Armor Form: Susanoo.
The very first shinobi to use this technique was none other than Uchiha Madara. In his final battle against Senju Hashirama, he manifested his Susanoo and used it as armor for the Nine-Tails, wrapping the massive beast in its spectral might.
Later, during the Fourth Great Ninja War, Naruto and Sasuke also combined forces to display a similar application of this technique.
But if the Nine-Tails could be clad in Susanoo's armor, then surely other living creatures could as well.
With this idea in mind, Senju Haruto boldly enveloped Gamabunta in his Susanoo.
He did so for two reasons:
First, to test his theory.
Second, to extend Gamabunta's attack range and destructive power.
Although Gamabunta was one of the Three Great Summons, his strength was, in truth, slightly inferior to Manda's.
But once Haruto completed the Armor Form: Susanoo, both Orochimaru, Kakashi, Karin, and the surviving Grass ninja were left utterly shaken by what they saw.
To them, this had already surpassed the realm of shinobi combat.
No—this had shattered their understanding of battle itself.
This was…
a fight between gods.
Many of the Grass shinobi dropped their weapons on the spot, kunai and shuriken clattering helplessly against the ground. Their entire worldview had collapsed.
"How are we supposed to fight against that…?"
"Why is there such a giant toad…?"
"This has to be a dream—I haven't woken up yet…"
"Is this really something humans can even take part in?"
Every one of them came to the same conclusion: against Gamabunta and Manda, they didn't stand a chance.
This was no longer a battle for humans to interfere in.
"That's… the Sharingan?"
Even Orochimaru, standing atop Manda's head, was shaken to his core.
If Senju Haruto wasn't the product of some kind of experiment, then the bloodlines he carried were simply too terrifying.
The Wood Release of the Senju.
The sealing arts of the Uzumaki.
And now—the Sharingan of the Uchiha.
And not just a mere three-tomoe Sharingan. No, what gleamed in Haruto's eyes was of a much higher level—
The Mangekyō Sharingan.
Eyes on the same level as Uchiha Itachi's.
In all the years Orochimaru had been away from Konoha… what in the world had happened there?
How could such a monstrous prodigy have suddenly appeared?
"And that technique, like armor…" Orochimaru's lips curled into a trembling smile as he recalled the ancient records he had once studied.
It was written there.
Susanoo.
A jutsu that materialized chakra itself into tangible form.
A technique only geniuses who had awakened the Mangekyō could wield—by pushing the Sharingan to its absolute limit.
Never had Orochimaru thought he would see such a legendary jutsu with his own eyes—much less in a place like this.
"Who in the world are you really?"
His pupils dilated with manic obsession. Orochimaru was consumed by the desire to seize Haruto's body for himself.
"This power…"
Gamabunta swallowed hard, glancing down at the two weapons hanging from his side.
One was his usual short sword.
The other—a titanic blade of chakra, manifested from Haruto's Susanoo, stretching over forty meters long.
Gamabunta couldn't fathom how Haruto had created such a thing—but the sheer might of it filled him with excitement.
"Manda, looks like today's just not your day," Gamabunta rumbled, unable to suppress the thrill in his voice as he taunted his old rival.
Though shaken, Manda did not back down.
His crimson eyes burned with fury. Gamabunta was his eternal nemesis—the toad he had never once beaten since their youth.
Seeing Gamabunta's smug arrogance only deepened Manda's rage.
Without another thought, he launched his massive body forward, faster than ever before.
The force of his movement alone sent shockwaves outward, blasting the Grass shinobi away like leaves in a storm.
Kakashi's eyes widened. He immediately activated Lightning Release Chakra Mode, scooped up Karin, and retreated at full speed, moving them both out of range.
"So this… is the power of Haruto and Orochimaru?" Kakashi muttered, setting Karin down.
He looked at the battlefield—at the overwhelming clash about to unfold—and a complicated bitterness filled his chest.
When he had first mastered the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, he had been elated, convinced he had finally grown strong enough to protect his comrades.
But in the face of this battle, he realized the truth.
He was still far behind.
There wasn't even a sliver of hope of catching up.
Boom!
Gamabunta straightened his hind legs and sprang upward, leaping into the air with explosive force. Manda lunged, jaws snapping—but hit only empty ground.
A toad's natural leaping power was already immense. With the Susanoo's armor amplifying him, Gamabunta soared nearly a hundred meters into the sky.
From such heights, everyone below—save for Manda—looked as small as ants.
This power… was intoxicating.
"As expected of you, Haruto," Gamabunta praised, unable to hold back his admiration.
He reached for the colossal chakra blade, gripping it with both hands as he drew it from its sheath.
The blade dwarfed his usual weapon, both in size and in destructive might.
Before his descent even began, Gamabunta swung downward, unleashing a slash.
A blade of chakra tore through the air, its killing intent so heavy that even Manda shuddered.
BOOOOOOM!
At the last instant, Manda was forced to shed his skin with the Snake Shedding Technique, narrowly escaping.
But even so, the falling slash triggered a sonic boom. The shockwave exploded outward in all directions, flattening what little remained of Grass Village.
The Grass shinobi dove to the ground in terror. Anyone who hesitated for even a second was cleaved clean in half by the overwhelming force.
When the dust settled, Manda glanced back at where he had stood only moments before—
A massive trench, dozens of meters deep, scarred the earth.
The shed snakeskin he had left behind… was sliced neatly in two.
The sheer destruction was unbelievable. Even Manda himself struggled to accept that this devastation had been caused by Gamabunta.
For the first time, even Manda felt a flicker of fear.
"We need to get out of here," Manda hissed, his massive throat rumbling as he turned his gaze toward Orochimaru.
A summon could never abandon its summoner, and even Manda would not leave Orochimaru behind.
"Damn it…" Orochimaru bit down hard, his desire for Haruto's body burning hotter than ever.
The stronger Haruto displayed himself to be, the more Orochimaru's obsession grew.
If he could possess Haruto's body—
His research would transcend to new heights.
But harsh reality forced itself upon him.
Haruto… was like Uchiha Itachi.
Someone whose power eclipsed even his own.
"This strength… I can't control it…"
Gamabunta stared at the devastation he had wrought, hardly able to believe it himself.
If he had been more accustomed to this power, he thought… Manda might not have even managed to shed his skin in time.
He might already be dead.
With that thought, as his body began to fall, Gamabunta adjusted his stance once more—ready for the next strike.