"A new sun rises in the sky, heralding unprecedented turmoil for the Shinobi World."
Ever since hearing the Great Toad Sage's latest prophecy, Jiraiya had been wandering the lands in search of inspiration.
The news of the Mist Village rebellion and the crushing defeat of the Konoha-Suna alliance had further fueled his concern, especially as the name "Akatsuki" began to spread like wildfire.
Awakening to the prophecy's true meaning, Jiraiya connected the dots: Akatsuki—"Dawn." The group's rapid rise was a mirror to the prophecy, a new sun ascending over the horizon.
In the past, Jiraiya pursued Akatsuki for two main reasons. First, the organization was founded by his former students from Ame, but after receiving reports of their deaths, he became increasingly puzzled by the group's continued existence.
Second, Konoha's S-rank rogue ninja Uchiha Itachi, along with Jiraiya's old rival Orochimaru, had joined Akatsuki, making the organization a matter of personal and strategic concern.
However, his investigations yielded little; Akatsuki had always operated in the shadows, its movements shrouded in secrecy.
But now, with their more overt actions, Jiraiya saw an opening to dig deeper. After dismantling one of their bases in a small country and interrogating its leader, he gained critical insights into their operations.
His current plan focused on capturing one of Akatsuki's core members to uncover the organization's secrets. Among the exposed members—Orochimaru, Uchiha Itachi, Kisame Hoshigaki, Deidara, and Sasori—he decided Sasori was the most viable target. Orochimaru, slippery as ever, would be nearly impossible to pin down, and Sasori's puppet techniques seemed more containable compared to Deidara's unpredictable explosive prowess.
Jiraiya pursued them patiently, waiting for the perfect moment. When Sasori and Deidara began their return journey after a mission, he struck.
Back at the battlefield, Deidara hurled a swarm of clay birds into the air, attempting to take flight.
Having studied Deidara's abilities, Jiraiya was well-prepared.
"Ninja Art: Wild Lion's Mane Technique!"
Jiraiya's hair extended into countless needle-like projectiles, forcing Deidara to evade. At the same time, Jiraiya bit his thumb and quickly formed the summoning seal.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A massive puff of smoke cleared to reveal the three titans of Mount Myoboku: the smoking and gruff Gamabunta, the shield-wielding yet timid Gamaken, and the dual-sword-wielding samurai Gamahiro.
"Oi, Jiraiya!" Gamabunta bellowed, his pipe smoldering. "Summoning all three of us at once? You must be in deep trouble."
"Yeah!" Jiraiya nodded. "We're dealing with no ordinary foe—he's the one who defeated the Fourth Mizukage and controlled the Three-Tails!"
Gamaken trembled, clutching his shield and trident tightly. "Oh no... someone like that? Can we really win? I'm so useless..."
"Knock it off, Gamaken! Have some confidence!"
Jiraiya didn't waste time. Spotting Deidara readying another clay creation, he quickly formed a series of hand seals.
"Earth Style: Earth Drop Lid!"
A massive chunk of rock descended toward Deidara.
"Tch, how annoying!" Deidara clapped his hands and pulled them apart, stretching clay into serpentine forms. The writhing creatures burrowed into the ground and shattered the descending boulder with ease.
"C2: Standard Type – Earth Worms!"
These newly developed clay creatures excelled at burrowing, perfect for countering earth-based techniques. Deidara followed up with an even larger creation, spitting out clay that transformed into a massive snake.
"C2: Enhanced Type – Manda!"
"Isn't that...?" Gamabunta froze, staring at the snake.
"Stay sharp! His creations can explode, and their power rivals a Tailed Beast Bomb!" Jiraiya warned.
Gamabunta's legs wobbled. "You idiot! Why didn't you mention that sooner?! I'm not ready to die here!"
"Relax!" Jiraiya snapped. "The bigger ones are risky for him to detonate at close range. The real threat is the smaller ones—they can self-detonate at any moment."
"Great, now you tell us!" Gamabunta grumbled.
The snake constricted itself around Gamabunta, squeezing tightly. "Ugh, I can't breathe!"
"Cut it in half! That's the only way to stop it from regenerating!" Jiraiya shouted.
Gamahiro drew his long sword, aiming for the snake's weak point.
But Deidara was ready. A clay earthworm burst out of the ground, detonating just as Gamahiro swung. The blast threw him off balance, scorching his underbelly.
"Damn it!" Gamahiro hissed, spraying cool water over his burns to ease the pain.
"Gamaken! Stop standing around and help!" Gamabunta growled.
"I-I'm on it!" Gamaken leaped into action, using his trident to pry the snake off Gamabunta.
While the toads battled the clay serpent, Jiraiya closed in on Deidara.
"Fire Style: Giant Flame Bomb!" A massive burst of flame roared toward Deidara.
Deidara countered by chewing and spitting out more clay, forming a hive-like structure.
"C2: Special Type – Parasite Nest!"
Clay insects swarmed out, creating explosive air currents that diffused the flames. Deidara leapt back, trying to create distance.
"Not so fast!"
"Ninja Art: Wild Lion's Mane Technique!" Jiraiya's hair lashed out again, but Deidara used small clay snakes to detonate the strands.
Before he could regroup, a shadow appeared to Deidara's left—a second Jiraiya, right hand glowing with swirling chakra.
"Rasengan!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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