I already sensed that today would be my final day.
Even so, I would not sit here and await death.
"Toad Sage Art: Heavenly Sniper."
The instant the words fell, a beam of natural energy descended from the sky like a divine cannon and blasted the black-clad figure to the ground.
"Boom!"
A violent shockwave erupted from the point of impact, splitting the earth apart. The Hall of Longevity collapsed, and several square kilometers of land were reduced to a vast basin of ruins.
Only Gamamaru's throne and the hundred-meter-high stone dais supporting it remained untouched, standing like a lone sacred altar amidst the devastation.
Seated upright upon his throne, Gamamaru stared down at the figure rising from the bottom of the crater as if nothing had happened.
No one knew what thoughts were passing through the Great Toad Sage's eyes.
The black-clad man dusted off his robes and muttered, "A sniper cannon formed from natural energy… several times stronger than Might Guy's Evening Elephant. Even I would feel some pain if I took dozens of those head-on."
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
His gaze swept beneath the mask.
"So this time it isn't a sniper cannon, but a storm of strikes. Better not tank it directly."
"Boom!"
Bronze-colored chakra erupted outward, then compressed into a giant bell-shaped barrier surrounding him within a two-meter radius.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Natural energy fists, each more powerful than Evening Elephant, rained down from every direction. They crashed against the bronze bell with deafening roars, yet failed to shake it in the slightest.
Gamamaru narrowed his eyes.
"That chakra is clearly…"
The black-clad man said casually, "Nothing special. I simply broke down that technique and recompressed it into the shape of a bell. That boosted its defense by several dozen times."
Gamamaru formed a seal with his webbed hands.
Crash!
The riverbed beneath Mount Myoboku's great waterfall shattered. Stored toad oil burst forth, sweeping away stone toad statues and surging into the sky as countless golden-brown pillars before cascading downward.
In an instant, a vast sea of toad oil engulfed the bronze bell.
Whoosh!
A meteor-like fireball then descended from above and ignited the entire ocean of oil.
Crack! Crack!
Under the infernal heat that could boil mountains and evaporate seas, even the bronze bell began to emit cracking sounds.
And yet… its defensive power was simply too overwhelming.
Even this was not enough to break through.
The black-clad man murmured, "Summoning natural flames and amplifying them with a sea of toad oil… impressive. And it bypasses absorption abilities like Kāma and the Rinnegan."
"The old toad's eyesight is sharp. Your goal wasn't to break my defense, but to prevent me from escaping with space-time techniques. In such a cramped environment, opening a portal is indeed difficult."
"So, after pinning me here, what's your next move?"
"Gero~! Gero~!"
At that moment, an intensely penetrating and rhythmic chorus of toad calls pierced through the blazing oil sea and the bronze bell, reverberating directly into his ears.
"This is…"
"Toad Confrontation Chant—the signature auditory genjutsu of Mount Myoboku. And because Gamamaru is casting it himself, the effect is dozens of times stronger than what Fukasaku and Shima can produce."
Crack! Crack!
The bronze bell began to destabilize as the caster's concentration was disrupted.
"The strength of this genjutsu is impressive. It may not affect me, Otsutsuki Kamishiki, directly, but it can interfere with the vessel I'm inhabiting."
If I do nothing, the bell will collapse, and I'll be reduced to ashes in this sea of oil and fire.
"Your tactics are sound, and your combo is flawless. As expected of Mount Myoboku's founder."
The black-clad man slowly raised two fingers before his chest.
"Now it's my turn."
Genjutsu: Reflection.
Buzz!
Gamamaru's massive body suddenly stiffened on his throne.
Boom!
The blazing sea of oil churned violently.
The black-clad man burst upward, his body cloaked in a thin layer of bronze Susanoo ribs, ascending until he was level with Gamamaru's throne.
His fingers formed a seal.
Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!
A colossal fireball two hundred meters in diameter erupted from behind his black-and-white mask.
The sacred dais shattered instantly, and Gamamaru's giant body was sent hurtling across the land, driven by the enormous sphere of flame.
The terrifying heat evaporated rivers and reduced forests to charcoal in its wake.
"Gwaaahhh!"
Even Gamamaru's skin, protected by dense sage chakra, could not withstand the temperature. Burns spread across his body.
Boom!
With a thunderous impact, a toad-shaped crater appeared in the side of Guardian Immortal Mountain in the northwest region of Mount Myoboku.
The black-clad man flashed to the mountain face.
A bronze blade formed in the skeletal hand of his Susanoo, and he swung it through the air.
Blood Mist Sword Art: Bone Extraction.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Golden bone spikes shot from the blade, pinning Gamamaru's massive body firmly to the mountainside.
The Great Toad Sage glared at the figure before him and thundered, "Heavenly demon! Why are you using only ninjutsu instead of your Otsutsuki powers?"
"Good question."
The black-clad man answered at an unhurried pace.
"This vessel is excellent, but my true power places too great a burden on it. Using Otsutsuki abilities accelerates its deterioration."
He admired the gloved hands he used to weave seals, as though they were a piece of exquisite porcelain.
"But ninjutsu is different. Efficient. Economical. It causes no additional strain."
"My kin love to call humans inferior creatures. I disagree. Though their power is limited, the wisdom they derive from that limited power is no less impressive than that of my clan."
"Gamamaru, you are about to die. Do you have any last words?"
Gamamaru's lips moved. A compressed sound wave slipped past the black-clad man and flew into the vast grasslands beyond.
The black-clad man chuckled.
"Hahaha. Didn't want me to hear?"
"Very well."
The Susanoo faded away.
"Gamamaru, as the founder of Mount Myoboku in the Land of Jianzhou, I shall grant you a fitting death."
"I will kill you with a technique of my own creation."
"Void Release. As the name suggests, it alters the spatial nature of chakra."
"Although I created it using ninjutsu principles, its rank is that of a Kekkei Mōra."
"It isn't energy efficient, so I divided the full Void Release into three precursor techniques for different purposes."
"Those three techniques each possess the rank of a Kekkei Tōta—the same level as the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki's Dust Release. They have thus returned to the realm of ninjutsu."
"Now comes Slash Release."
"As the name suggests, it unleashes spatial cuts that cannot be defended against."
Slash Release!
His hands formed an intricate seal before his chest.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Two vertical cuts and two horizontal cuts intersected in a pattern resembling a pound sign, appearing almost instantly around Gamamaru's body.
Blood burst forth as the Great Toad Sage's body split apart into pieces, painting the mountainside crimson.
A moment later, the mountain itself fractured along the same lines of spatial severance.
Rumble!
Massive boulders collapsed, and the earth shook as the debris buried the remains beneath a newly formed tomb.
Thus ended the life of Gamamaru, the Great Toad Sage, an immortal elder revered for ages—buried forever within the land he had called home.
The black-clad man hovered in the air.
Behind his black-and-white mask, his gaze shifted slowly toward the grasslands behind him.
The corners of his mouth curved upward.
"Come out."
"How much longer do you intend to hide?"
"The toad's final message was meant for you, wasn't it?"
Whoosh!
A figure suddenly emerged from the grasslands.
And when the image stabilized, the person revealed was none other than…
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