"Sage Mode... So,Jiraiya-sensei, you still possessed secrets I was unaware of."
"Nevertheless, I look forward to seeing how this battle concludes," the Tendo Path Pain remarked coldly, observing the screen.
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[Scene continues]
[Fukasaku, perched on Jiraiya's right shoulder, asked, "Jiraiya-boy, why must you fight him?"]
["He is my past student."]
["Killing one's own master... unheard of," Fukasaku muttered. Then, noticing the Rinnegan in the eyes of the man opposite, he gasped, "Those eyes... Could he be the Child of Prophecy?"]
[He recalled the Great Toad Sage's prophecy: that one of Jiraiya's students would become the Child of Prophecy, destined to bring either great stability or unprecedented destruction to the world.]
["Yes... But he has strayed onto a dark path. I must stop him, even if it means killing him," Jiraiya replied, his voice laced with pain.]
["Then let's finish this!" Shima declared resolutely from Jiraiya's other shoulder.]
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As the conversation about the prophecy unfolded on screen, the ninja world erupted in discussion once more.
•Fourth Raikage: "Child of Prophecy or not, if anyone threatens my village, I'll crush them! That's all there is to it!"
•Ōnoki: "This 'Child of Prophecy' Jiraiya mentioned... It doesn't sound like baseless speculation. Considering who Jiraiya's students were..."
•Terumi Mei: "Namikaze Minato certainly had the power, ending the Third Great Ninja War almost single-handedly. His era was unmatched. He fits the description..."
•Sarutobi Hiruzen: "But Pain possesses the Rinnegan, the eyes said to belong to the Sage of Six Paths himself. His current actions clearly indicate ambitions to reshape the entire world."
•Tsunade: "I always dismissed Jiraiya's talk about the Child of Prophecy as just hopeful rambling... But to think he actually trained someone capable of changing the fate of the ninja world..."
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[Scene Continues]
[Facing the Sage Mode-empowered Jiraiya, the Animal Path Pain calmly placed a hand on the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!"]
[Bang! Bang! With two puffs of smoke, the Preta Path and the Human Path Pain appeared beside the Animal Path.]
["Time for us to join the fray!"]
[No sooner were the words spoken than the Human Path charged forward!]
[But Jiraiya, enhanced by Sage Mode, met the charge with a seemingly casual kick that sent the Human Path flying backward tens of meters, crashing into a wall and seemingly taking him out of the fight!]
["Don't interrupt when people are talking!" Jiraiya quipped, then addressed the Toad Sages: "Alright, let's take these two out quickly!"]
[Shima instructed: "Jiraiya-boy, you use oil! Pa, use your Wind Style!"
"Right!"
"Sage Art: Bath of Boiling Oil!" the trio roared in unison.]
[The combination technique unleashed an overwhelming torrent of scalding oil, superheated by wind and fire, engulfing the area before them in an instant, like a wave of magma!]
[This devastating wave surged towards the remaining two Paths of Pain, but then, a shocking sight unfolded.]
[The Preta Path stepped forward, hands outstretched, and calmly absorbed the entirety of the massive jutsu!]
["Impossible! He absorbed the ninjutsu?!" Fukasaku exclaimed in disbelief.]
["Let's test that theory with taijutsu!" Jiraiya declared, his Sage Mode features becoming slightly more pronounced as he prepared for close combat.]
[Jiraiya launched himself off a wall with explosive force, shattering the point of impact.]
["Big-Ball Rasengan!"]
[A gigantic Rasengan, several meters in diameter, slammed directly into the Preta Path.]
Across the Ninja World,
Seeing the sheer power Jiraiya wielded in Sage Mode – easily dispatching one Pain and unleashing such devastating jutsu – the Fourth Raikage felt relief he hadn't needlessly antagonized Konoha further.
Jiraiya's strength was clearly on par with his own, if not greater in this state! That casual kick taking out a powerful opponent... terrifying physical prowess! And that combination jutsu... its scale was immense! Of course, compared to Madara's legendary flames, it was different... but Madara was something else entirely. And that Massive Rasengan! The chakra control required must be incredible. If that hit him head-on... even he might not walk away easily.
"Jiraiya... truly worthy of the Sannin title!"
.....
Amegakure, Akatsuki Base,
Watching his former master unleash the Massive Rasengan, the Tendo Path remained utterly impassive, perhaps even inwardly scornful. Mere ninjutsu wouldn't be enough to defeat the Preta Path.
As expected,
[Scene Continues]
[Jiraiya's Massive Rasengan, powerful enough to obliterate most foes, was completely absorbed by the Preta Path! It vanished without a trace, utterly nullified.]
[Just then, the seemingly defeated Human Path suddenly lunged again.]
[Fortunately, Fukasaku deployed a smokescreen, obscuring their vision and allowing them to evade the surprise attack.]
[Emerging from the smoke, Jiraiya aimed a swift attack at the Human Path's blind spot, only for the Path to block perfectly without even looking.]
[Jiraiya's eyes widened slightly. "How?! He blocked without seeing the attack coming! There was no verbal warning, no visual cue..."]
[Fukasaku added grimly, "Jiraiya-boy, remember before? When we attacked their blind spots, one of the other Pains always seemed to be watching us directly."]
[Jiraiya's expression turned grim. "You mean... they share their vision through the Rinnegan? I understand."]
[With this realization dawning – ninjutsu absorption combined with shared vision covering all blind spots – Jiraiya knew they were in deep trouble. Even in Sage Mode, fighting head-on under these conditions was suicidal!]
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Shinobi across the world watched in stunned silence. Even the boisterous Fourth Raikagewas momentarily speechless.
•Fourth Raikage: "Impossible! Shared vision and ninjutsu absorption? That combination is almost unbeatable! Even I would have trouble dealing with that!"
•Ōnoki: "As expected of the one leading Akatsuki... Pain is no ordinary shinobi."
•Terumi Mei: "Such abilities exist? That absorption technique alone makes him incredibly difficult to fight!"
•Orochimaru: "Hmm... shared vision implies a weakness if they are separated. But fighting them together... Jiraiya, how will you overcome this?"
•Tsunade pleading at the screen: "Jiraiya, you idiot! Retreat! Don't you dare die on me!"
Perhaps sensing Tsunade's plea across time and space, the Jiraiya on screen made his decision.
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[Scene continues]
[Jiraiya swiftly retreated back into the network of pipes, Fukasaku and Shima clinging to his shoulders as they quickly discussed a counter-strategy against the three pursuing Paths of Pain.]
["I have an idea!"]