"It's nothing, just a minor injury!"
Jiraiya grabbed the black threads he had yanked from his arm moments ago.
These were products of [Earth Grudge Fear]. Though separated from Kakuzu's main body, they still writhed as if alive.
Luckily, after some time—and perhaps due to being away from their host for too long—they lost their vitality and stopped moving altogether.
Rather than discarding them carelessly, Jiraiya casually tucked the threads into his robe. They still held research value.
"Heh! No wonder Kakuzu feared this ninja—he's actually this strong!"
Hidan approached Kakuzu slowly, his scythe resting over his shoulder, idly continuing to speak.
His tone was relaxed, showing no emotion at all despite having just lost a teammate. As he talked, he didn't even glance at Kakuzu, who knelt on the ground.
"That guy..." Instantly, Jiraiya sensed subtle mockery in Hidan's voice, heightening his alertness further.
Earlier, when he thought he had landed a killing blow against Hidan, Kakuzu had also shown that same indifferent attitude.
"Could it be..." Jiraiya narrowed his eyes toward Kakuzu, now half-kneeling with both palms pressed against the ground, blood steadily flowing from his mouth.
Boom! The stone tiles beneath Jiraiya's feet shattered open again. An arm shot out from below, aiming straight for Jiraiya's neck.
Whoosh! He sprang upward, twisting midair to dodge the enemy's attack while confusion surged within him once more.
"This guy named Kakuzu...is he also..."
Still airborne, Jiraiya's mind raced. The two men he had encountered today both had terrifying abilities—if you kill them once, they just won't stay dead!
Thud! Supporting himself with one hand on the ground, Jiraiya landed in a crouch, slightly lifting his head to observe the two opponents.
"[Heh...heh!]"
Kakuzu similarly raised his head, his green eyes betraying clear signs of pain.
Four Mask Beasts stood around him, linked by dark threads stretching back to Kakuzu.
"Are those monsters the reason..." Jiraiya did not act immediately. He was watching Kakuzu's transformation closely.
This was the moment to gather intel. Observing every move, pinpointing weaknesses—thoughtful analysis would expose their tricks before they even got a chance to use them.
"Honey, that guy feels seriously off!" Shima clung tightly to Jiraiya's shoulder, frowning. As a ninja beast and an animal, she naturally possessed sharp instincts.
Puchi! The black threads of [Earth Grudge Fear] connected the Mask Beasts to Kakuzu, seemingly transferring power into him.
As the heart shifted, Kakuzu slowly regained his footing, as if unbothered by what had just occurred.
Meanwhile, one of the Mask Beasts beside him, no longer supported by power, unraveled into scattered strands, merging into the remaining ones—leaving only an empty mask behind.
"One of the Sannin really isn't someone to underestimate!"
"Fukasaku narrowed his eyes, feeling like he had discovered a key point."
"Just now I used [Rasengan] and pulverized his heart directly. Right after that, one Mask Beast died as well. So we can boldly guess: does an increase in the number of monsters equal an increase to his life count?"
Although Jiraiya always existed under Sarutobi's command as a foolish student, it didn't mean he was genuinely stupid.
He wasn't nearly as brilliant or wild as Orochimaru.
Jiraiya's characteristics were diligence and steadiness. He didn't rely on flashy moves—he learned things the hard way, step by step.
In combat, sharp observation and ample patience allowed him to quickly grasp enemy information.
"We need to test further!" Jiraiya displayed a certain depth in his gaze while tightening his lips.
"You two frogs, get ready! I need to confirm my previous hypothesis!"
Jiraiya stomped fiercely onto the ground, causing the floor to tremble slightly. He wanted to try killing Kakuzu again, to see whether the latter truly shared lives with those monsters as suspected.
"Prepare to retreat. This guy hasn't used all his strength yet!"
Though Kakuzu appeared powerful and ready for a fight, secretly he was speaking to Hidan.
It wasn't that he was unwilling to fight—it was just he thought it wasn't worth it. Both of them clearly couldn't rival Jiraiya. From Jiraiya's manner, it seemed he still had hidden trump cards.
So far throughout the battle, the rhythm had been controlled entirely by Jiraiya, so he was handling things quite easily.
"Tsk, offering such a strong man as sacrifice will surely please Jashin! I'll repay all the pain he gave me times ten!"
Hidan reluctantly slammed his weapon down on the ground, creating a loud clang against the stone floor.
"Then go ahead and sacrifice yourself along with Jashin!"
Kakuzu coldly replied. The mass tightly adhered to his back started churning, then seeped into his body through gaps between his limbs.
His body momentarily swelled, then rapidly contracted, suppressing everything inside.
The moment was done. Kakuzu stood tall once more, turning to face Jiraiya.
"Trying to run away, huh…" Jiraiya read between the lines of Kakuzu's moves but still hadn't confirmed whether he truly intended to withdraw. Perhaps recalling these creatures was part of a strategy to consolidate dispersed strength, gathering scattered power back into himself to enhance overall might?
Zrraa! Just as he started to push forward, Jiraiya suddenly picked up a strange chakra fluctuation through his sensor sense—and it was moving fast beneath the ground.
"What is this…" Shima and Fukasaku, the two frogs, also sensed it at the same time—and something about it felt strangely familiar.
