This war was a perfect testament to that strategy.
Menma's preparations had exploited their geographical advantage to its absolute limits. As for the Leaf shinobi dying or screaming in agony below, they didn't stir a single ripple of emotion in Menma's heart.
He had learned the brutal reality of war a long time ago.
When facing the enemy, Menma would offer absolutely no mercy. Because showing mercy to the enemy meant being cruel to his own comrades.
Despite the undeniably disastrous start, Jiraiya had no choice but to push forward. He led the surviving Leaf shinobi in a direct assault toward the stronghold looming in the near distance.
This was a battle to completely eradicate the Hidden Waterfall's military power. No matter how heavy the price, they had to pay it.
"Deploy the flanks! Prepare your jutsu!"
From the rear, Shikaku calmly directed the vanguard to shift their formation, preparing to launch the first wave of coordinated strikes against the base.
"Fukasaku-sama! Shima-sama!" Jiraiya called out.
"Right! We're on it, little Jiraiya!"
Pushing his speed to the absolute max, Jiraiya dodged and tanked the lingering projectile fire. As he closed the distance, the transparent barrier enveloping the entire Waterfall base became clearly visible.
It was a blatant, highly visible defensive barrier erected by Menma.
With a heavy shout from Jiraiya, the two elderly Myōboku toads perched on his shoulders slammed their palms together in perfect synchronization. The moment Jiraiya finished his own hand seals...
"Sage Art: Goemon!"
A monstrous, blinding tidal wave of fire materialized out of thin air. Carrying a terrifying momentum, it surged forward, violently crashing into the transparent barrier.
This was Fire Release amplified by Senjutsu chakra, further enhanced by the unique jutsu of the two Great Toad Sages. Its sheer destructive power rivaled, and perhaps even surpassed, a standard S-rank forbidden jutsu.
BOOM!
The moment the flaming tide slammed into the barrier...
Crack!
Visible to the naked eye, a massive, glaring fracture spider-webbed across the transparent, glass-like shield.
Seeing this, Menma's eyes narrowed.
He knew perfectly well that this was only a hastily constructed, mid-tier defensive barrier; it wasn't designed to withstand absolute top-tier attacks. But the fact that Jiraiya had nearly shattered it with a single combined strike caused a jolt of tension to run through Menma's chest.
"Fire Release!"
"Lightning Release!"
"Water Release!"
"Earth Release!"
Following Jiraiya's initial strike, the rest of the Leaf vanguard closed the distance. One by one, they rapidly formed hand seals, unleashing a torrential barrage of offensive jutsu—all B-rank or higher.
Rumble!
The massive wave of elemental jutsu violently slammed into the outer defensive barrier.
BANG!
BANG!
BOOM!
Unable to withstand the sheer intensity of the concentrated bombardment, the barrier reached its absolute breaking point. The next second...
Shatter!
As another massive fireball slammed into it, a deafening sound resembling exploding glass echoed across the battlefield.
BOOM!
The outer defensive barrier Menma had painstakingly constructed was completely obliterated.
With the first layer of defense stripped away, the subsequent waves of Leaf shinobi, under Shikaku's command from the rear, surged forward, applying immense pressure from three sides simultaneously.
However, achieving this first tactical objective had come at a heavy cost.
In the window of time before the barrier fell, under Menma's direct command, the Waterfall shinobi had unleashed an unrelenting, desperate barrage of shuriken, kunai, and explosive tags. This desperate counter-fire had inflicted several hundred more casualties on the Leaf forces.
At the very onset of the battle, a significant portion of the Leaf's combat strength had been neutralized. This perfectly aligned with Menma's pre-war expectations.
"Doran!"
The moment the barrier shattered, Menma barked the order.
"Yes, Lord Menma!" Doran shouted back.
While acknowledging the order, Doran immediately issued a cascade of further offensive and defensive commands. Receiving their new orders, the Waterfall shinobi snapped into action.
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
Specifically, at the very front of the base, over a thousand Waterfall shinobi who had been waiting in formation suddenly blurred into motion, charging forward to actively engage the enemy.
This was a calculated move to ensure the base's internal defensive structures remained intact. The stronghold's automated and manual defense mechanisms were a massive advantage for the Waterfall. They absolutely could not allow the Leaf shinobi to breach the interior and destroy them.
Engaging the enemy outside the walls was the only correct strategy.
