The howling wild wind swept across the sky over Iwagakure.
Takuno hovered in the void, the chakra wings behind him emitting a cold and powerful sense of oppression.
He looked down at the slightly hunched figure of Onoki below, his voice calm yet carrying an unquestionable majesty:
"Wouldn't it have been better to decide this earlier?"
Takuno nodded slightly, feeling a trace of satisfaction with the "understanding of affairs" that Onoki finally displayed.
"Unless necessary, I also have no intention of going on a killing spree."
Hearing these words, the corner of Onoki's mouth pulled into an incredibly bitter arc.
Refute it? Any words at this moment appeared so pale and powerless.
What the opponent said was an irrefutable fact; with the terrifying power shown by the person before him, he could completely use thunderous methods to erase Iwagakure from the map first, and then leisurely search for the things he wanted.
The so-called resistance, in the face of absolute power, was nothing more than a futile struggle that would only bring a more thorough destruction.
His heavy gaze swept across the secret base entrances below, which looked sturdy but were actually incredibly fragile.
Even if he only briefly sensed that earth-shattering blow from just now, he knew that even if such a ninjutsu didn't score a direct hit, its dissipating shockwaves would be enough to completely collapse those underground fortresses.
Could they get lucky once? Then what about the second time, or the third time?
Was he supposed to let the entire population of Iwagakure's ninjas and civilians curl up underground like moles forever, never seeing the light of day?
Therefore, he had no other choice.
"Wait for me a moment," Onoki said exhaustedly. Clearly he had only used Dust Release once, but that feeling of being unable to keep up with his own body made it nearly difficult to move himself.
However, he could not rest yet.
Onoki formed hand seals, and Earth Nature chakra wrapped around the unconscious, withered-looking Four-Tails and Five-Tails Jinchuriki, flying toward the core area of the village.
Very quickly, Onoki's figure re-appeared before Takuno, three scrolls gripped tightly in his hands.
A faint earth-yellow light flowed on the surface of the scrolls, containing the secret techniques and pride passed down through the generations of Iwagakure.
Onoki's gaze was glued tightly to the scrolls; the reluctance, pain, and unwillingness in his eyes were nearly overflowing.
He took a deep breath, suppressed his churning emotions, and finally raised his arm as if carrying a weight of thousands of pounds, tossing the scrolls into the air.
"These... are the things you wanted," Onoki's voice was low and raspy, every word seeming to be squeezed out with difficulty from his lungs. "Including the complete training method of Dust Release."
He closed his eyes, the scene of the Second Tsuchikage, Lord Mu, solemnly entrusting the mysteries of Dust Release to him flashing through his mind. That was not just power, but trust and responsibility.
Now, this heavy entrustment was actually forced out of his hands.
Takuno steadily caught the scrolls, his fingertips brushing across their surfaces to confirm the information contained within.
Toward Onoki's pain and struggle, he acted as if he didn't see it, his expression remaining as indifferent as ice.
After getting the things he wanted, he didn't leave behind a single word. The chakra wings behind him flapped violently, whipping up a powerful vortex.
In the next instant, his entire being transformed into a streak of light, tearing through the sky and instantly vanishing into the distant edge of the heavens, leaving behind only the energy fluctuations in the air that hadn't completely dissipated.
That suffocating, terrifying pressure had finally vanished!
Onoki's tense body suddenly relaxed, nearly slumping down.
This murderous fiend had finally... left!
He let out a long, endlessly exhausted breath, and subsequently, an indescribable sense of bitterness and humiliation submerged him.
The power of the Four-Tails and Five-Tails had been forcibly stripped and heavily damaged; the ninjutsu created by the painstaking efforts of countless generations of ancestors in the village had been stolen;
Even the supreme secret technique personally passed down by the Second Tsuchikage—symbolizing the identity and power of the Tsuchikage—Dust Release, had to be handed over to someone else!
But what... could he do? In the face of absolute power, even anger appeared so pale and laughable.
Onoki stood in mid-air for a long time, staring absentmindedly in the direction Takuno had vanished.
What kind of shock and upheaval would an existence possessing such power bring to this ninja world by acting as he pleased? Where would the future structure of the ninja world head?
He didn't know, nor could he figure it out.
Ultimately, Onoki let out a heavy sigh, slowly turned around, and flew toward the scarred land below.
Reflected in the setting sun, his silhouette appeared exceptionally desolate and old.
Fortunately, although the loss was exceptionally large, the secret techniques of their village shouldn't spread out.
