Chapter 292: Sage Art - Wood Release
Amidst the dense smoke, two massive figures were sent flying.
One was the blue Susanoo, the other was the green Susanoo-armored Wooden Golem.
Tonari's Susanoo was ultimately no match for Madara's. Even with the Wooden Golem's reinforcement, the outcome was clear.
Half of Tonari's Wooden Golem, including the inner structure and the Susanoo armor wrapped around it, was obliterated.
On the other hand, Madara's Susanoo had only lost one of its arms.
Tonari, however, remained unfazed.
His greatest advantage wasn't just his jutsu—it was his youth and endless chakra reserves.
Madara, despite appearing to be in his prime, was an illusion. In reality, he was a man at death's door, clinging to life with borrowed chakra.
Long ago, Nagato's summoning of the Gedo Statue had already severed his lifeline. Even with White Zetsu's chakra infusion, his strength had a clear limit.
Moreover, Impure World Reincarnation's Living Clone Technique only allowed 30% of the original's chakra to be restored.
No matter how powerful Madara was, he couldn't sustain an extended battle.
Tonari's eyes narrowed as his Wooden Golem rapidly regenerated, healing both its body and the Susanoo armor.
Madara's Susanoo, too, regenerated its lost arm—but not as quickly.
It was clear at a glance who had the superior recovery rate.
Madara noticed this as well. His brows furrowed slightly, but he didn't reveal any concern.
He had his own plan.
Both combatants dashed forward once more, their colossal figures clashing in a battle that devastated the landscape.
A significant portion of western Konoha was already reduced to rubble.
Tonari had tried several times to lure Madara outside the village, but the latter refused.
Madara was fully aware of their true objective—Kushina and the Nine-Tails. He had no intention of leaving Konoha.
If Tonari attempted to retreat, Madara would simply attack the village directly.
Forced into a stalemate, Tonari gritted his teeth as more explosions erupted from within Konoha.
"This isn't working... I need to go all out!"
With determination, Tonari made his move.
The Wooden Golem planted its sword into the ground.
Both of its massive hands glowed with spiraling chakra, forming two giant Rasengans.
A thin layer of liquid chakra coated the Rasengans, flickering like ripples on the water's surface.
Water-natured chakra was the easiest to manipulate in both shape and nature transformation.
Though Tonari had mastered Fire, Water, Earth, and Lightning, it was Water and Earth that best harmonized with the Wooden Golem.
And since they were still inside Konoha, he had to avoid fire-based destruction.
Madara smirked.
Raising all four arms, he prepared his counterattack.
"Yasaka Magatama!"
Tonari shouted across the battlefield.
"Konoha shinobi, evacuate! Get as far away as possible!"
Even he wasn't sure how much damage the next clash would cause.
The remaining shinobi had already been trembling from the aftershocks of their previous attacks.
Now, sensing the incoming catastrophe, their legs nearly gave out.
But because Tonari was their Hokage, they didn't dare move without orders.
Hearing his command, they fled at full speed.
A battle at this level was beyond their ability to intervene in—whether they were jonin or genin, it made no difference.
Tonari clenched his fists.
He regretted not searching the Senju Clan's shrine sooner.
Had he done so, he could've mastered the missing ultimate techniques.
If he had Sage Art: True Several Thousand Hands, he could crush Madara completely.
Though Wood Release allowed him to form any technique by will, the chakra flow and execution of each jutsu varied greatly.
Hand seals weren't a requirement, but performing the jutsu properly took skill and control.
Even with his expertise, mastering a new Senju technique required time.
Fortunately, he had foresight.
The moment he sensed Tobi's presence, he had created a shadow clone.
Originally, that clone was meant to ambush Tobi.
But once he realized Madara was present, he changed his plan.
Instead of fighting, the clone remained hidden, studying the advanced Wood Release techniques in secret.
Even if he couldn't master them instantly, gaining partial understanding was better than nothing.
As long as his clone's memory didn't return, it meant he hadn't succeeded yet.
Under normal circumstances, he would've bided his time.
But he didn't have that luxury—Minato's whereabouts were unknown.
Time was running out.
Boom!
The next clash shook all of Konoha.
The shockwave turned the air into a raging storm, sending rooftiles flying and toppling weak structures.
But this was only the beginning.
Tonari and Madara's onslaught continued without pause.
"This is insane…"
Nara Shikaku felt chilled by the battle's intensity.
Hiruzen remained silent, but deep inside, he felt relieved.
Tonari was proving to be Konoha's strongest Hokage yet.
If the enemy was Madara, then the only one who could fight him was Tonari.
Enma, in staff form, spoke up.
"Isn't that the brat who fought us before? He was holding back against us. Should I be angry… or relieved?"
Hiruzen sighed.
"Tonari's power is unquestionable."
What they didn't know was that Tonari's strength had grown exponentially since their last encounter.
His Wood Release had evolved, and today, he had unlocked Susanoo.
"Tonari can hold him off for now," Hiruzen declared. "We need to hurry to Minato. The explosion earlier—"
ROAR!
A monstrous howl filled the air.
The shinobi froze in place.
Their eyes turned toward Konoha's center.
An enormous, orange-furred beast loomed over the rooftops—its nine tails whipping wildly.
Even from afar, its murderous intent was suffocating.
"The… the Nine-Tails?"
"Is this… the most powerful tailed beast?"
For many, this was their first time seeing Kurama in person.
They were instantly overwhelmed by its sheer presence.
Hiruzen's face darkened.
"We were too late."
He made a decision.
"All jonin, focus on restraining the Nine-Tails! We cannot allow it to destroy the village!"
"Yes, sir!"
More Konoha shinobi rushed toward the village's heart.
Meanwhile, another explosion erupted—
And from the smoke, another Nine-Tails emerged.
But something was off—
One Nine-Tails was darker, while the other was lighter.
Two Kuramas?!
Even Madara was momentarily stunned.
He quickly realized what had happened.
"So… Tobi anticipated this?"
He chuckled.
"Smart move. He must have split the Nine-Tails' chakra—one half to destroy Konoha, the other for me to use."
Madara activated his Sharingan.
"But it makes no difference."
With a single glance—
The newly summoned Nine-Tails' eyes turned blood-red.
Kurama's mind fell under complete control.
Madara grinned.
"Now, let's see if you can survive against me in my perfect state."
Tonari gritted his teeth.
"Fine."
He bit his thumb and formed hand seals.
"You're not the only one who can summon tailed beasts."
"Summoning Jutsu—Isobu!"
From the smoke, a massive three-tailed turtle emerged.
And with it, Tonari's final trump card—
Sage Art: True Several Thousand Hands!
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