"That's the old toad from Mount Myōboku... the one from back in the day."
Black Zetsu noticed the slight crease forming between Kaguya's brows and seemed to understand her thoughts.
"Those annoying geezers are just like me. They've always been meddling with the development of the shinobi world from the shadows. I think Hagoromo left them some kind of message... oh right, that old toad is still alive. Ever since Hagoromo left, he's been hiding in that so-called 'Sacred Land' and hasn't dared to show his face."
"There are two other sacred lands. Aside from the Shikkotsu Forest, which we should be slightly cautious of, the rest aren't worth worrying about. The geezers from Mount Myōboku and Ryūchi Cave won't step outside their holes."
He paused thoughtfully.
"But once you return for real, Mother… wiping them out will be easy."
Kaguya's brow twitched again, but her expression quickly returned to its usual blank calm. She simply gave a faint, "Mm," and said nothing else.
"The next section is the Ice Track," Black Zetsu noted. "The surface will be slippery—we might need to slow down a little."
But then he glanced ahead at a disguised White Zetsu who had covertly rigged up a wooden ramp and nodded in satisfaction.
"Looks like we won't have to slow down after all."
...
Meanwhile—
To capture everyone's attention, the loud-mouthed announcer Tobi once again raised his voice theatrically:
"What's that? What's that?!"
Sure enough, the moment Jiraiya appeared alongside three toads—one large, two small—the crowd's attention was instantly yanked away.
Since entering Sage Mode required remaining still, Jiraiya had summoned another toad as a mount to help carry him!
"Foul play! That's a violation! Yellow card! Warning!"
Tobi shouted in mock outrage.
"According to official rules of the Shinobi 4WD Grand Prix—no contestant is allowed to ride a summoning beast to gain an advantage! This is cheating! Get off that toad immediately! 4WD racing must be run by foot and machine! Not frogback!"
"..."
There was a rule like that?
Jiraiya blinked, then glanced down at his toad mount. He sighed in resignation and reluctantly climbed off.
"Little' Jiraiya~" croaked Fukasaku, watching the Iwa and Kumo-nin's 4WDs zip past him with confusion. "What's going on here? Doesn't seem like you're surrounded anymore, eh?"
"I'll explain later, Fukasaku-sama. You too, Shima-sama."
Jiraiya's eyes narrowed as he watched the Kumo and Iwa 4WDs speed by.
"Their target is Tsunade."
A dilemma immediately hit him.
He could release Sage Mode right now and rush in with everything he had—but his 4WD alone probably couldn't stop that many enemies.
Or... he could hold his position, finish gathering natural energy, and then go all in when the time was right.
But…
Tsunade was in danger.
Jiraiya sighed heavily. Just as he was about to cancel Sage Mode and sacrifice his last reserve of strength to protect her...
"Yo yo~"
The Kumo-nin team leader and contestant—the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki—came hopping over, rapping and dancing like it was a concert.
"Feelin' real good, the rhythm is tight,
Wrote a new rhyme, and it's soundin' right!
THANK U, Sannin, standing still,
Three toads left, now there's just two—what's the deal?!
Big dumb toad, slowpoke fool,
Better sit tight while I lay down the rule!"
"What is that? What's going on?"
Tobi's excited voice chimed in again.
"Look at that! The Kumo contestant—his 4WD Eight-Tails is covered in red chakra! What is that? Is this Kumo's hidden weapon?!"
"And what about the Konoha racer? His face looks a little… off. Could it be… he didn't appreciate that dance performance just now?"
"He's falling behind!"
"Toad Sage has now been overtaken by ten other 4WDs! He's still just standing there! What is he waiting for? Is he charging up a secret move? Will he be able to catch up with the rest? And as for Byakugo car—now isolated and being chased—how will she hold her ground alone?"
Tobi sighed dramatically.
"The Konoha team sure knows how to stir things up—
First a one-man brawl, then a fake loss, now frog-riding shenanigans, and now… he's just standing there?! I'm really starting to enjoy these Konoha contestants. Who knows what surprise they'll pull next? Stay tuned—watch it all unfold with me, Tobi~"
"..."
Like I have a choice?!
Jiraiya looked as if he were about to cry. After all that trash talk from Killer B, the guy just ran right past him like he didn't exist and went straight for Tsunade.
Now it wasn't even about whether he wanted to give up or not.
And that red chakra wrapped around Killer B's 4WD… it made his machine blazingly fast. Nothing on the track—no terrain, no obstacles, no rival 4WD—could stand in its way.
"Maybe I should've booked my hospital bed earlier…"
Jiraiya could already see his future clearly:
Once Tsunade's Byakugō car got overwhelmed and smashed off the track, he'd be next on the chopping block.
"I wonder if Kakashi made a reservation already…"
He sighed in frustration, watching the distance widen between him and the others. The two toads on his shoulders looked just as confused as he was.
"Please, Fukasaku-sama, Shima-sama! I... I can't afford to lose!"
Only by completing his transformation into Sage Mode could he hope to challenge the Eight-Tails-enhanced 4WD.
"Got it. I don't know what's happening, but if little Jiraiya's that serious…" Fukasaku nodded solemnly, then turned to his partner. "Looks like we'll have to help out."
"Anything for little Jiraiya. Let's do this."
With that—
Jiraiya closed his eyes. Along with the two toads, he remained perfectly still, focusing on absorbing natural energy as fast as possible.
To protect the vulnerable and helpless Tsunade, he had to succeed.
And in his heart, he couldn't help but imagine—
"Tsunade… you must be terrified right now. Shaking, exhausted… probably praying for me to save you…"
If she offered her body to repay him afterward, well…
He wasn't the kind of sage who just says yes to any offer.
Meanwhile—
"What the hell is that idiot Jiraiya doing now?!"
Tsunade gritted her teeth as she slammed her Byakugō car into another enemy 4WD, sending it flying.
"That guy's always been unreliable!"
He hadn't even been gone long—and the enemies were already catching up.
That bastard up front had gained a huge lead already. If this kept up, she'd never be able to close the gap.
Especially since they'd already wasted so much time earlier on the Hurricane Track. The wind, the insane length—it had been a complete nightmare.
"Bang!"
Another 4WD went flying.
Surrounded on all sides by enemy racers, Tsunade scowled.
"Damn it! You really think I'm that easy to bully?!"
She brushed her fingers over the diamond-shaped seal on her forehead, her voice cold and dangerous.
"Don't force me to use my ultimate move!"