The first match, Yusuke versus Ao, was a foregone conclusion. Before Yusuke even got up, Kirigakure conceded.
After adding a point to Konoha and Sunagakure's score on the central scoreboard, Mifune announced the next match.
"The second match: Minato Namikaze of Konoha versus Ōnoki, the Tsuchikage."
Everyone's expressions turned serious, especially the three villages' ninjas; they knew how crucial this match was.
Ōnoki was one of their strongest ninjas. If he lost, their chances of winning were extremely slim.
Ōnoki knew Minato wasn't an easy opponent.
Minato's Hiraishin was practically unbeatable in a one-on-one fight. Ōnoki could only look for a few, limited chances to win.
"So, I'm fighting another ninja with Hiraishin. I think the last time was fifty years ago,"
Ōnoki sighed as he entered the center of the arena.
During the Third Great Ninja War, he had fought Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage, the creator of Hiraishin. Of course, Tobirama's real opponent in that battle wasn't him, but his teacher, the Second Tsuchikage, Mu.
Hearing Ōnoki's comment, Minato smiled, "It's an honor to witness the legendary Dust Release, a kekkei tōta, firsthand, senior."
Ōnoki found Minato's polite demeanor quite agreeable.
Nodding, Ōnoki said slowly, "This battle concerns the stability of the ninja world. I intend to win. While I wouldn't prefer to use Dust Release against you, if necessary, I will."
Minato's expression turned serious, "I too fight for the stability of the ninja world. I will not hold back in the slightest. Please be careful, senior."
After their exchange, both intently focused on each other.
For ninjas of their caliber, victory could hinge on a single, fleeting moment of confrontation.
In the blink of an eye, Minato disappeared from Ōnoki's sight, replaced only by an incoming kunai.
Ōnoki recognized the uniquely shaped kunai as the specialized tool used in Minato's Hiraishin no Jutsu.
Minato had already used Shunshin to appear at Ōnoki's side, launching a kunai attack. The Hiraishin kunai thrown earlier was a tactical maneuver to create more options during the engagement.
Faced with Minato's lightning-fast attack, the elderly Ōnoki, not adept at taijutsu, opted not to engage in close-quarters combat. Instead, he utilized his ability to fly, immediately ascending into the upper reaches of the arena, leaving Minato's attack to fall short of its target.
Ōnoki's Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock Technique allowed him to manipulate gravity, reducing his own weight and reversing it to achieve levitation, or even flight.
However, precise control over gravity demands a high level of mastery in Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock Technique. While a considerable number of ninjas within Iwagakure possess the ability to levitate, Ōnoki remains the only individual currently capable of achieving free and agile flight.
Witnessing Ōnoki's masterful display of aerial prowess, many ninjas in the audience expressed their admiration, and even Yusuke found himself deeply intrigued by his ability to manipulate gravity with such precision.
"Ōnoki truly is a ninjutsu prodigy. The devastating Dust Release, combined with his mastery of gravity manipulation... if he could further refine these techniques, his strength would undoubtedly reach unprecedented heights," Yusuke mused to himself.
As Yusuke correctly surmised, Ōnoki's talent for ninjutsu was exceptionally remarkable, arguably surpassing all of his contemporaries among the Kage.
However, he had dedicated an inordinate amount of his time and energy to the development and advancement of Iwagakure, transforming it into one of the most formidable ninja villages in the world in terms of overall strength.
This considerable commitment to the betterment of his village, however, inadvertently hampered his own personal ninjutsu training, preventing him from reaching his full potential.
Having ascended into the sky, Ōnoki immediately commenced devising his strategy.
Understanding that directly engaging Minato, given his exceptional speed and mastery of the Hiraishin no Jutsu, would prove to be an insurmountable task, Ōnoki recognized the necessity of exploiting any advantageous conditions to create opportunities for his attacks.
Therefore, rather than launching an immediate assault upon Minato, Ōnoki first summoned a colossal stone golem to assist him in battle.
"Earth Release: Earth Style Golem Technique!"
Upon completing the necessary hand seals, an enormous stone golem emerged from the ground beneath Ōnoki's feet.
Upon witnessing this development, Minato promptly retreated to a safe distance, evading the golem's immediate vicinity.
The golem summoned by means of the "Earth Style Golem Technique" not only possessed an immense size but also exhibited the capacity to obey Ōnoki's commands, launching attacks against designated targets.
More importantly, the golem's body was exceptionally resilient; in the original storyline, when combined with Gaara's Shukaku Shield, it could effortlessly withstand the impact of the Eight-Branches from Madara's Susano'o.
Concealing his relatively diminutive frame behind the massive golem, Ōnoki commanded the golem to relentlessly assault Minato.
Although the golem was incapable of striking Minato directly, it served to create openings and opportunities for Ōnoki to exploit.
The arena reverberated with the resounding impacts of the golem's attacks against the ground, generating an effect akin to a series of miniature earthquakes.
Minato, relying on his exceptional agility, deftly evaded the golem's attacks, simultaneously maneuvering around the golem to locate Ōnoki's position.
Under normal circumstances, the most effective method of countering a large-scale summoning such as this would involve deploying a similarly powerful summoning to engage in a reciprocal confrontation.
However, given Ōnoki's possession of the devastating Dust Release technique, Minato was completely unwilling to risk summoning Gamabunta, leaving him to contend with the golem alone.
Hidden within the golem's underarm, Ōnoki observed his opponent's frantic efforts to evade the golem's relentless attacks, a subtle smile gracing his lips. He had now seized control of the battle.
"Earth Release: Moving Earth Core!"
With swift hand seals, Ōnoki unleashed a ninjutsu capable of dramatically altering the terrain of the battlefield. His intention was to employ this technique to create an environment from which Minato would be utterly incapable of escaping.
The ground within the arena abruptly began to undulate and shift; in some areas, the ground rose sharply, while in others it sank dramatically, transforming the once-level playing field into a series of small valleys, with raised perimeters surrounding a central depression.
And at the very bottom of this newly formed depression lay Minato!
Minato, having correctly anticipated Ōnoki's intentions, found himself in an extremely precarious position. Instantly, he hurled a volley of more than a dozen Hiraishin kunai towards the outer edges of the depression, hoping to utilize these specialized kunai to effect his escape.
However, Ōnoki, who had meticulously planned this tactical maneuver, was not about to allow Minato to achieve his objective. He immediately unleashed his ultimate attack.
" Earth Release: Multiple Earth-Style Wall!"
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