"There's no other choice then!" Jiraiya looked at the group of White Zetsu Clones blocking their path, slowly separating his hands and stopping the gathering of Natural Energy.
If he could rapidly collect natural energy and quickly enter [Sage Mode], the enemies would definitely have nowhere to run.
Unfortunately though, the senjutsu he mastered wasn't perfect, making its activation quite slow.
In normal state, with enemies determined to retreat, numerical superiority, and the last arriving enemy's strength and abilities unknown, Jiraiya couldn't really hold them all back.
"Forget it!" Jiraiya shifted his gaze from Kakuzu and Hidan who had already turned to leave, landing instead on that group of strange white clones.
If he remembered correctly, the man wrapped in plant-like Zetsu had half his body looking like this white color. But why were the clones he released only one color?
Jiraiya frowned, staring at the enemy while stepping forward slowly.
These strange clones appeared very different from the ones White Zetsu typically used—not directly formed from chakra.
Of course, Jiraiya noticed that these white clones were made from the sticky white substances that had oozed up from underground, shaped as if molded from clay.
Although for White Zetsu, these White Zetsu Clones were inferior replicas, actually containing some of White Zetsu's consciousness, they were still much better than those created directly from the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path—after all, at least they could think and speak.
"Man, we s'posed to block Jiraiya and them frogs?"
One of the White Zetsu Clones, watching Jiraiya walking over slowly, crouched down cautiously, taking a defensive stance.
"The original body gave us the task to block him! Let's go together!"
"Good! I've always wanted to test just how strong the Sannin really are!"
...
One after another, the White Zetsu Clones babbled endlessly like ignorant country bumpkins about Jiraiya and their mission.
"Funny!" Observing the enemy clones, Jiraiya felt surprised again—each clone seemed to have its own unique consciousness. Though strange, such awareness shouldn't exist within clones.
He picked up his pace, eyes fixed on those chattering clones who were still discussing how best to handle him.
Clones were supposed to be pieces of the original's consciousness. If even the clones were this weird, who knows what the original was like?
Doubt flickered across Jiraiya's mind, but his movements didn't slow; if anything, his forcefulness increased slightly.
Never let your guard down—that was Jiraiya's consistent ninja principle, even when facing bizarre opponents or enemies seemingly weak and utterly powerless...
When he was just under five meters away from the White Zetsu Clones, Jiraiya suddenly pushed off with both legs, leaping up like lightning toward the enemy.
Swish! He kicked the closest White Zetsu Clone—the sensation clearly confirming these clones indeed differed.
At least by touch, they weren't chakra constructs, instead feeling more tangible.
Boom!
A White Zetsu Clone transformed into a cannonball, crashing backward while simultaneously creating another cluster of clones.
Without hesitation, Jiraiya continued his assault. The two frogs perched on his shoulders also leaped forward, continuously bouncing across the clones, pinning them down and cutting off their escape.
...
These White Zetsu Clones didn't pose much trouble for Jiraiya and the Frog Sages. The only issue was that they couldn't feel pain. Even if Jiraiya or one of the Frog Sages punched a hole straight through their stomachs, they still kept advancing.
Only when striking their weak points could they instantly disable them.
Springing up on one leg, Jiraiya twisted midair, swinging his free leg in a powerful arc and caving in the skull of the last remaining White Zetsu Clone. Only then did this battle finally end.
"Phew! You both alright?" Jiraiya scanned the area and noticed there were actually dozens of fallen White Zetsu Clones lying on the ground.
"Still okay, just a little tired. Been too long since I've had a good workout!"
Fukasaku squatted atop one of the White Zetsu bodies, panting heavily, beads of sweat clearly visible all over his face and forehead.
Shima was just as worn out. Panting heavily, she leaned against Fukasaku with her tongue hanging out, fanning herself with her paws to cool down.
"These clones definitely seem strange!" Jiraiya stared at the fallen White Zetsu Clones once more.
Their [Clone Jutsu], whether it be [Elemental Release Clone] or [Shadow Clone], would typically vanish instantly upon being attacked.
But these clones didn't disappear right away; they remained intact.
"I should keep some of them for research—I can't shake the feeling that something is off about these things!"
Although the clones didn't vanish immediately, they were beginning to melt away, returning gradually into the viscous substance Jiraiya had seen before.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a scroll, approaching a relatively undamaged White Zetsu Clone. He crouched down slowly and began unrolling the parchment.
This was a sealing scroll, capable of containing inanimate objects inside. In his former life, Jiraiya had used similar scrolls to seal away [Amaterasu], which came from Itachi Uchiha.
"Little Jiraiya, looks like someone else is coming!"
Fukasaku narrowed his eyes. Though physically fatigued, he hadn't let his guard down even slightly.
He had seen firsthand the abilities of that final enemy—they could move effortlessly underground without being noticed.
"Hmm!" Jiraiya continued what he was doing. After spreading the scroll open, he first carefully observed the condition of the clone. Then, chakra markings appeared on his right palm as he pressed it directly onto the scroll.
Instantly, black patterns spread outward—from the scroll toward the White Zetsu Clone, wrapping around it. With a flash of white smoke, the clone vanished from the ground.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! As soon as the sealing completed, five figures landed not far away on stone slabs. At the front was Kakashi—the one responsible for hunting down members of the Akatsuki Organization this time.
