~ Every 100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter! Your votes keep this climbing. Thanks!
With the Five Kage down, Naruto-Madara advanced, intent on finishing them off. But how could the gathered shinobi, who had been watching from the rear, just stand by and do nothing?
Temari was the first to react. She lunged in front of the fallen Kage. Her Giant Folding Fan swept through the air. A roaring gale erupted, blasting Madara away with a thunderous BOOM!
Her voice rang out, sharp and defiant.
"Don't you dare look down on us!!!"
Swish!
Madara landed smoothly, dusting himself off with a gesture of utter contempt.
"Tch!" Temari clicked her tongue in frustration. By now, the Kage's guards and the samurai led by Mifune had formed a protective ring around their fallen leaders.
Ao's Byakugan pulsed, analyzing the situation. "Those stakes! They're blocking the Kage's chakra points!"
A samurai near the Raikage reached for one of the stakes. The moment his fingers touched it, he convulsed and dropped.
"This…!!!"
"Don't touch the stakes!" Mifune bellowed. "We will form a defensive perimeter around the Kage. Do not give the enemy an opening!"
Guards and samurai alike tightened their formation around the Five Kage, a solid wall of steel, ready and waiting.
Black Zetsu oozed from the ground. "Oh my. Killing the Five Kage by force now seems… quite troublesome."
But who was Madara? A man who defied impossibility and made the impossible his reality!
His eyes locked onto Ōnoki in the distance. Two fingers rose before his chest.
—Jambudvipa Manipulation!
Zzzzt! A black, viscous substance flowed from a black rod and seeped into Ōnoki's skin.
Black Zetsu cooed, "Ah… this technique. It's in Kabuto's memories. Lord Madara tried to use it to force Obito into performing the Samsara of Heavenly Life. A pity Obito resisted… and became the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki instead."
Ōnoki's hands rose against his will, forming seals.
"Lord Tsuchikage! You can move?" Mifune asked.
Shikaku's eyes widened. "That seal… Could it be?!"
Zzzzz…!
The unstable ripple of Particle Style gathered in Ōnoki's palms.
"GET BACK! I CAN'T CONTROL IT!!!"
—Particle Style: Detachment of the Primitive World!
A savage grin split Naruto-Madara's face. "Die."
HUM!
But in that exact, critical moment, Madara's body shuddered violently!
Whoosh!
Ōnoki's aim jerked upward. The Particle Style beam lanced harmlessly into the sky.
The gathered force let out a collective breath. "We're saved…??"
Crack!
Inoichi grunted, clutching his head. "Ugh… The Mind Body Switch only lasted three seconds. His mental strength is formidable."
Shikaku sighed. "If you'd guided that Particle Style blast toward Madara just now, it would have been over. You went soft, Inoichi."
"Would you have done any different?"
"…Point taken."
On the other side, Naruto-Madara shook off the disorientation, bracing a hand against the ground. "The Yamanaka clan's Mind Body Switch… To briefly control even me. This generation's Yamanaka Lord is truly exceptional…"
He replayed the moment, a chill running down his spine. During the switch, if the Yamanaka Lord had aimed Ōnoki's Particle Style at me… the result would have been mutual annihilation. Was he afraid to die? No… He held back because he was worried about this Naruto brat's life!
And that Nara Lord… While everyone else was lost, he was the only one who instantly grasped my intent and signaled the Yamanaka… I, Madara, nearly fell to these two. The fact that I survived thanks to an external factor I couldn't control… is utterly unacceptable!!!
His fist clenched so tight the knuckles turned white.
Swish, swish, swish. Black Zetsu emerged from the ground behind him.
"Lord Madara… We should retreat. There's no more profit in continuing this fight."
Madara rose slowly. "You think I can swallow this insult? To owe my survival to another's 'mercy'?"
What pointless pride!!!
Black Zetsu pressed, "And so? You intend to keep fighting? Even if you can, Naruto's stamina is nearly depleted. This will likely end in mutual destruction…"
Madara's gaze darkened. "The Five Kage can wait. But the Yamanaka Lord and the Nara Lord… must die here!!!"
BOOM—!!!
