Thinking it over carefully, Naruto had not merely used Mount Myōboku's Sage Mode, but Nine-Tails Sage Mode. Compared with traditional Sage Mode, the gap was like that between the Third Hokage and the First Hokage-a teensy bit enormous.
Seen that way, it was not that Ryūchi Cave Senjutsu was too weak, but that the Nine-Tails was too strong.
Although the Nine-Tails had been taken down with a "pat on the head" during the first Battle of the Valley of the End, the other two ninja involved had ended up dead and crippled, respectively. The sealed Nine-Tails had actually become the final winner.
Using what little Ryūchi Cave chakra remained in his body to heal his injuries, Zou Hyuga looked at the Rhombus Mark on his palm.
As Karma activated, black patterns spread across Zou Hyuga's body. The chakra hidden inside Karma surged out all at once, forming a Chakra Cloak over his body that completely isolated him from the outside world.
This Chakra Cloak resembled the Raikage's Lightning Release Chakra Mode and a Jinchūriki's Tailed Beast Cloak, but forming it required tailed beast-level chakra. Its strength could even rival Susanoo.
After entering State One, Zou Hyuga looked down, his gaze seeming to pierce through the earth and reach the distant shinobi world.
At this distance, the Sage of Six Paths and the Otsutsuki behind the scenes shouldn't be able to sense me, right...?
Compared with the aftereffects of using Karma, Zou Hyuga was more concerned about attracting the Sage of Six Paths' attention and having him interfere in this battle. After all, to the Sage of Six Paths, he was more like a pest stealing chakra.
The instant he saw Zou Hyuga enter his Karma state, Toneri's expression darkened in midair, and apprehension rose in his heart. Last time, he