iconic garlic-shaped nose was impossible to miss, along with his neatly trimmed goatee.
The old man had both hands behind his back.
Though short in stature, the wrinkles on his face radiated a powerful presence—an overwhelming pressure like standing before an immovable mountain.
"Orochimaru, Tsunade?"
Ōnoki's gaze initially swept past those beside Uchiha Yu, his main focus clearly on Yu himself.
But upon spotting Orochimaru and Tsunade, Ōnoki's thick brows twitched, and his expression—typically as rigid as stone—turned rather odd.
"Heh… Lord Tsuchikage, I see Iwagakure's intelligence network is quite sharp!" Orochimaru responded with his trademark sly smile, clearly unbothered by Ōnoki's intense gaze.
"…"
Tsunade remained silent.
This Iwa deployment was clearly meant to counter Konoha. That they would act at this time didn't surprise her—what troubled her was the fact that Ōnoki had come to the battlefield in person.
This meant the old man from Iwagakure was extremely confident in his position.
"Hmph…"
A rare smile appeared on Ōnoki's aged face before he turned to Uchiha Yu, who stood between Orochimaru and Tsunade, and said in a teasing tone:
"Not long ago, Iwagakure received an intelligence scroll indicating Konoha's upper brass intended to eliminate the Uchiha clan, along with a separate cooperation scroll. At the time, this old man didn't believe it.
I didn't believe that Hiruzen Sarutobi, that old fool, could be so shortsighted as to sever one of his own limbs.
But after all the events that followed in Konoha—especially the Uchiha team defecting—I had no choice but to accept the truth.
Turns out Sarutobi really was that useless, lacking the courage and means to handle conflict between the village and its clans.
As for that intel—
Its source couldn't be traced.
But once your group defected and headed northwest in the direction of Iwagakure, I figured out who had likely sent it.
Impressive!
Young man…
This old man admires you!"
As he spoke, Ōnoki's eyes locked onto Uchiha Yu, filled with open admiration. It was clear he was speaking to Yu directly.
Everyone's eyes fell on Yu, their expressions complex.
Orochimaru already being an ally of their captain was shocking enough—now even the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki had some kind of connection with him?
"It was I who commissioned the ninja cats to deliver the intel and cooperation scroll to Iwagakure," Uchiha Yu responded calmly. "You showed no interest in an alliance, so the promise to gift a pair of three-tomoe Sharingan to Iwa is now void."
Ōnoki sighed. "Then let's call it my personal missed opportunity. A shame, really.
As the kage of a village, I couldn't act rashly based on a single piece of untraceable intel.
I hope you understand."
Yu stared directly at Ōnoki and replied evenly, "Then what are your intentions now?"
It was a direct question—unapologetically blunt.
If Ōnoki intended to stop them, Yu wouldn't hesitate to unleash his full-body Susanoo once more.
But Ōnoki didn't seem offended. He offered a stiff smile, turned midair, and issued an order to the Iwa forces:
"Disperse!"
His aged voice still carried immense authority—born of years spent as the highest authority in the village.
The Iwa shinobi, faces like stone, obeyed without a word and moved to either side of the road.
Because of their numbers, the heavy fog in the area dispersed significantly.
A wide mountain pass appeared before the Uchiha group, and many of them were filled with emotion.
Their captain, Uchiha Yu, had merely exchanged a few words with Ōnoki—and just like that, the Iwa force had cleared a path.
But Yu didn't lead the group forward just yet.
From Ōnoki's subtle facial expressions, he could tell—the old, talkative man still had more to say.
Ōnoki's eyes gleamed with admiration. The more he looked at Yu, the more he liked him. Without pretense, he said bluntly:
"Yu, since Konoha is clearly no place for the Uchiha to reach their full potential, why not come to Iwagakure?
This old man can assign your clan a prime territory within the village.
With Iwa's protection, you'll no longer have to flee. Anyone who dares target your Sharingan will be declaring war on the entire Iwagakure!
You will remain the noble Uchiha clan.
I can even promise you this—
The future Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Tsuchikage positions—Iwagakure will fully support appointing a member of the Uchiha clan!"
The Uchihas exchanged glances.
Ōnoki's offer was incredibly tempting. If they were the ones leading the team instead of Yu, they probably would've accepted it on the spot.
