Splatter!
At the very moment the white-haired sphere vanished, a ghastly crimson mist exploded in mid-air!
Moments later, a barely breathing body slowly descended from the sky.
The figure was in an utterly wretched state. His left arm had been severed cleanly at the root, with blood continuously seeping from the smooth wound. The golden sand that had twisted around his right leg like a coiled rope began to loosen and slither away, resembling a cold, venomous snake as it raised its head.
But the most horrifying part was his head.
The man's once full head of white hair appeared as if it had been violently yanked out in one go, leaving his scalp completely torn away. His entire scalp and hair were gone, and one could even see his brain tissue faintly pulsating beneath the exposed surface.
As the scene froze on the grief-stricken faces of Fukasaku Sage and Shima Sage, the golden sand had already transformed into a blade, silently slashing toward their necks and Jiraiya's.
At this moment, the difference in their remaining Senjutsu Chakra became painfully clear. The exhausted Fukasaku Sage couldn't react in time.
Slash!
The golden blade sliced through Fukasaku Sage's torso before continuing on to sever Jiraiya's head. The edge of the blade gleamed coldly, devoid of any bloodstains.
As the blade mercilessly advanced toward Shima Sage—
In his final moments, Fukasaku Sage seemed to summon an indescribable power from deep within. His upper body, now detached, suddenly spat out a blood-red, shortened tongue!
The tongue transformed into a blurred streak of blood, striking the golden blade with astonishing speed.
Meanwhile, Shima Sage's eyes were filled with sorrow. She gazed at her partner of hundreds of years, whose mouth moved faintly.
Fukasaku Sage's eyes were filled with tenderness and regret as he looked at Shima Sage, as though reluctant to leave his nagging old wife.
Though Shima Sage couldn't hear his words, they seemed to pierce through time and space, imprinting directly onto her heart.
"I'm... sorry... my dear... Run... quickly!"
Bang!
A puff of white smoke rose. With Jiraiya's death, the Two Great Sage Fusion was also undone, allowing Shima Sage to easily cancel the summoning contract.
Sōmi, standing atop his golden cloud, caught the two dismembered bodies of Jiraiya and Fukasaku Sage.
Only then did the blood within their bodies finally react, gushing out from the severed stumps. The golden cloud beneath Sōmi was soon stained crimson.
Whoosh!
Minato Namikaze's figure reappeared on the ground. His eyes were icy cold, like those of a beast ready to devour its prey.
When such an expression appeared on Minato's face, it was a clear sign that his fury had reached its peak.
After rushing over at his fastest speed and discovering Jiraiya's peril, Minato hadn't hesitated to activate the Flying Thunder God Technique, intending to teleport Jiraiya to safety.
However, he had unconsciously overlooked the purple Cursed Seal that Sōmi had placed on the white-haired sphere!
If normal space was like a smooth ski slope for Minato, then the areas marked with these purple seals were like protruding rocks. He had to navigate carefully to avoid crashing into the spatial barriers.
And if Minato tried to "carry" one of these rocks while skiing, the sheer force of his spatial manipulation would tear it apart.
The moment Sōmi's purple seals latched onto the white-haired sphere, it was destined that Minato could not teleport Jiraiya out of the area.
Minato had clearly underestimated Sōmi's mastery of sealing techniques. When he realized that all he had pulled back was a bloody clump of white hair, his heart sank to the depths.
Both Minato and Sōmi were deeply dissatisfied with the outcome.
For Sōmi, the disappointment was simple: he hadn't captured Fugaku Uchiha, and Shima Sage had escaped.
The abilities of those Mangekyō Sharingan were something Sōmi had planned to exploit. But it seemed Fugaku had been hidden within the white-haired sphere by Jiraiya and had been rescued by Minato, causing Sōmi's plans to fall apart.
Inside the Sealing Space
"Shukaku, are you ready?"
"The next battle is going to be brutal."
Sōmi's cold expression turned toward Shukaku as he spoke.
"Ready, ready..."
Shukaku's face was filled with uncontrollable grief and anger. After transferring the last of its Senjutsu Chakra to Sōmi, its body deflated like a punctured balloon.
"Sōmi..."
"I need to rest..."
"This was the last... of my Senjutsu Chakra!"
"If you ask for more... I won't be able to manage it!"
Shukaku panted heavily, raising its hands to inspect them. Its once massive palms had withered to resemble chicken claws, and with every tremble, grains of sand seemed to fall away.
Its belly, once round and full, had sunken in completely, leaving only a thin layer of sagging sand skin clinging to its frame.
Combined with the dark circles under its drooping eyes, Shukaku looked like a terminally ill "addict."
"...Uh..."
Sōmi's cold expression faltered slightly as he turned to see Shukaku's pitiful state. An awkward smile crept onto his face.
"Don't worry, Shukaku."
"You've done well. Rest now!"
Sōmi reassured Shukaku. After all, he hadn't considered the strain his relentless use of Sage Arts had placed on the Tailed Beast.
It seemed that the Chakra reserves of a single-tailed beast were indeed insufficient...
Fortunately, the plans Sōmi had long prepared were already underway.
Outside
The faint azure mist surrounding Sōmi's body suddenly flared brightly. A dense, almost tangible surge of Senjutsu Chakra rose, accompanied by a fierce wind that blew Sōmi's hair upward.
Hiss... Hiss...
Several emerald-gold energy serpents coiled and stretched, flicking their tongues as their serpentine eyes locked onto Minato standing below.
A raging fire of fury burned within Minato's heart, but the overwhelming Senjutsu Chakra emanating from Sōmi's body served as a constant reminder to remain cautious.
"Minato Namikaze, do you want to take these two bodies back?"
Sōmi lowered his golden cloud slightly, looking down at Minato with an imposing air.
To prevent any surprise attacks, purple patterns began to emerge in front of Sōmi. These patterns intertwined and spread like strange plants rooted in the void.
For the first time, Minato experienced the full force of Sōmi's powerful sealing techniques, and his heart tightened.
These peculiar purple patterns, glowing faintly, contained a sealing power capable of disrupting space itself!
"What are your terms?"
Minato's voice was icy cold. A ninja's corpse held a wealth of critical information, especially someone as high-ranking as Jiraiya...
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