The rain fell in torrents, lightning flashed, and thunder rumbled.
The heavy downpour washed over the ruined streets of Amegakure. Occasional flashes of lightning tore through the gloomy sky, illuminating the two opposing sides below.
On one side was Jiraiya in Sage Mode, carrying the two toad sages on his shoulders; on the other, three Pains led by the Deva Path, with the Asura Path and Animal Path standing on either side.
The Rinnegan emitted a cold and eerie light in the rain, like gods indifferently looking down upon struggling mortals.
"Hey, who do you think will win?" On top of a tower, the plant-like Zetsu leaned half his body out of the wall, speaking exaggeratedly to Obito beside him. "After all, he's his own teacher. Nagato won't be unable to bring himself to do it, right?"
"Hmph." Obito snorted coldly beneath his tiger-striped mask, knowing this was White Zetsu referring to his own failure to kill Kushina and Minato back then, even though they ultimately died, it wasn't by his hand.
Down on the battlefield.
"Let's go!" Jiraiya shouted in a low voice, his figure instantly blurring as he took the initiative to attack!
Sage Mode brought not only the blessing of Natural Energy but also the ultimate enhancement of speed and strength!
He charged first towards the seemingly most cumbersome Asura Path.
"Wild Lion's Mane Technique!" Jiraiya's white hair, like a living silver waterfall, instantly hardened and elongated, like countless tough steel wires, entangling the Asura Path from all directions, attempting to restrict its movement.
However, the Asura Path's modified three-headed, six-armed body suddenly erupted with powerful strength. Its mechanical arms swung, actually grabbing the entangling hair!
Simultaneously, the giant saw blade on its back began rotating at high speed, emitting a piercing whirring sound, and slashed towards Jiraiya's hair!
"Sage Art: Hair Needle Senbon!" Jiraiya reacted with divine speed. The grabbed hair instantly softened and separated, while the remaining long hair shot out like a storm, each strand imbued with Senjutsu Chakra, extremely sharp, aimed directly at the three Pains… Asura, Deva, and Animal Path!
Ding ding dang dang-!
Asura Path swung its mechanical arms to block, the sound of metal clashing incessantly.
Deva Path merely raised its hand slightly, a small-scale Shinra Tensei repelling all the hairs aimed at him.
And the Animal Path summoned again!
Smoke exploded, and a massive stone panda used its thick body to block the dense hair attack.
"Hubby!" Shima shouted.
"Understood!" Fukasaku was perfectly in sync with her. The two Toad Sages simultaneously took a deep breath, their chests swelling high!
"Sage Art: Frog Call!"
An invisible, high-frequency vibrating sound wave spread out from the two Toad Sages as the center!
This sound wave directly assaulted the enemy's auditory nerves and balance system!
The Asura Path, being the first hit, showed obvious sluggishness in its movements. Deva Path's perpetually cold face seemed to frown slightly.
"Good chance!" A glint flashed in Jiraiya's eyes. He formed hand seals again: "Sage Art: Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet!"
The flames spat out this time were no longer ordinary Chakra Flames but mixed with rich Natural Energy, appearing in a blazing white color.
The temperature was so high that the surrounding rainwater instantly evaporated into white steam, carrying the momentum to burn everything, sweeping towards the three slowed Pains!
"Shinra Tensei!"
The Deva Path, enduring the discomfort brought by the frog call, raised its hand again. A vast repulsive force field erupted, attempting to push away this blazing white sea of fire.
Boom-!!!
The blazing white flames and the invisible repulsive force collided violently, producing an explosion more intense than any before!
The flames were forcibly dispersed by the repulsive force, like a blooming white fire lotus, igniting and melting the surrounding ruined buildings once more!
The hot air wave even forced Konan in the air to fly higher.
However, just during the brief gap after Deva Path released Shinra Tensei, Jiraiya's figure, using the visual cover produced by the explosion and the weak points at the edge of the repulsive force field, closed in on Animal Path at an astonishing speed!
"Now!" Jiraiya roared, his fist covered with Senjutsu Chakra, carrying a scream that tore through the air, smashing fiercely towards Animal Path's face!
If this punch landed solidly, it was enough to shatter rock!
But Animal Path's Rinnegan stared at him coldly. Just as the fist was about to hit, the space beside him twisted, and a new bull summon was instantly summoned, using its thick body to block Jiraiya's fist!
