"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
Jiraiya pressed his hands to the ground, and a massive cloud of smoke billowed up.
Three gigantic toads appeared simultaneously.
One of them was a large red toad, with a short sword at its waist, bandages wrapped around its torso, and a smoking pipe in its mouth.
This was the new-generation leader of Mount Myōboku, Gamabunta.
"Jiraiya, you always know how to get me into trouble."
Another was a huge purplish-red toad with a U-shaped black marking on its face, carrying a shield that looked like a pot lid and wielding a harpoon.
"Even though I'm not very skilled, I'll do my best."
This was Gamaken.
And then there was Gamahiro, who had been fighting alongside Jiraiya earlier.
The three toad brothers of Mount Myōboku had arrived!!
Having already been informed of the enemy by Gamahiro, both Gamabunta and Gamaken dared not underestimate their opponent.
This was one of the top figures in the ninja world.
Although Mount Myōboku didn't interfere in the wars of the ninja world, as a summoning beast, they had no choice but to fight for their summoners.
Especially since Jiraiya had been chosen by Mount Myōboku itself.
"Everyone, help buy me some time," Jiraiya said as he bit his finger and began to draw strange markings on his face, speaking to the three toads at the same time.
"So, you're planning to use that technique, huh?" Gamabunta exhaled a ring of smoke, gripping the short blade at his waist.
That legendary technique from Mount Myōboku.
"If I don't use it, I might not make it back alive," Jiraiya admitted with a grim understanding of his situation.
With his current strength, he was still no match for the Tsuchikage standing before him.
Whether it was Ōnoki's ability to fly freely or his destructive Dust Release, Jiraiya had no good counter.
"Are you done talking?"
Ōnoki spread his arms wide and attacked without delay, giving them no time for idle conversation.
He had been preparing a jutsu all along.
"Jinton: Genkai Hakuri no Jutsu!" (Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!)
A massive white cube rapidly expanded, enveloping everything around it. A brilliant white light shone, disintegrating everything inside down to the atomic level.
When the white cube dissipated, Ōnoki frowned and looked up at the sky.
The three giant toads were hurtling down toward him, having leapt with all their strength at the crucial moment, narrowly dodging his Dust Release.
Leading the charge was Gamabunta, swinging his giant blade.
Boom!
The ground shattered instantly under the force of the blade.
Ōnoki dodged in time.
But two more blades followed, slashing wildly at him instead of hitting the ground.
Swish, swish, swish.
Ōnoki was forced to dodge rapidly through the gaps between the blades.
At that moment, a harpoon thrust forward, followed by Gamabunta's sword.
Despite their massive size, the three toads moved their weapons with surprising speed, relentlessly assaulting Ōnoki.
Ōnoki relied on his smaller stature to evade swiftly between the strikes.
Even with their intense coordination, there were always small gaps, and for someone like Ōnoki, exploiting those gaps was a simple task.
He even had time to form hand signs.
Seeing him finish his jutsu, the three toads quickly retreated.
"Doton: Gōremu no Jutsu!" (Earth Release: Golem Technique!)
Three enormous rock golems emerged from the ground and charged toward the giant toads.
Gamabunta dashed forward, cleaving one of the golems with a mighty strike, while Gamahiro swiftly sliced off another golem's arm with two rapid slashes.
Lastly, Gamaken pierced the chest of the final golem with his harpoon.
"Even though I'm not great at this, I'll do my best," Gamaken said, raising his shield to block two golems' punches.
Meanwhile, Gamabunta and Gamahiro moved past the golems, causing them to shatter into pieces.
The three toads stomped hard on the ground, causing the earth to crack as they rushed toward Ōnoki.
Taking advantage of the situation, Ōnoki soared into the sky, quickly escaping the toads' range.
Looking down at the three airborne toads, Ōnoki raised his hand.
"Jinton: Genkai Hakuri no Jutsu!" (Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!)
A white cube rapidly expanded in front of the three toads, waiting for them to collide with it.
Gamabunta's expression shifted as he realized they were mid-air and couldn't change direction.
There was only one option.
To slice through it.
Gamahiro and Gamaken, thinking the same, swung their weapons toward the white cube in unison.
"So naive," Ōnoki sneered. His Dust Release wasn't something that could be cut through so easily.
Just as he was about to witness the toads getting engulfed and disintegrated, a shout echoed through the air.
"Senpō: Mōhen Senbon!" (Sage Art: Hair Needle Senbon!)
Countless sharp white needles, formed from hardened hair, shot toward Ōnoki from behind.
His expression changed, and he quickly abandoned his Dust Release, ascending rapidly to avoid the attack.
The three toads crashed down to the ground below.
"Thank you for your hard work," Jiraiya's voice came from above.
Hovering in the air, Jiraiya gazed up at Ōnoki.
"Senpō: Getsupō!" (Sage Art: Moon Step!)
Jiraiya's appearance had completely transformed. Strange oil markings adorned his face, with patches of stony skin. His eyes had become toad-like, though even the whites of his eyes had turned a chalky gray.
He looked like a partially petrified man.
"Senpō: Kihon Naigong! Kai! Ishi Gama Sennin Mōdo!" (Sage Art: Basic Inner Technique! Modified! Stone Toad Sage Mode!)
"Is that really Sage Mode?" Gamabunta questioned, staring at Jiraiya as he floated in the air.
Sage Mode shouldn't look like that, and Jiraiya was known for his poor talent with senjutsu chakra.
He shouldn't have entered it this quickly, especially without the help of Fukasaku and Shima.
Jiraiya shouldn't be able to maintain it for long either.
"This is my own unique Sage Mode," Jiraiya said.
By modifying the second level of Basic Inner Technique, Jiraiya had forced natural energy into his body and sealed it to create a brand-new Sage Mode.
It wasn't just Orochimaru and Tsunade who had made progress.
Jiraiya had come a long way too, though this form consumed an enormous amount of chakra.
The second level of the technique was designed to store chakra within his body, but now it also sealed natural energy, causing some rejection by his body.
However, the sealing jutsu itself held the power to suppress natural energy, paving the way for the third layer of the technique.
Though it wasn't as powerful as reaching the third level, this technique enhanced his strength significantly by combining his own chakra with natural energy.
Moreover, thanks to the seal, Jiraiya would avoid complete petrification.
"Sage Mode, huh?"
Ōnoki's expression grew serious. He had heard of this technique, supposedly used by the First Hokage.
"Well, then, round two begins," Jiraiya said, clasping his hands together.
"You three can return now."
"It's all yours, Jiraiya," Gamabunta said, and the three toads withdrew their weapons.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The three toads disappeared, leaving only clouds of white smoke.
"Well, let's begin," Jiraiya, now in Stone Toad Sage Mode, charged toward Ōnoki.
(End of Chapter)
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