"Hmph, one of the Legendary Sannin of the Hidden Leaf Village? Just someone who can't accept his own defeat…"
Danzo Shimura originally intended to mock Jiraiya for stubbornly refusing to admit he'd lost the exchange, but when he noticed the direction Jiraiya's gaze was fixed upon, his expression suddenly shifted drastically. He quickly turned his head to confirm his suspicion—only to catch sight of Gamaken charging headlong into the Root encirclement, tearing through enemy ranks with ease and overwhelming force.
Danzo's face, which had only just begun to calm, turned dark again in an instant.
'So that's it… Your goal all along was simply to protect that little brat? You're quite something, Jiraiya!'
"Oh ho? You finally realized it? Looks like you have at least a tiny bit of brain in that head of yours… Let me see… yeah, about the size of a soybean."
Jiraiya chuckled, "Hey, don't look so offended. That's already me being generous, just for the sake of your friendship with the old man. I can't possibly give you more than that! Hahaha!"
Now that the plan had gone far better than expected, Jiraiya—already drained of chakra—felt a massive weight lift from his shoulders. He was more than happy to exchange barbs with Danzo to buy more time. As he tossed his head back, laughing to further distract him, he used the motion to pop a Ration Pill hidden in his palm into his mouth to aid his chakra recovery. At the same time, he discreetly sent a signal only noticeable between summoners and their Mount Myoboku toads, warning Gamaken not to drag out the fight and to retrieve Naruto immediately and regroup with Gamabunta.
"You know, your Root organization actually has some skill…
Too bad you've got a complete idiot of a leader dragging everyone down. What a shame~ Poor you~"
But as fate would have it, just as Jiraiya finished speaking, Naruto—who had previously gone berserk and charged straight into the Root encirclement—began to falter. The crimson Tailed Beast Chakra Cloak around his body noticeably dimmed, and he stumbled forward before collapsing to the ground. He appeared to have fallen into a deep coma, unmoving.
Though his survival was uncertain and cause for worry, in this moment, his sudden collapse unintentionally solved a major problem: a rampaging Naruto couldn't distinguish between friend and foe. His sudden loss of consciousness actually made Gamaken's rescue mission much easier.
Jiraiya had summoned the three greatest battle toads of Mount Myoboku—Gamabunta, Gamaken, and Gamahiro—not just to intimidate Danzo and turn the tide, but to be prepared for any scenario that might arise from Naruto's Tailed Beast Chakra going berserk. Now that Naruto had collapsed on his own, it spared them considerable effort. It was far beyond what Jiraiya had expected—but a welcome surprise.
Of course, Naruto's sudden unconsciousness didn't just benefit Jiraiya. For Danzo, who was being increasingly pressured and driven into a corner, it presented a rare opportunity to reclaim the most crucial bargaining chip—Naruto.
'The Nine-Tails' chakra is fading… Has the rampage finally ended? Collapsing at a time like this… Hah, heaven is on my side!'
Though Danzo had lost three Sharingan and could no longer fully control the Nine-Tails, as long as he could seize Naruto again, he believed victory was still within reach.
'Fool me once, shame on you… but I've learned my lesson. Even after repeated failures, I won't make the same mistake again.'
As pressure mounted, the cunning old fox regained his composure. His eyes briefly glanced at the Sharingan embedded in his right arm, and his confidence returned. He calmly gave an order:
"Prepare Swamp of the Underworld! Don't let that toad get anywhere near my Nine-Tails!"
'That old bastard… he's surprisingly quick on the uptake this time.'
Jiraiya's expression darkened the moment he heard Danzo's order. As a user of both Earth and Fire Style, he was very familiar with Swamp of the Underworld, a technique that transforms the earth beneath the enemy into a powerful swamp to restrict their movement. While designed for human-sized targets and individually ineffective against someone as massive as Gamaken, sheer numbers could compensate. If all the surviving Root members cast it at once, it might just trap even a giant toad.
'I can't let them get to Naruto again! Bunta! Hiro!'
"Hah! You think you need to tell me that, you idiot Jiraiya? As the boss, how could I just sit back and watch someone make a move on my little brother?"
Before Jiraiya could even relay his instructions, Gamabunta and Gamahiro had already acted. Having overheard Danzo's plan, the two massive toads exchanged a knowing glance and moved with startling agility, bounding left and right to flank the Root members preparing the technique.
Each drew their massive blades and, with power built up over years of battle, slashed outward in a sweeping arc.
"Out of the way, pests—die!"
The glint of their blades flashed cold and fast—accompanied by a blood-curdling scream. In a blink, nearly half the ninjas preparing the jutsu were cleaved in two. Blood gushed across the earth, and gore poured from torn bodies, spilling bones and entrails for all to see. None survived.
This was the signature technique of Gamabunta and Gamahiro: Toad Sword Beheading. Even without chakra enhancement, their sheer size and strength made their strikes deadly beyond comparison. Not even other Summoned Beasts of equal size dared take a hit head-on.
"Whew… made it in time," Jiraiya exhaled in relief.
"Hah! You thought you could take him right under my nose? You really think your Root is something, you senile bastard?"
From the moment his summoned beasts acted to the scene where the Root members fell in pieces—unable to even form a threatening jutsu—Jiraiya's heart finally settled. Watching Gamaken carefully cradle Naruto and return to regroup, he noticed Naruto's lips twitch faintly, a clear sign he was still alive. Jiraiya's smile widened.
Hands on hips, he turned to mock Danzo, who was now within reach.
"More than half your subordinates are dead. Your trump card—Naruto—is safe in my hands. At this point, you're completely finished. What can you possibly use to fight me now?"
"If you surrender while I'm still in a good mood, I might even let you die with a shred of dignity."
Just as Jiraiya said, the combined might of the Toad Trio and the Tailed Beast Cloak–enhanced Naruto had decimated Root's forces. And now that Naruto was safely out of Danzo's reach, the battle seemed all but over…
"Oh? Is that so?"
Yet, just as Gamaken gently set the unconscious Naruto beside Gamabunta—close to Jiraiya—Danzo, who had been silent and expressionless, suddenly smiled. A sly, sinister grin.
"Well then… my dear child… now is the time. Do it."
"Hah? Danzo, don't tell me your brain is even smaller than a soybean now? Even at this stage, you're still—wha—?!"
Jiraiya's arrogant sneer hadn't even finished when he was interrupted by a muffled groan of pain. His eyes widened as he slowly looked down—only to see a chubby, blood-soaked, crimson-cloaked little hand piercing straight through his body.
"N-Naruto… you…!"