ōnoki looked down at the young man below, staring at him ily with his Sharingan.

  He was well aware of the intel regarding the White Ghost and immediately uood what the other party was thinking. However, instead of being ed, he secretly chuckled.

  Trying to y jutsu? A young man being young indeed.

  ōnoki had studied the Sharingan of the Uchiha for his entire life, so he naturally uood how incredibly teical it was to copy jutsu using it

  Copying a jutsu with the Sharingan wasn't just about the flow and ges of chakra; it also required uanding the logic behind the oppo's teique structure. This urely academideavor and had no shortcuts.

  For jutsu below B-rank, the logic was retively straightforward. In front of the Sharingan, it was like a live tutorial. But for B-rank and above, especially when used by jonin, teiques were rarely used in a textbook manner.

  Bloodline-based jutsu had their unique stru logid the same applied to ma teiques.

  Only those who had delved deeply into chakra could possibly uand any logic, as long as chakra was involved.

  At the level of a Kage, even basic jutsu were executed with incredible speed, using highly personalized, streamlined processes that saved every possible step. Even if the Sharingan could see it clearly, there wouldn't be enough time to figure out how it was do alone replicate it.

  And finally, the most insulting point of all: even if you could uand and memorize the formu, could you solve the problem?

  The Sharingan was often called the "Eye of Illusions" by other jonin, and not without reason.

  Thus, in the face of the Sharingan's famed copying abilities, ōnoki shared the same thought as Kakuzu.

  If the young man could really copy his jutsu right in front of him, then he would admit defeat.

  "Kid, I'll give you a ce." ōnoki hovered in mid-air, arms crossed behind his back, desding slightly as if to allow Masashi to hear him more clearly. "Surrender now, and I won't kill you. During the exge of captives, you'll be able to return home."

  "Tsuchikage-sama, as a veteran of the First Great Ninja War, you don't strike me as such a kind person." Masashi rolled up his sleeves. "Flight is not without termeasures, so save the mind games."

  "Very well." ōnoki's arms moved like lightning, ing together and then pulling apart before his chest.

  A transparent cube materialized between his hands, with a glowing sphere at its ter.

  Without any visible movement from him, the cube disappeared and reappeared instantly in front of Masashi. It expahe moment it enveloped him.

  A blinding white light erupted, filling the cube to its limits.

  When the light faded, the cube was empty.

  ōnoki raised an eyebrow, and the cube dissipated.

  "Crafty kid," he muttered, turning to the side, where Masashi stood unharmed.

  "You're too kind. This must be Dust Release, right? A jutsu created specifically to ter the Susanoo," Masashi said.

  The speed of Dust Release was faster than he'd anticipated.

  However, its activation wasn't as fast as Kamui, and its trajectory was straightforward. Not a fatal fw, but a limitation heless.

  After all, Dust Release could freely alter its shape and expand its ra will, with an unknown maximum limit. It truly was a jutsu desigo ter Susanoo.

  On this battlefield, Masashi had already pced multiple Flying Thunder God marks to prepare for such situations.

  "It was created to ter Madara's Susanoo," ōnoki said calmly. "Not just Susanoo. Otherwise, why don't you show me yours?"

  The ground suddenly began to tremble.

  In front of Masashi, a massive stone giant burst from the earth, reag out to strike him.

  Masashi's Sharingan caught sight of ōnoki's rock e hidden behind the stone giant.

  He hadn't expected this jutsu to be used in such a way. In his uanding, it rimarily a defeeique, meant to withstand the Susanoed attacks.

  The Sed Tsuchikage, Mū, like Tobirama, had specifically developed a suite of jutsu to ter the Mangekyō Sharingan.

  ōnoki had ied this system to the fullest extent.

  The stone giant's hand obscured his figure in mid-air.

  When the hand came crashing down, its speed visibly increased, as though its weight had suddenly multiplied.

  Once again, Masashi disappeared.

  This system of jutsu created by Mū was incredibly chakra-intensive. ōnoki was already an old man, and Masashi inteo drain as much of his energy as possible before using his trump card.

  Using your trump card right off the bat was a good habit, but only wheuation called for it.

  Boom!

  The earth shook as the giant's arm sank deep into the ground. Masashi reappeared, swiping at the sealing formu on his wrist. A wave of shuriken shot upwards toward ōnoki.

