The domineering Uchiha drove the Third Hokage mad!

Chapter 496 Kikyo and Negotiation

After the fierce battle, Uchiha Mitsunori seemed to have successfully subdued Onoki, but there was something unreal about it.

"Could it be an earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of clone)?"

With a soft "crack," the ball of yellowish-brown chakra shattered, turning into countless tiny particles of earth that scattered across the sky.

Onoki has dominated the ninja world for decades, and he is not so easily captured. The opponent deliberately pretended to fall into a trap, and there must be a backup plan.

The thought had barely formed when a chilling cold suddenly shot up from the back of my neck—a deadly warning that went deep into my soul.

Uchiha Mitsunaka's Mangekyou Sharingan instantly activated to its maximum, its red vision piercing through the thick smoke and dust, clearly capturing the deadly threat emerging from the cracks in the rock behind him.

Onoki flew out from the head of the rock giant, clasping his hands together: "Dust Release: Particle Style!"

A semi-transparent cone-shaped barrier suddenly appeared, and wherever it passed, the rubble instantly turned into nothingness.

Uchiha Mitsumine instinctively darted to the side, and the 52-meter-tall orange flame Susanoo instantly turned around.

He had already anticipated that Onoki would not give up easily. The clone was merely bait to lull him into a false sense of security, while the real Onoki was hiding in the shadows, waiting for the moment he relaxed his guard to launch a fatal sneak attack.

"Since you can't hide it anymore, don't bother hiding it."

"That Uchiha brat is more alert than I expected."

An aged and cold voice came from the depths of the smoke and dust. Onoki's true form walked out slowly, leaning on a cane. Thick, earthy-yellow chakra surrounded him. His cloudy eyes stared intently at Susanoo, filled with fear and calculation.

He had intended to take advantage of the capture of his clone to kill him with a single blow using Dust Release, but he did not expect that his opponent had already seen through his trick.

Onoki's fingertips rapidly formed hand seals, his Earth Release chakra surging wildly, causing the ground to tremble violently. Several boulders bulged from the ground and slammed towards Susanoo. "Since you've seen through it, then taste the power of my Dust Release!"

His tone was fierce, clearly his plans had been disrupted by the composure of the Uchiha Mitsuru, so he decided to stop hiding and instead crush his opponent with absolute power.

Susanoo raised its hand and slapped the giant orange-red palm, shattering the boulder. As the fragments flew, Uchiha Mitsumine controlled Susanoo's left arm and suddenly reached forward to grab at Onoki's main body.

"Old fox, you've had enough of playing the hiding tricks. It's time for a head-on confrontation."

His tone was forceful, and his Mangekyou Sharingan locked onto Onoki's chakra fluctuations, giving him no chance to launch another sneak attack.

Onoki suddenly retreated, and at the same time activated Dust Release again, attacking Susanoo's limbs.

The chakra flowing along the edge of the transparent barrier carried a terrifying power capable of disintegrating everything, eroding deep trenches into the ground wherever it passed.

"Susanoo, block with your left arm!"

Uchiha Mitsuhide's thoughts raced, and his chakra surged into Susanoo's left arm like a rushing river. The muscles in Susanoo's left arm suddenly tightened, and the chakra armor on its surface swelled by more than half a foot.

"clang--!"

The moment the Dust Release cone barrier collided with Susanoo's arm, the Susanoo's chakra and the pale gray Dust Release chakra violently clashed and annihilated at the point of impact, stirring up countless tiny energy ripples.

Uchiha Mitsunori gritted his teeth and persevered, constantly replenishing his eye power and chakra to repair Susanoo.

"That was close. This Onoki is indeed cunning and shrewd, actually hiding in the remains of the rock giant to launch a sneak attack."

Uchiha Mitsunori breathed a sigh of relief, his chest rising and falling slightly from the burst of chakra he had just experienced. He subconsciously rubbed the corner of his eye, trying to relieve the soreness caused by the high-speed operation of the Mangekyou Sharingan.

Onoki's eyes were fixed on Uchiha Mitsumine's Susanoo, and the fear in his eyes was even greater than before.

He never expected that this young Uchiha boy could not only accurately predict his sneak attack, but also withstand the residual power of Dust Release with Susanoo. His strength and mentality far surpassed those of his peers.

Onoki gritted his teeth, quickly raised his fingertips, his knuckles turning white from the force, and was about to form hand seals again to activate Dust Release, intending to completely defeat his opponent regardless of the cost.

Uchiha Mitsufumi suddenly raised his hand to signal a stop, and the orange flames of chakra burning around his body subsided somewhat, even the coldness in his eyes faded a little.

At this moment, his Mangekyou Sharingan detected a special aura coming from the distant mountains and forests. It was a cold fluctuation that belonged neither to chakra nor to natural energy, mixed with a faint but pure life force. It was strange and unfamiliar, completely out of place in this battlefield filled with killing and dust, which aroused a sense of curiosity in him.

Uchiha Mitsunori looked up toward the source of the aura, his Mangekyou Sharingan piercing through layers of branches and leaves, landing on a clearing in the forest.

There stood a figure in pure white, standing quietly, as aloof and solitary as a plum blossom under the moon.

