"It looks like we've got some trouble here, Jiraiya!"
Shima glanced at Kakuzu and the several Mask Beasts beside him, her expression serious.
"I don't have confidence winning against them alone. That's why I need assistance from both of you, Sage masters!"
Jiraiya frowned as he looked at Kakuzu, whose monstrous form now breathed heavily. From his mouth, ears, and nostrils, countless black threads, alive like serpents, continuously slithered between Kakuzu and the four Mask Beasts surrounding him.
Kakuzu half-crouched, his body rising and falling with each breath. The four Mask Beasts mimicked him perfectly, breathing in unison, moving in sync.
"Hidan, step aside! Don't interfere with me!"
Kakuzu shot a wary glance toward the two elderly frogs perched on Jiraiya's shoulders.
He had long heard rumors about Jiraiya's deep ties to Mount Myoboku, one of the Three Great Holy Lands—a title given to sacred mountains inhabited by frog sages. Seeing these two imposing elder frogs firsthand only reinforced his realization: this fight would require careful handling—or he risked being defeated badly.
As for Hidan, Kakuzu no longer placed much hope in him. His abilities were both strong and weak in their own way—perhaps useful under certain circumstances—but Kakuzu decided he would rely on his own strength first.
"Then let's do it, Jiraiya!" Shima adjusted her apron, her demeanor turning serious.
"Right. Let's get this done fast—we've got dinner waiting!"
Fukasaku crossed his arms, squinting his eyes. Standing atop Jiraiya's other shoulder, he seemed to merge seamlessly with him.
"Jiraiya, are you going to use Sage Art?" Fukasaku asked softly while observing Kakuzu.
"Not yet. Let's test things a bit more—we're not desperate enough for Sage Mode just yet." Jiraiya felt he hadn't been pushed to that point. He summoned the two Frog Sages mainly because the enemy consisted of two foes he found difficult to handle alone—one of whom was practically immortal.
"Alright! Let's attack together. Let's see if we can finish them off in one move!"
Fukasaku nodded and pressed his hands together in front of his chest. On the other side of Jiraiya's shoulders, Shima mirrored his movements precisely.
Jiraiya lowered his stance, noticing the enemies began to scatter. The silver-haired man combed his hair back and walked aside, picking up what must be his main weapon—a scythe.
Once Hidan retrieved his scythe, he positioned himself about ten meters away from Kakuzu, shouldering his weapon while facing Jiraiya.
Earth Grudge Fear—Kakuzu's cursed technique that allows him to reattach severed body parts and extend his lifespan.
"Hmph! Let's use that technique!"
Recognizing Kakuzu as a formidable opponent, Jiraiya clasped his hands in front of his chest. His mouth started swelling, with noticeable rapid movement from his chest.
[Combined Release: Great Oil-Wind Fireball]
Jiraiya concentrated chakra, feeling intense heat building up inside his throat.
This jutsu was a combined technique performed with the two elder frogs. Its destructive power rivaled many ordinary Sage Arts.
It bore similarities to [Sage Art - Five Elements Great Guardian], which Jiraiya used when in Sage Mode. Both techniques relied on coordination with two Frog Sages.
However, in this case, Jiraiya provided the fire, Fukasaku contributed the oil, and Shima added the wind—a powerful joint technique created by the three of them.
Toad Oil enhances the burning of fire, particularly effective against flames generated through chakra transformation.
Wind also amplifies the power and range of fire, expanding the area it engulfs.
With perfect coordination between one man and two toads, Jiraiya spewed flames while Fukasaku immediately followed with his Toad Oil, ending with Shima's Wind Release to boost its spread and intensity!
Theoretically, this is the most powerful combined ninjutsu technique, not counting kekkei genkai or Sage Mode combinations.
Flames lit up Jiraiya's face and cast a red glow across both Frog Sages' faces.
"So this is what the Sannin are like..." (*the legendary Sannin trio*)
Kakuzu's mouth continuously had threads from Earth Grudge Fear moving in and out, making his voice sound hoarse.
As he watched Jiraiya unleash his jutsu, Kakuzu felt an inner sense of awe.
Jiraiya's attack was overwhelming, completely engulfing dozens of meters in front of Kakuzu.
"But now is also a good chance for me to test my own..."