These frontline chargers were the absolute elite of the Hidden Waterfall. Leading the charge were over a hundred shinobi equipped with the newest models of Chakra Armor. They were one of Menma's true elite trump cards.
Given the Waterfall's past financial struggles, this was all they could afford; they had only managed to produce a little over a hundred suits of armor in the short time since acquiring the technology.
Following the charge...
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Menma bit his thumb and slammed his hand down, roaring, "Muku!"
Poof!!! A massive cloud of white smoke erupted at Menma's feet. As the giant lizard, Shikkudo, materialized beneath him, Muku's slender figure blurred out from the far left side of the base.
Slamming his palms together, a blinding burst of pitch-black light engulfed Muku. The next second, he transformed completely into the monstrous entity known as Satori, launching himself directly into the heart of the advancing Leaf army.
It was an unimaginably terrifying, pitch-black monstrosity.
As it unfurled its massive, fleshy wings, even the Waterfall shinobi—who had been briefed and mentally prepared—felt their breath catch in their throats, a primal sense of terror blooming in their chests.
For the Leaf shinobi, who had absolutely zero prior knowledge of the creature, the shock was infinitely worse.
The moment they laid eyes on the bizarre entity...
"What the hell is that!?"
"Is it a summoning beast?"
"No, that's impossible, right?"
"Its chakra... it's terrifying!"
"Did those Waterfall bastards summon this thing?"
"Is it a Tailed Beast? No, that doesn't feel right either!"
"Damn it!"
"Prepare your jutsu! Concentrate fire on that monster!"
The Leaf shinobi at the very front stared with wide, horrified eyes. As Satori lunged at them, radiating a suffocating, icy aura of death, the shinobi caught in its immediate path paled drastically.
"Fire Release!"
"Wind Release!"
"Lightning Release!"
They frantically formed hand seals, unleashing a barrage of jutsu.
BANG!
BANG!
Howling fireballs, crashing lightning strikes, and violent gales slammed into Satori one after another. Yet, the concentrated bombardment seemed to cause absolutely zero damage.
CRASH!
"Aaaagh!"
Instead, with a single, vicious dive, Satori casually slaughtered over a dozen Leaf shinobi in the immediate vicinity. A violent flap of its massive wings generated a hurricane-force gale that effortlessly deflected a shower of incoming shuriken and kunai from other angles.
Their attacks were completely useless.
The Leaf shinobi surrounding Satori wore expressions of absolute despair. It wasn't just that the enemy was strong; it was the terrifying realization that they physically couldn't break its defense. Why were Tailed Beasts so feared? Because a casual swipe from one could easily slaughter any normal ninja below the Kage tier, while the combined attacks of a regular army couldn't even scratch their fur!
That was the raw, unbridgeable gap in power.
And right now, Satori was giving the Leaf shinobi that exact same feeling of absolute helplessness.
Forget the regular troops; even Jiraiya's expression turned incredibly grim when he saw the terrifying strength the newly manifested Satori possessed.
However, Jiraiya didn't have time to worry about Muku's transformation.
Because Menma, riding atop Shikkudo, had already closed the distance.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Jiraiya bit his finger and slammed his hand down, instantly summoning his own combat partner from Mount Myōboku.
While the immediate combat value of summoning beasts diminished in absolute top-tier duels, in massive army clashes, the destructive power of a giant summon was incredibly significant.
The Black-Rock Barren Lizard clan Menma had contracted wasn't particularly strong. Their absolute best fighter, Shikkudo, was roughly on par with a standard quasi-Kage, perhaps infinitely brushing the threshold of a true Kage.
But the summon Jiraiya brought forth—a massive, crimson toad biting a giant pipe and carrying a colossal tantō at its hip—was the absolute strongest fighter of the Myōboku Toad Clan. Its strength rivaled that of a solid Kage. It was Gamabunta!
Even Jiraiya respectfully addressed him as "Boss Toad."
"Boss Toad, I'm counting on you for this one," Jiraiya said.
"Hmph. It's just a stinking lizard. Leave it to me!" Gamabunta snorted coldly. As the undisputed powerhouse among current summoning beasts, Bunta certainly had the right to be arrogant.
In the original timeline, he had managed to fight Shukaku, the One-Tail, to a standstill. Even if it wasn't Shukaku's full power, the feat alone spoke volumes about Bunta's strength.
