Chapter 348: Unity
Tsunade and the Fourth Raikage had just materialized on the battlefield. Alongside them, the teleportation array of the Genma Shiranui trio brought the Mizukage, Mei Terumi, into the fray.
Simultaneously, they witnessed the Wood Style erupting from the earth. Colossal trees were fundamentally rewriting the landscape. Countless massive roots tore through the ground, lashing out at both the Allied Forces and the arriving Kage.
"So that is Uchiha Madara?"
The three newly arrived Kage all turned their gaze toward the high-spirited Madara, who was effortlessly manipulating the terrain.
Fourth Raikage: "We can't wait any longer. He must be sealed; this kind of power is too devastating to the army."
"Understood!"
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The three Kage activated their Body Flicker Technique simultaneously, charging forward into the dance of the wild Wood Style. They attacked the encroaching forest, shielding the Allied ninjas from the crushing roots.
Ahead of them—within the ranks of the Alliance—Tonbo Tobitake once again drew upon the collective chakra of the troops.
"Fire Style: Fireline Cut."
Using the massive ocean of chakra at his disposal, he utilized the Fire Style technique created by Iruka, spitting a thin, orange-red line of fire from his mouth. Much like Tobirama Senju used the Water Severing Wave, Tonbo sliced the attacking wood into neat segments. Every root surging toward the Alliance was rendered useless.
Bang!
Rumble!
Pfft, pfft!
"As expected of the Battlefield Rose, that combat experience is no joke," Tonbo muttered. He could see that Madara's objective was to prevent him from unleashing another move like the previous arrow. Thus, Madara was using Wood Style to disrupt the Alliance's rhythm.
"Tonbo, can you hold out?"
Boom!
Tsunade punched a tree into splinters and called out to him. The other two Kage were also assisting: one transformed into a bolt of lightning, zigzagging through the timber; the other spat acidic liquid, melting the wood on contact.
Swoosh!
Gaara and Ohnoki returned to the main formation.
"Give me a break. I have the power of the entire Alliance backing me up. This is a walk in the park," Tonbo said, rolling his eyes. Did he look like someone who was struggling?
"This is Wood Style... he can use it too?" Gaara asked.
Tsunade looked at Uchiha Madara, who stood with his arms crossed, looking down at everyone with disdain. "He likely used some method to borrow my grandfather's power."
"Even if we have to stake the honor of the Five Kage, we must stop Uchiha Madara on this battlefield," Ohnoki said, clenching his fists.
Fourth Raikage: "Exactly."
Mei Terumi: "They say Uchiha Madara is handsome and powerful, but I think he's not quite as charming as little Tonbo over there!"
"Hey, what's with this 'stake the honor of the Five Kage' talk and leaving me out? Honestly..."
Click!
Tonbo first made sure to record the scene. He photographed the grand entrance of the Kage, as well as Madara's overbearing presence.
The Fourth Raikage looked at Tonbo, who seemed perfectly synchronized with the Alliance's chakra. "You're a Genjutsu specialist. Can you provide support from the sidelines while we handle the front?"
"Of course. I'll hold the line for you guys. Go ahead; I promise to make things very uncomfortable for him," Tonbo chuckled.
"You lot seem quite relaxed. I feel somewhat underestimated," Madara suddenly spoke, looking down at the group casually chatting and designing tactics. "So you are the Kage of the Five Great Villages? You've truly regressed. I hope you can pique my interest even slightly... and that unexpected fellow as well."
Madara had never been ignored like this before. However, the Alliance across from him was indeed an eyesore. That man's ninjutsu clearly required a massive amount of chakra to function.
"Heh, aren't you thinking a bit too highly of yourself? The name Uchiha Madara is indeed legendary, but you're just a relic of a bygone era—a puppet whose soul is being toyed with," Tonbo replied, looking directly at him. His tone was brimming with confidence, and his smirk suggested he truly believed his own words.
The Five Kage felt their lips twitch at Tonbo's bold claims. No matter how you looked at it, Madara wasn't as pathetic as Tonbo made him out to be. Still, in war, morale and bravado were essential.
"Hmph. It seems the ninjas Hashirama raised..."
Madara's expression darkened with a hint of pity for the shinobi Hashirama had cultivated. No matter how hard they fought to protect the village, was this the result of Hashirama's dream? Truly, only his own path was perfect.
Hum!
Before he could finish, a yellow figure rose behind him. A Rasenshuriken was hurled toward his back.
"Noisy."
Pfft, pfft, pfft!
A Wood Locking Wall sprouted behind Madara, encasing him. The Rasenshuriken slammed into it, sending wood chips flying. It eventually tore through the defense, but when it hit Madara, he transformed into a log.
A Substitution.
Naruto landed on a rock, frowning. The sneak attack had failed.
"The Nine-Tails, is it? It seems the establishment of the Ninja Academy didn't grant you any particularly outstanding ninja qualities," Madara said, emerging behind Naruto and reaching for his throat.
Swoosh!
However, Naruto's Malice Perception was sharp; he escaped the attack range instantly. The Five Kage followed up immediately, launching a combined assault on Madara.
Boom!
Monster strength, Particle Style, sand, Lightning Armor, acid...
Rumble!
"Naruto, let your clones support the other battlefields. Leave this place to me," Tonbo summoned his musical tool once more. He began channeling the Alliance's chakra again.
Ting-dong~ The music rang out.
Naruto, glowing with yellow light, asked, "Is it really okay?"
"Are you questioning my strength?" Tonbo raised an eyebrow.
Naruto paused. Uncle Tonbo had always been incredibly strong. He realized he had never actually seen Tonbo's full power and suspected the man might be even stronger than himself.
"Kid, haven't you noticed? This guy can use Sage Mode too."
The Nine-Tails inside Naruto couldn't hold back anymore.
"Ah? Uncle Tonbo knows Sage Mode? But I thought only the Toad Sage..." Naruto was stunned. In his mind, aside from himself, only Pervy Sage knew it. How did Captain Tonbo learn it?
"Wait, no! Why are you willing to talk to me now?" Naruto realized the Nine-Tails had proactively started a conversation.
The Nine-Tails, with its tail flicking behind the seal, paused. "He doesn't just use Sage Mode; his is even more perfect than yours. He has completely merged natural energy with his own being. It is this profound fusion that prevents you from sensing the 'Sage' power directly."
"Unity?" Naruto remembered a term Tonbo had once used.
"Exactly. That 'Unity' he spoke of. He must have mastered it back then."
"No wonder Uncle Tonbo taught me about that back then..." Naruto was immediately distracted by the Nine-Tails, forgetting to ask why the fox was suddenly so chatty.
"This guy is extremely dangerous. He won't have any problem stalling Uchiha Madara. In fact, he might even be able to go toe-to-toe with him."
The Nine-Tails recalled being pinned down by one of Hashirama Senju's hands. Back then, Hashirama, like Tonbo, possessed the power of Sage Jutsu. In this regard, Tonbo was already stronger than Jiraiya or the toads of Mount Myoboku. Stalling for time would be no problem at all.
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