Kakuzu controlled two Mask Beasts, placing them in front of himself.
These two Mask Beasts each possessed one of his hearts—one capable of Fire Release and the other Wind Release.
[Ninjutsu Fusion - Roaring Flame Tempest]
Hiding behind the two Mask Beasts, Kakuzu formed a seal with both hands.
At the moment he formed the seal, both Mask Beasts simultaneously opened their mouths, chakra beginning to build within their bodies.
Because he had five hearts, each representing a different chakra nature, Kakuzu could use five different elemental techniques.
Moreover, these hearts were taken from powerful ninja, not ordinary ones. That's why the elemental attacks fired by the Mask Beasts were so devastating.
This technique was also a combination, merging two powerful techniques: [Wind Release: Pressure Damage] and [Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique].
As the Mask Beasts unleashed their techniques together, a wide-range attack began to emerge.
Equally blazing, equally devastating!
Two curtains of flame soon met, neither yielding to the other, like bitter enemies locked in fiery combat.
On Jiraiya's side, the flames were more concentrated, enhanced by the presence of oil, giving them a deeper hue. On Kakuzu's side, though the scale seemed comparable, the flames appeared dimmer in comparison.
...
Back at Amegakure Village,
Saitama had returned long ago and remained inside the secret base without leaving.
Only when he first came back did Sasori come seeking him, hoping Saitama would help test a newly crafted [Human Puppet].
This puppet was none other than Roshi, the Four-Tails jinchuriki, whose body had grown exceptionally strong due to once housing a Tailed Beast. Additionally, he had wielded the extremely powerful [Lava Release].
That was precisely what made him valuable in Sasori's eyes—his durable physique allowed for extensive modifications, and his possession of a kekkei genkai increased the likelihood that his new puppet form would inherit that trait.
Such a puppet would be truly formidable—one worthy of Sasori's pursuit.
The puppet experiment seemed fairly successful in Saitama's eyes, though he hadn't seen Sasori's prized "Human Puppet"—the Third Kazekage—so he couldn't judge that puppet's true strength.
As for the puppet created by Roshi, Saitama had personal experience. And considering he had personally defeated Roshi, he figured that Roshi, as a puppet, would be even more troublesome.
Being a puppet meant it was controlled, painless, fearless, and fought without hesitation. The special properties of Lava Release also made it extremely effective in combat.
In the end, after Sasori's puppet experiments concluded, Saitama defeated this puppetized Roshi again, though it still took some effort.
Of course, that was under normal conditions.
"Hey, Zetsu… what brings you here?" Saitama leaned against the balcony rail, gazing at the village with an easygoing expression.
"No reason, just came to check on you," Zetsu replied as he emerged from the ground. White Zetsu added playfully.
"Oh…" Saitama didn't turn around. He reached out, caught a few drops of drizzle in his palm, then flicked them away, watching the tiny droplets scatter downward like falling rain.
"It seems Kakuzu and Hidan are having some trouble. Want to go take a look?"
Mimicking Saitama's relaxed posture, Zetsu leaned against the table inside the room and asked.
"Ah, I'll pass... I just got back. Who did they run into anyway?"
Saitama finally turned around, facing White Zetsu, while also catching sight of Black Zetsu's deep-set solitary eye.
"You probably know him—one of Konoha's Three Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya! This information came from my clone. They're in the River Country, not far from here."
White Zetsu watched Saitama carefully but noticed no significant reaction—apparently Jiraiya wasn't someone who could shake Saitama much.
"Tch, I thought you'd react more dramatically!"
After a long pause, White Zetsu shrugged, a teasing smile on his face.
"Well then, I guess I'll go observe the fight. It might be tough for those two to handle Jiraiya alone. Wonder how things are going now!"
As he spoke, White Zetsu gradually sank into the ground, clearly already heading toward the battlefield.
Since the River Country bordered the Land of Rain, it wasn't far, and at White Zetsu's speed, a round trip wouldn't take long.
"Tch…"
Sensing White Zetsu's presence fade, Saitama gazed outside once more.
"Jiraiya, huh… Hope everything turns out okay. Otherwise, that'd really be a shame."
In his previous life, Saitama deeply admired Jiraiya, believing he truly embodied the honor of a ninja, living it fully until the very end—tragically yet heroically.
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