If one had to find a summoning beast stronger than Gamabunta, Manda of the Ryūchi Cave was likely the only candidate. Katsuyu of the Shikkotsu Forest wasn't comparable; she wasn't a combat-oriented summon, and her personality was exceedingly gentle. For pure, head-on brawling, Gamabunta was the pinnacle. He was a veteran of countless battles, having defeated and slaughtered more enemies than he could count.
Judging purely by size and chakra density, Bunta naturally felt he had the right to look down on Shikkudo. However, that was only his strategic assessment. Tactically, Gamabunta's toad eyes were filled with intense vigilance. He wasn't underestimating his opponent in the slightest.
He drew his colossal tantō.
BOOM!
In that moment, Gamabunta unleashed an aura terrifying enough to make most ordinary ninja tremble in fear.
Shikkudo's brown eyes hardened, reflecting a deep sense of gravity.
Mount Myōboku, Shikkotsu Forest, Ryūchi Cave. The Three Great Sage Regions of the summoning world. This wasn't a self-proclaimed title; it was universally acknowledged. The toads, slugs, and snakes of these regions were unyieldingly powerful.
The Black-Rock Barren Lizards had a long lineage as a summoning clan, but compared to the Three Great Sage Regions, the gap was glaringly obvious.
Shikkudo didn't harbor any delusions about defeating the Myōboku toad in front of him. Judging strictly by their auras, the toad was undeniably a tier above him. Yet, despite this, Shikkudo didn't show a single hint of cowardice or hesitation.
As long as the contractor required it, a summoning beast would fight to the bitter end. Exceptions like Manda were incredibly rare—he was practically considered the scum of the summoning world.
"Shikkudo, you don't need to force a win. Just keep him occupied. I'll handle the rest."
Shikkudo could sense the power gap, and Menma could analyze it even more precisely. His calm voice drifted down.
"Yes, Lord Menma," Shikkudo replied, his voice deep and rumbling.
Clap! As they charged into close range, Menma slammed his palms together.
Kurama! He commanded mentally.
Hum! As a terrifying, majestic aura erupted from him, Menma held nothing back. Knowing Jiraiya was already in Sage Mode, Menma instantly entered the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.
BOOM!
A monstrous shockwave of chakra exploded outward, his aura skyrocketing instantly.
So, this is that form, huh? Facing Menma head-on, Jiraiya's eyes narrowed sharply.
Swish!
Menma blurred forward, swinging the Sword of the Thunder God in a vicious, downward arc aimed directly at Jiraiya's face.
The incoming, freezing chill of the blade caused Jiraiya's pupils to shrink slightly. Relying purely on instinct, he shifted his body slightly forward and to the side.
Swish!
With a flick of his wrist, he brought up a kunai to parry.
CLANG!
The weapons clashed violently, sending a fierce shockwave rippling through the air.
So heavy! Feeling the subtle tremors running up his arms, Jiraiya's eyes widened in shock. His baseline physical strength was already immense, and Sage Mode multiplied it exponentially. Yet, Menma was actually suppressing him in a pure clash of raw power!
No wonder Naruto, even after mastering Sage Mode, had been defeated so quickly. With this level of raw strength, combined with the Flying Thunder God and the Adamantine Sealing Chains, who could possibly withstand him?
Hum!
Pressing his advantage, Menma twisted his right hand slightly.
"Spiraling Ring!"
In a fraction of a second, a dark, dense orb of chakra materialized in his palm. It radiated an ominous mix of dark red and deep black light.
!?
The terrifying, lethal danger radiating from the jutsu was unmistakable.
"Ma!"
"Right!"
As Jiraiya's face paled, the two elderly toads on his shoulders perfectly synchronized their movements, slapping their palms together and opening their mouths wide.
"Ribbit-ribbit-ribbit-ribbit-ribbit!!!"
The next second, an agonizingly sharp, ear-piercing croak tore through the air. Visible soundwaves rippled outward, layer upon layer.
!?
Caught in the violent sonic blast, Menma winced, his face contorting slightly in discomfort. His chakra control instantly destabilized.
Hum!
The Spiraling Ring dissipated harmlessly.
Seizing the momentary opening, Jiraiya flipped backward through the air.
BANG!
As he created distance, he delivered a heavy kick directly to the flat of the Sword of the Thunder God. The massive kinetic force transferred through the blade, violently blasting Menma backward.