Chapter 154: Heading to Otogakure, Toad Oil Flame Bullet!

Since Natsuro was now tempted by the path ahead, he couldn't hold back any longer and began absorbing natural energy once again. This time, he didn't experience the uncontrollable surge like before and could stop whenever he wanted.

After some time, he fell silent.

Indeed, the wild events of the first transformation hadn't repeated, but because of that, the speed of his body's transformation was excruciatingly slow.

At this rate, if he wanted his entire body to be completely transformed, it would take... a very long time.

This made Natsuro sigh. He hadn't expected the initial surge to be such a blessing in disguise.

Suddenly, he realized something, he hadn't eaten in quite a while, but...

After checking in with himself, he realized that he didn't feel particularly hungry. Did this mean he could live without food?

No, Natsuro quickly corrected himself. It wasn't that he could entirely stop eating, but rather that his hunger could be greatly suppressed.

This made sense, given how ninja bodies stored an abundance of physical energy. Since extracting chakra required using that energy, it was normal for ninja to eat a lot.

However, since natural energy didn't deplete physical energy, drawing from the world around them instead, it didn't drain his body's reserves as much, meaning the sensation of hunger came much slower.

Natsuro stood up. "First things first, I'll grab a meal, then think about supporting the Suna forces," he mused. As for the bodily transformation? That would have to wait and unfold over time.

With that, Natsuro eagerly looked forward to what changes awaited him once his body fully adapted.

Feeling satisfied after his first meal in seven days, he experienced a sensation of deep contentment. Even though he hadn't been starving, his body clearly appreciated the nourishment. He couldn't help but revel in how much tastier the food seemed.

After eating, Natsuro said his goodbyes to Shinai and Ino before heading toward Otogakure to meet with the Suna forces.

The reception team consisted of four people—familiar faces. Suna's Jonin, Baki, and the three former Genin from the Chūnin Exams: Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari.

Given Suna's current situation, sending one Jonin and the three children of the late Kazekage to welcome Natsuro was about as grand a gesture as they could offer.

"Well, it's about time you showed up. If you'd taken any longer, the final battle would've already been over," Temari teased, eyeing Natsuro with a smirk.

"Hmm, looks like everything's ready for the final battle already?" Natsuro responded, surprised by how quickly things had progressed. He had expected a drawn-out campaign.

"Of course! Did you forget who Suna is?" Kankuro grumbled, crossing his arms. "We're careful, but we're not slow. We can't afford to look weak, taking too long to crush a minor village like Otogakure would just send the wrong message."

"Well done. Let me handle the final battle," Natsuro said with a smile, stepping up and volunteering.

After all, his goal in coming here was to showcase Konoha's strength. Sitting back and taking it easy in the last battle wasn't an option.

Baki didn't seem to mind Natsuro's offer. "If that's your decision, then we'll leave it to you. But be careful," he said, seeing no harm in letting Natsuro take the lead.

"Don't worry, he's gotten stronger. Much stronger," Gaara chimed in, his gaze never leaving Natsuro.

Everyone was shocked. Even though Gaara's personality had softened after the Chūnin Exams, he was still brutally honest, especially when it came to combat prowess.

For Gaara to acknowledge someone's strength so directly made Baki, Temari, and Kankuro all realize that Natsuro wasn't just some ordinary Jonin.

"If you're sure of that, I guess I won't hold you back," Baki nodded, then explained the situation to Natsuro. Suna had already used most of their tricks to weaken Otogakure's forces, but curiously, Orochimaru—the one Suna hated most—was nowhere to be found.

That was both a relief and a mystery to Suna, as it made the operation much safer.

The remaining threats were mainly four individuals who occasionally displayed strange body transformations, but aside from them, most of Otogakure's forces were much weaker compared to the ninja of the Five Great Shinobi Nations.

Natsuro could engage freely in the final battle without disrupting their plans.

"Good to know," Natsuro said, nodding. "Oh, by the way, when I engage, it might be best for your forces to fall back a bit."

Baki didn't quite understand Natsuro's request, but he agreed anyway.

Little did Baki know, in the future, as Gaara took on a more prominent role, the need to retreat during his massive sand jutsu would become a familiar routine.