The words were still hanging in the air as he shot toward Shikaku!
"He's coming for me!"
Whoosh! Shikaku's hands flew through seals. His shadow stretched across the ground, lashing toward the charging figure.
Madara's eyes flicked toward it, cold and dismissive.
—Jambudvipa!
Snap!
A black rod materialized, piercing and pinning the tip of the shadow to the earth.
Shikaku strained. "My shadow… I can't retract it!?"
Clang!
Madara used the black rod as a stepping stone, flipping high into the air above Shikaku. The blue curved sword of the Susano'o descended in a lethal arc!
The Kage's guards cried out, "PROTECT SHIKAKU!!!"
Chōjūrō, Darui, and Mifune threw themselves into the path of the blow.
CLANG!!! The combined strength of three master swordsmen barely managed to parry the single slash!
Madara's fingers formed another seal.
—Fire Style: Dragon Flame Singing Projectile!
Shoom! Shoom! Shoom!
Three fire dragons dove from the sky, targeting Mifune, Chōjūrō, and Darui!
"!" None of the three dared to step aside. To do so would leave Shikaku defenseless.
Fortunately, Kankurō acted from the rear. His puppet's Human Entrapment technique yanked Shikaku out of the danger zone just in time. The three swordsmen could finally disengage.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Fire blossomed across the earth.
Swoosh! A single, brilliant blue Yasaka Magatama pierced through the curtain of flames, wreathed in fire, seeking Shikaku's life!!!
It was too fast. Faster than anyone could have anticipated. Even if every Kage guard present had the skill to block it, in this split-second, none could reach him in time!
Shikaku closed his eyes with a wry smile. "A tall tree catches the wind. Lord Hokage… I go on ahead."
THUD—!!!
But in that critical instant… a puff of white smoke erupted!
Clang…!!
A dull impact. The armored wrist-guards of the Iron-Armed Toad spider-webbed with cracks before shattering!
The Magatama was deflected, but the flames clinging to it raced up the toad's arms.
"Gwaaah! So hot~…!!!"
A figure landed gracefully beside the great toad. White hair flowing, a giant scroll strapped to his back, wooden sandals firm on the ground.
"You did well, Tetsu. I'll take care of the fire."
Splash! From his right shoulder, Fukasaku the Sage spewed a jet of water, dousing the flames on the Iron-Armed Toad's wrists.
"Well then, I'll be going…"
Poof!
The Iron-Armed Toad vanished in a puff of smoke, mission accomplished.
Shima the Sage huffed from his left shoulder. "Honestly, Jiraiya-chan! You can enter Sage Mode on your own now. Why bother summoning us two old folks? I only got halfway through making bug stew for the kids!"
Jiraiya's expression was earnest. "My apologies… My student's life was at stake. I couldn't afford even the slightest mistake. I needed both of you."
In this Sage Mode, there was not a single trace of frog-like transformation on Jiraiya. He stood tall, power thrumming under perfect control.
Shikaku stared at the broad back before him, a wave of relief washing over him. "Lord Jiraiya. Your timing couldn't have been more perfect."
"I finished my business at Mount Myōboku and heard the Five Kage Summit was happening, so I came to check… I just didn't expect…"
Jiraiya's gaze swept over the Five Kage, immobilized and sealed by black rods, his expression turning grave. This scene spoke volumes about the chaos this summit had endured.
Thank every god… he'd arrived before things spiraled completely out of control.
His eyes met Tsunade's across the distance. She felt a surge of reassurance. Her lips formed a silent word: "Careful."
Jiraiya nodded, a faint, confident smile touching his lips. Then his focus shifted to the figure cloaked in chakra and flame. A torrent of complex emotions—grief, anger, regret, determination—surged within him.
He fought to keep them from his face. But his hand, hidden from view, clenched into a fist so tight that blood welled and dripped from between his fingers.
Walking through the dying embers, encased in the spectral armor of the Susano'o, was a disciple he knew, yet did not know.
—Uzumaki Naruto.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
Read up to (180+ ) advanced chapters on Patre\on
Visit us here: patreon.com/BingeInk
Happy reading, everyone!