Though of course, they also understood—this crafty old man had plenty of motives of his own.
Ōnoki was very pleased to see the complicated expressions on the faces of the other Uchiha. His sharp gaze returned to Uchiha Yu.
Yu met Ōnoki's aged but piercing eyes calmly, and without any hesitation, he rejected the offer:
"Sorry, the Uchiha no longer need to rely on any other shinobi village."
After hearing Yu's reply, the other Uchiha fell into thoughtful silence. Though they felt it was a bit of a shame, a strange sense of ease came over them—as if a shackle had been lifted from their hearts.
Ōnoki's expression remained unchanged. He smiled and said:
"I see. So, you've made up your mind. Very well. This old man apologizes for not showing up earlier as promised.
As a token of apology, Iwagakure prepared a small gift before coming here.
It's just outside the Valley of Sanction.
If you intend to rebuild the Uchiha clan in the ninja world, you'll find it indispensable."
A glimmer flashed in Yu's eyes. He responded frankly, "No need for riddles. If there's something you want, just say it."
Ōnoki chuckled and replied:
"Once you leave the Valley of Sanction, you'll know what the gift is. Yu-kun, I've already shown my sincerity. Iwagakure has no intention of becoming enemies with the Uchiha.
If the day ever comes when you are forced by circumstance, feel free to seek out this old man in Iwagakure.
What I just said will remain valid—at least until this old man is in the ground!"
Yu nodded. Seeing that the old man's attitude was sincere, he thought for a moment and reminded him:
"Before you reach the cliffs at the edge of the Valley of Sanction, don't rush out. Wait a moment. Think of it as a return gift from me."
With that, Yu turned to the others and waved his hand, signaling their departure.
Orochimaru chuckled, "Heh… One moment."
As he spoke, he bit his finger, formed hand seals, and slammed his palm to the ground. Seals lit up, triggering a summoning jutsu.
Boom—
With a thunderous sound, smoke exploded from the mist. A massive brown serpent appeared before the Iwa army.
"Everyone, get on!"
Orochimaru said as he leapt onto the serpent's back with Kimimaro and walked toward its head.
The Uchihas turned to Yu.
"Go," Yu said calmly.
Only then did the Uchiha, along with Tamao and Mikoto, leap onto the smooth, broad head of the giant snake.
Rumble…
The serpent's glowing eyes radiated fierce light. It swept its gaze across the Iwa army. Under their collective gaze, it carried Yu and the others straight through the middle of the army and departed.
The Iwa shinobi stared at the summoned serpent.
Ōnoki stood still, deep in thought.
He wasn't particularly surprised or confused by Yu's rejection—this was exactly the kind of response he expected from the Uchiha.
Staring into Yu's eyes had stirred a familiar feeling within him, like time itself was warping.
A flash of memory surfaced: the time when Uchiha Madara humiliated both him and his master, trampling over the Will of Stone.
"Tch…"
Ōnoki snapped out of his daze, returning to himself.
He was now nearly in his eighties. His temperament had long since hardened like stone. He wouldn't let old grudges affect how he dealt with today's Uchiha.
"Wait a moment?" Ōnoki's old eyes narrowed as he chuckled, curiosity rising over the gift Yu had promised him.
The summoned serpent slithered through the Iwa forces.
As everyone looked at the vast Iwa army, they couldn't help but marvel—Ōnoki had truly gone all out in this campaign against Konoha.
At the serpent's head—
Prompted by Izumi's cautious question, Yu briefly explained to the Uchiha what had happened between the ninja cats and Iwagakure.
Back then, in addition to reaching out to Orochimaru, Yu had arranged this Iwa contingency through the ninja cats.
That was why he had chosen to flee northwest toward the Land of Earth, instead of any other direction.
In Yu's original plan, if Ōnoki agreed to help Orochimaru delay Itachi and Obito, Orochimaru would not be sealed.
In the cooperation scroll, Yu had promised Ōnoki that if he took action, Iwagakure would receive a pair of Sharingan.
It just had never been formally negotiated face to face.
Ōnoki didn't believe it at the time.
Yu understood—the contingency plan had been rushed and naïve. Pressed for time, it was the best he could do.
°°°
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