As Jiraiya's bloodstained right palm made contact with the ground, a strange black magic circle rapidly spread out from his palm. In the next instant, a crisp sound rang out, followed by a huge burst of thick white smoke, as if hundreds of smoke bombs had exploded all at once, completely engulfing Jiraiya's figure. The dense fog concealed everything inside, while the attacks that followed crashed into it blindly, the sound of metal clashing echoing briefly before silence fell once more.
"Did we get him…?"
"Of course we did. So much for one of the so-called Three Legendary Ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village."
"Who would've thought that fool would just stand there and take the hits without even trying to dodge, let alone defend himself. Did he think we of Root are just a bunch of kittens?"
"Hahaha! An assault of this magnitude—hell, even if the First Hokage came back to life, he'd be dead ten times over after something like this! That cocky idiot must've been blown to bits~"
Jiraiya's decision to stand still and take the full brunt of the attack stunned the members of Root, who instinctively assumed he had died from their coordinated barrage. Convinced that the threat was neutralized, they began joking and mocking Jiraiya's "suicidal stupidity" in an effort to flatter Danzo. But unlike his subordinates, Danzo didn't share their optimism. The heavy sense of foreboding in his chest hadn't eased—in fact, it only grew more suffocating.
'No matter how useless that guy might seem, he's one of the few to have survived a battle with Hanzo the Salamander. He wouldn't make such a foolish mistake… Could it have been just a clone?!'
Although the sharp impact sounds were very real, Jiraiya's title as one of the Three Legendary Ninja—personally recognized by Hanzo—was proof of his strength. Even as Danzo sneered outwardly, he couldn't help but raise his guard internally, his gaze locked on the thick white mist before him, ready for anything.
'No matter what, I must kill him here and now… He knows too much. If that damn brat passes intel about the Root base to Hiruzen, it's over!'
"Oh my, oh my… So these are the Root elites you're so proud of? This level of attack wouldn't even tickle my partner. But since you worked so hard, I suppose it's only polite that we return the favor!"
Just as Danzo was about to send his men into the mist to confirm Jiraiya's fate, the voice suddenly boomed out from within the smoke. Jiraiya's voice rang loud and clear—unharmed, unshaken—and it signaled the start of his counterattack!
'Tch, I knew that bastard wouldn't die so easily… But even if he's alive, what can he do now, completely surrounded and alone? What a joke.'
"Everyone! On my command—"
Danzo showed a fleeting moment of regret, but still didn't take Jiraiya's words seriously. Confident in their superior numbers and home-field advantage, he raised his hand to give the order—until a realization struck him. His eyes went wide.
"No! Wait—Disperse—!"
But Danzo's body couldn't move as fast as his thoughts. Before he could finish his sentence, a thick, high-pressure jet of water burst from the mist, shrieking through the air like a drill. The attack spun clockwise as it flew, and though the surrounding Root members were all elite operatives, they had no time to react. The violent torrent knocked many of them off their feet in an instant. While the jet didn't inflict serious injuries, it drenched their bodies in a slick, shiny liquid that shimmered strangely under the light.
'What the hell…? That weak-looking attack… Was I just being paranoid?'
Even Danzo, standing in the rear, couldn't avoid the wide-range assault. He stumbled back a few steps, confused why Jiraiya's counterattack seemed so… underwhelming. As he wiped the viscous fluid from the corner of his eye and brought his fingers to his nose to sniff—
'Wait… This isn't water. It's… oil?!'
"Now, Jiraiya!"
"Haha, nicely done! I'll take care of the rest—burn them all to ash! Fire Style: Toad Oil Flame Bullet!"
The moment Jiraiya's voice sounded again, the Root shinobi—still sprawled on the ground from the earlier water blast—watched in horror as the seemingly harmless jet of water erupted into dazzling fire blossoms.
In the blink of an eye, the "water" became a fan-shaped wall of searing flames. Sparks scattered wildly, tracing the trails the water had left on the ground and forming serpentine tongues of fire. The battlefield, centered around the white mist, transformed into a hellish sea of fire.
"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!"
"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"
"Water Style: Wild Water Wave!"
"Water Style—!"
Root operatives, handpicked by Danzo to be the elite stationed at HQ, were no sitting ducks. Threatened with death, they recovered from the ambush in record time. Recognizing that the main threat was fire-based, they immediately unleashed their strongest water-style jutsu in response—without waiting for Danzo's orders. Some even tried to counterattack directly, boldly turning offense into defense.
The sudden surge of Water Release techniques blanketed the battlefield in a visible layer of mist, as they sought to drown out Jiraiya's flames through sheer elemental superiority.
But just like before—they underestimated Jiraiya, and overestimated themselves.
"My Water Formation Wall… It didn't even last a second?! What the hell?!"
"Argh! My eyes! My eyes! The damn fire isn't going out!"
"Am I hallucinating?! I hit it with Water Dragon Jutsu—and the flames got bigger?!"
"No! No! I don't wanna die! Save me! Lord Danzo, please help me!"
The ninja-crafted water made contact with Jiraiya's flames… and only made things worse. The hidden oil inside the flames detonated violently on impact, turning every defensive move into an accelerant.
Their usual go-to counter against Fire Release completely backfired. Against the combination jutsu from Mount Myoboku, their water techniques only made the blaze even hotter and more ferocious.
What was meant to encircle and trap Jiraiya had now become the perfect setup for him to unleash his Toad Oil Flame Bullet at full force. In just a single exchange, the arrogant Root forces suffered devastating losses—and even Danzo, caught by surprise, was incinerated right before his subordinates' eyes… again.
His combat strength and morale plummeted.
"Damn it… another Sharingan wasted… Jiraiya, you bastard! I'll kill you!"
Having just experienced death for the third time in mere moments, Danzo's withered face twisted in fury. Pale as a corpse, he screamed at the burning white mist where Jiraiya's voice had come from.
"If you leave this place alive, then I swear—I am no longer human!"
"Hahaha… Danzo, are you seriously trying to claim you were ever human to begin with? You'd raise a hand against a child without blinking—you're not even a beast. You're lower than a dog!"
As Danzo revived himself yet again with Izanagi and raged in impotent fury, Jiraiya's mocking laughter echoed from the mist. Slowly, the blazing white fog dissipated under the heat of the inferno, revealing Jiraiya once more—eyes narrowed with fury.
And standing beside him…
Three enormous toads, each as massive as a Tailed Beast.
One bore a shield and spear, quietly guarding Jiraiya: Gamaken.
One had a scar on his face, a cocky grin, and a giant pipe in his mouth: Gamabunta.
One carried twin blades across his back and remained silent and stoic: Gamahiro.
Summoned by a furious Jiraiya… the Toad Trio of Mount Myoboku made their grand entrance.