(゜ロ゜).
Fukasaku and Shima were completely dumbfounded.
Ryou used the simplest and crudest method to break Mount Myōboku's strongest genjutsu. The trigger mechanism for the Toad Song of Death relies entirely on auditory perception.
This technique is ineffective against the deaf, just as the Sharingan is ineffective against the blind.
There is no such thing as a perfect technique in this world; as long as it is a technique, it has a weakness.
Jiraiya was surprised: "Ryou, don't you know how important your ears are? You'll be deaf from now on!"
"What?! What did you say, Jiraiya?"
Ryou saw Jiraiya's mouth moving, but his current world was one of silence; he couldn't hear anything.
"Ryou, your Sage's %*&..."
Jiraiya seized the opportunity to curse Ryou's ancestors eight generations back. Ryou read his lips and understood that Jiraiya was greeting his Sages.
He couldn't tolerate it right there and then. He clasped his hands together to form a hand seal, specifically the Serpent Seal.
Jiraiya's pupils contracted. Jiraiya had seen this seal before; Madara had also used it
This is... a Wood Release seal!
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
Ryou used his own Chakra as the source of life, and the ground where Gamaken and Gamahiro stood immediately erupted with countless thick trees and tangled roots.
A dense forest covering several hundred meters instantly formed on the spot. The trees pierced through rocks and soil, even splitting mountains, completely changing the battlefield terrain.
"No matter how many times I see it, I still think Wood Release is the strongest Kekkei Genkai in the Ninja World!"
The Ninja of Kusagakure and Amegakure clicked their tongues in wonder, all feeling proud of Ryou's world-changing power.
This was their General. The stronger Ryou was, the more promising they felt their future was by following him.
Tsunade's expression was grim: "Damn it, why would the ultimate Ninjutsu of our Senju Clan be learned by someone from the Uchiha Clan?"
The most frustrating thing in the world is being defeated in your own specialty by someone from a different field.
For example, a Go master playing Go against a Chess master, and the Go master loses at Go to the Chess player.
This makes the things they pride themselves on seem insignificant in the eyes of others, and all their efforts merely serve as a backdrop for a genius.
Those outside might only perceive the rapid growth of the trees and the dramatic change in terrain.
But those inside were miserable.
As long as they were touched by the trees or roots, their Chakra would be rapidly absorbed.
Gamaken and Gamahiro felt like they were back on that day when Madara used Wood Release; their immense size made it impossible to dodge such a large-scale Ninjutsu attack.
Nothing had changed.
No, it had changed. Back then, Ryou was watching the fight, but now Madara had stepped back, and it was his turn to show off.
Fukasaku shouted, "Little Ken, Little Hiro! Go back!"
Gamahiro was somewhat unwilling: "Damn it, Wood Release again! How did the Uchiha, of all the evil people, manage to learn the Senju Clan's technique?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Gamahiro dispelled the Summoning Jutsu and returned to Mount Myōboku.
Gamaken looked embarrassed: "Sorry, Jiraiya, I couldn't help again!"
In countless past battles, Gamaken always claimed to be clumsy, but every fight he appeared in helped Jiraiya.
But when facing enemies like Madara and Ryou, even top-tier Summoned Beasts like them were useless.
After Gamaken was summoned back to Mount Myōboku, Jiraiya, Fukasaku, and Shima had to directly withstand Deep Forest Emergence.
Ryou controlled the forest from the outside, manipulating the trunks, branches, and roots to simultaneously grab Jiraiya.
Piercing, binding, striking.
Jiraiya had zero margin for error; if he was caught by the trees, he would be completely drained.
This is a domain-type Ninjutsu, which only Titled Combat Ninja can learn.
Shima reminded Jiraiya: "Little Jiraiya, just like that day, use Goemon!"
"Alright!"
"Senjutsu: Goemon!"
Jiraiya, Fukasaku, and Shima, acting as a three-in-one unit, unleashed the strongest combination Senjutsu—Goemon!
As the roaring Sage Fire burned, the green world instantly turned fiery red, and everything was engulfed in flames.
Conventional fire cannot deal with Hashirama's Wood Release, but fire enhanced with Senjutsu, Sage Oil, and Sage Wind can.
Wood Release could not withstand this kind of fire.
Just as Jiraiya escaped the domain-type Ninjutsu, Deep Forest Emergence, Ryou charged over, using Fire Release.
"Jiraiya! Let me borrow your fire!"
"Fire Release: Demon Lantern!"
What Ryou borrowed was not the Sage Fire—he couldn't borrow fire of the Senjutsu level—he borrowed the massive blaze Jiraiya had used to ignite the forest.
Under Ryou's guidance, balls of flame formed Demon Lanterns shaped like Hannya Fierce Demons—hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of them.
The entire world became an ocean of fire.
Ryou released his hand, and tens of thousands of Demon Lanterns exploded toward Jiraiya's location.
"Jiraiya, the Uchiha Clan is the Clan of Fire! When it comes to manipulating fire, we Uchiha are the experts!"
Ryūzetsu grasped Chizu's hand in surprise: "Sensei, that's the Secret Technique Demon Lantern of our 'Grass Flower'!"
Chizu nodded. Ryou's move was a Secret Technique of Kusagakure.
In their hands, summoning 20 Demon Lanterns was considered mastery.
But in Ryou's hands, there were tens of thousands.
The Uchiha Clan truly is a clan favored by heaven.
Boom boom boom—
The Demon Lanterns were like Exploding Tags, launching a suicidal explosion attack against Jiraiya.
Jiraiya's Needle Jizō defense simply could not handle this large-scale explosion attack.
Boom—!!!
The battlefield was filled with rumbling sounds, and after the boom boom boom explosions of the Demon Lanterns subsided, the scene was utterly devastated.
"Jiraiya..."
Tsunade tightly clenched her fists, her eyes filled with worry.
Nagato and Konan tried countless times to rush into the field.
But a group of Ninja Cats silently surrounded them.
Leading them were Candy and Snowy. Fish Ball had also summoned his Salamander, and they watched Nagato and Konan menacingly.
"Is the battle over?"
Ryūzetsu asked her teacher.
Chizu watched the battlefield seriously. She didn't know Jiraiya's status. What could possibly block such a large-scale explosion Ninjutsu?
As the smoke cleared, there was nothing left where Jiraiya had been.
He had been blasted into nothingness!
No, a disturbance suddenly appeared on Magatsu Lake. A green toad was floating on the surface, and immediately afterward, an arm extended from the toad's mouth.
Jiraiya and the two Toad Sages were slowly regurgitated from the small belly of the green toad.
In an instant, Jiraiya was suspended above the lake surface, without a single trace of injury from the Demon Lantern explosion.