Under a massive shroud of smoke, a gargantuan orange figure slowly lumbered out. Although he had grown several times in size, Little Orange was still the same fat cat—just as lazy and disinclined to move as ever.
Faced with the projected toad warrior of Mount Myoboku, the orange cat didn't even blink. With a look of pure "feline disdain," he swung his padded paw for a second strike.
Maki, used to seeing her cat use those paws to act cute, was stunned by this display of raw power. "Little Orange has become... incredible."
"More than incredible," Shiraishi noted, watching from a distance. "That single paw strike packs as much power as a top-tier Summoning Beast."
The cat was surprisingly agile for his girth. After his paw blocked the toad's blade, he shifted his rotund body and whipped his tail out with vicious force. The toad projection was sent reeling back several steps.
How is this possible? The toad projection has the Great Sage's Senjutsu reinforcement...
Shirohebi-hime knew the sheer power of the Great Toad Sage's arts, yet this cat's soft, fleshy paws were neutralizing the attacks and even launching a counter-offensive.
Unlike the traditional Sages, Little Orange's metamorphosis followed a path of "natural purity." He didn't use complex techniques; he simply used his own massive, energy-dense body as a weapon. In Shiraishi's internal system, the cat's quality had officially refreshed to Gold Grade—though he lacked a list of learned skills. He was just a mountain of muscle and natural energy.
So, he's basically just a Kaiju-sized version of his lazy self? Shiraishi thought. I just hope his appetite hasn't scaled up at the same rate, or he'll eat the village out of house and home.
The Great Retreat
Seeing the mission to hunt the cat fail, Shirohebi-hime had no intention of staying to fight Maki and Pakura.
Meanwhile, the cunning Little Orange pointedly ignored the White Snake Sage, instead baring his teeth toward the summoning rift in the sky.
The old snake and the old toad are still stronger than me, the cat thought, but I can certainly bully this projection to vent my frustration!
With Shirohebi-hime retreating, Maki's attention returned to the giant orange form in the sky. "Little Orange, did you get your energy back?"
Hearing Maki's voice, the cat instantly shrunk back down to his normal, pudgy size. He licked his paw, put on his best "scared kitty" face, and pounced into Maki's arms—purring as if to say, A bad man tried to kill me! I was so brave but I'm so tiny!
"Don't be afraid, I'm here," Maki cooed.
"He's that strong and yet he still can't talk?" Pakura muttered, watching the cat manipulate Maki.
Maki smiled. "Meows actually have distinct meanings. If you listen closely every day, you can tell their moods apart. Right, Little Orange?"
A soft, gentle "Meow" was her reply—a far cry from the ferocious beast that had just swatted a giant toad.
The Harvest
Shiraishi realized that since Mount Myoboku's operation had failed, the five "living corpses" were now prime targets for recovery.
These bodies were invaluable strategic assets from the Warring States period, and the Toads couldn't afford to lose them.
"Secure them now!" Shiraishi signaled his elites.
The Sand's "Five Kage" moved. Arashi pinned down the two Senju brothers, allowing Shiraishi to hunt the others. Shiraishi lunged at the Uchiha warrior like a gale.
The ancient ninja exhaled a massive Great Fire Destruction, but Shiraishi's Shinto Heaven Blade flickered, the sword-light slicing through the heat.
What kind of weapon is that? the consciousness behind the puppet wondered.
Before the Great Toad Sage could react, Shiraishi appeared behind the Uchiha. A single palm strike shattered the puppet's internal "heart" core, and Shiraishi instantly slapped a sealing scroll onto the body.
On Mount Myoboku, Fukasaku gasped. "Father, the Sand is harvesting them!"
"Start the Reverse Summoning!" Shima commanded.
The two Toad Sages began forming seals to pull their warriors back to the Holy Land. However, a ripple of space-time distortion suddenly interfered with the array.
From the shadows, Shirohebi-hime had activated her own Inorganic Reincarnation. She overlapped Ryuchi Cave's space-time coordinates with Myoboku's, jamming their signal.
The Great Toad Sage opened his eyes wide. "That old venomous snake! She's biting us back!"
"When did you ever think we were allies?" Shirohebi-hime whispered to the wind. "Have you forgotten what kind of animal a snake is?"
With the Reverse Summoning jammed, Shiraishi and Tomoki moved like lightning. Shiraishi drove the Shinto Heaven Blade into the ground, conducting a massive lightning strike that paralyzed the remaining Senju.
In a blur of movement, he systematically destroyed their cores and sealed them. Tomoki and Arashi did the same for the Uzumaki and Hagoromo warriors.
In a matter of minutes, Mount Myoboku's operation had turned into a total disaster. Five legendary Kage-level bodies had been captured and sealed by the Hidden Sand.
The Aftermath
Back at Mount Myoboku, the Great Toad Sage looked profoundly exhausted. The combination of the "old snake," the "wicked cat," and the "Hidden Sand" had created a perfect storm that left him deeply unsettled.
He couldn't afford to throw his remaining ten statues into the fray; the cost of losing them was too high. He let out a ragged cough.
"Tell Jiraiya... he should visit us more often," the Sage whispered weakly. "We need to work more closely with him.
We must find suitable 'sprouts' in Konoha and train them into warriors. We cannot afford to be stingy with our guidance anymore."
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