An expression of utter shock and fear suddenly appeared on Jiraiya's face. He seemed completely oblivious even as the Giant Rasengan in his hand was crushed by Shukaku's claw after a brief struggle.
"Little Jiraiya!"
"Defend yourself now!"
"Dear, hurry!"
"Transfer all of our Senjutsu Chakra to Jiraiya together!"
Despite witnessing her partner's tongue being gravely injured, Shima Sage displayed remarkable composure in this critical moment. She didn't panic and lose focus.
At this point, the only Sage Art Jiraiya could unleash instantly was Needle Jizō. Just as he swung his head, wrapping his hair like a protective cocoon around himself—
The overwhelming wave of golden blades swarmed toward him like a tidal wave.
Clink! Clink! Clink…
Sōmi narrowed his eyes slightly, observing the white steel-like sphere in mid-air being relentlessly battered by the torrent of golden blades. He was sensing the strength of the Senjutsu Chakra contained within.
Moments later—
As the golden waves on the ground gradually thinned, the white sphere in the air also began to slowly descend.
It was evident that the hair forming the sphere had become sparse and thin, no longer exuding the cold, metallic gleam it had before.
With a slight lift of his hands, Sōmi caused the sand gold particles to float rapidly toward him, condensing into a thick, sharp spear.
Gripping the spear with both hands, Sōmi gave it a firm twist. A faint yellow glow began to rise from the surface of the spear.
The light pulsated and contracted, eventually gathering entirely at the spearhead, forming a nearly solid, golden triangular tip at the front.
Sōmi then gripped the golden spear tightly with his right hand, raising it above his shoulder in a perfect throwing stance, the spearhead aimed slightly downward.
Without hesitation, Sōmi hurled the spear forcefully toward the weak point he had targeted.
Whoosh!
A sharp whistling sound pierced through the air!
The golden spear shot forward with incredible speed, like a fish swimming effortlessly through water, heading straight for the sphere.
Inside the now dimly lit sphere, unlike at the start, faint light filtered through the thinning hair, allowing glimpses of the outside world.
This was a clear sign that Jiraiya and the two sages had nearly exhausted their Senjutsu Chakra...
"Hah... Hah... Cough!"
"Boss, Big Sis!"
"I'm sorry... This time, it's my fault for dragging you down!"
"This enemy is far too powerful. Thank you both for taking care of me all this time..."
Sweat poured down Jiraiya's red, toad-like face, which bore heavy animalistic features. Both he and the two sages on his shoulders were panting heavily.
As he finished speaking, the red markings on his face vanished in an instant, and his toad-like traits disappeared as well. Despite his exhaustion, Jiraiya struggled to lift his hands.
"What?!"
"Little Jiraiya! What are you doing?!"
"It's not over yet! We must not give up!"
"Wait!"
"Summon the Gourd Toad! Have it pull us into its stomach, then cancel the summoning! That way, we can escape for now!"
"The barrier inside the Gourd Toad's stomach can block that guy's sensory abilities. He won't be able to track us!"
Shima Sage quickly noticed Jiraiya's movements and realized he was planning to cancel their summoning contract and stay behind alone.
In this dire moment, Shima Sage's mind worked at unprecedented speed, and a sudden flash of inspiration revealed a path Jiraiya had not considered.
"What?!"
Jiraiya's dim expression brightened instantly. This plan was entirely feasible.
He swiftly raised his hands, bit his finger to draw blood, and prepared to perform the summoning technique.
But just as he completed the hand seals and pressed his right hand forward—
Sss!
Slash!
A faint sound of tearing hair echoed, followed by a flash of golden light. Jiraiya's left arm, along with part of his shoulder, was cleanly severed, leaving a smooth, bloody wound.
Having exited Sage Mode, Jiraiya's sensory abilities had significantly diminished. He hadn't detected the deadly crisis that had suddenly struck from outside.
"Ugh..."
A dazed expression appeared on Jiraiya's face, as though he hadn't yet realized his arm had been severed. Fortunately, he had used his right hand to perform the summoning technique, and it had already succeeded.
A puff of white smoke appeared, and a red toad with a rope tied around its waist emerged. Its body, minus its limbs, was shaped exactly like a gourd.
The Gourd Toad, upon being summoned, quickly spat out the cork in its mouth under Shima Sage's urgent instructions. It prepared to swallow Jiraiya and the others into its stomach.
However—
The golden spear that had just sliced through Jiraiya's arm suddenly halted behind him.
Then, the spear shattered into three short segments, which, as if drawn by a powerful magnetic force, shot toward Jiraiya, Fukasaku Sage, and the Gourd Toad.
"Watch out!"
Shima Sage's expression changed dramatically. Realizing the golden spear's transformation, she immediately stopped Jiraiya from approaching the Gourd Toad.
Fukasaku Sage reacted quickly as well, spitting out a bloodied, shortened tongue that severed the two segments aimed at Jiraiya and herself.
But the red Gourd Toad was pierced clean through by the remaining spear segment, dissipating into white smoke on the spot.
Before Jiraiya and the sages could catch their breath, golden sand had somehow wrapped around Jiraiya's right leg, faintly glowing with purple light.
It turned out that Sōmi had already ascended into the air on his golden cloud, following the tide of sand gold. The moment the sphere revealed a gap, Sōmi had manipulated the sand gold on the ground to infiltrate it.
The sand gold on the ground had already transformed into a Shukaku-like claw, cradling the white sphere in its palm.
Purple Cursed Seal patterns spread rapidly across the claw, aiming to suppress the summoning technique's teleportation.
But just as Sōmi believed victory was within his grasp, a sudden flash of fiery red and yellow light appeared in the distance.
"What?!"
"Minato Namikaze... How did he get here so quickly?!"
Even in Sage Mode, Sōmi's expression shifted slightly.
With eight Chakra tails flaring behind him, Minato's arrival meant Sōmi was no longer capable of handling him...
Thinking quickly, Sōmi clenched his hands. The golden sand around Jiraiya's right leg suddenly exerted a powerful crushing force.
Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, the fiery red and yellow light vanished like a phantom.
But the white sphere that had been in front of Sōmi was now gone.
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