  "Your aim isn't bad, but aerial bat isn't just about throwing ons," the old man called out as he prepared to summon another Dust Release, then paused and evaded the projectiles mid-air.

  By the time ōnoki avoided the final wave, Masashi had appeared behind him, opening his mouth. Numerous fiery dragons roared and luoward ōnoki.

  At the same time, he realized that Masashi was aware of Dust Release's weakness: it couldn't be activated while moving at high speed.

  ōnoki wasn't particurly ed. Dust Release had been feared in the shinobi world for many years, and some of its weaknesses were bound to be discovered.

  He'd even fought Hiruzen before.

  Known as the "Ninja Professor," the Third Hokage was most famous for uanding his eeiques better than they did.

  Perhaps it was Hiruzen who'd discovered this fassed the knowledge on to Konoha's shinobi.

  Gng back, ōnoki saw Masashi gliding through the air, showg his mastery of Wind Release as described in the reports.

  The intel also hat he rofit in Water Release.

  However, water was of no use against him, who specialized ih.

  What truly posed a threat was Masashi's mastery of the Flying Thunder God.

  If not for that, the earlier Dust Release would have killed him.

  Both ōnoki and Masashi were studying each other, testing the waters.

  ōnoki outmaneuvered the fire dragons and rose higher into the air, reag an altitude beyond their reach.

  He brought his hands together again, and a Dust Release jutsu shot into the cluster ons.

  This time, it didn't expand—it exploded.

  The fiery dragons were instantly obliterated, their fmes scattered to the winds like cherry blossoms.

  Masashi nded on the ground, exging a distant gaze with ōnoki. Eaew this was merely the opening act of their battle.

  And in the distahe stone giant began moving again.

  "Tsuchikage-sama, why don't you e down?" Masashi called out.

  Without needing to enter Sage Mode, there was aeique he could use, besides the Majestic Attire.

  Who needed a Mangekyō Sharingan? If he wasn't granted one, why not just borrow someone else's ability?

  The Dust Release explosion scattered the fire dragon, but such a method couldn't pletely nullify the chakra infused into Masashi's Dragon Fme Bomb.

  Once again, the sky lit up with fiery brilliance.

  A single spark set the prairie abze.

  Fireballs appeared oer another in the sky, and it was clear these were no ordinary fireballs.

  Masashi believed he had the greatest authority to interpret the "Will of Fire" now.

  Who he leaves? He could create endless fmes without them. He called this move Majestic Fire Steam Kill.

  Scorg fireballs filled the sky, closing in on ōnoki from all dires. The heat was so intehat the air itself began to distort.

  "You've got some tricks," ōnoki muttered, rubbing his hands together. The light of Dust Release illumihe sky once more.

  A thunderous explosion resounded, its noise overwhelming everything else. The shockwave rippled through the air, disturbing the pattern of his fireballs.

  ōnoki's figure darted out of the shockwave of the explosion, trailed by a swarm of scorg fireballs.

  Annoyed, he gnced back, formed hand seals, and summoned rock es.

  The rock es exteheir arms, which creaked as yers of rock covered them, and then intercepted the approag fireballs.

  Each impact resulted in small explosions of stone and fme.

  While the aerial battle raged on, the ground began to tremble once more.

  The stone giant rose from the earth, taking a massive step toward Masashi. Its footfall created small craters in the ground.

  Seeing this, Masashi cpped his hands together.

  From all around the stone giant, five or six enormous ice hands emerged from the ground.

  One giant ice hand blocked the stone giant's leg, while another delivered a heavy sp to its backside.

  The impact echoed across the battlefield like a thundercp.

  Losing its bahe stone giant toppled forward in a cssic fat, crashing into the earth with a deafening roar. ōnoki's rock e, which had been riding on its back, was flung off.

  The other ice hands followed up, striking in unison with loud cracks. Some pihe stone giant's arms, others its legs, while the remaining ones hammered its joints, breaking its limbs apart.

  After a chaotic struggle between the enormous figures, the battlefield was left in ruins, but the fight was over.

  The Stone Golem was essentially just a shield. It could take hits, but trying to use it like a Jaegger from Pacific Rim?

  Not happening.

  Havi with this, Masashi looked up at the sky.

  ōnoki had been effit; most of the scorg fireballs were already destroyed. Small particles of dust floated where they had been.

  This "creation-less" ninjutsu system did have its weaknesses.

  It was great for targeting rge foes, whether it was Susanoo or ninja armies—it didn't matter.

