Chapter 142: An Accidental Encounter
Ōnoki instinctively looked up at the sky the moment he heard Uchiha Dali's words, and his pupils shrank violently.
That massive mountain, which had just been sent flying into the sky and vanished by Uchiha Dali, was now plummeting back down again.
And it was falling fast.
"Damn it…" Ōnoki instantly realized things had taken a dire turn.
If that mountain crashed directly into the village, Iwagakure would be reduced to rubble on the spot. They wouldn't even need an enemy to destroy them—they'd wipe themselves out.
"Lord Third Tsuchikage!!"
One of his attendants had also noticed what was happening and immediately shouted to alert him.
Ōnoki snapped back to reality and glanced once more toward Uchiha Dali—but the man was already nowhere to be seen.
"All Iwagakure shinobi, hear my command! Use Earth Release together to protect the village!!"
Ōnoki shouted loudly to everyone nearby.
At the same time, he flew straight up toward the falling mountain at top speed.
"Earth Release: Ultra Light-Weight Rock Technique!!"
Ōnoki poured all his strength into one of his signature techniques, trying to support the massive mountain hurtling toward the village.
All the Iwagakure shinobi began appearing one by one, casting Earth Release techniques to assist him in fending off the looming catastrophe.
"If I'd known this would happen… I wouldn't have acted so recklessly…"
Ōnoki was filled with regret.
He regretted bringing that mountain over in the first place.
He had only wanted to give this young Uchiha Dali a strong warning—make him back off.
Who would've thought the whole thing would backfire so badly?
...
Uchiha Dali, having mastered the entire series of Earth Release techniques, had never intended to linger in Iwagakure.
His plan was to head straight to the Land of Water and help create a direct land route connecting it to the Land of Fire.
However, not long after leaving Iwagakure, he suddenly encountered a figure.
It was a tall man.
He wore a black cloak patterned with red clouds, and a headband from the Village Hidden by Waterfalls—but there was a deep slash across it.
That mark signified he had betrayed his village.
At that moment, the man also noticed Uchiha Dali.
But he acted as if he didn't care and kept walking toward him.
At the same time, Uchiha Dali spotted something else: at the edge of his vision, lying far behind the man, were several bodies.
Judging by the devastation in that area, it was obvious a fierce battle had just taken place.
Aside from the corpses, there was another figure on the ground wearing the same black cloak with red clouds.
Clearly, that dead man and the one before him had been allies.
At least they used to be.
Just from these clues, Uchiha Dali had already guessed this man's identity.
His name was Kakuzu.
Once an elite black ops member of the Village Hidden by Waterfalls, he had betrayed his village and joined the Akatsuki.
Who would've thought he'd show up here?
"That disrespectful stare of yours—are you looking to die?"
Kakuzu was now right in front of Uchiha Dali.
Noticing Dali eyeing him closely, he couldn't help but threaten him.
"I just thought your outfit looked pretty cool. Where'd you buy it?"
Uchiha Dali shot back with a half-smile.
"So you are here for me. You really are asking to die."
Murderous intent flared in Kakuzu's eyes as he struck at Uchiha Dali.
This cloak he wore was a symbol of the Akatsuki.
Most people would run the moment they saw it.
But this kid not only didn't show fear—he had the nerve to make fun of it.
How could he not be here for him?
Furious, Kakuzu drew a kunai and stabbed toward Uchiha Dali's heart.
Uchiha Dali, who hadn't planned on engaging, was instantly provoked.
"You're the rude one here, old man!"
"If you won't talk things through, then don't blame me for being rude!"
As he finished speaking, Uchiha Dali vanished.
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared behind his opponent.
"What?!"
Kakuzu was stunned by the sheer speed. He had never expected this seemingly unremarkable kid from the Leaf to possess such terrifying strength.
Before he could react, Uchiha Dali had already formed a Rasengan and slammed it into Kakuzu's back.
Boom—!
Kakuzu was smashed straight into the ground by the force of the Rasengan.
The Land of Earth was a desolate and rugged region, and the ground here was especially tough and dense.
But even so, Kakuzu's body had punched out a crater five meters wide.
"You little brat… you've really pissed me off now! You're dead!"
Kakuzu exploded in fury.
The black threads binding his wounds began to unravel, and soon, a grotesque Earth Grudge Fear construct emerged before Uchiha Dali.
"Wow, that's disgusting."
"But before I kill you, I have a few questions."
Uchiha Dali wasn't the least bit fazed by the transformation.
In fact, he was perfectly calm.
Not only did he already know everything there was to know about Kakuzu…
But more importantly, he had full confidence in his own power.
Even Ōnoki had been completely outmaneuvered by him and couldn't do a thing.
Could Kakuzu possibly be stronger than Ōnoki?
"It's just the two of us here. You've already killed everyone who was still alive, so I'll be blunt."
"The Akatsuki is planning to go after the Tailed Beast in Iwagakure, aren't you?"
The moment Uchiha Dali said that, Kakuzu's pupils contracted sharply.
He froze mid-attack, staring at Uchiha Dali in disbelief. "Who the hell are you?"
"How do you know about our plan?"
He didn't just know Kakuzu was a member of the Akatsuki—or even that the organization existed.
He even knew their target was the Tailed Beast.
And somehow, he had even deduced Kakuzu's purpose in coming to the Land of Earth.
Was it a wild guess?
Impossible!
Could this kid also be a member of the organization?
But Kakuzu had never seen him before. He wasn't wearing the uniform, nor did he wear the ring that represented a member's title within the organization.
There was no way he could be part of the Akatsuki.
"So you've never even heard of me. You really are the type who does whatever he wants."
"Listen up, I'll only say it once. My name is Uchiha Dali. I currently serve as the Daimyō of the Land of Fire—and the Fourth Hokage of Konohagakure."
"Now it's your turn to answer my question. Let's keep this fair—don't try anything sneaky."
Uchiha Dali spread his hands slightly, signaling that they should be open and honest.