Bang!!!
In a dull loud sound, the bull summon was blown to pieces by Jiraiya's Senjutsu-powered punch, turning into white smoke and disappearing!
But Animal Path also used this opportunity to retreat rapidly.
"Not over yet!" Fukasaku shouted in a low voice, cooperating with Shima again.
"Water Release: Water Cutting Wave!"
An extremely condensed high-pressure water line shot from Fukasaku's mouth, like an invisible blade, silently cutting towards the retreating Animal Path!
Its speed far exceeded ordinary Water Release!
At the same time, Shima's long tongue shot out again, like a deadly whip, entangling the Animal Path's feet, restricting its evasion.
Facing this pincer attack from above and below, the Animal Path seemed to have no way to avoid it!
However, the Asura Path, which had been waiting for an opportunity, suddenly exerted force, breaking free from the remaining hair restraint. The mechanisms on its back and arms opened suddenly, revealing densely packed missile launch ports!
[Flaming Arrow Warhead!]
Whoosh whoosh whoosh-!
Dozens of small homing missiles, trailing flames, shot towards Jiraiya and the two sages like a swarm of bees!
"Careful!" Jiraiya had to give up the pursuit, his body turning rapidly, his hands dancing, using Taijutsu and hair to block and bat away the incoming missiles as much as possible.
Boom boom boom-!
The missiles exploded continuously around, the flames and shockwaves disrupting the battlefield once again.
And Deva Path's Shinra Tensei's cooldown seemed to have ended. It coldly raised its hand, aiming at Jiraiya, who had exposed an opening while dodging the missiles.
"Bansho Ten'in!"
A powerful attractive force came again, Jiraiya's body flying uncontrollably towards Deva Path!
"Jiraiya-chan!" Fukasaku exclaimed in shock.
"Sage Art: Needle Jizo!" Jiraiya, calm in the face of danger, instantly hardened and expanded all the hair on his body, wrapping him up like a silkworm cocoon, greatly increasing his defense.
However, Deva Path's target didn't seem to be a direct attack.
Just as Jiraiya was sucked into mid-air, in a state with no leverage, Asura Path giant, high-speed rotating saw blade, and a crab with huge pincers summoned again by Animal Path, simultaneously attacked Jiraiya, wrapped in hair, from the left and right!
"It's bad!" Jiraiya's heart sank. A pincer attack from this angle would be difficult for Needle Jizo to completely defend against!
At this critical moment!
"Sage Art: Toad Confrontation Chant!"
The two sages, Fukasaku and Shima, on Jiraiya's shoulders, let out a peculiar frog call imbued with powerful Senjutsu Chakra!
This sound was no longer the previous indiscriminate interference but formed a specific melody, striking directly at the soul!
This was Mount Myoboku's strongest Genjutsu!
Once completed, enemies within the hearing range would fall into a complete illusion, at the mercy of others!
The moment the eerie frog call sounded, the movements of the three Pains simultaneously stiffened!
Even Deva Path's always cold Rinnegan showed a violent tremor for the first time, as if resisting something.
However, this Genjutsu required a brief preparation time to take full effect!
It was this moment of stiffness that gave Jiraiya a chance to catch his breath!
He abruptly dispelled Needle Jizo, his body forcibly twisting in mid-air, narrowly avoiding the crab's giant pincer, but Asura Path's saw blade still left a deep, bone-exposing wound on his left arm, blood instantly gushing out!
"Urgh!" Jiraiya grunted, landing on the ground, staggering a few steps. His left arm was in severe pain, blood dripping from his fingertips, dyeing the accumulated water on the ground red.
"Jiraiya-chan, are you alright?!" Shima asked anxiously, turning her head.
"Still... still okay!" Jiraiya gritted his teeth, temporarily sealing the wound with chakra, his gaze fixed intently on the three Pains who seemed to be struggling out of the effects of the Toad Confrontation Chant.
He hadn't expected the Rinnegan's resistance to Genjutsu to be so strong!
"Must... quickly take down one!" Jiraiya knew a protracted battle was disadvantageous for them. The Pains' abilities were too bizarre, and they seemed to have no concern about Chakra depletion.
His gaze locked onto Animal Path, which had just finished summoning and seemed to have slightly fluctuating energy.
