Facing the meticulously planned and well-trained army of the Vast Ocean Realm, the toads of Mount Myōboku were almost powerless to resist and were slaughtered on the spot.
Gamamaru wanted to go out and support his kin, but he had to face a harsh reality.
"How utterly ridiculous. The strongest power of the ninja world, the Rinnegan, is actually embedded in the eye socket of a mere beast."
The arrogant insult was delivered without hesitation right in front of Gamamaru.
The speaker was none other than Uchiha Madara.
Though using Universal Pull earlier had consumed over sixty percent of Madara's qi, he had long since transformed into a being beyond ordinary limits. His arrogance was justified—he didn't even consider the thousand-year-old toad before him worthy of respect.
"Uchiha Madara," Gamamaru said gravely.
"You call me a beast, yet aren't you just a dog groveling at the feet of an alien god? Don't get too cocky, brat!"
"Oh?"
Madara looked at Gamamaru with mild surprise. He hadn't expected this "beast" to dare mock someone as powerful as himself. However, instead of anger, Madara chuckled.
"Interesting! If you want me to shut up, show me your strength!"
With that, Madara leapt into the air, charging directly at Gamamaru.
"Shinra Tensei!" Gamamaru seized the moment while Madara was mid-air and unleashed his technique.
But in an instant, Madara activated Universal Pull, yanking himself forcefully toward the ground. His close-range Susanoo instantly enveloped him, and the demonic guardian descended once more.
"Such a petty trick!"
Madara sneered and immediately condensed a longsword, swinging it fiercely at Gamamaru.
A dazzling sword beam, like an aurora, shot straight toward Gamamaru.
Gamamaru knew this wasn't a chakra-based attack—the Rinnegan's inherent Preta Path ability to absorb chakra was completely ineffective here. He hastily jumped out of the way.
"Running away? Come fight me!"
Madara roared, closing in at a speed almost imperceptible to the naked eye.
Though Gamamaru was hundreds of times larger than Madara, he was now desperately dodging, unable to keep up. Gamamaru couldn't help but inwardly marvel—this was truly a monster born in the ninja world.
However, his kin outside were already struggling to escape. Gamamaru absolutely couldn't allow Madara to intensify the slaughter further.
"Sage Art: Toad Oil Spit!"
Gamamaru puffed up his cheeks and spat out a vast cloud of grayish-brown toad oil, enveloping the area above Madara.
Gamamaru knew he couldn't match Madara in direct combat. His only option was to use such underhanded tactics to hinder his opponent.
At this moment, a faint trace of disappointment and coldness flickered in Madara's eyes.
So this was the extent of the Sage of Six Paths' so-called "good brother"? He had actually harbored some expectations.
Madara was already bored with this battle game. His left hand, previously idle, now condensed another divine longsword unique to him.
"Secret Technique: Uchiha Cross Slash!!!"
Madara unleashed two terrifying sword beams in quick succession. The two beams merged into a single, cross-shaped slash, hurtling toward the toad oil.
Gamamaru had known earlier how fearsome Madara's slashes were, but he hadn't anticipated how quickly they could be used again—mere breaths apart.
The overwhelming cloud of toad oil was instantly pierced, creating a massive gap that surged toward Gamamaru.
"Universal Pull!"
Gamamaru mimicked Madara's technique, using the distant immovable mountain to pull himself away.
Madara found this troublesome. He hadn't expected an old toad to be so difficult to kill.
Still, difficult didn't mean impossible.
"The next strike will cut you down."
Madara condensed his qi to its peak, crouching slightly as two longswords crossed at his sides.
"Secret Technique: Uchiha Flash Slash!!!"
In an instant, Madara vanished, leaving behind dense cracks spreading across the ground.
"So fast!"
Gamamaru was shocked. Even the dynamic vision of the Rinnegan couldn't track Madara's movements.
This was a grave taboo in battle—a suffocating aura of death enveloped Gamamaru.
Though Gamamaru no longer feared death, if he were killed like this, the Rinnegan-wielding Madara would surely uncover his secrets.
"I never expected the situation to escalate to this point."
With a hand seal—
A thick plume of white smoke erupted. However, Madara's focus remained locked onto Gamamaru's position, and he was already within optimal striking range.
His arms crossed, blades scraping against each other, and the two swords released a fused, devastating slash that surged forward.
"Slash!"
The white smoke was cleanly split by a straight line, but Madara's expression suddenly tightened.
"What is this?"
Contrary to his expectations, Gamamaru hadn't been cut down. Instead, a massive object had blocked Madara's terrifying strike.
When the smoke cleared, a colossal toad statue—far larger than Gamabunta and the others—appeared before Madara.
But soon, Madara noticed something unusual.
"A statue? No, there's life energy emanating from it—it's alive.
I never imagined the Vast Ocean Realm would have something so resilient. After all, I've even severed the Ten-Tails. This battle is becoming interesting."
Madara's blood, which had cooled, began to boil once more. But soon, his brows furrowed. In the brief moment he had lost focus, Gamamaru's presence had vanished—or rather, what had seemed like a lifeless toad statue now radiated Gamamaru's energy.
Suddenly, the ground trembled lightly, and the toad statue moved.
Its ancient eyes opened—not normal toad eyes, but concentric rings of the Rinnegan.
"Uchiha Madara, I admit you are strong. You've forced me to reveal my true body, nurtured for a thousand years with natural energy. But because of this, you must die here today.
Even if all the toads of Mount Myōboku perish, it doesn't matter. As long as I live, Mount Myōboku endures!
After killing you, I will retreat deep into the earth's core, stepping away from the conflicts of the ninja world. Time will prove I am right. I am a true sage, and I will endure alongside the entire ninja world."
"Spouting nonsense," Madara scoffed disdainfully.
Then, Madara's qi surged explosively. His Susanoo, previously close-range, now grew taller and taller, restoring itself to its original form.
"Have you grown senile from living too long, you relic of a bygone era?! Today, I'll send you to your rightful death!"
"Try it if you can, you insolent brat!"
In an instant, the colossal stone toad clashed fiercely with Madara.
From a distant mountaintop, Uchiha Izuna watched the battle with great interest, recalling information from his memories.
"So the largest living organism in the Vast Ocean Realm, the Rock Host Great Toad, is actually this beast's true form. Hidden quite deeply, I see."
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