Since the arena had already been set, Natsuki wasn't in a hurry anymore.
He directly pulled out a big pile of sunflower seeds and started cracking them, cracking as he thought through what other loopholes might still exist.
Then Tenten reached out too and grabbed a handful. The couple munched nonstop like two little hamsters, not the slightest bit nervous.
It made the Four Kage—who had been somewhat tense—look at them with a mix of amusement and helplessness.
A rumbled, "Why are you eating hamster food? Is that stuff even good?"
Natsuki chuckled. "You don't get it. Hamsters are picky eaters. If they like it, it must be delicious. Like peanuts—hamsters don't eat peanuts? Look, peanuts are really—"
He blinked. "—bamboo shoots."
A didn't respond, but he seemed to think it made sense.
Hearing that, Mei also reached over and took some. "Watching you two eat so happily, I want to try it too. Waiting around is boring."
Then she copied Natsuki and Tenten's motions—one after another—and very quickly got addicted.
Humans generally don't dislike nuts and seeds, and girls who like snacks especially enjoy them. Once you master the "fast eating" method, it's hard to stop.
Seeing that, Tsunade grabbed a handful as well. After chewing a bit, she felt thirsty. "A jug of sake would be perfect right now."
Mei gave a thumbs-up. "The Hokage is right. So, want a drink?"
Seeds with alcohol—naturally.
But their conversation made A and Onoki want to roll their eyes. Eating seeds was one thing, but they were seriously talking about drinking too? Didn't they know they were about to fight a powerful enemy?
Were they planning to go out there and fight with drunken boxing?
Fortunately, the enemy still hadn't arrived.
Just then, a scout rushed up and shouted, "Madara is here! Madara is here! Obito is with him!"
The Four Kage immediately stood, locking their eyes forward. Soon they saw a man in red Warring States armor approaching, with a man in a black cloak patterned with red clouds walking beside him.
Madara!
Obito!
A shouted, "Prepare to engage!"
The Allied Shinobi Forces answered with a thunderous roar, the scene vast and imposing.
Eighty thousand versus two—no one could say who would win yet. But the Allied side's morale was sky-high, not losing in the slightest to Madara's dominating aura.
Madara crossed his arms and called out, "Allied Shinobi Forces, listen well! I, Madara, order you today to hand over all the tailed beasts, and I will spare your lives! If you refuse, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
"Enough talk!"
A didn't hold back at all. "A dead man from the old era belongs in the grave, and his soul belongs in the Pure Land. Stop stirring up chaos in the world of the living! Madara, since you started this war, today there's only one outcome—three straight wins!"
As for Obito, the one who declared war, he wasn't even worth acknowledging.
Obito didn't mind. He was never doing this for any grand cause for the shinobi world. He was doing it for love and longing, that was all.
Madara laughed at A's words.
A mad, unrestrained laugh.
"Hahahahaha! If that's the case, then let's begin! Ruruka—"
As he spoke, he charged straight at them, openly calling for a duel. "Natsuki, you didn't get enough yesterday, did you? Come. Fight me again!"
Natsuki waved a hand. "You old man are cheating. Edo Tensei doesn't fear death—every time I kill you, you refuse to admit defeat. Who wants to fight you?解除 Edo Tensei first, then we'll talk."
"Heh. That's not up to you!"
Madara's speed increased even more, like an arrow loosed from a bow.
And he understood clearly: in the entire Allied force, the strongest one was probably Natsuki. If he defeated Natsuki, dealing with the Allied force afterward would become far simpler.
Since that was the case, he might as well start by scratching the itch from yesterday.
But before he could reach them, the surrounding shinobi attacked first.
On the left, a mass Water Release surged out. On the right, a mass Lightning Release erupted. The combined damage of lightning and water was no joke—let's see how Madara handles it.
"Hmph. Mere grains of sand!"
Madara sneered and directly activated Susanoo for defense, completely unafraid of the Allied force's combined assault.
When the attacks ended, Madara was unscathed. He even turned and fired a Fire Release back toward the side that had just used Water Release—those shinobi, drained of water and caught off guard, would be burned to death for sure.
"Doton: Doryūheki (Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall)!"
Fortunately, shinobi from the rear rushed forward, piling up a towering stone wall together, finally blocking the sea of flames.
Yet even hiding behind the wall, they were still roasted by the heat until it was unbearable. Many felt fear rising in their hearts, convinced that Madara could not be defeated.
The Four Kage saw it too, and realized the Allied force's ordinary strength wasn't enough. They couldn't sit still anymore.
The next second, five people charged Madara together.
Why five? Because Jiraiya also went into battle, making up for Gaara's absence. For the moment, it was effectively the Five Kage facing Madara.
"Hahaha! This time it's five of you at once?"
Madara's smile was full of disdain. "Last time, three Kage couldn't win. Add two more and you still won't win. You're just struggling in vain, stalling for time—completely meaningless!"
But A, Tsunade, and the others didn't answer. They simply charged forward relentlessly.
Jiraiya struck first, summoning Gamabunta, then unleashing a roaring Fire Release—
"Katon: Gama Yūendan (Fire Release: Toad Oil Flame Bullet)!"
If you looked closely, you could even see his eye corners marked with shadowed pigmentation. He had clearly entered Sage Mode already. The moment Madara appeared, he had begun preparing—and now it was time to use it.
Against a terrifying enemy like Madara, Jiraiya knew he had to go all out, so he entered Sage Mode without hesitation.
"Good!"
Madara gave him praise, but with Susanoo up, he wasn't afraid in the slightest.
He crashed straight through Jiraiya's flame bullet and instantly arrived before Gamabunta. Susanoo's massive twin swords chopped down.
Gamabunta didn't dare be careless. He immediately drew his blade to meet it—yet the next second, Susanoo's twin swords pressed him down, the difference in raw power obvious.
Gamabunta couldn't help complaining, "Jiraiya, you bastard! You summon me out and it's to fight this kind of monster?!"
Jiraiya sighed helplessly. "Gamabunta, I don't have a choice. Hold on!"
Gamabunta couldn't be bothered to argue more and instead gritted down and held the line. The toads of Mount Myōboku honored their contracts—if they were summoned, they would help Jiraiya to the end.
Besides, Fukasaku and Shima had specifically instructed it. Even Gamabunta didn't dare disobey.
Still, clashing head-on with Madara's Susanoo was truly making things difficult for him.
Seeing that, Tsunade quickly used a summoning jutsu as well. The massive Katsuyu appeared, and a mouthful of acid sprayed directly onto Susanoo, instantly corroding three holes through it.
As expected, Katsuyu was in a league of her own—acid was terrifying!
Even Madara looked surprised. "The Three Great Sage Regions, huh? They're all beasts, but they do have some skill… indeed."
(End of Chapter)
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