Over on this side, Madara stared at the thunderclouds blanketing the sky, utterly dumbstruck.
Natsuki and Kakashi, on the other hand, couldn't help laughing.
Kakashi said, "Natsuki, you suggested we make it a rainy night, didn't you? Looks like after everyone retreated, they didn't just sit around—they actually managed to whip up a thunderstorm. The timing couldn't have been better. Honestly, it's brilliant."
Natsuki hadn't expected it either. He'd only tossed it out as an offhand idea. He never thought they'd actually run with it.
Hearing that, the three Hokage exchanged looks.
So you two knew Madara's plan ahead of time… and even arranged this kind of countermeasure?
No wonder Madara looked so stunned. He was probably one step away from cursing everyone out.
Madara's face darkened. "So this is the allied shinobi's little stunt? Hmph. Petty tricks. It's just a thundercloud—dispersing it isn't exactly impossible!"
"You can try," Neji said, eyes sharp and predatory. "Let's see if I can't catch the opening and kill you."
To be honest, the storm really did help.
Against an opponent at the same Six Paths level, even the smallest lapse could be seized instantly. If you slipped for even a moment, you could genuinely die.
And Madara wasn't only facing Neji—Natsuki was terrifying in his own right.
Madara hadn't forgotten how Natsuki had blown his body apart with a single kick. It meant Natsuki could reach Six Paths-level force just by opening the Seventh Gate. Even if taijutsu couldn't kill a sage outright, it could still destroy the body and create an opening for teammates to finish the job.
On top of that, Kakashi's Kamui was downright unfair—warping space at range was perfect support.
With all of that stacked against him, Madara really couldn't casually try to blow the storm away.
And Natsuki wasn't about to give him time to breathe.
He charged again—one kick snapping out with such violence that it produced a crushing air cannon.
Madara hurriedly defended with Gudōdama (Truth-Seeking Orbs), but even so, the orbs shuddered under the pressure, vibrating like they might explode at any second.
That level of pure taijutsu was horrifying.
"Hachimon Tonkō: Dai Nana Keimon Ōgi (Eight Gates: Seventh Gate Secret Technique)—Sekizō Kai: Seizō (Evening Elephant — Modified: Star Elephant)! First Speed!"
Natsuki blurred in, then drove a straight punch that launched an even faster, even stronger air cannon—slamming Madara down so hard he was pinned to the ground and couldn't move.
Opening only the Seventh Gate, Natsuki had already reached the level of Guy-sensei's Eighth Gate power. So he shamelessly dragged an Eighth Gate technique down into the Seventh Gate.
And because the aura was a blue current of chakra, he renamed it Star Elephant.
Compared to a Star Tiger, this was naturally far stronger—so he used it without hesitation.
Madara strained to knock the air cannon away—
—but the next second Natsuki was already at his flank, another kick firing off an air cannon that was faster and heavier than before.
"Second Speed!"
BOOM!
Wrapped inside a spherical shield of Gudōdama (Truth-Seeking Orbs), Madara was blasted backward.
The air cannon dragged him along in a roaring tide of pressure, like it was trying to part the earth's hair down the middle, gouging a path as it forced him to plow across the ground.
"Third Speed!"
"Fourth Speed!"
Two more consecutive air cannons hammered down, continuing to suppress Madara—until faint cracks even began to appear on the Gudōdama (Truth-Seeking Orbs).
That made Madara's eyes widen in genuine shock. He could no longer stay calm.
He never imagined that an air cannon produced purely by taijutsu could become powerful enough to destroy Gudōdama (Truth-Seeking Orbs) reinforced by the power of the Path of Heaven.
It was absurd.
"Fifth Speed!"
BOOOOM!
The final air cannon slammed Madara straight into the earth, carving out a massive pit so deep it seemed bottomless. The Gudōdama (Truth-Seeking Orbs) shield detonated on the spot, and the remaining force shattered Madara's temple, leaving his body severely damaged—recovery wouldn't be quick this time.
Luckily, Natsuki stopped.
And he closed the Seventh Gate.
Steam rose from his body. He panted harshly, clearly drained—and undoubtedly enduring pain that most people couldn't even imagine.
To beat Madara down to this state was already unbelievable.
The three Hokage were completely stunned. They didn't even know how to describe the shock in their hearts. They'd always believed Natsuki was strong—but none of them had ever imagined he could suppress Madara through taijutsu alone.
Young shinobi these days were terrifying.
Neji, however, wasn't surprised at all.
Natsuki had always been strong.
Even now that Neji had reached the Six Paths level, he still didn't feel like he'd surpassed Natsuki—because until you truly fought him, you'd never know.
Natsuki was like a mystery. His depth never seemed to have an end.
As long as Natsuki was there, it felt like you didn't need to fear losing. He was the pillar, the anchor, the core that made everyone feel safe.
So this outcome was, in a sense, exactly what Neji expected.
Kakashi, too, stood frozen for a moment—then his expression softened into pure pride.
He remembered the time Guy had brought Natsuki to him, the boy's face still young as he spoke about wanting to grow stronger, about protecting the people who mattered most.
Now Kakashi felt something he couldn't put into words.
Deep, aching satisfaction.
That boy had grown up.
And he was truly making good on his promise.
Not just protecting everyone—he was fighting to protect the entire shinobi world.
Kakashi had been right about him.
And then—
whoosh.
Sasuke and Naruto suddenly appeared beside Natsuki, startling everyone. Only when they realized it was their own people did they relax.
Kakashi immediately demanded, "Naruto, Sasuke—why are you here?! This isn't something you can handle. Leave, now!"
Naruto grinned with confidence. "Don't worry, Kakashi-sensei. We just met the Sage of Six Paths grandpa. He gave me and Sasuke power. We can fight Madara too, now!"
…Huh?
The Sage of Six Paths could just hand out power like that?
So what—couldn't he power up tens of thousands of allied shinobi too? Even temporary borrowed strength would do. They could jump Madara together—how perfect would that be?
That thought flashed through everyone's minds.
But nobody said it out loud, because everyone knew it wasn't possible.
The fact that Hagoromo had empowered Naruto and Sasuke at all was already a miracle. Now they had two more helpers—meaning their odds improved sharply.
Sasuke looked at Natsuki. "Natsuki… don't tell me you got bullied by Madara. Relax. I'll avenge you."
In truth, they'd wanted Tenten to teleport them over earlier, but everyone had refused no matter what.
Only after they mentioned receiving Hagoromo's power did the others finally agree—and Tenten used Hiraishin (Flying Thunder God) to send them here.
At least they'd arrived in time. Natsuki's side was still standing. But seeing how rough Natsuki looked, Sasuke assumed he'd taken a beating—good thing they were here now.
Natsuki rolled his eyes. "That's a terrible choice of words. I just beat Madara until he couldn't even fight back. You should really be clear about who bullied who."
He exhaled and waved it off. "Whatever. I'm going to rest. You two take it from here."
With that, he decisively retreated to Kakashi's side.
Opening the Seventh Gate wasn't hard for him—but he'd been using it continuously since the fight with the Ten-Tails, and just now he'd forced Star Elephant on top of it. The drain was real, and his body hurt.
He needed a moment.
(End of Chapter)
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