Madara Uchiha's applause sounded particularly abrupt and cold amidst the deafening cheers.
He looked down at Shira, who had just miraculously returned from the brink of death. In her Sharingan, which belonged to the Impure World Reincarnation and had not yet revealed the Rinnegan, an increasingly intense fighting spirit burned.
"Warm-up is over," Madara's voice echoed across the battlefield, carrying an undeniable authority and disdain. "Since you've displayed such unwavering will, then I should... get a little more serious."
Before he finished speaking, the deep blue Chakra around him suddenly became viscous and solid, no longer simply radiating pressure, but as if it had a life of its own, rapidly rising and forming!
In the blink of an eye, a gigantic Chakra skeleton, tens of meters tall, consisting only of the upper body skeleton and some tendons, and emitting a faint blue light, enveloped Madara— Susanoo, initial form!
Although it was only a preliminary skeleton, the terrifying sense of oppression was more direct and more chilling than the previous meteorite!
In the skeletal giant's hand, a massive katana, also made of Chakra, slowly materialized. Wherever the blade pointed, the air seemed to groan in agony.
The allied forces, whose morale had just been boosted by Shira's "resurrection," were now as if doused with a bucket of ice water. Madara's Taijutsu and Ninjutsu were already catastrophic, but this blue giant, exuding an aura of ominousness and destruction, was beyond their understanding of the word "ninja."
"This is Susanoo..." Tsunade's face turned ashen; she had only seen descriptions of it in ancient texts.
"This is troublesome..." Ōnoki's hovering height involuntarily decreased slightly, his expression extremely solemn.
Gaara and Rasa, manipulating sand and gold, stood in front of Shira, who had just sat up and was still weak, their eyes resolute.
Shūji, Maki, and the others quickly moved closer, forming a defensive formation. Ameno held Shira tightly, her face pale.
Shira lay in Ameno's arms, breathing slightly heavily. The regeneration effect brought by the Shinnō Forbidden Technique was still ongoing, but she was still far from regaining her combat strength.
He gazed at the towering blue skeleton, his eyes filled with thought, not fear.
Madara didn't use the Rinnegan, nor did he reach a higher stage of Susanoo; in any case, this was an opportunity.
Just then--
"Hey--!!! You big blue skeleton! Get away from Shira!!!"
A clear, angry, and anxious shout, like a golden thunderbolt, came from the flank of the battlefield! Before the sound faded, a dazzling golden light, like the rising sun tearing through the dark clouds, pierced through the chaotic battlefield at an astonishing speed and slammed into the ankle of the Susanoo skeleton!
boom!!!
A violent explosion and plumes of smoke erupted! Although it failed to cause any substantial damage to Susanoo, the massive skeleton was still slightly shaken by the impact!
As the smoke cleared, a figure was revealed. The orange figure was covered by a solid, vibrant golden Chakra Cloak, with several Chakra tails swaying gently behind him. His face had markings like fox whiskers, and his azure eyes burned with fierce anger—it was Naruto Uzumaki!
Moreover, it seems that Naruto has already mastered the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode!
" Naruto?!" Tsunade and the others were both surprised and delighted.
" The Nine-Tails brat from Konoha?" Raikage A raised an eyebrow; he remembered this kid who had rushed out on his own.
" Naruto..." Gaara looked at the golden light, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
Naruto didn't even glance at the others; his gaze was fixed on Susanoo, then he looked urgently at Shira, who was covered in blood and extremely weak, being protected by the Sunagakure members. The anger in his eyes was almost bursting out.
" Shira! How are you?!"
Naruto flashed to Shira's side as if he were teleporting, his speed so fast that even Gaara didn't have time to react.
He crouched down, looking at Shira's injuries. Although they appeared to be healing, the gruesome sight still sent a chill down his spine. "Damn it! I'm still too late! This bastard, how could he hurt you like this!"
Looking at Naruto, Naruto was radiating golden light and whose aura was completely different from a few years ago, Shira understood. It seemed that while she was fighting a bloody battle in the desert, Naruto had also completed a further reconciliation with Nine-Tails and gained even greater power.
He forced a smile, his voice hoarse. "I'm not dead yet. Naruto, you've gotten even stronger."
"That's not enough!" Naruto gritted his teeth, his fists clenched.
"I'm going to beat that masked bastard to a pulp! I'll avenge you, Shira! I'll avenge Konoha, avenge everyone!"
