"Hateful!!"
Jiraiya, Tsunade-hime, Kakashi, Gamabunta, Gamahiro, Gamaken—
Everyone stared angrily at the towering figure of Leo's Shadow Clone wrapped in the terrifying form of Susanoo's third stage.
Uchiha Madara's Susanoo was different from others; in its third form, it had legs and stood tall like a demon lord from legend. Towering at over thirty meters, its size alone made everyone present feel an immense and suffocating pressure.
Although it wasn't the full-body form that surpassed 230 meters, it was still overwhelmingly powerful.
And for now, that was more than enough to suppress Jiraiya in Sage Mode, Tsunade, Kakashi, and the rest of the team.
"You two, it's time. Let's use that move!" Jiraiya declared, his voice resolute despite the mounting tension.
The two Great Toad Sages on his shoulders—Fukasaku and Shima—instantly understood. Without hesitation, they prepared their combination technique.
"Sage Art: Goemon!!"
Fukasaku used Wind Release.
Shima used Fire Release.
Jiraiya spat out oil.
All three forces combined into a raging inferno that tore through the battlefield like a tidal wave of fire, engulfing everything in its path.
BOOM!!
The earth trembled under the immense force.
However—
Clang—!
With a flicker of thought, Leo's Shadow Clone responded. The massive Susanoo drew its arm back and launched an enormous Eight-Plate Magatama.
The spinning energy projectile roared through the sky like a meteor and—
SPLIT!
The raging Goemon was cleaved in half by the impact!
The combined attack from the Sannin and the Sages—dispersed, scattered into nothing.
And it didn't stop there. The two-faced, four-armed Susanoo's remaining three arms summoned massive chakra swords. With precise, calculated movements—
SHING! SHING! SHING!
Three blinding arcs of chakra slashed out in all directions.
The remnants of Goemon shattered completely under the relentless assault. One of the blade lights even pierced through the firestorm, speeding directly toward Jiraiya.
"!"
Jiraiya had to leap back with great urgency. He was still suffering the loss of his right arm and even in Sage Mode, he couldn't react as quickly as before.
He glanced to the side.
Tsunade, Kakashi, and even Gamabunta and his brothers were being stalled—not just by one—but by two more of Leo's Shadow Clone Susanoos.
Only two clones, and they had completely overwhelmed the powerful toad trio of Mount Myōboku!
"This is bad..." Jiraiya muttered grimly.
His eyes moved toward Naruto—
Far ahead, the original Leo stood in his Perfect Susanoo, grasping the neck of Naruto, who was now half-transformed into his eight-tailed form.
Naruto was already deep in the Tailed Beast state. His body radiated immense chakra, his form cloaked in violent red energy. His eyes had gone feral.
Clang—!!
Before Jiraiya could assess the situation further, one of Leo's Shadow Clones moved again. The Susanoo leaped into the air, bringing down its massive foot like a falling mountain.
BOOM!
Jiraiya narrowly dodged the crushing blow.
"Sage Art: Frog Scream!!"
Fukasaku and Shima leapt into action. This time, they released their famous sonic genjutsu—designed to paralyze opponents through sound waves. It hadn't worked on Leo's original body earlier because the Perfect Susanoo was too high up.
But now, with only the third stage Susanoo before them, the range was optimal.
Just as they were about to release the scream—
BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!
Before they could even finish charging, the Shadow Clone struck again. With a wave of its hand, it launched a barrage of Eight-Plate Magatamas.
The destructive spheres filled the sky.
Jiraiya and the rest were once again overwhelmed.
They couldn't advance—they couldn't even catch their breath.
They were being pushed back... hard.
"Damn it! We can't even break through Leo's Shadow Clones?" Jiraiya growled.
He gritted his teeth, frustration and disbelief boiling over.
Then—
WHIRL—!!
Jiraiya's left hand gathered massive chakra. A Rasengan began to form—but this wasn't an ordinary one.
"Ultra Big Ball Rasengan!!"
On the other side, Tsunade also roared in anger.
"Painful Kick!!"
At the same time, Gamabunta and his brothers shouted, "Let's show you the true meaning of righteousness!!"
The battlefield erupted again.
But—
CLANG!
All five Susanoo Third Forms raised their arms in unison and blocked everything. Every punch, every kick, even Jiraiya's supercharged Rasengan—nullified!
Then—
BOOM—!!
"Ugh…!"
A single counterattack from the Susanoos blasted all of them away.
From every direction, the Konoha shinobi looked on in helpless horror.
"…He's just too strong…"
"We can't even defeat his Shadow Clones…"
"...hateful..."
The despair was real.
Some shinobi even began whispering what no one had dared to say out loud before.
"Should we… abandon the village?"
To abandon the home they'd grown up in… that was how deep their hopelessness had become.
Leo—this monstrous force—was driving even Konoha's strongest into desperation.
Was this the true power of the legendary Uchiha Madara…?
No—
This was Leo. The embodiment of the Ninja World's modern apocalypse.
---
Meanwhile—
At the center of it all, Leo's original body floated within his Perfect Susanoo.
His crimson Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan glowed ominously as he looked down at Naruto—now fully cloaked in his Eight-Tails transformation.
Naruto struggled violently within Susanoo's grip, still trying to form a Tailed Beast Bomb.
Leo narrowed his eyes.
One Susanoo hand continued choking Naruto's neck.
The other?
CRUSHED the forming Tailed Beast Bomb with ease.
"It's over," Leo murmured coldly.
ZING—!!
The Eternal Mangekyō glowed brighter.
In an instant—
Naruto's consciousness was dragged into a dark, sealed space.
Inside—
"Yes... that's right, boy. Come closer..."
"Now tear the seal... break the chains!"
Kurama's booming voice echoed inside the sealed chamber.
The Nine-Tails was trying to manipulate Naruto—trying to tempt him into releasing the seal.
Naruto's hand trembled as it reached toward the sealing paper. The red chakra around him flickered dangerously.
But just as he was about to rip it—
A hand grabbed his wrist.
"?!"
Naruto blinked.
His eyes, once glowing with rage, cleared slightly.
Before him, a warm light appeared. A man in a magnificent cloak with golden embroidery stood there calmly.
"...You..."
Naruto's voice trembled as recognition hit him like a thunderbolt.
BANG—!!
Kurama inside the seal roared furiously and slammed against the giant gates.
"Yondaime!!"
The Fourth Hokage had returned.
---