Chapter 289: The Sky… Is Tearing Apart!
The muffled sound of physical blows rippled through the air. After countless exchanges of taijutsu, Otsutsuki Isshiki seemed to come to terms with being suppressed in this aspect, his expression darkening.
"In terms of taijutsu, your skill indeed surpasses mine, but that's all you have. Even with the Tenseigan of your ancestor, you're no match for me!"
Before his words faded, a chakra more intense than that of Uchiha Madara began to surge from Isshiki's body.
Hyuga Fuji, calm and composed, stood his ground as a pale blue chakra burst forth from him in response.
The two overwhelming chakra auras collided in the sky, creating a storm that erupted into chaos, raging across the battlefield.
…
"Where is he?"
Onoki's eyes darted in every direction, his senses on high alert as he tried to locate the invisible Mu.
"Lord Tsuchikage, behind you!"
"What?"
Hearing his subordinate's warning from afar, Onoki instinctively moved to evade. But just as he twisted his body, a sharp crack echoed from his waist, his eyes widening in shock as a muffled grunt escaped his lips.
His back… his old injury…
The sudden flare of pain left Onoki vulnerable. Taking full advantage, Mu emerged from his stealth and delivered a decisive punch to Onoki's lower back, sending him flying dozens of meters before he managed to regain his footing.
"Ugh!"
Onoki grimaced in pain, his expression contorted. His old injury flared up, leaving him unable to stand straight. Sweat dripped from his forehead as his body trembled slightly, teeth clenched tightly.
Mu approached but refrained from attacking again, instead speaking in a cold tone: "You're getting old, Onoki."
Onoki looked up, forcing a wry smile. "Just a flare-up of an old wound."
"An old wound or not, you've clearly reached the age where clinging to power becomes inevitable."
"Is that how I look to you now?"
Onoki straightened his posture with effort, his small frame suddenly exuding a sense of pride.
"You've got it all wrong. No one wants to see Iwagakure produce a worthy successor more than I do. It's just that… after all these years, I've failed to cultivate someone fit to take over."
"The kind of successor you envision will never appear," Mu retorted coldly. "You've set the bar so impossibly high for yourself—how could you ever find someone you deem worthy?"
"Ever since that moment Madara stopped you, you've been haunted by something. Deep down, you've never been able to face the part of yourself that hesitated, that couldn't move forward."
As Mu's voice trailed off, a blinding white light began to glow from his palm. His Dust Release illuminated the surrounding area, forcing Onoki to react in kind.
The sky became a battlefield of blinding light as both combatants unleashed their Dust Release techniques.
With a low voice, Onoki countered, "Perhaps you're right. Since that day, I've always hoped for a successor who could lead Iwagakure toward a future stronger than I could ever envision."
Mu disappeared from sight once more, his voice echoing from all directions. "After that incident, I didn't strip you of your qualifications, and time has proven you've done well enough. Even against Uchiha Madara, you stood your ground rather than succumbing to fear."
"Blindly shielding something has no meaning. Even children in cradles grow up one day. Trusting others is a strength, too. What do you think Kitsuchi would do if he were Tsuchikage? How would he have handled the clone issue?"
Kitsuchi?
Onoki frowned at the mention of his trusted subordinate. Kitsuchi's perspective on the clones had always been starkly different from his own. Perhaps, had Kitsuchi taken his place, Iwagakure wouldn't have come to blows with the clones…
Recalling Kitsuchi's relationship with Ku and his stance on the clones, Onoki sighed quietly. "Is that your grievance with me?"
"Strictly speaking, I have many grievances with you," Mu said indifferently, "but this one matters the most to me."
"You can't protect Iwagakure forever. If you can't find a suitable successor, will you cling to your position indefinitely? As for the border betrayals, do you really think they were solely my doing? Their discontent has been simmering for far longer than you realize."
"Even if you yourself don't crave power, the fact remains: to others, you already appear as someone who clings to authority."
Years of age and battle had clearly taken their toll. Despite Iwagakure's relative stability compared to Sunagakure, Onoki's prolonged leadership had naturally bred dissent. Past grievances and mistakes had now boiled over.
But if anyone understood Onoki's mindset, it was Mu—his former mentor. After all, when Onoki was growing into his role, Mu had harbored similar anxieties.
"If you cling to this mindset, even if you pass down the title of Tsuchikage, you won't truly let go. You'll interfere as a 'senior,' and that will only create further strife."
"As parents, you must let go someday!"
Glancing at the modified soldiers surrounding them, Mu gave a final piece of advice before increasing his assault. Dust Release and various Earth Release techniques flew in rapid succession.
Onoki snapped out of his thoughts and met Mu's attacks with calm precision, their clash escalating from the skies to the ground.
When both unleashed their Weighted Boulder Jutsu in a direct collision, they were forced apart. Onoki seized the brief respite to ask with a bitter smile, "Mu-dono, have you come here today to lecture me? Or are you trying to convince me to let go?"
Despite Mu's harsh words, Onoki could hear the underlying message: relinquish the position of Tsuchikage… and the ambitions tied to it.
"Unification is inevitable—it's the natural course of history. You know this," Mu said.
"But why can't the Land of Earth take the lead?"
"You already know the answer. If you're still unconvinced, just look at the battle unfolding above us…"
Mu paused, casting a subtle glance toward the sky. "Look at that kind of power… and ask yourself, can you truly compete with it?"
From the beginning of their conversation, the sky had been cloaked in a heavy atmosphere. Now, the tension above was reaching a breaking point.
Boom!
A deafening thunderclap roared as two immense chakras collided mid-air, generating a shockwave that rumbled like a storm across the battlefield.
The sheer force of the clash created a visible energy storm that seemed to tear the sky itself apart. The turbulence distorted the air, shredding the clouds and leaving a fragmented expanse of sky in their wake.
The ninjas fighting in the sky were forced to retreat, unable to withstand the sudden surge of energy.
Onoki felt the ground beneath him tremble. The oppressive pressure in the air was almost suffocating.
"This kind of power…"
He muttered to himself, disbelief written across his face as he looked up.
The clouds had been utterly torn asunder, revealing an endless void of darkness. It was as if the sky itself had been ripped open, a massive crack running through its expanse.
The rolling clouds, now unraveling like shredded fabric, mirrored the chaos above.
It was as though the sky… was breaking apart.
(Chapter End)