Even as he successfully escaped, the Third Mizukage made sure to leave Ōnoki a parting gift—an Ice Release jutsu.
Unfortunately for him, it was useless against Dust Release. The attack was effortlessly disintegrated into dust.
What infuriated Ōnoki even more was that he had to hold back his strength while fighting.
The Third Mizukage, on the other hand, had no such reservations. Every move he made was aimed at maximum destruction, causing as much chaos as possible. In just a few exchanges, Iwagakure had been thrown into complete disarray.
To make matters worse, the shinobi of Iwagakure couldn't even act freely. They had to remain on constant alert, wary of their own comrades.
The battle had become more than just a physical fight—it was psychological warfare.
The longer it dragged on, the more painful it became for Ōnoki.
The level of destruction in Iwagakure had already exceeded his threshold for tolerance.
And there was still a bigger problem looming ahead.
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
A white light beam swept across, erasing everything in its path—buildings, ice, and even the remnants of the Third Mizukage himself. Only then did the battle finally come to an end.
Yet Ōnoki felt no sense of victory.
He realized the enemy had done this on purpose.
At the critical moment, they slipped away.
Indeed, White Zetsu had already abandoned the fight. His goal was to throw Iwagakure into chaos, not to die in the village.
Once things had reached a boiling point, he simply let go of his control over the Third Mizukage's body and made his escape.
Hovering in the sky, clutching his aching lower back, Ōnoki surveyed the wreckage of his village. His heart clenched in pain, as if it might stop at any moment.
Then he noticed something that made his blood pressure spike—his shinobi stood frozen, staring at each other in fear and suspicion.
No one dared to move.
"From this moment on, no one is allowed to act alone! Even if you're eating or using the bathroom, you must have someone with you! Move in squads of five—anyone who separates from their squad is to be treated as an enemy!"
It wasn't a real solution, but it was the best temporary measure they had.
Ōnoki needed to contain the situation first, then find a way to identify the hidden enemies within Iwagakure.
For now, keeping everyone in groups of five ensured they could move and function while minimizing risks.
Finding the infiltrators would have to come later.
Everything was far worse than he had initially expected.
Ōnoki realized he had underestimated Uchiha Madara's influence.
He had already suffered one major loss. He wasn't about to let Iwagakure fall for another trap.
With the five-man squad orders in place, the shinobi of Iwagakure finally started moving.
Some worked on rescue operations.
Others focused on clearing the debris and salvaging supplies.
But no matter what they did, they never strayed from their assigned groups.
With eyes constantly watching each other, even if enemies were still lurking, they would hesitate before making a move.
"This attack was clearly orchestrated by Uchiha Madara to reclaim the Rinnegan."
"Spread the word immediately. Also, send requests for aid to the other villages—especially Konoha! We need their help in identifying the infiltrators!"
There was no way to keep an event this big under wraps.
For one, every village had spies planted in one another's territories.
More importantly, there was no reason to hide it.
Iwagakure needed assistance.
At this point, it wasn't about pride.
Ōnoki would rather swallow his pride than let unknown enemies lurk within his village, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Besides, would the other villages even have the time to mock Iwagakure?
If Uchiha Madara was bold enough to strike here, who was to say he wouldn't do the same to their villages next?
They were probably just as terrified.
Fighting an enemy head-on was one thing.
But knowing that the person standing next to you could be an imposter?
That was true despair.
With the distress signal sent, Ōnoki initially considered increasing security around the Rinnegan.
But then he caught himself and quickly abandoned the idea.
The Rinnegan wasn't even inside the village—it was hidden elsewhere.
Only a handful of people knew its exact location.
If the attack on Iwagakure had been meant to serve as a distraction, to lure their forces away from its hiding place, then sending more people there would be the worst possible move.
Ōnoki wasn't willing to take that risk.
So he made the decision to hold his ground.
News of Iwagakure's crisis quickly spread to the other four great shinobi villages.
—
"Lord Takuya, the Hokage has requested your presence at the office immediately. There's an urgent matter that requires discussion."
"What's so important?"
Takuya had never been fond of the ANBU barging into his home.
In the past, it was because he feared they would uncover his secrets, prompting the Third Hokage and Danzo to eliminate him.
Now, it was because he knew whenever they showed up—it meant trouble.
And if there was one thing Takuya hated, it was unnecessary trouble.
Unfortunately, he couldn't just ignore it.
Unless he was willing to abandon Tsunade as well.
And that wasn't happening.
"I don't know, sir."
The ANBU operative shook his head.
Sensitive matters like these weren't meant for lower-ranked shinobi to know.
"Fine. I get it."
Sighing, Takuya rubbed his face, trying to wake himself up.
He changed into his gear, then shot the ANBU a warning glance.
"Next time, don't come inside. Just wait at the door—I can sense you."
The last thing he needed was someone walking in at the wrong moment and seeing something they shouldn't.
"…Understood."
The ANBU bowed his head, making a mental note to inform his superiors.
Better to avoid any future misunderstandings—no one wanted to be the unlucky fool who got punched or humiliated for overstepping.
Leaving his home, Takuya strolled leisurely toward the Hokage's office.
As far as he was concerned, unless Uchiha Madara himself had resurrected and was attacking Konoha, there was no need to rush.
And if that wasn't the case?
Then it wasn't his problem.
No point stressing over it.
—
As soon as he entered the Hokage's office, Takuya immediately sensed something was off.
His eyes scanned the room.
It wasn't just the ANBU Commander, Sakumo Hatake, who was present.
The Third Hokage was also there, his expression unusually grave.
Takuya raised an eyebrow.
Whatever had happened, it was serious.
His gaze met Tsunade's.
She didn't say a word.
Instead, she tossed a scroll his way.
Catching it, Takuya unfolded it and scanned the contents.
Then, a smirk tugged at his lips.
"Oh? Iwagakure's in chaos, huh?"
Didn't someone recently say that whoever held the Rinnegan would be cursed?
Well, Iwagakure's troubles had officially arrived.
And now, Ōnoki was being forced to swallow his pride and request aid.
"It's a complete disaster," Tsunade sighed, shaking her head.
"All shinobi are now required to operate in five-man squads. No one is allowed to act alone—not even for a moment. They're terrified that any of their own could turn against them at any time."
"This is all thanks to that damn White Zetsu. Ōnoki has no choice—he's asking the other villages for help."
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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read the rest of the Chapter at Patreon com/ Emik01.
DO NOT FORGET POWER STONE AND CHATTING