"We'll talk about revenge later." Shira struggled, trying to sit up straighter with Ameno's help, her gaze sweeping over the Five Kage and other high-ranking allied forces who had gathered around. "Listen to me... about Madara's intelligence."
Everyone tensed up and immediately listened intently. This young man had just proven his strength and judgment with his actions, and had even clashed directly with Madara in a life-or-death situation. His information was of utmost importance.
"He is now Impure World Reincarnation body," Shira said quickly, enduring the excruciating pain and weakness, "Immortal, with virtually limitless Chakra. His Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and Genjutsu are all at their peak, and his combat experience is immeasurable."
" Susanoo is Sharingan Dōjutsu with extremely strong defense and a huge attack range, but it is not invincible. The initial form has relatively weak defense, and the joints and the flow of Chakra energy may be weak points."
"He excels at ranged attacks using massive Chakra Blade, and is also capable of hand-to-hand combat and defense. Pay attention to his predictive abilities; his combat instincts are terrifying..."
He paused, glancing at the golden Chakra Cloak on Naruto's body, then at the exhausted but still spirited Allied Shinobi Forces ninjas around him. A resolute glint flashed in his eyes. " Naruto, could you share your Nine-Tails Chakra with someone else?"
Naruto was taken aback, then suddenly realized, and nodded emphatically. "Yes! Kurama and I have agreed! As long as everyone is willing to accept it, we can use my Chakra to fight and recover!"
"Alright!" Shira looked at the Five Kage, "Please immediately organize the remaining Allied Shinobi who are still able to fight to accept Naruto's Chakra sharing. This will greatly enhance their survivability and sustained combat capability."
"To defeat Madara's Susanoo, you need flexible, high-frequency attacks, and enough concentrated power to break through at one point. Don't try to wear him down with a direct confrontation; the advantages of the Impure World Reincarnation are too great. Look for opportunities to attack the caster, or use a stronger Sealing Jutsu!"
He then looked at Gaara and Rasa: " Sunagakure's long-range artillery and heavy puppets, keep bombarding Susanoo, disrupt its movements, and create opportunities for melee fighters."
" Shūji, Maki, you two lead the special squad, cooperating with the Sealing Squad in the Allied Forces, to find an opportunity. Madara's Impure World Reincarnation body must have a 'wedge' in the contract. Try to interfere with or sense the location of the caster!"
Shira made arrangements quickly and clearly; although weak, her thoughts were perfectly clear. Listening to her, the crowd felt somewhat reassured, as if they had found a pillar of support.
"Understood!" Raikage A was the first to respond. He looked at Naruto, " Naruto, do as Shira says! Share your power! Everyone else, prepare to coordinate the attack! Tsuchikage, Mizukage, Hokage, let's go! Let's test the hardness of this skeleton first!"
"Alright!" Ōnoki, Mei Terumi, Tsunade responded in unison.
Naruto didn't waste any words. He formed hand Hand Seals and shouted, " Kurama! Please!"
His golden Chakra suddenly expanded, blooming like the sun! Then, countless tiny, warm, and vibrant golden Chakra streams, after Naruto touched their hands, shot out like living tentacles from Chakra Naruto all directions, precisely connecting with every Allied Shinobi who was still fighting or preparing to fight!
"This is... the Nine-Tails 'Chakra?"
"What a wonderful feeling... Power is surging up!"
"The wound... is healing? The Chakra is being restored!"
The allied ninjas were both surprised and delighted. A faint, red Chakra Cloak covered them, though far less solid than Naruto's original form, it still brought a comprehensive boost to their strength, speed, and regenerative abilities.
More importantly, a sense of shared understanding and courage to fight side by side dispelled the fear of facing Susanoo.
"Thank you, Naruto." Shiro nodded to Naruto, then her body went limp and she leaned completely into Ayano's arms.
He had exhausted the last bit of strength he had gained from speaking and giving instructions. He could feel the regenerative effect of the Shinnō Forbidden Technique within him locked in a fierce tug-of-war with the backlash from the Fifth Activation and the aftereffects of the forced outburst. It needed time, and more importantly, it needed quiet.
" Shira, you should rest well!" Naruto's anger intensified as he looked at Shira's weak state. He turned around and faced the Susanoo, which had already raised its giant Chakra sword and seemed somewhat Susanoo with their "small actions." Golden Chakra shot into the sky!
