Naruto: Wooing Tsunade from Day One!
Chapter 501: Fugaku vs. Ōnoki

Chapter 501 - 501: Fugaku vs. Ōnoki

Although he couldn't hear what Fugaku was saying, the sight of his smile was enough to make Ōnoki feel deeply irritated.

"Fugaku Uchiha."

"I'll admit, you have some skill."

"But tell me, how much do you truly resemble Madara Uchiha?"

The taunt in Ōnoki's words was unmistakable.

It was no surprise—before Fugaku, the only Susanoo Ōnoki had ever seen belonged to Madara.

Even now, the memory filled him with dread. That overwhelming power had been enough to crush both his teacher and himself in an instant.

But no matter how he looked at it, the man standing before him could never match Madara's strength.

"Hmph! Then tell me, how much stronger are you than the Four-Tails' Jinchūriki?"

Fugaku scoffed, firing back without hesitation.

Madara might be dead, but Fugaku had no illusions—he was not on the same level.

No one in the Uchiha Clan had ever surpassed Madara.

Regardless of what kind of man he was, there was no denying that he had been the clan's greatest shinobi.

There was no point in further argument.

Without another word, both men attacked.

"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"

"Earth Release: Earth and Stone Dragon Technique!"

Two massive dragons, one of fire and one of stone, roared forward, their gaping maws wide open as they clashed mid-air.

A deafening explosion rang out as flames and shattered rock scattered across the battlefield.

At that very moment, Ōnoki and Fugaku charged at each other.

Ōnoki's entire right arm was encased in layers of stone, while Fugaku had already drawn the Flame Fan and his scythe.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

After exchanging several fierce blows, they separated once more.

Fugaku's three-tomoe Sharingan locked onto Ōnoki, his expression calm and composed, completely unharmed.

Ōnoki, on the other hand, wasn't so fortunate.

Cracks had formed across his hardened right arm, and a large section of his robe had been sliced clean off.

With Fugaku's Sharingan granting him an edge in close combat, Ōnoki knew he would gain nothing by engaging him at this range.

If he kept this up, he would only end up seriously injured.

His gaze swept over the battlefield—both sides had already fully engaged in battle.

The Uchiha's Sharingan, so dominant in one-on-one combat, was beginning to lose its advantage as the sheer number of enemies increased. Casualties were inevitable.

Of course, part of that was due to the reckless fighting style of the Iwa shinobi.

For every fallen comrade, another immediately took their place.

Ōnoki felt a mixture of sorrow and pride as he watched them fight without hesitation.

But more than anything, their determination struck a chord deep within him.

If his men were willing to lay down their lives, then as Tsuchikage, how could he afford to hold back?

"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld."

Ōnoki swiftly formed hand seals, and in an instant, the ground beneath Fugaku's feet turned to liquid, transforming into a vast swamp.

"You're underestimating me."

Fugaku could clearly feel himself sinking, his legs bound tightly as if by invisible shackles, making it difficult to break free.

Yet, there was not the slightest trace of panic in his eyes—only a calm indifference, as if this technique was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

Just as he was about to use ninjutsu to escape, Ōnoki's next attack was already upon him.

"Earth Release: Mountain Jutsu!"

With a low shout, two massive hemispheres of rock erupted from the ground on either side of Fugaku.

Like towering mountains, they loomed over him, pressing in with an overwhelming force that seemed to smother the very air around him.

There was no time to hesitate. Fugaku immediately discarded his weapons and stretched out his arms, straining with all his might to resist the crushing force of the stone.

But the sheer pressure was relentless, growing stronger with every second. A flicker of pain crossed his face.

At that moment, Ōnoki had completely restricted his movements.

His figure, though not large, trembled slightly under the immense pressure. He was now at a severe disadvantage.

"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique."

Strike when the enemy is weakest—Ōnoki knew better than to waste this golden opportunity.

A cruel smile crept onto his lips as he slowly spread his hands, forming a translucent, cone-shaped barrier between his palms.

He was certain—if his Dust Release landed, Fugaku Uchiha would be reduced to nothing.

This was a fact he had complete confidence in.

Fugaku, feeling his arms beginning to bend under the crushing force, silently admitted that he had underestimated Ōnoki.

A veteran Kage-level shinobi with a lifetime of battles under his belt was far more formidable than a mere Four-Tails' Jinchūriki.

As the brilliant glow of the Dust Release intensified in Ōnoki's hands, Fugaku's Mangekyō Sharingan finally flared to life.

In an instant, a black Susanoo took form, its sheer presence shattering the encasing rock into countless fragments.

Fugaku was free.

At that moment, Ōnoki's Dust Release came roaring forward with devastating force.

...

Boom!

A thunderous explosion shook the entire battlefield.

The shockwave rippled outward in a furious gale, sweeping across the land like a violent storm.

Thick clouds of dust and debris billowed into the sky, blotting out the sun.

The battlefield was consumed by chaos.

The powerful gusts stung the faces of shinobi on both sides, forcing dust into their mouths and noses, yet none dared to raise a hand to shield themselves.

As the smoke gradually settled, wide-eyed shinobi from both factions stared in stunned silence.

At the center of the explosion, a massive, bottomless crater scarred the earth.

Not far from it, a towering black figure stood motionless, exuding an aura of pure dominance—Susanoo.

"You almost got me with that one."

Fugaku's voice echoed from within the giant, Susanoo's black tachi extending forward, pointing directly at Ōnoki.

"Hmph, you better hope you can dodge again next time."

Disappointment flickered in Ōnoki's eyes, but his words remained defiant.

"Then go ahead and try."

"Yasaka Magatama."

Fugaku's expression darkened slightly as he commanded Susanoo to reshape its black chakra tachi into a series of interlinked magatama.

His gaze locked onto Ōnoki's position with deadly precision.

Then, without hesitation, he unleashed them.

The Yasaka Magatama streaked through the air like a barrage of black meteors, hurtling toward Ōnoki with unstoppable momentum.

Their speed was blinding, their trajectories almost impossible to follow.

Even the space around them seemed to tremble under the sheer force of their power.

As they closed in, Ōnoki could feel the overwhelming pressure emanating from them.

There was no room for arrogance—he had to defend with everything he had.

"Earth Release: Rock Statue!"

Ōnoki growled as he channeled a torrent of chakra, rapidly draining his reserves.

The ground trembled violently as countless slabs of earth and stone surged upward, rolling like waves before rapidly converging.

Under the immense force of his chakra, layers upon layers of rock fused together, forming a towering humanoid statue that stood as a shield before him.

This was the very same jutsu he had once used alongside Gaara to block Madara's Yasaka Magatama.