Naruto: Unlocking Kaido Template

"Hey, which village are these two from? Are they so disorganized that they're already fighting each other?" A woman dressed in black fishnet stockings standing beside Ōnoki crossed her arms, a mocking smile curling her lips.

"Kurotsuchi, that's enough. Let Lord Tsuchikage handle this. Don't act recklessly," the tall man standing next to Ōnoki warned her in a low voice. Unlike Kurotsuchi, he was far more composed.

In the middle of them stood Ōnoki, small and silent. The Third Tsuchikage was an elderly man with white hair and beard, barely reaching 1.3 meters in height. With his diminutive frame and hunched back, he resembled a large yellow rodent. You wouldn't even notice him unless you lowered your head.

Hyuga Chinano, however, was not one to remain idle in the face of provocation. Without hesitation, she fired a shot. The bullet, enhanced by her chakra, tore through the air with increased velocity and shot directly toward Kurotsuchi.

But Kurotsuchi was no pushover. She quickly spewed a stream of grayish-white cement-like mucus from her mouth—Earth Release: Cement Clone Technique (Doton: Nendō Bunshin no Jutsu)—which hardened instantly and blocked the bullet.

"What? I thought you were supposed to be strong. Is that all you've got? Just a toy. Worthless," Kurotsuchi sneered, spreading her arms in mock disappointment. She didn't see the gun in Chinano's hand as a threat. No matter how fast the bullet was, it still had to hit her, and with her reflexes, she believed it never would.

Just as Kurotsuchi was feeling smug, a chill suddenly ran down her spine. The hairs on her body stood on end, and cold sweat trickled down her back. Danger. But she couldn't pinpoint its source, which was the most terrifying part.

"You bastard—"

Boom!

A faint flash of fire erupted from a distant mountain, and a sniper bullet streaked toward Kurotsuchi like a beam of light, propelled by tremendous force.

In reality, sniper rifles were far more lethal than they were often portrayed in fiction. In movies, victims might hold on long enough for dramatic final words. But in truth, when a sniper round struck, even a torso or limb hit would cause massive tissue destruction, leaving behind nothing but a mist of blood and bone fragments. The impact was catastrophic, often obliterating everything in its path.

Kurotsuchi couldn't tell where the bullet had come from, and before she could react, death was already closing in on her.

However, at the last moment, Ōnoki moved. Without hesitation, he formed a hand seal, and a white beam of light condensed between his hands—Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique (Jinton: Genkai Hakuri no Jutsu). He shoved Kurotsuchi aside and fired the beam, intercepting the bullet mid-flight.

The sniper round, with all its destructive force, was disintegrated into nothingness. The crisis was quietly resolved.

"Boy, are you provoking Iwagakure?" Ōnoki's first words were sharp, completely disregarding the fact that Kurotsuchi had been the one to initiate the confrontation.

"Provoking? Come on. We're just playing around. Do you really think this little toy can hurt her? With that kind of power, it's just a tickle. You're far too overprotective," Zixu smirked, walking over to the Tsuchikage with an exaggerated expression of mock sorrow. "No progress without a little sparring, Ōnoki. You're coddling her. That stubbornness of yours is going to ruin the future of Iwagakure."

Zixu's audacity was staggering. He patted Ōnoki on the shoulder with a look of exaggerated pity, as if chastising a wayward old man.

"Oh? So I should be thanking you, then?" Ōnoki sneered. With a scowl, he slapped Zixu's hand away and cast a cold glance at Hyuga Chinano.

"Get to the point. Why are you here? No more nonsense," Ōnoki demanded, clearly irritated by Zixu's defiant attitude.

"The Land of Whirlpools was founded by me," Zixu declared without pretense. "In a few days, the Kage from the other four major villages will attend the founding ceremony. I'm hosting a martial arts tournament to showcase the strength of my village."

He spoke calmly but with absolute confidence, revealing the purpose of his visit without any reservations.

"The Land of Whirlpools?" Ōnoki's face twisted into a mocking grin. "You? The founder of a nation? Hah! You might be ambitious, but you're delusional. Let me tell you something—"

Before he could finish, Kurotsuchi, still emboldened by her grandfather's presence, sneered. "You don't even know your own limitations—"

Her words died in her throat when she met Chinano's cold, piercing gaze. Instinctively, she held her tongue.

"I'm not here to ask for your opinion," Zixu interrupted sharply. "I'm here to inform you. I don't care what you think."

Zixu's unwavering gaze bore into Ōnoki, and he casually rested his hand on the old man's shoulder again. The blatant lack of deference made the guards bristle with hostility.

"Young man," Ōnoki growled, his voice low and threatening. "You talk tough. But I wonder if your bones are as strong as your words."

With a sudden burst of strength, he shoved Zixu's hand away once more.

Zixu's lips curled into a grin. "Tough enough not to kneel before you, old man. Careful, though. Don't throw your back out. It must be exhausting, still clinging to that Kage seat at your age."

His casual taunt struck a nerve. The guards' hands twitched, ready to draw their weapons.

But Zixu wasn't done. His tone grew heavier, and his eyes narrowed with barely concealed hostility. "Besides, Deidara was your favorite disciple, wasn't he? Yet he recently attacked my village. So tell me, who should be held accountable for that? Don't give me that 'Akatsuki' nonsense. You're his teacher. You should take responsibility."

Zixu's words were sharp and accusatory. "If a disciple goes astray, it's the teacher's failure. Yet you cower behind the excuse of 'Akatsuki.' You tolerate Deidara's rampage and let him run amok. Your village's bounty on him is pathetic. You let your so-called 'precious disciple' sow chaos, and you stand by, doing nothing. That's disgraceful."

His voice grew colder with every word. "You raised a criminal. You tolerated him. And now you have the gall to take the moral high ground with me?"

The sheer pressure of Zixu's killing intent forced Ōnoki to channel his chakra just to withstand it. The suffocating force weighed down on the room, and the Tsuchikage's initial sharpness gradually lost its edge.

Zixu finally stepped back, his expression indifferent. "That's all I'll say. After all, you are the Tsuchikage. You must have your reasons," he added sarcastically. "What I just said is merely the most vulgar, common opinion."

He patted Ōnoki on the shoulder one last time and smiled faintly. "After all, you wouldn't be that shameless... right?"

With that, Zixu turned and walked away, Hyuga Chinano following silently by his side. They didn't bother saying another word.

Ōnoki, Kurotsuchi, and the guards were left standing in stunned silence. The carefully prepared speeches they had planned were rendered meaningless.

For a moment, Kurotsuchi glanced at her grandfather. Though he remained impassive, she couldn't help but notice something different. It wasn't just his physical form—it was his spirit. In that moment, he seemed smaller, older, and wearier.

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