Naruto: This Genius is Somewhat Ordinary-Chapter 370

"Kurama!"

Six Paths Madara crossed the distance in an instant.

The speed was overwhelming. Even Tōma’s enhanced vision struggled to follow the motion, and his instincts screamed before his thoughts could catch up.

"I know!" the Yin half of Kurama replied.

Despite not fully recovering, it immediately poured its chakra into Tōma.

Golden light erupted again.

The Sage Fox state reformed around him, nine chakra tails unfurling behind his back.

"Swift Release. Godspeed."

Tōma didn’t bother forming seals. Swift chakra flooded his body, concentrating especially around his eyes.

The world slowed.

Madara’s staff descended.

Tōma raised the Inkshadow Blade, Sage chakra flaring as he met the blow head-on.

Boom.

The ground behind Tōma shattered in a wide arc, fractures racing outward like lightning scars.

For the first time in this battle—

He was pushed back.

Not thrown away. Not blown aside.

But forced to slide backward across the earth, boots carving trenches as he struggled to hold his ground.

This was raw power.

Tōma was already at his physical limit. Sage Fox Mode. Kurama’s chakra. Chakra-enhanced strength pushed to the absolute edge.

Against Obito, that had been enough to dominate.

Against Madara—

It wasn’t.

Before Tōma could stabilize, every nerve in his body screamed danger.

He vanished.

Three chakra tails were severed in midair where he had stood.

Madara raised a brow in mild surprise, then calmly reached out, gripping the still-dissipating tails. His Rinnegan flared as he absorbed the remaining Sage chakra within them.

"So this is Sage chakra," Madara mused. "No wonder you could contend with Six Paths power."

A smile tugged at his lips.

"But don’t confuse me with Obito."

Pressure poured from Madara’s eyes, crushing the air itself.

For the first time since the battle began, Madara felt satisfied.

He had finally gained something in return.

"Limbo. Border Jail."

Invisible shadows surged.

Madara had saved this technique deliberately.

He had wanted Tōma close. Off guard.

Even he hadn’t expected Tōma to escape instant death—but the Flying Thunder God had carried him away at the last moment.

Tōma reappeared at a distance, breathing steadily.

He closed his eyes.

Pushed his perception to its limit.

Four vague distortions hovered around Madara.

"So this is Limbo," Tōma thought. "The ultimate Six Paths bully technique."

He could sense them—but barely.

In actual combat, maintaining this level of perception would be impossible.

And yet—

Giving up was never an option.

Magma suddenly surged beneath Tōma’s feet.

The earth cracked, molten rock flooding outward in waves.

Madara watched with interest.

"Another Susanoo?" he said lightly. "It won’t matter."

But Tōma had no intention of repeating what Madara had already seen.

The magma erupted upward, engulfing Tōma completely.

Madara’s eyes gleamed.

Then—

The molten shell peeled away.

Tōma emerged transformed.

He remained in Sage Fox Mode, feathered helm intact, but now his body was clad in flame-patterned chakra armor. His Inkshadow Blade had merged with a condensed Susanoo construct, its edge wrapped in blazing spectral fire.

Behind him, wings shaped like a phoenix spread wide.

Each of the nine chakra tails ended in a flaming feather-blade.

A burning sigil marked his forehead.

"Susanoo. Armored Manifestation."

This was Susanoo compressed to its extreme.

Not a towering construct.

Not a chakra giant.

Pure, concentrated power layered directly onto the body.

Size was meaningless against Madara.

Only density mattered.

Tōma exhaled slowly.

The heat was real. Dangerous. Unstable.

He hadn’t been sure this form would work.

"...About five minutes," he muttered. "That’ll have to be enough."

Madara laughed—genuinely.

"Magnificent, Sixth Hokage. Even I can’t compress Susanoo that far."

More importantly—

Madara could feel it.

Tōma’s presence had grown stronger again.

Flames exploded behind Tōma as his wings snapped open.

He vanished in a streak of fire and sonic booms.

"Come on," he shouted. "Fight!"

Madara answered with a grin, stomping forward.

The ground detonated beneath his step.

They collided.

Staff and flaming blade met.

The explosion swallowed the sky.

Fire roared across the battlefield, tearing space with shockwaves. Mountains shook. The air itself screamed.

Observers struggled just to stay standing, yet the two figures within the chaos moved freely, trading blows without slowing.

No one could track them anymore.

Explosions marked where they had been, not where they were.

"Is this really... human?" someone whispered.

Madara wielded the power of the Sage.

But Tōma—

Tōma stood there as proof that even without becoming a Ten-Tails Jinchūriki, a human could reach this level.

Not despair.

Hope.

Far from the battlefield, Orochimaru watched in rapture.

His eyes glowed with draconic pupils, horns rising from his temples—Sage Mode of Ryūchi Cave fully realized.

"That’s it... that power..." he hissed. "That’s the future."

The Ten-Tails was a dead end for ordinary shinobi.

But Tōma’s path—

That was achievable.

Difficult.

Dangerous.

But possible.

Orochimaru licked his lips.

"Surpass them, Tōma," he murmured. "Show us a miracle."

He began forming seals.

Then froze.

A tall figure appeared before him, white hair flowing, "Oil" etched across his forehead protector. Two toads perched on his shoulders.

Jiraiya, in Sage Mode.

"Tch. Not interested in you right now," Orochimaru said lazily.

"I am," Jiraiya replied, eyes hard. "This ends here. I’m stopping Edo Tensei."

Orochimaru smiled.

"We’ll see."

As their clash began elsewhere—

High above the battlefield, Madara and Tōma hovered amid burning skies.

They locked eyes.

And laughed.

"Come," Madara said.

"Let’s fight."

...

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