Jiraiya's toad, holding its short blade, froze in midair as if possessed, staring blankly in place.
The real reason was that it had fallen under Kairen's Mangekyō Genjutsu and its movements were bound.
Jiraiya stood on Gamabunta's head. Five fingers burst with five clusters of chakra, and he slapped Gamabunta's skin: "Genjutsu: Release!"
The red tint in Gamabunta's eyes vanished instantly; clarity returned, and anger flashed in its pupils.
To think a kid below could undo it with just one glance—what a disgrace to the toads of Mount Myōboku.
Gamabunta gripped its great blade as power surged into its arm. Then it chopped down again, wanting to complete the battle it had been interrupted from.
Kairen let out a light laugh. The Mangekyō Sharingan in both his eyes underwent an even more complex transformation.
The shuriken-like shapes in his eyes spun continuously, and a massive ocular force bloomed from within.
"Susanoo!"
In the blink of an eye, fiery-red chakra ignited across Kairen's body.
A gigantic arm manifested around him, rising to block Gamabunta's short blade.
"What is this thing?!"
Gamabunta's toad eyes widened in shock at this chakra defense, and even Orochimaru's snake-like pupils narrowed.
This was—
...
"The ultimate secret of the Sharingan—Susanoo!"
Uchiha Madara took another deep breath to steady the pounding of his heart.
Susanoo—one of the three powers unlocked only by awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan—was known as the power of a god.
It symbolized destruction, and it was said that anyone who witnessed it with their own eyes was fated to die.
Kairen had only just awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, yet had already grasped this third divine power.
A violent killing intent surged in Madara's heart. Kairen was no longer just a pawn—he already had the qualifications to step onto the board as a player.
...
Gamabunta pushed hard, and the fiery-red arm shielding Kairen transformed again.
Flame-colored light burned around Kairen's body. Above him, a fire-red skeletal frame ignited—rib bones outlined one after another with the sound of crackling fire.
It was as if an invisible paintbrush in the void was sketching the fire-red giant that protected him.
Within a few breaths, a 20-meter-tall fire-red skeletal upper body had formed around Kairen.
This was Susanoo's first form!
Then Susanoo's other hand condensed a long spear—Kairen's personal spirit weapon, just like Sasuke's bow and arrow.
The flaming giant lifted its spear, intending to skewer Gamabunta into dried toad meat—when suddenly the brown giant snake beside him erupted into motion.
It lunged with incredible speed, closing in on Susanoo instantly and biting down on its other arm.
Standing atop the serpent's head, Orochimaru sneered coldly at Kairen:
"Your awakening of the Mangekyō Sharingan did shock me greatly, but I've read the records."
"The Mangekyō Sharingan is a double-edged blade. While you use it, your eyes consume your life. And you've only just awakened it."
As Orochimaru spoke, two thin streams of blood suddenly trickled from Kairen's eyes.
He had barely awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and was still in the exploration stage; recklessly opening Susanoo like this would obviously damage his eyes.
Just like buying a new Samsung phone and plugging it in without removing the screen film—of course it'll explode.
But who was Kairen? The chosen one blessed by the system, a man devoted to building a grand harem across the ninja world!
How could such a small issue stop him?!
Wood Release chakra within his body surged into his optic nerves, and the gentle yang-nature power instantly healed his eyes.
The Yang Release then replenished him with a surge of powerful chakra!
Obito had only one Mangekyō Sharingan—and not even an Eternal one—yet he could run wild everywhere.
Why?
Because he possessed Hashirama cells, and the yang-nature energy within them could convert into Yin Release power to replenish the chakra consumed by ocular jutsu.
Kairen bore the Senju Clan Sage Body; the yang-nature energy within him was already at the level needed to awaken the Rinnegan.
With yin and yang combined, his Sharingan's performance was comparable to the Eternal Mangekyō.
Kairen drew in a deep breath, glaring at the two colossal beasts. Even more massive chakra surged through his eyes and transformed into Yin Release power.
"Susanoo—Second Form!"
The Susanoo encasing him changed drastically again. Muscles and meridians formed over the skeletal frame.
A layer of chakra armor formed around it, and the spirit-weapon spear became even more solid.
Gamabunta stacked both arms together, pressing down on Susanoo's arm.
The opponent's strength was like the ocean, forcing Gamabunta to clench his teeth under the pressure.
He muttered, "Such strength… and he's still being compressed in a cramped space. Jiraiya, you and Orochimaru attack together."
Jiraiya nodded. He formed seals, and a torrent of chakra burst out: "Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!"
A massive swamp opened beneath Kairen, trying to drag him into its depths.
Kairen crossed his arms and sneered. Darkness-nature chakra in his mind continued brewing, and the newly-formed energy surged into Susanoo.
"Susanoo—Third Form!"
Samurai-like armor grew across Susanoo's body. The giant expanded to over 40 meters, now equal in size to Gamabunta and the snake.
"Summoning Technique!"
Orochimaru wove the summoning seal again, calling forth three more giant snakes to help suppress Kairen's Susanoo.
"You think this is enough to restrain me? Next is the fourth form."
Kairen roared—a shout that seemed to shake the entire Land of Fire's capital.
Susanoo swelled even larger. Lower-body bones formed, and another layer of armor wrapped around it.
Kairen's Susanoo now stood nearly 80 meters tall—a true giant.
Four giant snakes coiled around it, while Gamabunta dropped its blade and used both toad arms to force down one of Susanoo's arms.
Jiraiya leapt from Gamabunta's head into the air. A blue-white chakra sphere formed in his palm:
"Rasengan!"
Jiraiya slammed the Rasengan against Susanoo's head, attempting to pierce through the defense and strike Kairen's body.
But the Rasengan couldn't penetrate at all. Susanoo was like a diamond barrier—unbreakably hard.