"You two, lend me a hand!" Jiraiya roared in a low voice, gathering Senjutsu Chakra again, ignoring the injury on his left arm, and charged towards Animal Path!
"Sage Art: Massive Rasengan!"
A blue energy ball far larger than an ordinary Rasengan, containing violent Senjutsu Chakra, rapidly took shape in his right hand!
Fukasaku and Shima immediately understood his intention. They performed [Sage Art: Frog Call] again.
Although it couldn't form a killing Genjutsu like the Toad Confrontation Chant, the powerful sound wave interference still effectively delayed the rescue actions of Deva Path and Asura Path!
"End this!" Jiraiya roared, pressing the Massive Rasengan in his hand fiercely towards the Animal Path Pain!
Animal Path's Rinnegan reflected the approaching Rasengan. It tried to form seals to summon, but under the frog call interference and Jiraiya's limit speed, it was already too late!
Boom!
A deafening explosion sounded!
Dazzling blue light engulfed Animal Path's figure. The violent energy shockwave flattened everything around!
Dust and water vapor mixed and shot skyward!
"Succeeded?!"
Jiraiya panted heavily, staring intently at the explosion center.
The dust slowly dispersed, leaving only a huge deep crater and some shattered limb fragments with black metal rods.
Animal Path seemed to have been completely destroyed!
"Took down one!" Shima's tone carried a hint of joy.
However, the expression of Fukasaku on his right shoulder remained grave. His perception was more acute: "Something's wrong... Jiraiya-chan, be careful!"
"Shinra Tensei."
Almost simultaneously with Fukasaku's warning, Deva Path's cold voice sounded again, devoid of any emotion.
This time, the repulsive force wasn't large in range but was concentrated and swift, like an invisible heavy hammer, smashing hard onto Jiraiya, who had just used his ultimate move and hadn't yet stabilized his energy!
"Pfft-!"
Jiraiya had no time to make an effective defense. His entire person was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, continuously crashing through several ruined walls before heavily falling into a pile of rubble, blood spurting wildly from his mouth, dyeing his white hair and clothes red.
He felt as if all the bones in his body were falling apart. The circulation of Senjutsu Chakra was also almost dispersed by this blow.
"Jiraiya-chan!" The two Toad Sages exclaimed in shock.
Deva Path slowly descended from the air, step by step walking towards Jiraiya, who was struggling to get up from the rubble.
Rainwater washed the dust and blood off his body. Those Rinnegan were like the gaze of death.
"I have to say, as expected of Jiraiya-sensei, to actually destroy Animal Path... But... it ends here." Deva Path slowly raised its hand, aiming at Jiraiya's head.
A powerful Yin-Yang Release force began to gather. A black rod formed in Deva Path's hand.
This time, the heavily injured Jiraiya absolutely could not dodge again.
Jiraiya looked at that face belonging to 'Yahiko' yet cold and merciless, his heart filled with endless sadness, regret, and self-blame.
He had failed to bring back his disciple who had gone astray, failed to fulfill the Great Toad Sage's prophecy... 'The world's change, the dark future... Was it going to end here?'
Fukasaku and Shima were tightly entangled by Asura Path, their eyes wide with fury, but powerless.
Just as the attractive force in Deva Path's hand reached its peak, about to completely suck Jiraiya in and crush him-
Boom!!!
A loud sound suddenly came from the southeast direction of Amegakure!
Followed by large-scale destruction caused by Fire Release Ninjutsu and billowing thick smoke, so conspicuous in the perpetually rainy Amegakure.
This sudden explosion and continuous Ninjutsu destruction caused the entire battlefield to quiet down for a moment!
Deva Path's always indifferent face frowned slightly as it looked towards the southeast direction where the explosion came from.
Even the black rod forming in its hand stopped moving!
Not only Deva Path, but Konan in the air also looked towards that direction.
Obito, watching the battle from not far away, frowned, and White Zetsu became even more noisy: "Wah wah wah, such a huge Fire Release Ninjutsu over there! At this level, it's at least a full-power Elite Jonin!"
Black Zetsu, for some reason, had a bad premonition.
'At this time, what other Ninja in Amegakure could cause destruction of this level?'
Even Jiraiya, lying in the rubble with his consciousness already somewhat blurred, was awakened by the explosion. He laboriously raised his head, looking towards the direction with thick smoke, his heart filled with similar shock and confusion:
"What... what is that?!"