After all, Gaara's large-scale techniques, like Sand Waterfall Funeral, wouldn't discriminate between friend or foe.

...

Soon, it was time for the decisive battle. Both sides had around a few hundred people, as all the forces from both sides had now been revealed. Although this wasn't anywhere near the scale of a war, it was still a significant battle.

However, the scene was somewhat strange. The Otogakure side seemed normal, with four leaders commanding over a hundred people. But the Sunagakure side would have been normal as well if it weren't for one person standing at the forefront, a person with a Konoha forehead protector.

That person was Natsuro. He stood there, observing the enemy. Among them, the Four Sound Ninja appeared to be the most normal, while the rest seemed to have lost their minds, existing only for this battle.

This wasn't surprising, considering that Otogakure had only been around for a few years. The forces they used in their attack on Konoha likely represented their entire strength, and now, they were left with less capable shinobi. To be able to fight against Sunagakure, they had to resort to unusual methods, which clearly had severe side effects. It was evident that even without Sunagakure's intervention, these shinobi wouldn't survive long after the battle.

But for Sunagakure, victory was a must, and they couldn't afford to drag the battle out.

"Orochimaru..." Natsuro muttered, thinking about the situation. If Orochimaru had planned all this, where was he now? He had probably already abandoned Otogakure and his base here.

Baki's earlier reports hadn't mentioned anything about this, so these measures must have been last-minute preparations for one final confrontation. If Natsuro hadn't been here, this sudden change might have caused Sunagakure significant trouble. But unfortunately for Otogakure, Natsuro had joined the battle, and he intended to showcase his strength. He planned to leave little room for Sunagakure to intervene.

"Hey! Not from Sunagakure, huh? Konoha sent you? Look behind you—your allies are standing so far back! Don't you think it's a bit sad?" one of the Four Sound Ninja sneered, mocking Natsuro.

"How about this—maybe I made them retreat because I didn't want them to drag me down?" Natsuro replied with a grin as he bit his finger, drawing blood.

Then, he pressed his hand against the ground.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

In an instant, a large cloud of white smoke erupted, temporarily blocking the view of both Sunagakure and Otogakure. As the smoke dissipated, a massive toad appeared in the center of the battlefield, taking up most of the open space between the two sides. It was none other than Gamabunta!

"That's...!"

The Four Sound Ninja and Sunagakure forces alike were stunned. Gaara, in particular, stared at the massive toad and muttered under his breath, "Uzumaki... Naruto!" He was recalling the time Naruto had defeated him with Gamabunta and his words of persuasion.

As for the Four Sound Ninja, they couldn't help but feel their mouths twitch at the sight of the massive toad. Was this some kind of joke? Their combined weight didn't even match the toad's!

"Gamabunta, I'll be counting on you for this fight," Natsuro said, patting the giant toad.

"Hmph. Jirai—oh, it's you, kid... Alright, leave it to me," Gamabunta replied. He had initially assumed it was Jiraiya summoning him, but upon seeing Natsuro, he swallowed his words. His wife had warned him long ago to listen to him, or else he'd face consequences upon returning home.

And it wasn't just her—recently, even Fukasaku, the elder toad, had given him the same instruction, citing it as a decree from the Great Toad Sage himself. With that in mind, Gamabunta had no choice but to comply.

Besides, Gamabunta glanced around. The battlefield wasn't too bad, no dry or cramped spaces like Jiraiya's usual summoning locations. He could work with this.

"Should we run? That big toad looks like bad news."

"Run? Where to? If we flee, Lord Orochimaru will find out, and that'll be worse than death."

The Four Sound Ninja began to argue among themselves, but Natsuro was done giving them options. Against a hundred enemies, he took the initiative and launched the first attack!

The ground rumbled as the enormous toad leapt into the air, ascending so high that it seemed to blot out the sun. With Gamabunta's colossal size, the battlefield was plunged into shadow.

Natsuro, along with his shadow clone, stood steadily atop Gamabunta's head. In the next moment, his clone finished weaving the necessary hand seals.

"Ninja Art: Toad Oil Flame Bomb!"

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Currently on Chapter 204 - Self-Sacrificial Rebirth