A wooden board lay flat atop a sharpened mountain peak. Madara Uchiha sat cross-legged on it in meditation. Birds landed on his shoulders and hair, pecking and playing, yet he did not stir in the slightest!
Absolute stillness of body and mind-that was the key to Mount Myōboku's Senjutsu!
Watching from the foot of the mountain, Sage Fukasaku could not help marveling. "What a rare genius. He mastered the essentials in so little time!"
"Is this really the time to admire him?" Sage Shima was deeply worried. "Teaching Senjutsu to someone this dangerous-who knows what he'll use it for!"
Sage Fukasaku said calmly, "I'm sure the elder has his reasons. Otherwise, he wouldn't have kept him here!"
With a foundation in the other two Great Sage Arts, Madara was already well acquainted with natural energy.
Whoosh!
Thus, once Madara stilled his body and mind, natural energy came flooding in. Orange markings appeared around the eyes of Hashirama's face on his chest!
That was the visible sign of Mount Myōboku's Senjutsu activating!
Madara opened his tightly shut right eye. "I see. So this is Mount Myōboku's 'Harmony Sage Technique.' Its control over external natural energy surpasses that of the other two Great Sage Arts. That move the old toad used earlier, attacking with external natural energy..."
Swish!
Madara raised his palm. Natural energy formed an invisible fist and smashed the tip off a nearby pointed mountain!!
Madara shook his head in dissatisfaction. "No, the difference in power is too great..."
Sage Fukasaku's toad eyes lit up. "Oh? He figured out 'Toad Sniper' on his own?"
Sage Shima raised her webbed hands. "Hey, can't you aim somewhere else?! Do you know how much work it takes to whittle those mountains into pencil points?!"
As the toads croaked below, Madara looked at Hashirama's