As elder Frogs who had lived for centuries, they had seen many things and witnessed countless wonders. The chakra fluctuations of someone like White Zetsu indeed gave them a sense of familiarity, even if they had never actually encountered him before.
"I hope I'm not interrupting... If it's inconvenient, I can choose to leave..."
Baijue's playful voice rang out as he slowly emerged from not far away from Kakuzu.
Zzzz! A figure wrapped in green Nepenthes gradually appeared—Zetsu himself.
Jiraiya narrowed his eyes, halted the movement he was preparing, and became alert once more.
This newly arrived person also wore that black cloak adorned with red clouds. His appearance was strange too—a half yin-yang face combined with plant-like features. Clearly, he was no easy opponent.
"Jiraiya, another one has arrived. Now we're outnumbered three to one!"
Fukasaku frowned, watching the new enemy step onto the scene, his blue face filled with solemnity.
"It's you, Zetsu!" Kakuzu recognized the newcomer and briefly allowed a hint of concealed joy to show on his face.
Among everyone in Akatsuki, Zetsu was one of the top three individuals whose abilities Kakuzu couldn't fully grasp.
Now that Zetsu had appeared, Kakuzu sensed an opportunity to stay and defeat Jiraiya—but only if Zetsu would unleash his true power.
Although Kakuzu never truly understood the specifics of Zetsu's abilities, he always believed that Zetsu was holding back his strength.
Because even before Kakuzu had joined Akatsuki, Zetsu had already been a trusted member of the group. Even Saitama held him in high regard.
"Nyah, Kakuzu, Hidan!"
From within the carnivorous plants, White Zetsu narrowed his eyes toward both Kakuzu and Hidan, his single eye gleaming oddly. Black Zetsu remained silent as usual.
Of course, others saw Black Zetsu merely as Zetsu's second personality; remaining quiet wasn't unusual.
"Heh heh, looks like it's getting fun now! We've got three on our side, and they've got three too—perfect timing for my rituals!"
Hidan glanced at Zetsu, then shifted his gaze toward Jiraiya and noticed a subtle shift in his expression.
"Jiraiya, looks like we've got ourselves some real trouble now!"
Fukasaku anxiously rubbed his white beard.
"Yeah, comrades. Give me some time—I'm going to use [That Technique]!"
The moment the third enemy appeared, Jiraiya immediately changed his strategy.
He couldn't afford to keep probing cautiously anymore. This sudden opponent gave him an extremely eerie feeling.
"So this is Konoha's Jiraiya, huh? He really does look like a tough one to crack!"
White Zetsu stared at Jiraiya while detaching his body completely from the ground, moving closer to Kakuzu. His tone carried mock fear along with exaggerated gestures.
"Kakuzu, prepare to retreat! It's not the right time to strike yet!"
Approaching Kakuzu, White Zetsu lowered his voice and whispered to the two of them.
"What? No way! We're three too, aren't we? What do we have to fear?"
Hidan, hearing Zetsu's words, felt dissatisfied, loudly protested, and raised his weapon horizontally, pointing straight at Jiraiya.
"No, they aren't just three—more are about to arrive soon!"
White Zetsu had an extensive sensory range. As it approached, it detected a group of chakra signatures heading in this direction. Based on recently gathered intelligence, they should be ninjas from Konoha.
"Other shinobi from rival villages are searching around here for the ruins left behind by Saitama and his group. They're already on their way!" White Zetsu shrugged as it explained.
"I'm fine about leaving, but what about you two..." The implication in White Zetsu's words was obvious. Even Hidan stopped his constant chatter.
"Then we'll let this guy go this time! Too bad we couldn't get his blood..."
Hidan's eyes burned with malice as he looked toward Jiraiya, who stood there with hands clasped solemnly, and the two frogs watching warily from the front.
"All right, let's withdraw first!" Kakuzu nodded. Fighting someone like Jiraiya really did put pressure on him.
Since Zetsu didn't want to fight, he had no intention of staying either.
Actually, avoiding a fight with Jiraiya made him quite happy. He wasn't like Hidan—a brainless fool who charged in blindly.
"Yeah! I'll cover our retreat!" White Zetsu squatted down and pressed his hand against the ground.
"Okay!" Kakuzu and Hidan exchanged glances before nodding.
"Go straight west back to the Secret Base!" White Zetsu reminded them one last time as he lifted his head.
As he kept his palm on the ground, numerous white sticky substances emerged. More things continued rising from cracks between the stone slabs.
Soon, those viscous substances continuously merged and transformed, becoming many White Zetsu clones.
These clones looked exactly like White Zetsu himself—pale skin, aqua-green hair, and sharp teeth.
However, they were just clones created through White Zetsu's [Spore Technique], inferior copies lacking White Zetsu's independent spirit and personality. Only fragments of White Zetsu's consciousness resided within these clones.
"Just stop them!" White Zetsu said slowly while gradually sinking into the ground.
Seeing White Zetsu's clones appear, Kakuzu and Hidan immediately turned around and dashed backward.
"Jiraiya, they're making a run for it!" Fukasaku leaned close and whispered into Jiraiya's ear.
"Can we hold them here?" Naturally, Jiraiya had noticed, but with his hands still joined in meditation to gather Natural Energy, he couldn't spare strength for battle.
Glancing at the swarm of White Zetsus ahead, Fukasaku swallowed hard before speaking:
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