The underground cavern stank of scorched flesh. Shigure's flames had devoured the Evil God cultists until only charcoal husks remained. Yet he stood at the center of the ruin with his Sharingan still blazing, ready for more.
"Shigure! Enough!" Hizashi's voice cut firmly. "They're finished. No need to waste chakra."
Shigure exhaled. The fog of battle lifted slightly, and he stopped his onslaught. But his eyes narrowed. "…Where's the Grand Master?"
"That thing's been burned to dust like the rest," Noguchi muttered, his voice shaking.
Before he could finish, Hizashi barked, "Move!"
The Grand Master erupted from the shadows, launching forward like a corpse animated by hatred. Noguchi stumbled, but Hizashi shoved him aside, Byakugan veins bulging as he prepared for the strike.
Half of the cult leader's body was missing, his flesh shredded and indistinguishable from blackened charcoal, yet the man still staggered upright, ranting prayers to Jashin. His torso writhed grotesquely as if dragged into life once again.
"He's already dead," Shigure realized darkly, "but his body keeps forcing itself back. This isn't life—it's Jashin's curse."
"Damn it! We can't kill him cleanly—bury him!"
At that moment, a new voice rang out.
"Earth Style: Yellow Spring Swamp!"
The chamber floor sagged into thick, bubbling mire. The surviving cultists shrieked as they sank. The Grand Master's body twisted and cursed until his voice drowned in muck, smothered beneath the swamp completely.
When the technique ended, silence reigned… save for the rhythmic clack of wooden clogs approaching.
"Who—?!" Hizashi's eyes widened.
A tall white-haired man grinned in the dim light. "That's right! This legendary handsome, suave, charming Toad Sage of Konoha—one of the Sannin—Jiraiya, has arrived!"
Hizashi's face lit up. "Lord Jiraiya?! Truly you…"
"Brother Jiraiya," Shigure said with relief, "how did you get in?"
Jiraiya scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "A beautiful young woman found me and pointed me to a secret path. I was sure it was a trap, but hey! Maybe my irresistible charm swayed her." He puffed up proudly.
"…That woman." Shigure recalled the seductive white rose hostess, confused now about her intentions.
Regardless, Shigure bowed slightly. "Either way, thank you, Senior Brother."
Jiraiya waved a hand. "No thanks needed. Our missions overlapped, that's all. But Hizashi—you've raised excellent brats. They handled themselves better than most Jonin."
Hizashi blushed faintly, bowing. "You praise us too highly. They were the ones with the courage."
Jiraiya winked. "Well, Junior Brother Uchiha. I hate debts, so let me repay you. Since the old man Sarutobi made me your senior, I'll pass you a ninjutsu. If you can master it quick, I'll even show you another. Sound good?"
Shigure's eyes sharpened. "Of course."
"Fine!" Jiraiya slapped his palm loudly on the cavern wall. "I'll teach you something special—Ninjutsu: Needle Jizo. With chakra, you harden your hair into needles wrapping around your body. A hedgehog shield—defensive, yet when touched, offensive too."
He demonstrated, and his white mane coiled around him like steel wires, barbs glinting dangerously. "Simple to use. Strong against taijutsu, weaker against high-level ninjutsu, but versatile enough for tight spots."
Shigure nodded evenly. "Understood."
"…You think you get it that quickly?" Jiraiya's brow twitched. "This takes time—chakra control and practice—"
But even as he spoke, Shigure's seals snapped into place.
"Ninjutsu: Needle Jizo!"
His graying hair writhed, exploding outward in hardened spikes. In seconds, a deadly cocoon enveloped him, sharper, longer, and more expansive than Jiraiya's.
The Sannin's eyes bulged. He backflipped instinctively to avoid being skewered.
"W-wha—!?" Sweat streamed down his brow.
Shigure released the technique, his face calm as water. "It's an excellent technique, Senior Brother—powerful, practical. Thank you."
"…Completed on the first attempt?" Jiraiya's throat tightened. A laugh bubbled up, strained. "Impossible… even Orochimaru… never at this speed."
His eyes followed Shigure quietly, lingering with a heaviness he hadn't felt in years.
Could this brat… truly outshine even the genius of the Sannin?
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