Konoha Notes

Chapter 326 Dust Escape
Obito Uchiha's figure solidified in the energy room.

The vortex of Shenwei had just dissipated when he saw this scene before him—the fusion of Shennong and Zero-tail was letting out an unwilling roar.

"This is a trap set by Konoha. It's time to leave."

"One more shot... just one more shot will do," Shennong muttered to himself.

The dark chakra that constitutes Zero-Tails seems to amplify his inner obsession.

Decades of pent-up resentment, recent humiliations, and a fleeting sense of almost attainable pleasure in revenge made his reason falter.

Obito walked straight forward. The powerful airflow brought by the opening of the Kamui Space suddenly surged up in the energy room.

Shennong instantly regained his senses. He looked at the masked man in front of him and realized his current predicament.

"Let's go," Obito repeated.

As long as they still have the flying fortress, they can launch a fourth or fifth attack at any time.

The Ninja Academy has a course on VIP protection. Obito's grades were not outstanding when he was in school, but he understood the advantages of being on the offensive.

Even Minato Namikaze, known as the Yellow Flash, couldn't perfectly defend against all the enemies' attacks; even his Kamui had its weaknesses.

The side with the advantage doesn't need to rush to achieve success in one go.

Wait and look for weaknesses.

Having nothing left to protect, he possessed near-infinite patience. And the Five Great Ninja Villages? To what extent could they maintain their so-called "perfect defense"? A week? A month? Or a year?
Even Konoha...

Just as Shennong, having regained his senses, was about to break free from the Zero Tail, he suddenly sensed danger.

"wrong……"

Before he finished speaking, the entire Anker Bandian Fortress began to shake violently.

It wasn't an ordinary tremor, but some kind of structural collapse.

The fortress began to fall.

It wasn't a slow descent, but a freefall after losing all lift. Gravity regained its dominance, yanking the city violently towards the ground.

"An attacker!" Shennong expanded his perception range. "The tail... the entire area is destroyed! The thrusters are completely destroyed!"

“It’s Dust Release…” Shennong’s voice was hoarse, “Onoki’s Dust Release. He’s in Konoha too!”
-
Outside the fortress, high in the sky.

Onoki clasped his hands together in front of his chest, his white beard fluttering in the wind.

The target was practically a fortified city, massive in size and complex in structure. We didn't know if it had other methods, so the first strike had to destroy its power source, preventing it from escaping the battlefield.

As for the people inside?

Onoki's gaze swept over the figures who were fleeing in panic from various exits—they were wearing Sky Ninja uniforms, with wings spread on their backs, and were escaping outwards.

These people are not important.

Onoki also unleashed a second Dust Release attack on the main body of the fortress.

All protective barriers and reinforced structures were as fragile as paper before the Bloodline Elimination. Wherever the white light passed, matter was decomposed and annihilated, leaving behind a hollow passage with a diameter of more than five meters that ran through the main body of the fortress.

More and more stones fell, and Onoki patiently fired one shot after another during the flight, eliminating anything that might bring the fortress back to life.

This is an absolute threat.

A fortress capable of flight and long-range strikes, held by an enemy who has no need to defend their land or consider the consequences—this is more dangerous than all the competition between the five great ninja villages combined.

That's why he agreed to Konoha's request for help and accepted the use of the Flying Thunder Formation technique by the Shiranui Genma squad sent by them.

It wasn't because of trust, but because of a clear-headed judgment—some threats must be eliminated.

Two-thirds of the Anker Bandian Fortress has disappeared, and the remaining parts continue to disintegrate and collapse in the air, falling into the forest below.
-
Standing atop the wooden figure, Shuji didn't deactivate Sage Mode, but instead watched as Onoki dismantled the flying fortress completely. He didn't miss a single detail.

Until the last dust escape was cast, until the ruins of the fortress fell into the forest, raising a cloud of dust that filled the sky.

Hiashi Hyuga arrived with members of the police department.

The head of the Hyuga clan raised his head, his pure white pupils reflecting the towering figure of the wooden figure. Then he lowered his head and said, "Mr. Shuji, no suspicious persons have been found nearby."

Didn't Obito have Nagato accompany him...?

The rest depends on whether Onoki's Dust Release can take down Shennong and Zero-Tails at the same time.

If not, it would only be a temporary solution to the problem of the flying fortress.

The advantage is that it bought them more time to take other countermeasures.

He also obtained the Eight-Tails' chakra.

“Thank you for your hard work,” Xiu Si said. “Keep on alert, expand the patrol area, and make sure nothing is missed. The fortress ruins must also be thoroughly searched, and any technical data or remaining equipment must be recovered.”

"Yes."

Hiashi bowed respectfully and led his men to quickly disperse. The branch's ninjas, well-trained, split into small teams and began searching the crash site.

At that moment, Onoki also descended from the sky.

Shuji also released the Wooden Man Technique and unlocked Sage Mode.

Ōnoki also descended from the sky.

"To be honest, when I saw the wooden figure, I hesitated about who I should hit with the Dust Release technique."

Shuji smiled and said, "Then I really have to thank Lord Tsuchikage for his restraint."

Onoki said, "Konoha is much more likable than those guys who like to bombard everything."

"After witnessing the power of Dust Release firsthand, you should have realized that Iwagakure is a much stronger ally than Kumogakure."

Shuji said, "Lord Tsuchikage, at a time like this, you should understand that it is essential for the five great ninja villages to join hands."

"What we reject will become the strength of our enemies."

"Hmph." The Third Tsuchikage floated by with his hands behind his back. "What I'm talking about isn't rejecting any particular village, but rather who I'm closer to."

He watched as the Konoha ninjas cleaned up the debris.

"There's some technical exchange and contact between Konoha and Kumogakure, right?" Onoki suddenly changed the subject, his tone becoming casual. "I've heard about it."

"We have reached an agreement with Sunagakure, and they will provide support to other ninja villages in terms of airborne early warning, so Iwagakure is also included in the technical exchange."

"Hmph, that was before the fortress was destroyed," Onoki said. "Now that the fortress has been destroyed, it's unknown whether the conditions Sunagakure agreed to will work."

"The destruction of this fortress does not mean the end of the threat to the villages."

"Therefore, this condition will still work."

Onoki looked at him for a long time before saying, "You cunning brat."

"If they are all the same, then the so-called exchange students from Iwagakure and Kumogakure are also the same."

"of course."

"Well then, that's settled." Onoki flew towards Konoha Village. "It's time for me to go back."

(End of this chapter)