As a master of Sage Mode, Jiraiya was no stranger to senjutsu chakra. He even knew a little about Emiya Shirou's past. Thanks to Tsunade, Jiraiya was aware that Emiya Shirou had raised the Slug Sage a thousand years ago. That meant he had to be an absolute expert with Sage Mode.
The physical boost from Sage Mode was one thing, but ninjutsu powered by senjutsu chakra became terrifyingly strong. Jiraiya understood this power all too well, which was why he knew just how much trouble he was in. An Emiya Shirou who could potentially use senjutsu indefinitely was a nightmare for any ninja.
"Sage Art..."
Emiya Shirou raised his palm. The natural energy in the air seemed to bend to his will, and a suffocating pressure settled over Jiraiya. The moment Emiya made a move, the very air itself began to surge with power.
This was the first time Jiraiya had ever faced another Sage Mode user, let alone one who was clearly stronger than him.
"Hmm?"
Emiya Shirou glanced at the tense Jiraiya and Gamabunta, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. He seemed almost taken aback by Jiraiya's hesitation. "The warm-up is over," he reminded him softly. "You can enter Sage Mode now."
"Heh... alright!" Jiraiya managed a grin, but it vanished as he made his request. "But I might need a little time."
To enter Sage Mode, Jiraiya needed a few moments to gather natural energy. He also had to summon Fukasaku and Shima from Mount Myoboku to help him maintain the state.
"Hey, Jiraiya..." Gamabunta grumbled, hoping his partner would reconsider. "Dad and Mom, they might..."
"I have to try," Jiraiya insisted. He needed to find out just how long Emiya's Sage Mode could last and how powerful his jutsu were in this form.
But even with Sage Mode, he doubted he stood a chance against the ancient shinobi. He'd noticed that Emiya hadn't moved a single step from where he stood. Jiraiya could only hope that with Fukasaku and Shima's help, he might gain some kind of advantage.
Hiding underground, Black Zetsu and White Zetsu watched in annoyance.
"Hmph," Black Zetsu sneered. "What an overconfident fool."
"To think this Jiraiya guy actually dares to challenge Lord Emiya," White Zetsu added. "Even though he can only use less than one percent of his true power from that era, he's still not someone you can mess with."
Of course, Jiraiya didn't know that. And even if he did, he wouldn't have backed down.
With Emiya's permission, the white-haired man sat cross-legged on Gamabunta's head and brought his hands together, beginning to gather natural energy.
"Need time?" Emiya asked.
He simply clasped his fingers together. Instantly, the natural energy in the air surged toward Jiraiya, forcing him into Sage Mode in a fraction of a second.
Emiya had spent ages mastering control over natural energy back in the old days. Before he had the power of the Sage of Six Paths, Sage Mode was all he could rely on.
"This is..." Gamabunta's eyes widened in shock. Even he had to admit that Emiya's control over natural energy was on another level—a level that even the toads of Mount Myoboku couldn't match.
He couldn't imagine how powerful Emiya's own Sage Mode must be. He suddenly had very little confidence he could do anything to help Jiraiya.
But he was no longer needed.
With Emiya's help, Jiraiya had absorbed all the energy he required. His pupils turned toad-like.
"Summoning Jutsu!" he yelled, his eyes glinting.
With a poof of smoke, the massive form of Gamabunta vanished. In his place, two small toads appeared.
It was Lord Fukasaku and Lady Shima. On Mount Myoboku, they were second only to the Great Toad Sage himself.
Though small, the senjutsu chakra in their bodies dwarfed that of a giant summoning beast like Gamabunta. The moment they appeared, they understood the situation and leaped onto Jiraiya's shoulders, partially merging with him to continuously refine his senjutsu chakra.
"Alright, Little Jiraiya, who's the enemy?" Fukasaku asked, then paused. "Hmm? The natural energy here is already gathered?"
"This place feels just like Mount Myoboku!" Shima added, looking around curiously. "It's been a while since you've used Sage Mode, Little Jiraiya..."
Jiraiya didn't answer. He just turned his shoulders, directing their gaze to Emiya Shirou, who stood patiently nearby. "We can continue now."
Fukasaku and Shima went completely silent. Unlike the cocky Gamabunta, these two had been with the Great Toad Sage for over eight hundred years. They were far more cautious because they knew the old stories. They knew all about Emiya Shirou.
The two of them weren't even in the same league. If you were classifying them by power levels, Emiya Shirou was on par with the Great Toad Sage. He wasn't an opponent for two toads who were a mere eight hundred years old.
"It's just a ninja battle," Jiraiya said, sensing their hesitation. He quickly explained that this was just a friendly spar.
"Oh, good," Fukasaku said, relaxing slightly. But his expression immediately turned serious, and he bowed respectfully to Emiya. "Lord Emiya Shirou, please forgive us juniors for our rudeness!"
"Well, this is a new one," Shima muttered. She knew her husband's attitude was justified—after all, Emiya had raised the Slug Sage—but it was still strange. "I never thought that after living for eight hundred years, we'd still be calling ourselves 'juniors.'"
Great, Jiraiya thought, his eye twitching. Just what I needed to boost morale.
"It's fine," Emiya replied, accepting their politeness without a second thought. Between raising the Slug Sage and his thousands of years of experience in the underworld, they were, in fact, juniors to him.
Politeness aside, the two toad sages were deadly serious when they attacked.
"Sage Art: Water Cutter!" Fukasaku opened his mouth and shot a high-pressure stream of water, sharp as a blade, straight at Emiya. It was meant to slice him in two.
"Wait—" Jiraiya tried to stop him, but it was too late.
Emiya raised his palm. A halo of light appeared, and the water jet dissolved into raw senjutsu chakra, which he absorbed completely.
"We can't use ninjutsu," Jiraiya said, reminding the two sages of Emiya's absorption ability. He then added, "...and it looks like senjutsu is off the table, too."
After a second, he threw in another tidbit. "But he has no restrictions. He doesn't need hand seals for his jutsu, and he's probably a master of every chakra nature."
Fukasaku's expression turned grim.
So... how the hell are we supposed to fight him?
The opponent had no weaknesses, and they couldn't use any of their best moves. Were they supposed to just rush him and hope for an opening in close combat?
"About close combat," Jiraiya added, seeming to read Fukasaku's mind. "He definitely has monstrous strength, like Tsunade, and his swordsmanship was enough to overwhelm Bunta."
It sounded ridiculous. Emiya was an average-sized man. The idea of him overpowering a giant toad like Gamabunta with a sword was absurd. But it had happened.
Shima immediately piped up. "Honey, since we're already in Konoha, why don't we just go grocery shopping and head home to cook?"
It was a joke, but Jiraiya could tell the two sages were already looking for an exit. And who could blame them?
Facing an opponent this terrifying, backing down was the sensible option.
"We still have to try," Fukasaku said, his eyes locked on Emiya. The joking was over. "The Great Toad Sage wants to know how much power the current Emiya Shirou has."
As high-ranking members of Mount Myoboku, they had a duty to fulfill their leader's will.
"I'll come up with a plan," Fukasaku said to Shima in a low voice. "Close combat is probably a losing fight, and we can't use long-range ninjutsu. Honey, let's try genjutsu. We'll seal his senses and give Little Jiraiya an opening."
"Genjutsu?" Shima repeated, her expression turning strange.
"Genjutsu... are you sure that will work?" Jiraiya had to chime in. "I heard that Madara Uchiha once tried to use genjutsu on Lord Emiya. Lord Emiya broke it."