Onoki recalled that rumor from Konoha: the mysterious "Collector" had once snuck into Konoha and stolen the Scroll of Seals, which recorded countless forbidden jutsus.
At that time, he had sniffed at this news, considering it an excuse by Konoha; after all, Konoha didn't choose to put out a wanted poster for The Collector afterward.
But at this moment, having witnessed The Collector's actions, the authenticity of this rumor rose sharply in his heart.
Since that Collector had already stolen the Scroll of Seals yet didn't spread the secret techniques within it wildly throughout the ninja world, then now that the opponent had obtained Dust Release, he likely wouldn't spread it either.
Furthermore, the identity of The Collector now was a massive puzzle.
Previously, the Konoha ninjutsu that The Collector had displayed, especially those prominent Uzumaki clan lineage characteristics, had made Onoki deeply suspect his connection to Konoha.
Even if the opponent had also used Lightning Release Chakra Mode, this suspicion had still existed.
But at this moment, this suspicion was overturned by himself.
The logic was very simple: an existence possessing such overwhelming power, if he really belonged to Konoha, why would he need to hide his identity?
With his power alone, he would be enough to become Konoha's ultimate weapon to sweep through the ninja world and achieve a unified ninja world!
If Konoha really had such a trump card, how could they not bring it out to deter all sides?
"So... he is ultimately just a lawless 'Collector' independent of any village..." Onoki concluded bitterly in his heart.
The Konoha methods displayed by The Collector could be explained by the stolen Scroll of Seals;
Although the Uzumaki bloodline shared deep origins with Konoha, it was ultimately not Konoha's exclusive noble clan.
The most critical point was that such powerful strength simply had no need for concealment.
...
The Collector had single-handedly launched a frontal assault on Iwagakure, successfully wrested the Four-Tails and Five-Tails chakra from their hands, and even snatched the learning method for Dust Release.
This earth-shattering news, with unbelievable speed, instantly swept through the entire ninja world!
Wherever the news arrived, it without fail triggered a titanic wave.
Whether it was a Kage standing high above, or ordinary ninjas and civilians, all were deeply shocked by this terrifying feat.
Challenging and heavily damaging Iwagakure—one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages—with a single person's strength, walking away completely unscathed, and taking its core power; this nearly subverted everyone's imagination regarding the structure and understanding of power in the ninja world.
Sunagakure · Kazekage Office.
When the Fourth Kazekage Rasa first heard this piece of intelligence, he furrowed his brows tightly, instinctively considering it a piece of fake news.
He had a deep experience with how sturdy Iwagakure's defenses were and how fierce its ninjas were.
However, as subsequent pieces of intelligence—with detailed specifics that verified one another—landed on his desk one after another like cold iron hammers, the last trace of doubt on Rasa's face was also crushed into pieces by the heavy facts.
After confirming it was correct, a bone-chilling cold instantly surged from Rasa's spine to the top of his head, followed by a massive, near-survivor-like relief.
He couldn't help but recall the scene when that mysterious "Collector" had visited Sunagakure back then.
At that time, facing this uninvited guest, out of vigilance and the Kazekage's dignity, he hadn't been without thoughts of testing or even taking action.
Especially at the critical moment when the opponent was grandly extracting One-Tail Shukaku's chakra.
"Pure luck... it was pure luck that I chose restraint back then..."
Rasa stared at the wind and sand filling the sky outside the window, cold sweat quietly seeping from his palm.
He realized with absolute clarity that if he had made a slight move out of impulse back then, today's tragedy of Iwagakure would probably be reenacted in Sunagakure!
With Sunagakure's current weakness, it was simply impossible to withstand that "killing god" who could frontally defeat Iwagakure!
Though both were "Five Great Shinobi Villages" standing at the peak of the ninja world, Rasa knew Sunagakure's embarrassment and weakness better than anyone.
This land wrapped in endless yellow sand was impoverished to the extreme; the year-round wind and sand eroded the already limited living space, making the cost of training ninjas far exceed other countries, and the number of elite ninjas was exceptionally scarce.
Even more fatal was that the successive fires of war and the massive blow of the Third Kazekage's death had long since completely exhausted Sunagakure's vitality, causing its strength to plunge to the lowest valley in history.
Looking back at Iwagakure, although it had also suffered heavy losses in the Third Shinobi World War, its deep heritage, massive ninja base, and geographical environment advantages allowed its overall strength to still steadily stand above Sunagakure.
This was a cruel reality that Rasa had to admit.
"Even Iwagakure couldn't... couldn't stop that monster..." Rasa's voice carried a hint of raspiness, his eyes filled with a sense of powerlessness. "If he had started trouble in my Sunagakure that day..."
