Chapter 218: The Toad Sage's Gambit 1
The last of the white smoke curled away, dissipating into the charged air. Where the monstrous, eight-tailed beast had stood, now only Naruto remained. He stood tall upon the tangled wooden vines of the decimated forest, his expression clear and resolute. The feral confusion that had clouded his features was gone, replaced by a hard-won, somber clarity.
"So, you've returned to us," Ren observed, his voice a low, unimpressed monotone. "The Fourth Hokage's ghost finally did his duty. But look at you, Naruto. You stand there empty-handed. No Sage Mode to grant you power, no Tailed Beast cloak to grant you fury. You are a vessel drained of its contents. What delusion makes you believe you can still stand in my way?"
Naruto met Ren's gaze, his blue eyes holding a pain that was profoundly human. "Do you really think you're the only one who understands hatred? That your pain is special?" he asked, his voice steady. "You can't understand someone just by sharing their pain. And even if you do understand… that doesn't always mean you can connect. That's the truth!" He thought of Sasuke, of the futile chase that had defined so much of his life. "Forget it. Talking is useless now. Words won't change anything. If you're determined to walk this path, then I have to stop you, right here."
Ren let out a short, derisive laugh. "Stop me? With what? That imperfect Rasenshuriken you've been struggling to master? Without Sage Mode, you can only use it, what, twice? And you have to get dangerously close for it to even matter. You are a gnat challenging a hurricane. You have no chance."
He took a deliberate step forward, the intent to end this final, pointless resistance clear in his stance. But as he moved to close the distance, the air itself seemed to warp and compress.
SHUNSHIN!
In a blur of speed that defied perception, a figure materialized between them, landing with a soft thud that belied its power. The newcomer stood protectively in front of Naruto, his presence an immediate and formidable barrier.
Ren halted, his Sharingan instantly analyzing the new variable. The man was tall, with long white hair tied in a ponytail. He wore a traditional, loose-fitting coat and simple wooden geta, an almost comical contrast to the battlefield's devastation. But Ren's eyes were drawn to the dark, red markings framing the man's eyes and the two wizened, ancient toads perched on his shoulders, fused seamlessly with his own chakra.
"Jiraiya…" The name left Ren's lips not as a question, but as a confirmed fact, a recalculation of the entire battlefield's equation.
The Sannin offered a roguish, albeit tense, grin. "Heh. It seems my reputation still precedes me with the youngsters." He didn't turn, his focus remaining on Ren, but his words were for the boy behind him. "Naruto. This fight has escalated beyond your current level. Fall back to the village. I'll handle things here."
Naruto was stunned, both by Jiraiya's sudden arrival and his new, powerful aura. A protest rose in his throat, a desperate need to stay and fight. But one look at the uncharacteristically serious set of Jiraiya's shoulders silenced him. He knew he would only become a liability. Gritting his teeth, his fists clenching in frustration, he gave a sharp nod. "Don't you dare lose, Pervy Sage!" With that, he turned and fled, a yellow streak retreating toward Konoha's ruins.
Ren made no move to pursue. His primary objective had never been Naruto's life. His gaze was locked on the legendary Toad Sage. Killing Naruto in front of a fully-prepared Jiraiya, especially one already in Sage Mode, was a tactical improbability. The game had simply changed.
Once Naruto was gone, Jiraiya's jovial mask fell away. His eyes narrowed, the frog-like pupils radiating immense pressure. "Uchiha Ren," he said, his voice now a low, serious rumble. "To lay waste to Kumo and now bring this calamity upon Konoha… You are a storm of destruction. I knew you were dangerous, but I never imagined you would walk this path."
***
*Earlier, in the forests bordering Konoha...*
BOOOOM!
The distant, thunderous roar made the very leaves on the trees tremble. Jiraiya, who had been moving at a brisk pace back towards the village, skidded to a halt. His eyes widened as he saw a distant, familiar pillar of smoke and dust rising from the direction of his home.
"That's Konoha!" he muttered, a cold knot of dread tightening in his stomach. "What in the world could cause an explosion of that magnitude? The situation must be catastrophic."
His mission to infiltrate Amegakure and gather intelligence on the Akatsuki leader, Pain, had been a frustrating dead end. The villagers spoke of their leader in hushed, reverent tones, calling him a god, but Jiraiya had failed to find any concrete evidence or even a glimpse of the man himself. He had left empty-handed, only to return to this.
His pace, once hurried, now became desperate. He formed a hand seal with practiced speed. "Summoning Jutsu!"
In a small puff of smoke, a tiny communication toad appeared on his shoulder.
"Master Jiraiya! It's terrible!" the toad croaked, its voice shrill with panic. "The village… it's been split in two! A Tailed Beast Bomb carved a canyon right through it! A Wood Style user tried to block it, but… he's dead!"
"A Tailed Beast Bomb? Wood Style… Yamato is dead?" Jiraiya's blood ran cold. Yamato was no ordinary jonin. For an enemy to kill him and wield such power…
"The attacker is a young Uchiha named Ren! He came with Sasuke and others—they call themselves the 'Eagle.' And… and Lord Danzo was killed by Sasuke in the night!"
"Uchiha Ren…" Jiraiya breathed, the name feeling like a death knell. "So it's him. Konoha is facing its worst nightmare."
"The boy is a monster, Jiraiya-sama! His chakra control is inhuman, and he commands the Nine-Tails like a pet, not a partner! He's on a completely different level!"
"I know. I know more than you think," Jiraiya replied, his mind racing. His hands came together, not in a standard seal, but held in a prayer-like posture, a faint, transparent aura beginning to shimmer around his palms.
The small toad gasped. "Master Jiraiya… are you going to summon the two Great Ones?"
"If my opponent is Uchiha Ren in his current state, my normal abilities won't suffice," Jiraiya stated, his voice grim with determination. "If I wait until I'm face-to-face with him, he may not give me the opening I need. No… I must be ready now. Go. I don't need a distraction."
Dismissing the small toad, Jiraiya continued his sprint, his hands still pressed firmly together. He channeled his chakra, drawing upon the natural energy of the world around him, calling forth the might of Mount Myoboku to face the storm that awaited him in Konoha.
💀 WANT TO READ AHEAD? 💀
👉 JOIN MY PATREON — Patreon.com/The_Ripper_87
════════ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ════════
🔥 CURRENTLY AT Chapter 318: The Unthinkable Truth🔥
⚡ SUPPORT THE STORY WITH YOUR POWER STONES! ⚡
🖤 EVERY STONE AND EVERY PLEDGE HELPS KEEP THE STORY GOING! 🖤