  Especially with Dust Release, even Madara's Perfect Susanoo couldn't withstand it.

  But for one-on-one bat, it wasn't as effective.

  As for Masashi, while he was an Uchiha, ōnoki's teiques couldn't easily deal with him.

  After all, he was well aware of the Uchiha 's weaknesses.

  Every ninjutsu he mastered was learned with a purpose; he wouldn't waste effort on teiques without a reason.

  From the moment he learned his first jutsu in this timeline, he had been building a system of ninjutsu he had envisioned long ago.

  ōnoki, h in the sky, looked at the now-dismaone giant, his expression growing more solemn. Even from this distance, Masashi's Sharingan could pick up the subtle ges in the old man's chakra flow.

  The White Ghost wasn't an easy oppo, that much was clear.

  His pn to exge the White Ghost for his disciple and granddaughter was now dead ier.

  There was no way he could actually fight to the death with the White Ghost here.

  On the ground, Masashi created a rge ice bird with Ice Release. He leapt onto the bird, crouched slightly, and pced a hand on its icy surface.

  The ice bird fpped its wings theatrically before taking to the skies.

  "Well done, White Ghost," ōnoki said, instantly reizing his Super-Lightened Boulder Teique.

  The fact that Masashi could copy and immediately use his teique—albeit imperfectly—firmed the intelligence reports he had previously doubted.

  The White Ghost could theoretical replicate bloodline limits with enough knowledge.

  Those fireballs earlier had clearly been imitating the Scorch Release, and now he was using Ice Release.

  This ability made the White Ghost a ninja on par with the Yellow Fsh. Not because of his ability to copy ninjutsu, but because of his insight.

  With that insight, there was no way his use of the Flying Thunder God would be subpar.

  "A Scorch Release ninja from Suna joined Konoha retly, and I heard it was at the reendation of an Uchiha. Was that you?"

  "Yes, that was me," Masashi replied, standing on the ice bird as it reached ōnoki's altitude.

  When he saw Deidara in the anime he hadn't uood how he had mao make those cy creations fly so fast and maneuver so well.

  Now he knew: it had to be this teique. Even if it wasn't, it had to rely on some of the same principles.

  It was certainly more vehan flying himself—he could devote more attention to using ninjutsu.

  However, Dust Release roving to be harder than he had anticipated.

  Even after watg ōnoki use it multiple times, the teique's formu remained elusive.

  It was just one more added chakra nature, but the plexity was on another level.

  "In terms of the Sharingan's insight, not even Madara might surpass you," ōnoki said. "To earn the reputation you've achieved, you certainly have the qualifications."

  "Just luck. I've paid a heavy price, Tsuchikage-sama," Masashi replied with a smile. "You don't seem to want to tinue fighting. If that's the case, why don't we have a chat instead?"

  Though he said this, he remained vigint. Who knew if ōnoki might ge his mind in an instant?

  After all, the man was notoriously uable. Iwa's current belligeren the shinobi world was entirely his doing.

  ōnoki ignored Masashi's invitation and looked off into the distance.

  There, another battle between the Iwa and Konoha forces was unfolding.

  From above, it was clear that the Iwa forces' offensive had been pletely stalled by the Konoha forces, who were steadily pushing them back.

  "Masashi, you know Konoha won't remairo forever, don't you?"

  "Tsuchikage-sama, let's not waste time on such topics," Masashi replied. "But your hostility toward Konoha is entirely unnecessary. Geographically, Iwa and Konoha are natural allies."

  "Iwa allies with no one."

  "That's only while you're still around," Masashi retorted bluntly. "The day yone, Iwa will likely bee Suna's prey."

  "Let Suna protect itself first," ōnoki sneered. "Unequal strength makes alliances between vilges futile. I look forward to watg your two vilges turn on each other."

  "The's promise. No alliance, but cooperation against Kumo. How about that?" Masashi's tone was casual, but his eyes remained sharp.

  "That's something we discuss," ōnoki said. "But don't think you use my disciple and granddaughter as bargaining chips—that's impossible."

  "There's o tell me that. I'm not involved in the iations," Masashi deflected.

  "Then we'll tihis at the iating table." Seeing that Masashi didn't respond further, ōnoki didn't seem disappointed. He turned and flew back toward the Iwa headquarters, leaving behind one final remark. "Masashi, if your ever finds itself unwele in Konoha, you're always wele in Iwa."