Chapter 113: The Sage's Judgment
Jiraiya descended upon them like a force of nature, his killing intent a physical pressure in the air. He closed the distance with terrifying speed, his form a blur of motion.
His heart had been festering with rage and helplessness. The limitation of his Sage Mode—the need for absolute stillness to gather natural energy—had been a crippling weakness. He had been forced to watch, immobilized, as his summoned toad was decimated by Aizen's Black Coffin and the boy he saw as a son was hunted down.
Now, saturated with the power of the natural world, Jiraiya was at the absolute peak of his power.
"Aizen Sōsuke! You, who have shattered Konoha's peace... now face the judgment of a Sage!" Jiraiya's voice boomed with an otherworldly resonance.
His body moved like lightning. Leaping into the air, he gathered a massive, swirling vortex of Sage chakra in his palm. It grew exponentially, forming a Rasengan dozens of times larger than the standard technique, its sheer size blotting out the sun and casting a deep shadow over the three combatants below. The power contained within was immense, threatening to drag even the two Akatsuki members into its destructive wake.
"Sage Art: Super Big Ball Rasengan!"
The colossal sphere of compressed energy descended, a miniature sun of pure destruction.
All of this happened in the space between a single breath.
"Hadō #80: Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō!" (Flying Dragon-Striking Heaven-Shaking Thunder Cannon)
"Water Style: Water Prison Shark Dance Technique!"
"Crow Clone Technique!"
Though shocked by the sheer scale of the attack, the three reacted with the instincts of the elite. Aizen raised a hand, summoning a tremendous blast of spiritual energy. Kisame manipulated the surrounding moisture to form a protective, shark-infested water dome around himself. Itachi's body dissolved into a flock of crows, scattering to the winds.
BOOOOOOM!
The Super Big Ball Rasengan struck the earth. The resulting explosion was cataclysmic, the force of natural energy far exceeding that of ordinary chakra. The ground shattered, a spiderweb of fissures radiating outwards. Nearby buildings, already weakened by the invasion, groaned and collapsed into piles of rubble. A storm of dust and debris filled the air, driven by concussive winds.
When the thick fog of destruction began to clear, a massive, smoldering crater marked the point of impact.
"Whew, that was too close. Almost lost my head," Kisame grumbled, stumbling out of the smoke. His cloak was torn, and the bandages on Samehada were singed and frayed. If not for his sword's unique ability to absorb chakra, his injuries would have been severe.
Fwap.
On the other side, Aizen stood perfectly composed, having weathered the chakra storm with his high-level Kidō. He was, as ever, the picture of calm.
Caw, caw. A flock of crows swirled beside Kisame, coalescing back into the form of Uchiha Itachi.
The three of them, through their respective arts, had narrowly escaped the Sage's wrath.
"Uchiha Itachi, Hoshigaki Kisame," Jiraiya's voice rang out, steady and powerful as he landed firmly on the crater's edge. "To think you'd also come to pick at Konoha's bones. Fine then. You can all stay and enjoy the 'hospitality' of a Sage!"
Empowered by his Sage Mode, Jiraiya faced the three monstrously powerful individuals with unshakable confidence.
"Heh. So this is the legendary Sannin, Jiraiya. He's the real deal," Kisame admitted, hefting Samehada and eyeing Jiraiya with intense wariness. He and Itachi stood side-by-side, bracing for the Sage's next move. In this moment, the threat Jiraiya posed had, in their estimation, surpassed even that of the enigmatic Aizen.
"So, this is the latent power within you," Aizen said, a note of sincere appreciation in his voice. "It does not disappoint."
If ordinary chakra was a bland taste to Aizen, then Sage chakra—this power fused with the energy of the natural world—was a flavor that truly captured his interest. It was a power he could acknowledge.
"It's over, Aizen Sōsuke! Bathe in the full fury of a Sage!" Jiraiya roared, an ocean-like aura crashing out from him.
"Oh? You are correct, Jiraiya," Aizen chuckled lightly, his demeanor not shifting an inch. "Having witnessed this power, this farce has indeed reached its conclusion."
In truth, he had seen all he needed to see of this world's unique energy system. Remaining in a devastated Konoha held no further interest for him. Capturing the Nine-Tails had been a fleeting whim, a minor experiment. He had no desire, like Orochimaru, to simply burn everything to the ground. Aizen Sōsuke's ambition was vaster—to ascend to a celestial throne and command a power that transcended worlds.
His gaze flickered over the unconscious form of Naruto Uzumaki. "Farewell, boy who holds the Nine-Tails," he said, a hint of theatrical regret in his tone. "I suspect... we shall not meet again."
Jiraiya's eyes narrowed. He understood the implication perfectly: Aizen intended to escape.
But before he could move, Aizen began to incant, his voice calm and deliberate.
"Walls of iron sand, a priestly pagoda, glowing ironclad fireflies. With righteousness and integrity, I hereby stand firm!"
"Bakudō #75: Gochūtekkan!" (Five Iron Pillars)
"Bakudō #63: Sajō Sabaku!" (Locking Bondage Stripes)
"Bakudō #79: Kuyō Shibari!" (Nine Sunlight Traps)
Three binding spells erupted around Jiraiya in quick succession. A cage of black reishi, binding chains that shot forth like serpents, and five massive iron pillars slammed into place around him, sealing his movements completely.
"Do you find it strange?" Aizen mused, a cold sneer gracing his lips as he looked at the trapped Sage. "Do you believe our encounter was fate? It was not."
His words carried a deeper, more arrogant meaning. "The throne of heaven itself is the only direction of my ascent. So, farewell, amusing Sannin. Farewell, amusing Akatsuki."
With Jiraiya temporarily restrained by the triple-layered Bakudō, Aizen turned his attention one last time to Itachi and Kisame. He didn't attack them directly. Instead, he simply swung Kyōka Suigetsu in a wide, horizontal arc, not aimed at their bodies, but at the space between them.
A crescent wave of pure spiritual pressure shot forth, its power so palpable it forced the two Akatsuki members to instinctively raise their defenses, bracing for an impact that never truly came.
BOOM!
Another explosion of dust and debris filled the air as the spiritual energy discharged.
When the air cleared, Aizen Sōsuke was gone. Vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a trapped Sage, two bewildered Akatsuki members, and a village in ruins.
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