Kakashi immediately spotted the puddles of white goo scattered across the battlefield when Tu Yi landed. Some vague humanoid outlines could still be recognized.
Inside the white viscous substance were three figures—one large, two small.
The large one was very familiar. He was the teacher of his own teacher—practically his martial arts master. He was one of Konoha's Three Legendary Sannin—Jiraiya-sama himself.
The people behind Kakashi weren't all that familiar with Jiraiya. They'd heard of him, but probably hadn't seen him in person. So they stood behind Kakashi, staying alert and motionless.
"Kakashi, that person…" Kurenai stepped closer to Kakashi, whispering. She had a vague memory of Jiraiya—from a distant glimpse she'd had when she was very young—but wasn't sure if it was really him.
"Mm." Kakashi understood what she meant. He nodded directly—he recognized Jiraiya immediately.
After speaking, Kakashi stepped forward toward them.
"Jiraiya-sama!" As he approached, Kakashi called out while glancing sideways at the two frogs standing nearby, nodding respectfully.
As Minato's student, although he had signed the Summoning Contract with Mount Myōboku himself, he knew these boss summons were frogs. These two seemed especially extraordinary, so he showed them respect.
Jiraiya snapped back to attention, rolled up the scroll, tucked it into his robe, and then responded to Kakashi. "It's you, Kakashi!"
"Mm, did you run into enemies, Jiraiya-sama?"
Kakashi scanned the wreckage around him, seeing the marks left by various jutsu on the ground—clear signs of an intense battle.
"Yeah, I encountered some members of that mysterious organization. What are you guys doing out here?"
Jiraiya nodded, but didn't know about Kakashi's team's mission outside the village since he hadn't returned for quite a while.
Normally, he only learned about the developments in the village through intermittent letters from Minato. He had assumed Kakashi and the others merely passed by coincidentally.
"This time, I've been ordered by my teacher to search this area for traces left by Saitama Uchiha's organization. Just now Pakkun sensed something happening over here, so we came to check it out."
Kakashi immediately realized which organization Jiraiya meant and briefly explained his own mission.
"Oh? You're searching for Akatsuki too?"
Jiraiya paused, looking at Kakashi and the other three figures plus a dog approaching from the side.
"Yes! So the organization where Saitama is located is called Akatsuki? There are also people from two other ninja villages around here, but they haven't come close yet!"
Kakashi nodded calmly. They had no prior knowledge of the name of Saitama's organization—they were hearing it for the first time from Jiraiya.
"The enemies are strong. They've already left—you won't gain any useful intelligence by staying here! You should return to the village first! It'll be convenient for us to travel together!"
Jiraiya thought for a moment. Kakashi was still quite young. And though his strength was top-tier among his generation, against Akatsuki members, he likely stood no chance.
"They've already left…" Kakashi glanced at the white goo on the ground, considering Jiraiya's suggestion carefully.
"I've gathered some intelligence on the organization too. Let's discuss it in detail with Minato when we return!"
Jiraiya lightly patted Kakashi's shoulder, speaking in a relatively relaxed tone.
Although they hadn't managed to capture any enemies this time, he had obtained some useful information.
And the Black Threads and the Clone sealed inside the Sealing Scroll might provide much valuable intelligence if examined by Konoha's Analytical Unit and Intelligence Division.
"Alright, let's talk to the ninjas from other villages first, then return to the village together with Jiraiya-sama!"
Kakashi thought for a moment before replying to Jiraiya.
They'd already wasted enough time here—even he himself was tired of the situation.
Without any useful intel or clues, continuing to linger here was indeed pointless.
"Yeah."
Jiraiya nodded, narrowing his eyes as he gazed toward the direction where Kakuzu and Hidan had disappeared.
"That way... should be the Land of Rain..."
Something came to mind, and suddenly three figures surfaced in Jiraiya's thoughts.
"I wonder how they're doing now. Looks like I need to pay them a visit sometime soon! Members of Akatsuki [[Akatsuki]] seem to be hiding there too..."
Though thinking this silently to himself, Jiraiya knew that right now, returning to the village was the most urgent matter. There were things he needed to find out.
Besides, it had been quite a while since his last visit—he felt a twinge of longing.
...
"Tch! Makes no sense why Zetsu didn't dare attack! Damn it, I haven't run away like this in years!"
Leaping between tree trunks, Hidan kept his feet moving just as his mouth wouldn't stop running.
"Quiet for a bit. Zetsu must have his reasons. Besides, facing one of the Sannin—Jiraiya—we probably wouldn't stand a chance even if all of us teamed up against him!"
Kakuzu replied with a frown, his expression even darker than Hidan's.
From start to finish during their fight with Jiraiya, he had been suppressed, and in the end, he'd lost one of his earth-element hearts—a heavy loss indeed.
"So what if he's a Sannin? Next time I meet him, I'll definitely offer him to Lord Jashin!"
Hidan spat out resentfully, increasing the force in each step, stomping heavily on the tree trunks until they creaked.
As a devoted follower of Jashin, fear and retreat had no place in his ninja code. This experience today left him feeling deeply humiliated.
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