Bang!
Having entered Sage Mode, Konohamaru radiated unstoppable momentum. "Senior Ōnoki, I'm going all out from here!"
Floating in midair, Ōnoki gazed at Konohamaru, whose presence had completely transformed, and marveled. "Sage Mode... to think you learned it. Even your grandfather Hiruzen couldn't master that technique. The younger generation really is something!"
"You flatter me," Konohamaru replied modestly. "I spent the entire past year on Mount Myōboku, and only finally mastered it on the eve of the Grand Martial Arts Tournament!"
Ōnoki smiled. "How long it took doesn't matter. Learning it proves you have the potential to surpass your forebears. In that case, I can no longer treat you as a mere junior. Let me show you my full strength, too!"
With that, Ōnoki clenched both fists, and astonishing chakra erupted from his tiny body!
Rumble...!
The scattered chunks of rock on the ground all rose into the sky!
Konohamaru gasped. "Such powerful chakra! You'd never know he was an old man in his eighties!"
In the stands, Madara Uchiha held his arms folded across his chest, his gaze dark and serious. "It's not merely a change in quantity..."
Whoosh!
As Ōnoki formed a hand seal, the chakra he had released outside his body underwent a qualitative change, becoming a translucent chakra coat that wrapped around him!
Crack! Crack! Crack!
As the rocks suspended in midair drew close to Ōnoki, they disintegrated into particles too small for the naked eye to see!
Konohamaru clenched his hand, his expression turning utterly grave. "That chakra... could it be...?"
Yes, it was.
-Dust Release Chakra Mode!
Bzzzt!
Ōnoki's pupils turned dark silver. "In this mode, all my taijutsu gains Dust Release's pulverizing effect. I developed this extension of Dust Release to counter the Rinnegan's Preta Path ability. Now, every ninjutsu-absorbing ability is useless