Of course, Jiraiya didn't just sit there and wait for death when facing the two Edo Tensei Hokage.
"Forgive me, my Lords!"
Jiraiya's long, spiky white hair instantly shot backward, forming a white, thorny shield in front of him, successfully defending against the incoming wooden spikes.
At the same time, he bit his thumb and slammed it onto the ground: "Summoning Jutsu: Toad Mouth Bind!"
"Rumble!"
The roof of the grand main hall trembled violently, and huge, dark-red toad stomach walls unfurled from countless roof tiles, instantly enveloping Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama.
Caught off guard, their feet were already deeply embedded in the layered, fleshy walls of the Stone Dwelling Toad's stomach.
"Sizzle—.."
White smoke billowed from their bodies as the stomach wall secreted strong acidic mucus, corroding their Edo Tensei bodies!
Senju Hashirama was expressionless, his hands pressed against the stomach wall.
"Four-Pillar Prison Jutsu!"
With several "thud, thud, thud" sounds, several thick wooden pillars seemed to grow out of thin air, forming a massive wooden prison that forcefully propped up the stomach wall, almost bursting it open. The acidic liquid dripped onto the wood, making a "sizzle" sound.
Senju Tobirama, on the other hand, formed hand signs in a tacit agreement manner, completely ignoring the compressing stomach walls around him. Instead, he opened his mouth and rapidly spewed out a high-pressure, linear stream of water that could continuously cut through targets.
It was Water Release: Water Severing Wave!
This Ninjutsu was like a sharp blade, with extremely high destructive power, capable of easily tearing and shredding targets. Its astonishing power allowed for long-range attacks.
Under the high-pressure water stream's cutting, the stomach wall, which enveloped them from all sides like an intestine, was immediately cut in half. Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama seized the opportunity to escape.
"As expected of the First Hokage and Second Hokage."
Jiraiya's expression grew even more solemn. Before he could catch his breath, the two deceased Hokage once again unleashed Ninjutsu to attack.
"Wood Release: Thorns of Death!"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bite Explosion!"
Senju Hashirama clasped his palms together, and the roof tiles exploded with a roar. Hundreds of vine-like tendrils, like venomous pythons, burst from the ground and twisted to kill.
Four raging water dragons, three times thicker than normal, materialized. Their mouths were wide open in a furious roar, and they charged towards Jiraiya with bared fangs and claws, along with the dark-brown tendrils!
Jiraiya stomped his foot hard, shattering the blue bricks beneath him: "Earth Release: Earth Flow Rampart!"
A circular rock wall rose ten meters from the ground, its body as thick as a barbican. The four majestic and ferocious water dragons carved deep pits into the rock wall, sending shattered stones flying. But Hashirama's tendrils, like living snakes, clung to the rock wall, their sharp thorns drilling frantically, and the rock wall instantly became covered in spiderweb cracks.
"Tsk!"
Jiraiya's hands fluttered like butterflies: "Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet!"
He opened his mouth and turned his head to spray, making the Great Flame Bullet form a huge fan. The blazing flames collided with the tendrils, instantly burning them into hundreds of charred pieces of wood.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Orochimaru and Hiruzen Sarutobi were engaged in an intense battle.
"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi gripped the Adamantine Staff and swept it horizontally, constantly clashing with Orochimaru's Kusanagi sword. Sparks flew, and both sides advanced and retreated, each move powerful.
In terms of taijutsu, the aging Third Hokage seemed to be completely on par with Orochimaru.
"Sensei, your strength is getting weaker and weaker, aren't you? How about I send you on your way?" Orochimaru taunted sinisterly while fighting.
"Don't worry, Orochimaru. Even if I die, I'll take you with me. I won't let you continue to harm Konoha Village!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's aged face was filled with solemnity. He suddenly shouted: "Enma!!"
"Whoosh!"
From the Adamantine Staff, which was clashing with the Kusanagi sword, a large, ape-furred hand suddenly extended and fiercely grabbed Orochimaru's neck.
Its five fingers, like powerful iron skewers, choked Orochimaru's neck, then squeezed hard, directly crushing it.
But how could Orochimaru die so easily?
Before the headless body could fall, it became wrinkled like a shed snakeskin, and a snake-like Orochimaru emerged from within, quickly slithering across the roof tiles and away, creating distance.
"Orochimaru, you've truly transformed yourself into something neither human nor ghost."
Hiruzen Sarutobi rebuked. After forcing Orochimaru back, he spun the Adamantine Staff once, and his other hand shot out like lightning.
"Ninjutsu: shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Instantly, eight shuriken in the air split into an overwhelming rain of blades, covering the Edo Tensei bodies and Orochimaru, as well as the Sound Four, who had just gotten up in the corner of the main hall roof, attempting to form hand signs again to reactivate the Four Violet Flames Formation!
"Ahhh—"
A series of screams.
Sakon and Ukon's arms were pierced by shuriken, Kidōmaru's spiderwebs were cut, Tayuya's flute was knocked away, and Jirobo's earth wall was shattered!
The four were injured again, unable to provide timely support.
No.
Forget about support, without the Four Violet Flames Formation, they didn't even have the right to observe.
This was a true Kage-level battle!
"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!!"
Jiraiya seized this fleeting opportunity, disregarding his injuries, and poured a large amount of Chakra into his palms, slamming them onto the already chaotic roof beneath his feet.
"Gurgle, gurgle—"
The entire roof area, including under the feet of Senju Hashirama, Senju Tobirama, and Orochimaru, instantly turned into a churning, viscous, bottomless black mud pit.
And a powerful suction force emanated.
It was going to swallow all three of them under the mud, dragging them into the Nine Netherworld!
"What?!"
Orochimaru was caught off guard, his feet instantly sinking into the mud, his movements stalling.
Senju Hashirama's tree roots were also enveloped and slowed by the murky mud, their suction greatly reduced. Senju Tobirama became unusually heavy in the viscous mud, and his attack rhythm was disrupted!
"Hokage-sama!"
Jiraiya's white hair shot out like a spiritual snake, coiling around the already injured Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was fighting Orochimaru. He violently dragged him from the edge of the mud pit to his side, then retreated from the roof, apparently no longer continuing the fight.
Orochimaru's face was sinister, his golden snake eyes sweeping across the battlefield.
The Four Violet Flames Formation's barrier was broken, and the Edo Tensei bodies were severely restricted by the mud pit, their movements slow and stiff.
In the arena below, Shukaku had already been resealed, and Gaara and the others from Hidden Sand Village were being controlled by the arriving Konoha Village Ninja.
He hadn't heard the roars of the three snakes he summoned in the distance either. Konoha Ninja's large-scale counterattack had begun, and Might Guy's iconic green aura was particularly noticeable in the distant ruins.
The Otogakure and Sunagakure forces were already in disarray.
And there were still Anbu elites constantly arriving around the roof. If he didn't leave now, even if he was Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin, he would be captured if he remained trapped.
"Hmph—.."
Orochimaru's lips curled into a sinister arc, a hint of unwillingness flashing in his eyes, but more of it was calculation.
"Hiruzen-sensei, it seems today isn't your day to die. However," his gaze swept over the heavily injured Third Hokage, who had been rescued by Jiraiya.
"Konoha's foundation has already been shaken."
Before his words faded, he violently plunged his hands into the mud pit: "Summoning Jutsu: A Thousand Snakes!"