The battlefield where Sōmi's main body fought had shifted dramatically. It was no longer a one-sided pursuit of Fugaku Uchiha by Sōmi. Thanks to Fugaku's Mangekyō Sharingan ability, he had finally found an ally to rely on.
As the countless golden needles controlled by Sōmi, mixed with the sound of pouring rain, covered Fugaku like a downpour—
A white-haired man wearing a Konoha flak jacket suddenly descended from the sky with immense force, stomping the ground so hard that it caved into a large crater.
"Sage Art: Needle Jizō!"
The white-haired man's long hair instantly hardened and extended, forming a white, thorny blanket that enveloped both Fugaku and himself.
Clink! Clink! Clink…
A dense, crisp sound of metal clashing echoed continuously for a while before gradually subsiding.
"Elder Fugaku, are you alright?"
The white-haired man helped the collapsed Fugaku Uchiha to his feet. The once dignified and imposing clan leader now appeared utterly disheveled.
His body was covered in mud and blood, soaked entirely by the rain.
"Ji... Jiraiya, you've finally... made it!"
Fugaku panted heavily, seemingly unsurprised by Jiraiya's arrival.
However, when Fugaku looked up, Jiraiya was taken aback.
Fugaku's eyes were completely bloodshot, as if he hadn't slept for ten days and nights, resembling a severe insomniac.
At first glance, his sclera was entirely gone, replaced by a deep crimson hue.
Below his eyes, streaks of dried blood had formed scabs that even the relentless rain couldn't wash away. It was evident that blood had been flowing continuously while he fled for his life.
The peculiar pattern of his Sharingan faded at Jiraiya's arrival, reverting to ordinary black pupils.
But even his black pupils seemed to have lost focus, appearing dim and lifeless, like someone with extreme nearsightedness who had suddenly lost their glasses.
"Ah!"
Fugaku suddenly groaned in pain, clutching his eyes with both hands.
"Elder Fugaku?!"
Jiraiya asked with concern.
Due to the intervention of the Great Toad Sage, Jiraiya hadn't wandered the world searching for the Child of the Prophecy as he originally might have. The Great Toad Sage had given a precise answer:
The Child of the Prophecy was none other than Minato's son, Naruto. With the Great Toad Sage's guidance, Minato and Kushina had even successfully split the Nine-Tails into Yin and Yang halves, sealing the Yang half into Naruto.
Jiraiya's mission, therefore, became protecting Konoha and mentoring Naruto.
Years ago, the Great Toad Sage's prophecy mentioned another boy of the same age, whose eyes harbored immense power and who would also play a crucial role in the future of the ninja world.
This was why Minato had decided to invest significant effort into winning over the Uchiha clan.
As a result, Jiraiya and Fugaku had occasional interactions and were somewhat familiar with each other.
"Little Jiraiya!"
"We should focus on the enemy in front of us. This guy is nothing like those shadow clones; he won't be easy to deal with!"
An aged voice interrupted Jiraiya. On his way to the battlefield, Jiraiya had encountered Sōmi's shadow clones and had already activated Sage Mode to fight them.
Standing on Jiraiya's shoulder, Fukasaku Sage stared warily at Sōmi, who hovered in the air.
"Indeed! What Pa said is right. Compared to last time, this guy's aura feels even more sinister..."
"And this time, little Minato isn't here to help!"
Shima Sage, perched on the other side, kept her eyes fixed on Sōmi, her expression tense and cautious.
Sōmi, meanwhile, controlled his golden cloud to approach the two sages slowly. His face remained indifferent as he looked down at Jiraiya and the others, exuding the cold, merciless aura of a grim reaper.
In Sōmi's mind, information from his destroyed shadow clones kept flooding in. He had no intention of holding back.
Inside the sealing space—
"Shukaku, are you ready yet?"
Sōmi urged the seated Shukaku impatiently.
"Alright, alright..."
After transferring the gathered Natural Energy to Sōmi, Shukaku's upright posture slumped. It stretched out its short, coiled legs and rubbed them with its hands, resembling a human who had grown stiff from sitting too long.
Its face was filled with resentment but dared not voice any complaints, looking like a wronged spouse.
Whoosh!
Outside, Sōmi's golden-green Senjutsu Chakra surged dramatically.
"His speed and capacity for gathering Senjutsu Chakra are astonishing..."
Fukasaku Sage muttered in awe, his eyes filled with surprise.
Seeing Sōmi's overwhelming aura rise sharply, Jiraiya quickly formed a series of hand seals.
"Summoning: Food Cart Destroyer Technique!"
A massive shadow suddenly loomed over the golden cloud above Sōmi's head. It was a giant toad descending from the sky, aiming to crush Sōmi.
Boom!
Mud, water, and debris erupted as the giant toad created a deep crater upon impact. The toad then vanished in a puff of white smoke.
But Sōmi wasn't at the bottom of the crater; he had clearly evaded the attack.
"There he is!"
Fukasaku Sage's eyes narrowed as he locked onto Sōmi's presence.
"Tongue Lashing Slash!"
Fukasaku infused his Sage Chakra into his elongated tongue, which shot out like a compressed spring, slicing through the air with incredible speed.
A blur of white streaked across the sky, sharp enough to split even the falling raindrops in two.
"Ribbit! Ribbit! Wah! Wah!"
On the other side, Shima Sage began casting a Genjutsu, her croaking sounds creating soundwaves that aimed to disrupt Sōmi's movements.
If Sōmi hesitated for even a moment, Fukasaku's tongue would slice him in half instantly!
"Sage Art: Hair Needle Senbon!"
Jiraiya followed the sages' lead. Crouching low, his hair hardened and stood on end like a spiked carpet before firing toward Sōmi in a storm of needle-like projectiles.
The rain droplets were pierced and shattered by the dense barrage of hair needles, dispersing into misty white vapor.
However, Sōmi's sensory abilities in Sage Mode were extraordinary. Even against the combined assault of Jiraiya and the two sages, he remained composed and agile.
Standing on his golden cloud, Sōmi twisted and turned to avoid Fukasaku's tongue.
As for Jiraiya's Hair Needle Senbon, they were all blocked by a hand resembling Shukaku's, which Sōmi had conjured.
Meanwhile, Shima Sage's Genjutsu—her croaking soundwaves—caused ripples in the air, but Sōmi seemed entirely unaffected.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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