Chapter 141: Sage Mode

At this critical moment, a vast chakra fluctuation suddenly surged from behind, sweeping across the entire battlefield like a surging tide. Hiruzen Sarutobi snapped his head around, only to see Minato slowly open his eyes.

Orange eye shadow resembling flames emerged around Minato's eye sockets; his originally azure pupils had now become horizontal slit-like shapes, like a frog's eyes.

Even more shocking, a faint layer of natural energy enveloped his whole body, giving one a wondrous feeling of being one with heaven and earth.

Minato stared straight at Madara Uchiha not far away and said in a low, determined voice: "Sage Mode, complete."

"Oh?" Madara's voice carried a hint of interest. "The same power as Hashirama?"

Madara's voice held a trace of amusement, as if he had developed some slight interest in the change before him. He crossed his arms, standing in the center of Susanoo, looking down from above at Minato and Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Come then," Madara's voice was full of provocation. "Let me see just how capable this so-called Sage Mode of yours really is!"

The moment his voice fell, Minato's figure had already turned into a streak of golden lightning, vanishing from his original spot in an instant.

"Whoosh!"

The next second, Minato appeared above Madara, a giant Rasengan condensed in his hand. This Rasengan was several times larger than a normal one.

"Sage Art: Rasengan!" Minato shouted low, slamming the Rasengan in his hand hard toward Madara.

Madara sneered coldly; Susanoo's greatsword swung out violently, meeting Minato's attack.

"Boom!"

A massive shockwave spread out; rubble scattered like bullets in all directions. Minato used the force to retreat, landing steadily on the ground.

Madara stood in place; a crack had appeared on Susanoo's longsword, but it repaired itself in an instant. He looked at Minato with interest: "Good power, but still not enough."

Minato did not reply; instead he flashed to Hiruzen Sarutobi's side and said in a low voice: "Third Hokage, I can't maintain Sage Mode for long, and that technique of mine can only be sustained for two seconds."

A flash of understanding crossed Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes; he said in a deep voice: "Understood."

He rapidly formed hand seals and shouted low: "Darkness Technique!"

In an instant, a thick darkness enveloped the entire battlefield. The moment Madara's vision was obscured, he warily scanned his surroundings; his Rinnegan rapidly rotated, and the darkness before him dissipated.

Madara stood in the center of Susanoo; purple light flowed in his Rinnegan, and everything around him was clearly visible. He sneered coldly, his low voice echoing in the darkness: "Genjutsu of this level, and you want to deceive my eyes?"

Just then, a golden flash suddenly lit up in the distance. Madara's eyes narrowed slightly; he saw Minato Namikaze's figure charging toward him like an arrow loosed from a bow.

"Well come!" A flash of excitement crossed Madara's eyes; he manipulated Susanoo to raise its giant energy longsword and cleave at Minato. The blade tore through the air, emitting a piercing shriek.

"Clang!"

The longsword struck heavily on Minato, yet unexpectedly felt none of the anticipated resistance. The "Minato" figure instantly dissolved into a puff of white smoke.

"Shadow Clone?" Madara frowned; a warning sign surged in his heart.

Right at this moment, a powerful chakra fluctuation suddenly came from behind. Madara whipped around, only to see the real Minato had appeared behind Susanoo at some unknown time, gripping a giant shuriken-shaped Rasengan in his hand, emitting a heart-palpitating aura.

A resolute light flickered in Minato's eyes; he shouted low: "Sage Art: Wind Release: Rasenshuriken!"

Before his voice fell, he had already thrust the Rasenshuriken in his hand hard toward Madara. That terrifying chakra rotation speed even carved ripples in the air.

"Boom!"

An earth-shattering roar erupted immediately. A massive shockwave, centered on Minato and Madara, spread wildly in all directions.

The ground seemed seized by an invisible giant hand, shattering instantly. Surrounding trees were uprooted, turning into fragments that flew in all directions. The air wave swept past, stirring up billowing dust.

The explosion's power was so great it spread a full kilometer. Distant peaks were shaken until they tottered; rubble fell like raindrops.

Amid this chaos, Minato's figure suddenly appeared behind Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Third Hokage."

His face bore some fatigue; Sage Mode had already deactivated. This was still the first time he had used this move; its name was even given by Kushina.

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded; a flash of determination crossed his eyes. He rapidly formed hand seals and shouted low: "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

In an instant, five Hiruzen Sarutobi clones appeared on the spot. Each clone emitted a powerful chakra fluctuation, their momentum not reduced in the slightest. "Five Elements: Great Combo Technique!" Hiruzen Sarutobi and his clones shouted simultaneously.

