The night was deep and heavy, yet the lights in the Tsuchikage's office still burned brightly.
It was clear that the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, was a man who took his duties with the utmost seriousness.
"Looks like Tsuchikage-sama is working overtime again tonight…"
At the entrance of the Tsuchikage's building, two guards spoke in hushed tones as they watched their leader with eyes full of admiration.
With such a diligent Tsuchikage leading them, they believed the village would soon flourish and eventually surpass all other hidden villages.
Before the words had even faded, a shadow slipped past them soundlessly from behind.
Neither guard even had time to turn around before everything went black and they collapsed to the ground without a single cry.
The shadow—Renya—lightly pressed the unconscious guards against the wall. His movements were swift and precise, leaving no trace of disturbance.
He leapt silently into the Tsuchikage's building. At the end of the corridor, four Anbu were patrolling with sharp vigilance.
Renya held his breath and drew several specially-made shuriken from his pouch.
"Swish, swish, swish—"
The shuriken struck the wall behind the Anbu with pinpoint accuracy, making a faint sound.
"What was that noise?"
In the instant the Anbu instinctively turned around, Renya appeared before them using the Body Flicker Technique!
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Four precise hand chops struck the napes of their necks. The Anbu didn't even see their attacker before they felt a sharp pain and fell unconscious.
The entire exchange took no more than three seconds. Silence returned to the corridor.
Renya glanced toward the Tsuchikage's office at the end of the hall. Lowering his steps, he approached the door and then kicked it open with a loud crash.
Knock on the door? Not in this lifetime.
...
Inside the office.
Ōnoki was hunched over his desk, reviewing documents, when the door suddenly burst open. Without even looking up, he scolded irritably,
"How many times have I told you—knock before you—"
Before he could finish, a strange voice interrupted him.
"Tsuchikage-sama, what an imposing display of authority!"
Ōnoki raised his head in surprise. Standing at the doorway was a young man in black clothes—a complete stranger.
As far as he could remember, he had never seen this person before. Judging by the intruder's stance, he clearly didn't come with good intentions...
"Who are you?" Ōnoki asked coldly, his right hand quietly moving toward the alarm button beneath the desk.
Once pressed, countless Iwagakure shinobi would rush to his aid. At that point, even if the man had wings, he wouldn't escape.
The black-clad intruder didn't answer. Instead, he shut the door behind him. The metallic clack of the bolt locking echoed clearly in the silent room.
"Seems you're quite confident," Ōnoki sneered as he pressed the alarm.
He had changed his mind—he would stall until his guards arrived and then deal with this insolent fool himself.
It wasn't his fault he didn't recognize Renya. Before sneaking into the Tsuchikage's office, Renya had used the Transformation Technique to alter his appearance.
This wasn't wartime, after all. If he openly attacked the Third Tsuchikage under his real name, even if he succeeded or failed, it would bring him immense trouble.
If word spread that Konoha's "Poison Master" had assassinated the Tsuchikage, Senju Tobirama would probably explode on the spot—then furiously chop him into bits afterward.
Such an incident would either start a war between Konoha and Iwagakure, or force Konoha to hand over Renya to appease them.
To avoid either outcome, Renya simply used a disguise.
All he wanted was to teach this short old man a good lesson…
Seeing Ōnoki press the alarm, Renya knew his time was limited.
He didn't waste any more words and charged forward with his katana drawn.
"Boom!"
The solid wooden desk shattered under the blade, splinters flying everywhere. In the space where Ōnoki had been sitting, only a few fluttering documents remained.
Ōnoki was now floating mid-air, his hands flashing through hand seals.
The walls of the office suddenly came alive. Countless sharp stone spikes erupted toward Renya!
Renya darted through the barrage of rock spears with agile movements. His black cloak billowed as he threw three shuriken in a triangular formation toward the airborne Tsuchikage.
"Earth Release: Stone Wall!"
A stone wall rose up to block them. The moment it did, Ōnoki formed another set of seals.
"Earth Release: Fist of Rock!"
A massive stone fist came crashing toward Renya. But instead of retreating, he stepped on the rock fist, using it as leverage to leap upward. Mid-air, his blade came slashing down in a gleaming arc aimed straight at Ōnoki's face!
"Clang—!"
The katana struck the stone fist, leaving only a shallow mark.
"Not bad," Ōnoki smirked. "But you're no match for me!"
Renya didn't answer. He vanished in a blur, closing in again. He couldn't even activate his Sharingan without risking his identity being exposed.
The two clashed—steel against stone—sparks flying in all directions.
"It's over," Ōnoki suddenly said, pulling away. His hands came together, palms facing, as a grayish-white cube of energy formed between them.
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
Blinding light erupted in the confined space. The cube expanded at terrifying speed, erasing everything it touched—desks, papers, walls—into nothingness.
Renya's pupils shrank. He immediately used the Body Flicker Technique to dodge. The wall behind him was obliterated, leaving a gaping hole.
"Quick reflexes," Ōnoki said coldly. "But next time, you won't be so lucky."
Renya's expression darkened. The cramped office limited his movement. And since he couldn't use his Sharingan, he couldn't gain the upper hand in such a short time.
He had underestimated Ōnoki's strength. Dust Release truly was a troublesome jutsu.
Meanwhile, the alarm had gone off, and Iwagakure shinobi were rushing toward the Tsuchikage's building. Footsteps echoed from the corridors below.
Renya knew his time was running out. Once reinforcements arrived, he'd have no choice but to use Flying Thunder God to escape.
"Die!" Ōnoki shouted from above. "Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
Renya once again used the Body Flicker to dodge, another wall of the office vanishing instantly.
"Is that all you've got?" Renya's mocking voice came from the side. "No matter how powerful your Dust Release is, it's useless if you can't hit me!"
He didn't plan to keep fighting. After a final taunt, he would simply teleport away—and come back another day for revenge.
"Courting death!" Ōnoki's veins bulged with fury as he unleashed his ultimate technique once more.
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
The blinding light shot straight toward Renya. But this time, instead of dodging, he activated the Flying Thunder God Technique directly.
Before the Dust Release struck, his body vanished into thin air.
From Ōnoki's point of view, the black-clad intruder was completely obliterated—nothing left, not even dust.
"Hmph. That's what you get for provoking me."
By the time Iwagakure's reinforcements arrived, they found Ōnoki floating proudly in his now half-destroyed office, arms crossed and smirking.
The Iwagakure shinobi exchanged silent glances.
What… exactly had happened here before they came?
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
+100 chapters and support me on Patreon(.)com/Jixo