Chapter 42: Susano'o Repels the Enemy
The ninja of Iwagakure quickly noticed the commotion at the Tsuchikage Building.
"Enemy invasion! Protect Lord Tsuchikage!" A large force of ninja rushed toward the building. The village alarm blared, throwing the Village Hidden in the Stone into chaos.
Inside the ruined office, Ōnoki stared up at the colossal Susano'o. His knees buckled, and he fell to the floor. "What have I done?" The sheer scale of the Susano'o finally shocked him back to his senses. The figure before him wasn't Uchiha Madara—it was the immense Susano'o, with Tenchi standing calmly within its form.
By now, the Iwa-nin who had arrived near the building began their assault on the giant construct.
"Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
"Earth Style: Rock & Iron Cannon Technique!"
"Earth Style: Earth-Spear!"
A barrage of various earth-based ninjutsu slammed into the Susano'o, but Tenchi watched with detached indifference.
"Attacks of this level can't even scratch Susano'o's defense. Since you've chosen to attack, don't blame me for retaliating." Two massive chakra blades materialized in the Susano'o's hands.
Tenchi willed the Susano'o to stride toward the heart of Iwagakure.
***BOOM!***
With every swing of its blades, terrifying arcs of energy shot out for fifty meters. The streets split open with massive fissures, houses were obliterated, and a dozen ninja were killed in each attack.
Tenchi continued his relentless assault, reaping lives and reducing the surrounding buildings to rubble with each step.
Ōnoki watched his village being destroyed and his ninja slaughtered. Yet, the Iwa-nin kept charging fearlessly. Their bravery slowly began to erode the paralyzing fear the Susano'o had instilled in him.
*'As the Tsuchikage... am I less courageous than my own ninja?! I will not be afraid anymore! Susano'o, here I come!'* Ōnoki rallied his courage and shot toward Tenchi.
"This is Iwagakure, Konoha ninja! That's enough! Earth Style: Added-Weight Rock Technique!"
Ōnoki coated his fist with immensely dense chakra and, catching Tenchi by surprise, landed a powerful punch on the Susano'o. The Added-Weight Rock technique could make anything as heavy as a mountain, and the force of the blow sent the giant construct staggering back.
"It's the Tsuchikage! Lord Tsuchikage is here!" The surrounding ninja cheered, their morale lifting at the sight of their leader striking the giant.
Tenchi, having been caught off guard, turned the Susano'o's head to look at Ōnoki. "Not bad, Ōnoki. Found your fighting spirit, have you?"
"Konoha ninja! Do you intend to start a war between the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire?!" Ōnoki roared up at him.
"War isn't my goal," Tenchi replied, his voice echoing from within the Susano'o. "I came today for one reason: to tell you to keep your hands to yourself. Don't overreach."
"If you don't want a war, then stop this now! Look at the destruction! The houses destroyed! My ninja dead! Isn't that enough?!" Ōnoki yelled, his voice cracking as he gestured at the devastation.
"Lord Tsuchikage! We can't just let him go! He must pay in blood for our fallen brothers!" several ninja shouted, unwilling to stand down.
"Enough! Shut up!" Ōnoki snapped, his anger turning on his own men. "Haven't our losses been great enough? Are you so sure you can defeat him?!"
Cowed by their Kage's fury, the ninja fell silent, though they continued to glare hatefully at Tenchi.
"I will not... invade other nations again. Is that satisfactory, Konoha ninja?" Ōnoki asked, his eyes fixed on Tenchi, waiting for an answer.
"Since you're being reasonable, I'll stop. There's no need for the *Complete Body* Susano'o anyway." Tenchi agreed to stand down, but not without a final threat, implying he still had his ultimate form in reserve.
"Then the fight is over. Leave the Land of Earth immediately. You are not welcome here." Ōnoki made a sweeping gesture of dismissal.
"Tch. Who'd want to stay in this dump anyway?" With that, Tenchi prepared to leave.
"Wait, Konoha ninja," Ōnoki called out. "Leave your name."
"Why? Planning your revenge? Listen well. My name is Uchiha Tenchi. I am your eternal nightmare. If you seek vengeance, I'll be waiting." Tenchi's declaration rang out for all the Iwa-nin to hear.
*'Uchiha Tenchi... So he is from that clan. A descendant of *that man*. No wonder the resemblance... and the power.'* Ōnoki's mind raced. "I will be reporting this incident to your Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi! I will demand an explanation for Uchiha Tenchi's actions!" he declared, a last attempt to salvage some pride.
"Do what you want. I don't care." Tenchi's response was utterly dismissive. Ōnoki's plan to have him punished was futile; Tenchi answered to no one. If pushed, he wouldn't hesitate to take the Hokage's seat himself. With a final activation of Kamui, he vanished from Iwagakure.
*'Hmph... We'll see if you still don't care. Even if you don't, I will report this to Hiruzen Sarutobi. If I can have you expelled from Konoha, it will weaken their military power. A loss for Konoha is a win for me.'* Ōnoki thought, a scheming glint in his eye.
"What are you all standing around for?!" he barked at his stunned ninja. "Clean up this mess!"
It had to be said that Ōnoki's authority in Iwagakure was absolute, far more centralized than the power structure in Konoha.
After this battle, the name "Tenchi the Asura" spread throughout Iwagakure. Ōnoki even issued a formal decree: any Iwa-nin on a mission who encountered Uchiha Tenchi was permitted to abandon their mission immediately without any penalty.
***
Tenchi, unaware of his new notoriety, used Kamui to make the return journey. In just over an hour, he had crossed two countries and returned to the room where Tsunade and the others were recuperating. No one would believe that someone could attack a major ninja village and return in a matter of hours.
He opened the door to find all three of them looking at him.
"Brother Tenchi! You're back! Did you take care of all the ninja that got away?" Jiraiya asked.
"Yeah... your shadow clone disappeared earlier. We thought something might have happened to you... I mean, to us," Tsunade said, her voice trailing off shyly.
Orochimaru just watched Tenchi calmly, unsurprised by his return. Dealing with those rogue ninja would be trivial for someone of his strength.
Tenchi rubbed the back of his neck, a little awkward. *'If I told them I just attacked Iwagakure, they'd probably have a heart attack.'* "It was nothing," he said casually. "Just a few small fries. They were easy to handle."
Tōka entered the room at that moment. "Ah, Lord Tenchi! You're back to check on them?" He had been calling Tenchi "Lord" ever since Jiraiya and the others started doing so. He had no idea Tenchi had ever left.
"The mission is complete, Tōka," Tenchi said. "Could you arrange some food and a place for me to rest? I need to sleep for a few days. I'm completely exhausted."
"Of course! No problem! You are the hero of the Land of Rice! Rest here as long as you need. Our people will take good care of you!" Tōka beamed. With the enemy gone, everyone was free. His joy was genuine.
"Alright, no need for formalities. Just the usual is fine. You three, focus on recovering from your injuries. I'm going to get some food with Tōka and then get some rest." With that, Tenchi followed Tōka out.
After eating, Tenchi lay down on the bed Tōka had prepared. He stared at the ceiling, his mind finally catching up with him.
*'The incident at Iwagakure is serious. There's going to be a lot of trouble when we get back to the village. I should rest properly for the next few days.'*
*'On the journey back, I'll start teaching Jiraiya the Rasengan. I doubt I'll have time once we're in the village.'*
With these final thoughts, Tenchi closed his eyes and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. The physical toll of the battles was manageable, but the mental strain had finally overwhelmed him.