In a split second, five different nature ninjutsu spewed from the mouths of Hiruzen Sarutobi and his clones. Fire, water, earth, lightning, wind — the five elements intertwined in midair, forming a heart-palpitating torrent of energy.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Continuous explosions resounded through the clouds. The five nature ninjutsu collided in midair, triggering a series of violent explosions. Flames rolled, lightning flickered, gales howled; the entire sky seemed ignited.

The shockwaves produced by the explosions swept the entire battlefield, drawing everything around into them. Smoke and dust filled the air; rubble flew horizontally; the whole scene resembled the advent of doomsday.

Minato and Hiruzen Sarutobi had to use their arms to shield their faces against the oncoming dust and debris.

When the smoke and dust dispersed, a giant crater over a kilometer in diameter appeared on the spot, bottomless. The surrounding terrain had completely changed, as if struck by a small meteorite.

Minato and Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at each other; against an attack of such tremendous power, even Madara Uchiha would probably find it hard to escape unscathed, right? "Hehehe"

But just then, a familiar and heart-palpitating voice came from within the smoke and dust.

"Not a bad attack," Madara Uchiha's voice carried a trace of praise, yet also implied contempt. "It has already reached the level of a strike from Hashirama's Wood Human."

Minato and Sarutobi instantly tensed every muscle, warily watching the figure in the smoke and dust.

Madara's voice continued, this time with a trace of nostalgia: "However, let you witness how I fought Hashirama back then!"

Before his voice fell, the entire earth suddenly began to tremble violently. Rubble started rolling; cracks in the ground expanded further. A vast chakra fluctuation surged from the deep pit, as if a slumbering ancient giant beast was awakening.

"Rumble!"

Accompanied by a deafening roar, a colossal figure slowly rose from the bottom of the pit. It was a giant a hundred meters tall, its whole body covered in deep blue chakra armor, exuding a heart-palpitating pressure.

Complete Body Susanoo, finally revealed its true form.

The whole of Konohagakure suddenly fell into a dead silence; everyone looked up toward that colossal blue figure in the distance. Children hid fearfully behind their parents, while ninja warily gripped their weapons tight.

At the same time, within the Uchiha Clan District, several elders stood on the roof, gazing at that familiar yet strange figure in the distance; their faces were written full of shock and disbelief.

"Th-this is Complete Body Susanoo?" A white-haired elder spoke tremblingly, eyes full of incredulity.

Another elder took a deep breath, his voice filled with shock and a trace of hard-to-detect awe: "Since Madara-sama, no one has been able to use Susanoo. Just who is it..."

"Could it be?" One elder's eyes seemed to shoot sharp light; his voice was low: "Has Madara-sama returned?"

As these words fell, the other elders all gasped, exchanging glances, their eyes full of uncertain surprise.

In the distance, that colossal Susanoo stood in the center of the battlefield, like a moving mountain peak; the air itself trembled, and with each swing of its giant arms, gales rose in bursts.

Those glowing eyes looked down upon Minato and Hiruzen Sarutobi below, as if gazing at two insignificant ants.

Minato and Hiruzen Sarutobi retreated several steps involuntarily; despite having experienced countless battles, they now felt an unprecedented Oppressive Feeling.

Susanoo raised its right hand, and a giant sword condensed from pure chakra appeared out of thin air. The sword blade emitted a ghostly blue light, as if it could sever everything.

Next Second. The massive chakra sword, like a blue bolt of Lightning, slashed toward Minato and Hiruzen Sarutobi at unimaginable speed. Wherever the blade passed, the air was Torn, emitting a piercing shriek.

Minato's Pupils contracted sharply, and he instinctively reached out to touch Hiruzen Sarutobi's shoulder, intending to use the Flying Thunder God Technique to take him and Escape.

"Too late." Minato silently cried out in alarm in his heart, watching as the giant sword was about to fall.

At this Critical Moment, a loud voice suddenly came from afar: "Adamantine Sealing Chains!"

Instantly, dozens of chains wrapped in golden chakra came Breaking Sky like spirit snakes, precisely Entangling Susanoo's arms. These chains emitted powerful Chakra Fluctuations, actually forcibly blocking Susanoo's movements.

"Clang!"

The giant sword deviated from its original trajectory, Brushing Past Minato and Hiruzen Sarutobi's sides as it struck the ground, kicking up dust that filled the sky. Both felt a strong gust of wind hit them, their robes flapping loudly.

(Chapter End)