"Finally, you summoned us in a decent place this time…"
"But it's about time you learned to enter Sage Mode on your own, boy."
The two Great Sage Toads, Fukasaku and Shima, perched on Jiraiya's shoulders, offered their greetings in their own ways.
"Sorry," Jiraiya grinned, a bit sheepish. "The way I am now, I still can't manage it like you two. Lend me your strength."
"Jiraiya-boy," Fukasaku's voice was grave. "Who is this opponent, that you'd go so far as to summon us and enter Sage Mode?"
Jiraiya pointed a finger. "Take a look, you two."
Fukasaku and Shima looked. There, standing atop the hill ahead, one hand resting on his hip, was Sasuke. At his feet, the flickering purple flames of a Susanoo, drawn back but ready to be unleashed.
"What's this… just a child!" Fukasaku exclaimed.
"Treat him as just a child," Jiraiya warned, "and you'll be making a grave mistake. He's the vessel Orochimaru chose for rebirth. At this young age, he's awakened the rare Mangekyō Sharingan of the Uchiha. More importantly… he's also obtained the Wood Release power of the Senju."
"Oh?" Shima's eyes narrowed. "A fusion of Uchiha and Senju power… Indeed. Those eyes hold a deep, unknown malice."
"He's my student's closest friend," Jiraiya said, his voice heavy. "But it seems he hasn't grown the way we'd hoped."
"Ah… Naruto-boy," Fukasaku mused. "Their relationship is just like yours and Orochimaru's, isn't it?"
"A flower of sin should be nipped in the bud," Shima stated coldly. "The entanglements of youngsters cannot be compared to the safety of the shinobi world. Eliminate him here. Cut the root of future trouble."
A bitter smile touched Jiraiya's lips. "Yeah… I've already steeled myself for that."
When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.
Sasuke observed Jiraiya, now in Sage Mode.
Unlike Naruto in his past life, Jiraiya's Sage Mode showed clear signs of 'toadification' on his face and limbs.
A testament to its imperfection.
And yet… Jiraiya's Sage Mode had its own impeccable strengths.
"The two Great Sages of Mount Myōboku, stationed on his shoulders. They've taken over the function of gathering natural energy during combat, overcoming the time limit weakness of the Myōboku Sage Mode."
"Unless an external force breaks it… this Sage Mode can likely be maintained indefinitely."
"Furthermore, both Great Sages possess a wealth of senjutsu. They themselves are powerful combatants. Combined with the user, they form a trinity of offense and defense."
"Good. This… is an opponent worth fighting."
A satisfied smile spread across Sasuke's face. Facing Sage Jiraiya, he formed the Seal of Confrontation.
Jiraiya's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "That seal… what is he trying to say…?"
BOOM—!!!
The Susanoo ignited instantly into its muscular form. The bow drew full. A massive arrow exploded forth!!!
WHOOSH—!!!
Jiraiya's figure blurred, flashing to the side—the arrow missed its mark!!
Sasuke grinned. "Excellent. Sensory perception from natural energy, combined with the enhanced physical capabilities of Sage transformation… He can dodge the Susanoo's arrows now!"
Tap! Tap! Landing, Jiraiya kicked off his geta. His limbs hit the ground, palms and soles fully toadified. The earth cracked as he shot forward—!!!
"So fast!" Sasuke noted. "He's using the imperfect toadification to enhance his explosive power instead. Naruto in Sage Mode in the past life didn't have this kind of burst or speed!"
—Sage Art: Wild Lion's Mane Technique!!
Whoosh…!!
As Jiraiya closed the distance, his wild white hair erupted, wrapping around the entire muscular Susanoo in an instant!!
Sasuke willed the Susanoo to struggle. No use.
"The scale and toughness of the hair grown in Sage state are on a completely different level. Enough to thoroughly restrain the muscular Susanoo…!"
The wild mane tightened violently, grinding against the Susanoo's surface with a sickening crack-crack sound!!
"Still unrealistic to crush it with just the hair alone?!!"
BOOM! Jiraiya leapt into the air. His right hand, thrust forward, released a madly spinning, expanding vortex of senjutsu chakra!!!
—Sage Art: Super Big Ball Rasengan!!!
CRUNCH…!!!
The heavy chakra, combined with the explosive rotation, tore through the Susanoo's muscular outer layer with tens of thousands of grinding frictions per second. Crack! Crack! Under the powerful thrust, the skeletal structure beneath began to buckle and shatter!
"Truly… a Sage Art," Sasuke acknowledged.
—Amaterasu!!
Fwoosh…!!!
Black flames ignited at the base of the massive Rasengan. Dragged in by its own spin, they rapidly swirled into the orb, turning it into a black sphere of fire!!!
