Chapter 114: The Result of Not Choosing—Losing Everything
Jiraiya and the two toad sages on his shoulders simultaneously opened their mouths and exhaled.
Massive amounts of toad oil surged from Jiraiya's mouth like ocean waves, sweeping across the ground.
Wherever it passed, the ground was thoroughly soaked. Even the air became slippery. As the oil waves churned, the Wood Release branches were washed with creaking sounds, as if the entire forest was moaning in pain.
But a fire dragon erupted from Shima-sama's mouth. Initially only arm-thick, after being enhanced by Wind Release from Fukasaku-sama's mouth, it instantly expanded into a blazing giant dragon dozens of meters long. Roaring deafeningly, it plunged into the toad oil sea, igniting the oil covering the ground.
Three types of ninjutsu combined together, achieving an exaggerated effect far superior to compound jutsu. Once released, it instantly raised the battlefield's temperature to an absurd degree.
Space twisted and distorted. Heat waves formed visible ripples spreading outward.
Even Wood Release, a unique technique capable of absorbing chakra, couldn't withstand this level of burning.
The originally vibrant giant trees twisted and shriveled in the sea of fire. Bark exploded and cracked, sap instantly evaporating.
Flames spread wildly along the wood fibers, from outside to inside, gradually transforming the entire forest toward purgatory.
Firelight shot skyward, dyeing the night sky blood-red.
Standing at Susanoo's chest, Uchiha Yasushi clashed weapons with Bunta while still having spare attention to watch the blazing sea of fire, praising with a smile:
"Tsk, using Sage jutsu to counter Wood Release—truly a good method!"
"However, unfortunately, my current combat methods aren't limited to just Susanoo and Wood Release!"
Uchiha Yasushi pulled down his left sleeve, revealing the eye embedded in his left shoulder. With a surge of chakra, the Mangekyo within spun rapidly.
"Takemikazuchi!"
A black chakra beam shot straight into the sky, tearing open the pure night sky. Clouds gathered at a speed defying natural laws.
The originally clear firmament transformed into a roiling ocean of thunderclouds within seconds. Within the clouds, white-hot lightning constantly emerged, continuously leaping.
Oppressive thunder rumbled in the cloud depths, like ancient beasts' low roars.
Soon, this lightning converged together, rapidly transforming into a massive thunder dragon that plunged directly from the sky toward Jiraiya.
Where the thunder dragon passed, it cut through everything like a hot knife through butter. Carbonized trees shattered one after another, forcibly carving a scorched path through the raging sea of fire, revealing Jiraiya's clear figure on the other side.
Jiraiya's rushing steps halted. His hands formed seals rapidly again, slapping the ground.
"Sage Art: Triple Rashomon!"
With a tremendous boom, massive gates suddenly rose from beneath the ground, blocking the thunder dragon's path.
These massive gates differed in color but shared the same design. Built entirely of heavy rock, pitch black throughout—all fierce demon masks with blood-basin mouths wide open, fangs exposed. The gates were tightly shut, metal chains hanging below. Green natural energy constantly flowed across their surfaces.
The thunder dragon was extraordinarily violent, smashing through the first sturdy gate in one strike. Its momentum unabated, it continued forward carrying massive amounts of earth and stone fragments.
The second gate held for half a second before the demon statue on the gate let out a shrill shriek and quickly exploded.
The thunder dragon struck heavily against the third Rashomon gate, exploding thunderously. Massive amounts of earth and stone piled before the gate. The third gate's surface was covered in spiderweb cracks but ultimately didn't completely shatter.
The enormous shockwave spread in all directions. Wherever it passed, the ground undulated like waves.
The nearby blazing fire, blown by this shockwave, had its chakra forcibly dispersed, forced to dissipate as wisps of smoke in midair.
Without the flames' interference, the carbonized, dead Wood Release forest once again burst with vitality.
Amid crackling sounds, the originally brittle branches disintegrated in place, transforming into fluorescent green light particles seeping underground. As if providing new nutrients to the earth, they nourished more trees bursting from the soil, attacking again.
"Where the leaves dance, the fire burns eternally."
"Conversely, where flames extinguish, Wood Release flourishes eternally."
"Jiraiya, doesn't the current situation fit perfectly?"
Accompanied by Uchiha Yasushi's wild laughter, thunder dragons once again revealed their forms in the dark clouds above.
Jiraiya couldn't help but furrow his brow, feeling this was extremely troublesome.
His gaze looked behind Yasushi. He saw those hanging beneath the trees on the other side were all well-protected by Yasushi—clearly using them as bait.
"Jiraiya, the bait is right here. Will you take the hook?" Yasushi teased wantonly.
"Two sages, are there any other methods we can use?" Jiraiya asked quietly.
Fukasaku-sama shook his head. "In this situation, only direct confrontation works. All small tricks are ineffective. Little Jiraiya, you'd better prepare for a prolonged battle!"
"I'm afraid there's no time for that!" Shima-sama interjected. "Kakashi's side can't hold on anymore."
Jiraiya hastily looked up and indeed saw that Hiruko had already broken free from the genjutsu.
The battle's sound waves were too violent—the binding effect of "Toad Confrontation Singing" had already disappeared.
Within just a few days, he'd been controlled by genjutsu for the second time. This made Hiruko's expression extremely ugly.
Hiruko's fragile pride had now been severely wounded. He couldn't care about showing off anymore.
His face dark, he rapidly retracted the "Chimera" into his body while simultaneously swallowing Kakashi bit by bit.
"Damn it!" Jiraiya wanted to rush forward to rescue him, but the thunder dragon in the sky plunged down again.
Helplessly, Jiraiya could only use "Sage Art: Triple Rashomon" again for defense.
After the aftershocks subsided, when he looked again, Kakashi's figure had completely disappeared into Hiruko's body.
"Alright, no need to play anymore. I'm finished here." Hiruko reminded coldly.
"Is that so!" Yasushi sighed with regret. "Well, Jiraiya, unfortunately, you didn't make a choice within the specified time. The result is... total annihilation!"
After saying this, Yasushi snapped his fingers again.
Snap!
Just as he'd done before Hiruzen Sarutobi, the violent branches suddenly contracted inward, crushing everyone into pulp before Jiraiya's eyes.
The crisp crack of breaking bones and the dull tear of ripping muscles intertwined. Blood sprayed like a rainstorm from between the tree gaps.
Then the branches shook, tossing all these corpses into the fire. In no time, the air filled with the smell of burned protein.
" Yasushi!" Jiraiya went mad, shouting Yasushi's name as he charged forward.
But Yasushi didn't plan to continue fighting him. He laughed heartily, striking the great toad Bunta back with one blow. Controlling the crimson Susanoo, he retreated several large steps, distancing himself from the battlefield.
"Jiraiya, rather than chasing me, why not go back and search through the fire? Perhaps some of those people survived by chance!"
Jiraiya completely ignored Yasushi's words, still charging straight forward, calling viciously:
"Itachi was right—you're too dangerous! Even if I die here today, I must keep you here!"
"You can't keep me!" Yasushi turned to look at the faintly emerging figures in the night, laughing loudly: "Useless maggots from the Four Nations! I've weakened Konoha a bit more. You must seize this opportunity!"
"Also, remember to watch your own Kage well—don't let Konoha capture them again!"
A commotion immediately stirred in the distance. But immediately after, the figures scattered like stars and clouds, each returning to report to their own leaders.
Not long after, shouts of battle erupted from all around. Sure enough, each nation seized this opportunity and attacked again.
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