"Now it's my turn! Everyone, let's go! Let's flatten this arrogant skeleton!"
"Oh!!!"
Empowered by the Nine-Tails Chakra, the allied forces' morale soared! Led by the Five Kage, they charged fiercely towards the blue giant from different directions!
"How dare the light from insect-eaten windows rival the brilliance of the bright moon?"
Madara's voice emanated from Susanoo, tinged with a chilling sarcasm. A massive Chakra Blade swept out, unleashing a devastating gust of wind!
Boom boom boom!
The battle erupted once again! This time, the allied forces were no longer on the defensive. With the Nine-Tails Chakra empowering them, their Ninjutsu was more powerful, faster, and their teamwork was more seamless.
The Raikage's Lariat, Tsunade's Chakra Enhanced Strength Punch, Ōnoki's Dust Release, Mei Terumi's Lava Release Acid Mist, combined with Gaara and Rasa's Sand Gold support, and the combined Ninjutsu bombardment of countless Allied Shinobi, rained down on the Susanoo's skeleton like a storm!
Naruto transformed into several golden clones, circling the Susanoo at astonishing speed, searching for weaknesses. He would occasionally use Rasengan infused with the Nine-Tails Chakra to bombard the joints of the skeleton. Although it was still difficult to cause decisive damage, it clearly made Madara's Susanoo movements less fluid and free than before.
In other areas of the battlefield, the Allied Forces, empowered by the Nine-Tails Chakra, began a more ferocious counterattack against the remaining White Zetsu and Impure World Reincarnation individuals.
The Sunagakure's puppet forces unleashed their full firepower, coordinating with the ninjas from various villages to gradually stabilize the battle line, and began attempting to divide, suppress, and seal those Impure World Reincarnation powerful individuals.
Shira rested her head on Ameno's lap, her eyes slightly closed, the deafening shouts and roars filling her ears. She could feel Ameno's gentle hands carefully cleaning her wounds, applying medicine, and channeling a faint but loving medical Chakra into her.
He could also sense the intense changes on the battlefield through the faint residual sensations of the Wind Xun Breathing Method.
Naruto has indeed grown; the sharing of Nine-Tails Chakra has greatly changed the course of the battle. The cooperation of the Five Kage is also beginning to show results, at least temporarily holding off Madara's Susanoo.
But Shira knew in her heart that this was only the beginning. Madara had probably not even used half of his strength yet. The immortality of the Impure World Reincarnation, the further development of the Sharingan and Susanoo, and even the terrifying abilities Madara possessed in her memories...
The real test is yet to come.
He must recover as soon as possible. Shinnō's forbidden technique is racing against time. Within his body, the Lightning Release Chakra that was activated by the Third Raikage is also quietly becoming active during the regeneration process, subtly resonating and merging with the "ki" transformed from Zero-Tails and the Natural Energy of the Wind Xun Breathing Method at a deeper level.
" Shira, don't think about it anymore, get some rest."
Ameno's gentle voice rang in her ears, filled with concern and determination, "Everyone is working so hard, you need to get better soon too. Sunagakure needs you. I... need you too."
Shira didn't open her eyes, but simply hummed softly and grasped Ameno's slightly cold hand.
Feeling the warmth from her palm and smelling the faint, familiar scent of herbs and sweat emanating from her, his chaotic thoughts gradually calmed down.
The sounds of battle outside seemed distant. The flow, regeneration, conflict, and fusion of various forces within the body became clear and perceptible.
The insights gained from the forced breakthrough of the Fifth Activation, the combat skills that were almost "Tao" that I felt when fighting Madara, and the ultimate use and control of power when confronting the meteorite.
Countless fragmented insights, after teetering on the brink of life and death, began to slowly settle and brew.
He is like a renowned sword, honed to perfection in dire circumstances and nearly broken, now scabbarded, absorbing nourishment to repair himself, and preparing for an even sharper and more brilliant edge when he is drawn again.
On the battlefield, the clash between gold and blue has only just reached its climax. Can the allied forces, empowered by the Nine-Tails, find a chance of victory before Madara gets serious?
Faced with this unexpected and tenacious resistance, and the "unexpected" presence of Naruto, what methods will Madara employ?
Everything was shrouded in a magnificent and unknown war scene, interwoven with swirling sandstorms, dazzling golden light, and the eerie blue Susanoo.