Jiraiya, seeing the blood trickle from Sasuke's left eye, was shocked. "His left eye… is it Amaterasu, like Itachi's?"
Tap!!
He abandoned the Rasengan, kicked off the Susanoo, and propelled himself backward!
Fwoosh…!!
But the black flames, spreading from the dispersing Rasengan, rapidly caught onto his own Wild Lion's Mane hair!
"Damn it…!" Jiraiya realized. "The hair I used to bind the Susanoo… has been turned against me!!"
People often said the 'Sealing Jutsu: Fire Containment' countered Amaterasu. But that seal took time to activate. It couldn't solve an immediate crisis!
—Sage Art: Water Slash!
Fukasaku, having formed seals, spat a jet of ultra-high-pressure water from his mouth. It sliced through Jiraiya's hair at its base near the shoulders—Snap!!
With a flick of his head, the senjutsu-powered water slash swept horizontally, cleanly slicing through the Susanoo's exposed ribcage!
Observing the smooth cut surface, Sasuke was impressed. No doubt about it. This Sage water technique was far more potent than the Corrosive Current Sasori launched via scrolls.
ROAR…!!!
The black flame vortex exploded, engulfing the Susanoo's remains. Sasuke leapt free just in time!!!
"That Amaterasu is dangerous!" Jiraiya said. "We can't let our guard down!"
"If it's a dōjutsu," Fukasaku strategized, "then try to block his vision. Use Sage Mode perception to seize the initiative. Ma, use that jutsu!!"
"Was thinking the same!"
Shima's webbed hands formed another seal, her cheeks puffing.
—Sage Art: Wind Release: Dust Cloud!!
Whoosh…!!!
A swirling cloud of fine, wind-propelled sand and dust spread through the snowy air, blanketing the area and obscuring all vision!!!
BOOM…!!!
Using Sage Mode perception to lock onto Sasuke's location, Jiraiya charged powerfully into the dust cloud…!!
THUD! THUD! THUD!…!!!
Then… from within the cloud, came the sound of flesh-on-flesh taijutsu collisions!!!
Sasuke was being pushed back.
"So heavy… I never felt this before. The taijutsu of Sage Mode carries such a crushing weight!"
The dust cloud on the crystal ball also hid the true state of the battle from Orochimaru's group.
"They're in a high-speed taijutsu battle," Karin reported, sensing the fight, "and Sasuke's at a disadvantage!"
Orochimaru wasn't surprised. "In his past life, Sasuke-kun's first Sage Mode opponent was Kabuto. And Kabuto's fighting style wasn't taijutsu-focused. By the time Sasuke-kun fought another opponent with Sage power, he had already obtained Six Paths power. Therefore… he lacks a true measure of that raw strength. Such leaps in growth aren't always a good thing. This time, Sasuke-kun must build his foundation steadily…"
THUD! THUD! THUD!…!
In the midst of the close-quarters exchange.
"Hey… feel that, Jiraiya-boy?" Fukasaku muttered.
"Yeah," Jiraiya grunted between blocks and strikes. "Even with his vision blocked, his movements aren't slowing much. It seems under Orochimaru's tutelage, his shinobi fundamentals have been polished to a near-flawless degree!!!"
THWACK—!!!
A powerful kick from Jiraiya sent Sasuke flying…!!!
CRASH—!! Sasuke's back smashed into the mountainside. Rubble tumbled down. The bone-deep, splitting pain… instead sharpened his focus.
"Good. Madara was right," he thought, wiping blood from his lip. "A battle needs your blood boiling… to really be a battle!"
Bringing his hands together in front of his chest…
—Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees!!
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM…!!!
Giant trees erupted horizontally from the mountainside behind him, surging forward and converging. As their flower buds bloomed, releasing clouds of toxic pollen, they swept madly towards Jiraiya…!!!
Jiraiya inhaled a whiff—felt an immediate discomfort. He clapped a hand over his nose and mouth, retreating swiftly with powerful toad-hops!
"It's the First Hokage's Flowering Tree World! The pollen is toxic! Can't get close now…!!!" he coughed.
Shima's voice was cold. "Poison, huh… Then let him taste something even more potent!!!"
Clap!
Her webbed hands formed a seal.
"Woman!!" Fukasaku yelled. "This technique causes extreme environmental damage! The old man strictly forbade its use!!"
"To hell with that geezer!" Shima snapped. "As a housewife, I just want to finish this and get back to preparing delicious bug dishes for the children!!!"
Fukasaku sighed. "Fine… Have it your way. It's a wilderness anyway. Doesn't look like anyone lives around here."
Above the battlefield… the sky suddenly darkened, covered by ominous, murky green clouds.
What followed, descending upon the earth, was a merciless curtain of acid.
—Sage Art: Acid Corrosion Rain!
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