The woman was dressed in a traditional white shrine maiden's outfit, with pale blue bellflower patterns embroidered on the collar and cuffs, which shimmered faintly in the dim light. Her black hair was tied up high with two white ribbons, and the rest of her hair fell over her shoulders, swaying gently in the wind, utterly ethereal.

She held an ancient black longbow, its body engraved with intricate incantations. Her fingertips rested lightly on the bow, her face as serene as the moon, her eyes filled with a distant compassion, as if she were looking down upon the suffering of all living beings, yet seemingly detached from this mortal world.

The faint aura of holiness surrounding him completely shut out the surrounding blood and smoke, creating a tranquil and secluded space.

On her shoulder and around her, several long, white worms, glowing with a white light, were slowly flying, their wings flapping and scattering a fine, cold aura. These were the undead worms controlled only by Kikyo.

Uchiha Mitsunori's gaze lingered on the figure in pure white, his curiosity growing ever stronger.

"Platycodon grandiflorus?"

Uchiha Mitsunori's pupils suddenly contracted, and a storm raged in his heart. He never expected that a character from Inuyasha would appear in the world of Naruto. This was completely beyond his understanding of this world. Could it be that time and space had become disordered?

His gaze darted quickly between the bellflower and the nectar insect, and soon locked onto the dark cloth bag hanging from the woman's waist.

Although the bag was small, it faintly emitted a peculiar energy fluctuation, warm yet with a hint of sinister intent, vaguely matching the aura of the Shikon Jewel in his memory—the Shikon Jewel was very likely hidden there.

The thought of the power of the Shikon Jewel instantly extinguished his will to fight Onoki to the death. His fighting spirit receded like a tide, and the orange flames burning around Susanoo also subsided by most of them, leaving only a faint chakra swirling around him, maintaining his basic form.

"The Shikon Jewel..."

He silently recited those four words in his heart, a determined glint in his eyes. Compared to defeating Onoki, Kikyo and the Shikon Jewel were clearly more worthy of his attention.

Uchiha Mitsunori withdrew his gaze from the mountains and forests and turned it back to Onoki. His tone, conveyed through his chakra, carried an undeniable power and a sense of control: "Onoki, let's stop here."

He paused, deliberately slowing his speech to make his stance clearer: "I think, after our exchange just now, I am qualified to have a proper talk with you." At this moment, he was no longer simply losing his fighting spirit, but rather extending an olive branch of negotiation to Onoki in the manner of a victor. Every tone of his voice was filled with certainty—he knew that Onoki was already wary of his strength, and with the presence of the unknown priestess, the old man would certainly not dare to refuse.

Following Uchiha Mitsumine's gaze, Onoki glanced at the shrine maiden in the distant mountains, her allegiance unknown, and a hint of hesitation and wariness flashed in his turbid eyes.

He could clearly sense the strange aura emanating from the priestess. There was no fluctuation of chakra, yet she possessed a chilling and unsettling presence. This unknown being was far more threatening than the Uchiha boy before him.

No one could predict whether the other party would suddenly launch an attack and regard them and the three Uchiha peaks as enemies.

He remained silent for a moment, then slowly descended to the ground. The chaotic yellowish-brown chakra around him gradually calmed down, but his hand holding the cane remained tense, his knuckles turning white, clearly indicating that he had not yet fully recovered from the previous exchange.

"Okay," Onoki said in a deep voice, his previous authority gone, replaced by a helpless compromise.

He knew very well that continuing the fight at this moment would only result in mutual destruction, and the existence of that strange priestess was full of variables. If she launched a surprise attack, he and the three peaks of the Uchiha clan would be in danger. It would be better to see what the boy had up his sleeve before making any plans, and at least to find out the true intentions of the Uchiha clan.

"Come with me."

Uchiha Mitsuhide spoke calmly, manipulating Susanoo to transform into a sky full of orange-red chakra, which flowed into his body like water. The oppressive feeling around him dissipated, leaving only faint Mangekyou Sharingan patterns in his eyes, proving the ownership of the orange-flame war god from before.

He turned and walked toward a cave not far away. The entrance was covered by thick rocks, leaving only a narrow gap. The cave was surrounded by withered yellow weeds and covered with a thin layer of dust. It was clear that no one had been there for a long time and it was extremely well hidden. This was a place he had paid special attention to when he surveyed the battlefield earlier, and he had already anticipated that there might be a need for negotiations.

"You'll definitely find the information inside interesting."

Uchiha Mitsunori deliberately slowed his pace, allowing Onoki to keep up, while keeping an eye on the distant mountains and forests, fearing that Kikyo might suddenly disappear. He had already anticipated Onoki's concerns and had prepared enough bargaining chips; he was absolutely confident that he would take the initiative in this negotiation.

The two entered the cave one after the other. Uchiha Sanfeng raised his hand and waved it, and the light purple chakra turned into an invisible barrier to seal the cave entrance, completely blocking outside prying eyes and noise, and even blocking the airflow.

The cave was dimly lit, with only a few slivers of light filtering through the cracks in the rock walls, illuminating the tiny dust particles floating in the air.

Crystalline water droplets condensed on the rock wall, making a soft "drip, drip" sound as they fell, which was particularly clear in the silent cave, making the atmosphere even more heavy and oppressive.

The ground was covered with a layer of damp moss, making it slightly slippery underfoot, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of earth and rocks.