He couldn't think further; the conclusion was cold and cruel.
Facing "The Collector" who possessed such terrifying strength, Sunagakure had no other way but to swallow its pride and accept all conditions.
This was not weakness, but the only—and most rational—choice a ninja village could make to survive under an absolute strength gap.
Fortunately, the opponent didn't do so.
Rasa let out a self-deprecating laugh; perhaps it was because... Sunagakure had absolutely nothing the opponent coveted besides the One-Tail?
...
Kumogakure, Raikage Building.
The Fourth Raikage Ay, a powerhouse renowned for his strength and explosive temper, was currently standing alone in front of his massive office desk.
In his broad palm, he gripped an intelligence scroll that had just been delivered.
Suddenly, "BANG!" a deafening explosion broke the silence!
Ay's clenched right fist, wrapped in violent Lightning Release chakra, smashed mercilessly onto the hard alloy desktop without reservation.
Instantly, centering on the fist print, cobweb-like cracks spread frantically across the desktop, letting out a tooth-grinding groan.
"Impossible!" The Raikage jerked his head up, his bell-like eyes wide open, his eyes filled with unbelievable shock and a raging fury, his voice echoing in the empty office like a clap of thunder.
"What kind of joke is this! That guy... that 'Collector'! How could he be strong to this extent?!"
The silhouettes of the opponent from the past on the Kumogakure and Konoha battlefields quickly flashed through his mind; he was indeed strong enough to make people look twice.
But that level of power, in the Raikage's understanding, was absolutely insufficient to support him in completing the feat described in the intelligence, which could be called jaw-dropping!
A single person's strength, frontally pressing down the entire Iwagakure?
Not only taking away the Tailed Beast chakra and important secret techniques, but even walking away completely unscathed from the hands of an old fox like Onoki who possessed Dust Release? This was simply a fantasy!
However, Ay knew that the authenticity of this intelligence, which had been repeatedly confirmed by the most reliable channels, was beyond doubt.
The cold fact was like a heavy hammer, smashing onto his proud heart; the injuries he had suffered previously seemed to send bursts of burning pain once again.
"Phew..." From his tightly clenched teeth, the Raikage squeezed out a breath of scorching air with difficulty.
He had to force himself to calm down and accept this absurd yet real conclusion.
"That bastard... he became stronger again! Damn it... even that old, wily fellow Onoki actually suffered such a massive silent loss at his hands!"
Although under the cautious advice of the secretary beside him, he had long since ordered the cancellation of Kumogakure's public wanted poster for "The Collector," this was completely unable to calm the billowing, titanic hatred in his heart.
The fact that the opponent's joining caused Kumogakure's war with Konoha to head toward defeat made him hate the man to his bones!
But at this moment, the power indicated in the intelligence—the opponent's power which was as unfathomable as an abyss and still growing at a flying speed—was like a bucket of bone-chilling ice water, dousing all of his impulses.
Ay's chest heaved violently, the flames of anger still burning at the bottom of his eyes, but his rationality as the Kage of a village made him have to temporarily press down this anger deeply.
...
Konohagakure, Hokage Office.
The Fourth Hokage Minato sat squarely before his desk, his gaze locked tightly onto the intelligence scroll that had just been delivered.
The defeat of Iwagakure.
Regarding the heritage and strength of this old, powerful village, Minato knew it all too well.
Onoki's Dust Release, the Iwa ninjas' lack of fear toward death, the sturdy defensive fortifications... all of this constructed Iwagakure's unshakeable image.
However, the cold descriptions in the intelligence subverted his understanding; before The Collector, the entirety of Iwagakure actually seemed to have no power to fight back?
"Even Iwagakure..." Minato murmured, an unprecedented anxiety billowing deep within his sapphire-blue eyes.
This intelligence not only announced the frustration of a powerful ninja village, but was more like a mirror reflecting a terrifying future.
That mysterious Collector, to just what kind of shocking height had his strength already climbed?
What caused the alarm bells to ring even louder in his mind was The Collector's purpose: collecting Tailed Beast chakra.
The Nine-Tails, as one of the most powerful Tailed Beasts, was currently sealed within his wife Kushina and his child Naruto Namikaze; it was an indispensable power for Konoha, and the two of them were also treasures he swore to protect with his life.
Thinking of this, Minato unconsciously clenched his fist tightly.
An unquestionable resolve rose within his heart; if the opponent were to come looking for Kushina or Naruto, no matter what kind of price had to be paid, he would surely fight with his life!