Iwagakure—unlike Kirigakure, which was perpetually shrouded in damp mist—had extremely dry air. Its location was far more enclosed, surrounded by towering mountains on all sides.
Carl and the other two appeared directly above the center of Iwagakure, looking down at the bunker-like buildings below. Carl smiled and said,
"As expected of a village famous for its defenses. These buildings look pretty sturdy."
Lily said dismissively,
"They're still just as fragile. I say we level the place outright—then that Jinchūriki will come running out on his own."
"There's no need for meaningless destruction," Carl replied calmly. "We're here for only one target: the Five-Tails Jinchūriki. Kaguya, you should be able to sense him already, right?"
Kaguya nodded respectfully and pointed toward a tall building below, speaking softly.
"Carl-sama, he's inside that tallest building."
Following her finger, Carl saw that a plaque bearing the character for "Earth" hung at the top of the structure. That was the Tsuchikage Building—the place where the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, resided.
It seemed a fight was unavoidable today. Carl knew Ōnoki's personality well enough—he was like a rock: hard and stubborn. There was no way he would hand over the Five-Tails as obediently as Mei Terumi had.
After all, Ōnoki was the longest-serving Tsuchikage, and the current Iwagakure was at the height of its power. A bit of arrogance was only natural.
...
Inside the Tsuchikage Building, the Five-Tails Jinchūriki, Han, was reporting on the successful completion of his mission. After listening, Ōnoki nodded in satisfaction and said to Kurotsuchi, who was standing nearby,
"You should strive to become an outstanding ninja like Han in the future."
Kurotsuchi curled her lips, looking somewhat helpless.
"I know, I know… honestly, old people really love to nag. No wonder Deidara wanted to—"
"Don't spout nonsense again!"
Ōnoki shot her a glare.
Kurotsuchi stopped mid-sentence, but the defiant look on her face still left Ōnoki fuming. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about his precious granddaughter. All he could do was puff out his beard and glare, which Kurotsuchi completely ignored.
Han, feeling awkward about getting involved in this "intimate interaction" between grandfather and granddaughter, was just about to take his leave when Ōnoki's expression suddenly changed. His eyes locked rigidly onto the space behind Han.
Han spun around sharply—and saw blackness spreading through the air itself. In the next instant, Carl and the other two drifted out from within it.
Such an entrance instantly put Ōnoki on high alert. He floated up into the air, hands hanging near his waist, and spoke coldly,
"Who are you? Do you know where you are?"
Carl merely glanced at Kurotsuchi beside him.
Carl turned his gaze to Han, who was braced as if facing a mortal enemy, and nodded.
"Found you—the Five-Tails Jinchūriki."
Seeing Carl ignore him outright—and with his target being Iwagakure's precious Jinchūriki—Ōnoki immediately stopped wasting words. He raised both hands before his chest and activated his chakra. A brilliant white light flared between his palms, forming a white, transparent barrier.
This was the ninjutsu known as Dust Release, possessing the greatest offensive power in the current ninja world. With this alone, Ōnoki could be called the most destructive of the Five Kage.
Pushing his palms forward, Ōnoki shouted,
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
The white barrier expanded violently, instantly engulfing Carl and the other two. In the next second, blinding white light filled the entire room.
Yet when the light faded, and Ōnoki saw Carl and the others standing there untouched—not even a single hair harmed—he was so shocked he nearly fell from the air.
Kurotsuchi and Han were equally stunned. What were they seeing? Someone had survived the Tsuchikage's Dust Release?! The three of them had been hit head-on!
Carl glanced down at his spotless clothes and said flatly,
"The cleaning effect isn't bad."
"..."
To Ōnoki and the others, those words were outrageously arrogant. But what they had just witnessed was far too terrifying. Regaining his composure, Ōnoki stared at Carl with a grave expression.
"Who exactly are you?"
Carl showed no intention of answering. He simply raised one hand slightly, palm aimed at Ōnoki.
A black vortex appeared. An overwhelming suction force instantly dragged Ōnoki toward Carl. Ōnoki's Ultra-Light-Weight Rock Technique was useless before such power. Still, his combat experience was no joke—he made the best possible decision in an instant.
Using the pull of the suction, he launched a Rock Fist straight at Carl.
Boom!!!
Dust exploded everywhere. Before everyone's eyes, Ōnoki's supposedly indestructible Rock Fist was shattered into pieces by a mere flick of Carl's finger. The small-framed Ōnoki was then grabbed by the throat and lifted into the air like a chick.
The moment contact was made, Ōnoki felt the chakra within his body freeze completely. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't mobilize even a trace of it. Carl's terrifying grip left him utterly unable to break free. In seconds, the elderly Tsuchikage began to struggle for breath, his face turning a suffocating blue.
From Ōnoki's attack to his capture, it had all happened far too fast. Neither Kurotsuchi nor Han could have imagined that the invincible grandfather/Tsuchikage in their hearts would be defeated so easily.
Realizing Ōnoki was in danger, Kurotsuchi and Han reacted at the same time and attacked together. Concerned for Ōnoki, who was still in Carl's grasp, neither of them used ninjutsu. Instead, they charged in with taijutsu.
Lily and Kaguya merely watched from the side, showing no intention of intervening, allowing Kurotsuchi and Han to rush straight toward Carl.
Attacking from front and back, Kurotsuchi lifted her leg and delivered a high sweeping kick to Carl's arm, while Han thrust a sword fiercely into Carl's waist.
Their attacks felt as though they had struck a steel plate. Kurotsuchi's leg vibrated painfully, and Han's sword shattered cleanly in two.
Carl didn't even turn his head. Behind him, Han was instantly crushed to the ground by a pale purple gravitational field.
Seeing things go badly, Kurotsuchi tried to pull her leg back—but it was already too late. Carl suddenly reached out with his free hand, grabbed her slender ankle, and with a slight exertion of force, lifted her straight up into the air.
-----------
+80 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg