Chapter 350: What Can You Do to Me?
The Battlefield.
A man and a cat towered over the landscape, standing tall amidst the chaos. They faced each other in a tense standoff. High mountains and giant trees were nothing more than stepping stones beneath their feet.
"This is...?"
Ohnoki felt the power radiating from the construct, his aged face filled with disbelief. In his perception, the strength of this entity was on par with Uchiha Madara's.
"The secret technique of the Izuno clan... I didn't expect you to have mastered it to this extent."
Tsunade, standing nearby, shot Tonbo Tobitake a deep, contemplative look. As the Hokage, she was privy to the intel on all the village's clans. According to her records, the Izuno clan hadn't produced anyone capable of reaching this level of "Nekogami Possessions" for several generations. She hadn't expected Tonbo to have trained in this as well.
Raikage: "Kid, you've done well. With this, we should be able to hold out much longer."
Gaara: "Incredible."
Mei Terumi: "Now this is handsome!"
"Keep it down, keep it down. It's not a guaranteed win yet. Everyone, stay sharp," Tonbo said. He stared at Uchiha Madara across the field, though he could no longer suppress the smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.
"Ahhh! That's our clan's secret technique! I never thought I'd see the day it clashed with Uchiha Madara! This is amazing!"
Izuno Zaizai was overcome with emotion as he felt the familiar resonance. He was a Chunin now, and his full-power Nekogami Possession was only about three stories high. This was on an entirely different scale.
Shikun Fuma grumbled: "Sensei is truly sensei, but why isn't it our clan's secret technique? Dammit!"
"Obviously, it's because our Izuno clan's techniques are superior!" Zaizai grinned triumphantly.
"Tch. I saw that arrow that pierced the sky earlier; that definitely had the flavor of our Fuuma clan's secret arts. It's common knowledge that our clan has the deepest research into chakra..." Shikun argued, unwilling to back down. They had both studied under Tonbo; why did Zaizai get to be the one feeling so smug?
"Shikun, from this day forward, I'm officially one step ahead of you! Hahaha!" Zaizai ignored him and laughed heartily. His clan was about to become legendary.
"You are very arrogant," Uchiha Madara spoke plainly.
Those who haven't witnessed his true strength were always brimming with confidence. Once the fighting truly began, he would show Tonbo that he had celebrated far too early. However, he acknowledged the man's power. He hadn't expected Konoha to harbor such a talent.
But against an Uchiha—aside from the Senju—all living things were equal.
The Susanoo drew the tachi from its waist.
Tonbo Tobitake: "Youthful arrogance, old-timer. I originally wanted to fight you as a mere Genjutsu ninja, but all I got was contempt. I'm done hiding. I'm laying my cards on the table: I'm going to beat you until you're convinced."
The Five Kage all raised their eyebrows. How brazen.
"Do not think that mastering Sage power allows you to contend with me. If you underestimate the power of the Uchiha to this degree, you are gravely mistaken."
Madara didn't waste any more words. Swoosh! He opened with a horizontal sweep of his blade, a strike meant to cleave thousands.
Boom!
The Fortune Cat nimbly evaded the attack. Behind it, a mountain peak on the opposite side was instantly decapitated, falling with a thunderous roar.
"And don't you think that just because you're walking the path of your predecessors, you can look down on us!"
Tonbo was not to be outdone. He lunged forward with a flurry of "Cat-Cat Punches," delivering a massive "slap" directly toward Madara's face.
Bang!
While the cat's agility was superior, its raw destructive power was clearly a notch below the Susanoo's. It only left several deep claw marks across the Susanoo's face.
Whoosh! Bang! Bang!
In an instant, the two giant chakra aggregates engaged in a fierce melee. But neither could gain the upper hand. One possessed top-tier attack and defense; the other possessed top-tier speed and defense.
From a distance, it looked like two streaks of blue and red light colliding violently. The surrounding environment suffered the most. Small mountains collapsed under a single footstep; tall mountains were sliced apart by stray blades.
The resulting shockwaves sent the local ninja beasts fleeing for their lives. Those who couldn't outrun the blast were sent flying; the strong survived, the weak perished. Even the flying beasts in the sky were affected as the shockwaves cleared the clouds, revealing the crimson sunset.
"Yasaka Magatama!"
"Nekorenka (Cat Sickle Kick)!"
Rumble!
Under Tonbo's expert combat experience, the Fortune Cat used its speed to circle Madara. Madara's experience was equally sharp, utilizing the Susanoo's absolute defense to set up tactical counters.
This guy is no ordinary character, both thought simultaneously.
The Allied ninjas and the Five Kage encased within the Fortune Cat felt their adrenaline spiking. It was a blood-pumping spectacle. The speed was so intense that those with slower reaction times couldn't even follow the details—they only felt the impact of the collisions and saw the light-trails left by the movement. This wasn't the slow, lumbering giant battle one might expect; it was a high-speed exchange of ten or more strikes per second.
"Too fast... my perception can barely keep up!"
"Stop talking! Hurry and eat your food pills to refine more chakra, or it's over if we run out!"
"Right! Captain Tonbo is only this strong because he's integrated the entire Alliance. If our chakra fails, he's done for!"
"Dammit, the enemy has a reanimated body; his chakra recovers indefinitely!"
There were smart people among the Alliance. Knowing Tonbo couldn't give them orders during such a high-stakes fight, they realized chakra was the key. They began pulling rations from their pouches to replenish themselves.
The Kage also focused on extracting chakra. I hope he can hold out until HQ finds the mastermind behind the Edo Tensei, they all thought. They had successfully stalled the real Uchiha Madara; the turning point now rested with Shikaku's efforts.
Wondering if Tonbo could withstand such high-intensity combat, the five turned to look at him. They quickly realized he seemed perfectly fine. Tonbo stood with his hands in his pockets, casually controlling the Fortune Cat's responses to Madara's onslaught. There wasn't a hint of anxiety on his face; in fact, he seemed to be enjoying the fight.
Looking across at Madara, they saw that his initial disdain had vanished, replaced by a much more serious expression. Yet, both men shared a similar aura—as if this world-shaking clash was merely a common occurrence.
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