While Konan remained by his side, her paper still swirling in the air like a living storm, she noticed Ryu's slight hesitation. It was rare for him to show any doubt, but the presence of Gamabunta and the prospect of Jiraiya entering Sage Mode clearly weighed heavily on him.
"We don't have much time," Konan said calmly, her voice firm despite the chaos around them. "Do you have a plan?"
Ryu clenched his fists. His chakra reserves were dangerously low after summoning the Water Dragon and performing consecutive high-level techniques. But giving up wasn't an option. His eyes narrowed as he calculated his next move.
"I'll keep Gamabunta occupied. You handle Jiraiya," Ryu said, his voice firm but filled with determination. "Don't let him complete that transformation."
Konan nodded without hesitation. "Understood."
With that, Ryu surged forward, his feet barely touching the surface of the water as he propelled himself toward the massive frog. Konan, on the other hand, spread her paper wings wide, rising into the air with a grace that contrasted with the ferocity of her techniques.
Gamabunta swung his massive sword down, intending to crush Ryu with a single blow. But Ryu jumped high, his body twisting in midair as he narrowly avoided the strike. Sparks flew as the blade struck the water, sending a massive wave rippling across the battlefield.
"Damn brat's fast!" Gamabunta muttered, already preparing for another attack.
Ryu landed on one of the jagged earth peaks he had previously summoned. His hands moved quickly to form more seals, his chakra flaring back to life.
"Lightning Style: Storm Pillars!"
Crackling columns of electricity sprang up around Gamabunta, surrounding the giant frog and forcing him to halt his movements. The electric field buzzed with deadly energy, creating a barrier that even Gamabunta hesitated to cross.
Meanwhile, Konan had already reached Jiraiya. Her paper transformed into sharp blades, spinning around her like a tornado, aiming directly at the Sannin. But Jiraiya, despite being in the midst of his transformation, responded with remarkable speed. He clasped his hands together, summoning a protective barrier.
"Barrier Technique: Dome!"
The paper blades collided with the invisible wall, scattering into harmless sheets as they failed to penetrate the defense. Konan didn't relent. She waved her hand, and the scattered paper reformed into a massive spear that shot toward the barrier with incredible force.
Jiraiya grunted as the impact shook the dome. Inside it, his hands continued to move, weaving the intricate seals needed to enter Sage Mode. Sweat streamed down his face; he knew he had to finish before Ryu or Konan could break through the defense.
Near Gamabunta, Ryu struggled to maintain the storm pillars. His chakra reserves were nearly exhausted, and every second felt like a battle against his own limits. The giant frog, sensing his opponent's weakness, smiled.
"You're running out of energy, aren't you, brat?" Gamabunta taunted, raising his sword once more. "Let's see how long you can keep this up!"
But Ryu wasn't done yet. Gritting his teeth, he pushed his chakra to the limit, forming another seal.
"Earth Style: Mud Dragon!"
A serpentine dragon made of mud rose from the ground, intertwining with the pillars of electricity and advancing toward Gamabunta. The combination of the elements created a devastating force, with the mud conducting the electricity and amplifying its destructive power.
Gamabunta's eyes widened as the dragon struck, forcing him to leap backward. The attack didn't land directly, but the force of the explosion sent shockwaves across the battlefield.
"Not bad, brat," admitted Gamabunta, his tone tinged with reluctant respect. "But it'll take more than that to bring me down!"
Ryu landed back on the water, panting.
Konan, still focused on Jiraiya, unleashed another wave of paper attacks. This time, the sheets formed countless small birds that flew around the barrier, searching for weak points. The constant pressure was beginning to take its toll on Jiraiya, but he smiled despite himself.
"You're persistent, I'll give you that," Jiraiya said, his voice echoing from within the barrier. "But persistence alone won't—"
His words were cut off as one of Konan's paper birds found a gap in the barrier, exploding into a shower of sharp fragments. Jiraiya staggered, his transformation momentarily interrupted.
"Now!" Konan shouted.
Ryu didn't hesitate. Calling on the last remnants of his strength, he rushed toward Jiraiya with a kunai in hand, lightning crackling along the blade. The battlefield seemed to freeze as he closed the distance, each step echoing like a drumbeat of impending fate.
Jiraiya's eyes widened as he saw Ryu approaching. He raised his hands, preparing to defend himself, but he knew he was out of time.
Just as Ryu was about to strike, a massive shadow appeared overhead. Both Ryu and Konan froze, looking up to see Orochimaru, standing atop Manda, with a sinister smile that sent shivers down their spines.
"Well, well," Orochimaru said, his voice dripping with malice. "Looks like the real fun is about to begin."
"Yeah... You're right," Ryu replied suddenly, his chakra exploding outward in a wave of energy that made both Sannins recoil momentarily. He wasn't anywhere near running out of chakra. "I played it well, didn't I? Made you think I was running low on chakra, when in fact, I've still got plenty."
Plenty? It was almost a sea of chakra he possessed!
"Konan, please. Prepare our escape." His words made Konan float out of the battlefield, her eyes locked on Ryu as she began performing hand seals with precision.
Ryu then looked at the two Sannins, his eyes narrowing, and pulled his chakra back into his body. His irises turned yellow, with his pupils transforming into vertical slits like a snake's, while a purple hue began to spread around his eyes.
'Sage Mode?!' Jiraiya and Orochimaru were stunned. For Orochimaru, this was even more alarming, as it seemed to be the Sage Mode of Snakes.
'As I suspected... My body automatically absorbs natural energy, and it seems to also transform into Senjutsu Chakra automatically, but why snakes? Ah, it must be because of Manda. He was covered in Senjutsu Chakra from Ryuchi Cave.' Ryu looked at Manda, still bleeding from his neck, a bitter irony. Ryu's name, meaning "Dragon," seemed to fit perfectly now. In the end, the snake transformed into a dragon, just like the Sage of Ryuchi Cave.
'This is perfect, the Dragon form... Seems good to me.' Without another word, Ryu suddenly vanished, appearing behind Orochimaru. "Lightning Style: True Spear of the Heavens!"
The lightning blade extended with a blinding flash, piercing Orochimaru's body. The Sannin screamed, the pain indescribable as the impact of the blade drove through him.
"Orochimaru!" Jiraiya shouted, but his voice soon turned into a scream of surprise as he saw Ryu's shadow forming above him.
"Wind Style: Spiral Sword!" With a quick and precise motion, Ryu sliced the air with a compressed wind blade that struck Jiraiya in the stomach, knocking the breath out of him and breaking his Sage transformation. Jiraiya was thrown backward, crashing hard into the ground, the impact sending him flying away.
'Lastly…' Ryu thought, rage and determination burning inside him. He invoked Earth Style: Domu, covering his fist with a layer of chakra as hard as stone. With a powerful punch, he struck Konan's final angel seal.
When Konan saw the final blow, she completed the hand seals with a swift and precise movement.
"Reverse Summoning Jutsu!"
A curtain of smoke enveloped them, and before anyone could react, Ryu and Konan disappeared, leaving only the echo of battle and the sense that something far more dangerous was about to reveal itself.