Caught in a pincer attack from the Third Kazekage, Ruri, and the chakra clone, Hanzo was stretched thin and quickly found himself on the back foot.
Of course, Ruri and the chakra clone were merely going through the motions; the Third Kazekage was the only one truly committed to the fight.
Onoki flew over, laughing when he saw the scene. "So this is all the great Demigod amounts to. Your leader has already been taken down by Danzo. Are you going to continue this futile resistance?"
"Kaito was taken down by Danzo? Hmph, what kind of joke is that?" Hanzo straightened his back and retorted, "His strength is far beyond your imagination."
"Even the strongest have moments of carelessness, especially when faced with a backstab from an ally."
"Enough talk. If you want to fight, then let's fight!"
Onoki shook his head. "If you insist, then don't blame me for what comes next. Today, unless you dare to release your poison here, there's no escape for you."
"But if I did, your precious Village Hidden in the Rain would be destroyed by your own hand."
As he spoke, attempting to shake Hanzo's resolve, he shot a look at the Third Kazekage and the others, and they all launched their attacks in unison.
Onoki stretched his hands out, aiming down at Hanzo. He unleashed the Kekkei Tōta formed by the fusion of wind, earth, and fire nature transformations, creating a transparent cube-shaped barrier between his palms, which he then enlarged and projected forward.
"Dust Style: Detachment of the Primitive World Jutsu!"
This terrifying Dust Style technique was designed to reduce everything within its range to an atomic level, followed by a massive explosion.
However, before a smile of triumph could grace Onoki's lips, he abruptly realized that the Third Kazekage and the others, who were supposed to be attacking Hanzo alongside him, had turned their attacks on him instead.
By the time he processed what was happening, their jutsu were nearly upon him.
"Bastards!"
With a cry of alarm, Onoki was engulfed by the onslaught of Iron Sand and other attacks.
Wounded and shrouded in thick smoke, he could no longer maintain his [Earth Style: Super Light-Weight Rock Jutsu] and fell like a bird with a broken wing, crashing onto a nearby rooftop.
He forced his eyes open, only to see the Ice-Fire Clone—who should have been dead from poison—standing before him.
His former allies, the Third Kazekage, Ruri, and the chakra clone, were now standing by the Ice-Fire Clone's side. Even Hanzo, who should have been annihilated by the Dust Style attack, appeared before him, completely unharmed.
"What in the world is going on?!" Onoki demanded, bewildered.
"It's simple. We knew about your little plot from the very beginning," the Ice-Fire Clone said with a smile. "My apologies, but I'm the one who wins this time. Danzo has already gone on ahead. Now, it's your turn."
"You despicable brat!" Onoki glared at the chakra clone and snarled, "Didn't you take my money? Why are you standing against me?"
"Sorry, Lord Third Tsuchikage, but their offer was a little higher. So, you know," the chakra clone said with a shrug.
"I can add more!"
"What kind of person do you take me for? How could I possibly switch sides in the middle of a battle?" the chakra clone declared righteously.
"You..." Onoki nearly coughed up a mouthful of blood. He gave up on the shameless brat and turned his gaze to the Third Kazekage.
"Kazekage, are you blind to their danger? The Land of Wind is right next to the Land of Rain! They'll swallow you whole sooner or later!"
"At this stage, Konoha and Iwagakure are the bigger threats to us."
The Third Kazekage shook his head. "We'll deal with the Land of Rain when and if it actually becomes a problem. Back when Konoha had both the First and Second Hokage, they were an unstoppable force, yet they still couldn't conquer the other four great nations. No matter how strong Leader Kaito is, he's still just one man."
"Bullshit! You short-sighted fool!" Onoki cursed, his heart sinking. He knew it was over. Iwagakure had lost, and he himself might not be able to escape.
Clinging to a final sliver of hope, he said in a low voice, "Kaito, are you really planning to make enemies of both Iwagakure and Konoha? Are you sure you don't want to leave a way out for yourself and the Village Hidden in the Rain? If you let me and all the Iwa-nin here go, I can guarantee I won't hold this against you or your village. I can even take the blame for Danzo's death for you."
"Do you take me for a three-year-old?" The Ice-Fire Clone shook his head. "You know Konoha's current situation better than I do. With the Third Hokage's personality, he'll definitely prioritize the greater good and won't dare to make trouble for us. In fact, Amegakure can use Danzo's unprovoked attack as a pretext to demand compensation from Konoha."
Onoki's lips trembled, but he couldn't form a rebuttal. He knew the Ice-Fire Clone was right.
"As for your Iwagakure... even if the Iwa army suddenly appeared on the Land of Rain's border, I wouldn't be the least bit afraid. Because their beloved Tsuchikage is in my hands. They wouldn't dare make a reckless move, would they?"
"You damn brat, don't think you've actually captured me!" Onoki finally exploded with rage.
With his prideful nature, being captured and paraded in front of the Iwa army would be a fate worse than death.
He mustered the last of his chakra, intending to use Dust Style one more time to end his own life.
Unfortunately, with so many Kage-level shinobi standing before him, there was no way they would let him succeed.
The Ice-Fire Clone let out a soft chuckle, and an immense wave of frost power burst forth, completely encasing the nearby Onoki in ice.
Ruri stepped forward and applied several seals, perfectly securing their capture of the Third Tsuchikage.
Many of the Iwa-nin witnessed this scene with their own eyes, their hearts filled with grief and indignation. But if even their powerful Tsuchikage had been defeated, they had no hope of victory.
Those who still possessed a shred of reason sent out the signal to retreat, preparing to break through the encirclement.
But there was no way the Village Hidden in the Rain would let them go so easily.
"Lord Kazekage, thank you for your assistance." After sending Hanzo and the others to clean up the remaining mess, the Ice-Fire Clone remained behind to speak with the Third Kazekage alone.
"No thanks are necessary. Just remember your promise."
The Third Kazekage said gravely, "For five years, the Land of Rain cannot initiate an attack on the Land of Wind. Also, within one year, you will use your methods to solve the Land of Wind's climate problem."
"Of course, no problem," the Ice-Fire Clone nodded.
Both of them knew the first part of the pact was hardly binding; the real point was the second part.
"What do you plan to do about Iwagakure?"
"Right now, Iwagakure is leaderless. When the news of the Third Tsuchikage's capture gets back, the village will surely fall into chaos. Their first move will be to negotiate with me for his ransom while simultaneously preparing to select a Fourth Tsuchikage. After they deal with all that, they'll still have to worry about a potential surprise attack from the neighboring Land of Lightning."
The Ice-Fire Clone smiled. "Between the Land of Rain and the Land of Lightning, even a child knows who poses the greater threat to the Land of Earth, right?"
"Hmph. You are indeed a clever man. I enjoy doing business with clever people."
"What a coincidence. So do I."