"Move now! Don't let him touch the ground!" Gamakon warned immediately.
As a traveler who knew the plot by heart, Gamakon knew exactly what that dark thing was.
Black Zetsu—the manifestation of Kaguya Otsutsuki's will, the ultimate expression of Yin-Yang Style. To expect Kushina, whose chakra was depleted after just giving birth, to catch him with Adamantine Sealing Chains? Pure fantasy!
Once Black Zetsu sensed something was wrong and used his 'Mayfly Jutsu' to merge into the ground or plants, even the Sage of Six Paths would have a headache, let alone Jiraiya, who hadn't fully adapted to Sage Mode yet.
"Sage Art: Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!"
Jiraiya's trust in Gamakon was ingrained in his very soul. The moment he heard the warning, he didn't even stop to wonder 'why.' His hands formed seals and slammed onto the floor. The ground shifted instantly. With the addition of Sage Chakra, Gamakon had no doubt about the effectiveness of this technique against Black Zetsu!
He wanted to seal off the enemy's escape route into the ground!
Meanwhile, Kushina held Naruto close. The Adamantine Sealing Chains behind her danced like golden serpents, instantly sealing the surrounding walls and ceiling, turning the room into an airtight golden cage.
"Tch."
A faint, venomous click of the tongue echoed in the air.
The dark mass twisted mid-air, seemingly surprised that their response targeted his weakness so specifically—not attacking his body, but sealing the environment.
"Got you!"
Jiraiya's eyes went wide. His white hair transformed into a rain of hardened needles, infused with Sage Chakra, sealing off all of the shadow's evasion space.
However, just as the needle rain was about to turn the shadow into a sieve...
The dark mass suddenly exerted a strange force in mid-air, leaping toward a side wall. It then sank into the wall like a drop of water falling into the ocean, vanishing.
Silently, without even a sound.
The shadow was gone.
The Adamantine Sealing Chains missed their mark, and the Sage Art needle rain only shattered the floor. The room fell silent as everyone immediately went on high alert.
"He escaped?"
Jiraiya maintained his seal-forming stance, a layer of fine sweat beads forming on his forehead. That sensation just now... it was too slippery. It was like trying to grab a handful of sand; no matter how hard you squeezed, it always slipped through your fingers.
"As expected, it wasn't going to be that easy."
Gamakon lay atop Jiraiya's head. There wasn't much surprise in his tone; instead, he seemed composed, as if he had known this would happen.
"That guy really is that troublesome," Jiraiya said, canceling his jutsu while warily sensing the surroundings.
"He's a Cunning Schemer who has lived for over a thousand years. I'd be more surprised if he actually got caught."
Gamakon curled his lip, a sharp glint flashing in his toad eyes.
"Normal physical attacks are useless. Unless you have Yin-Yang Style or a high-level sealing jutsu to lock him down instantly, catching him is next to impossible. Being able to force him back just now and preventing him from ambushing Naruto is already a massive victory."
Kushina leaned against the headboard, her face pale, as the golden chains slowly retracted. "Was it... after the Nine-Tails?"
"Not entirely." Gamakon looked at the faint traces remaining on the floor. "He likely wanted to stir up trouble in the chaos—either by controlling you or taking Naruto. This guy is a master at muddying the waters."
"But..." Gamakon's tone shifted, becoming somewhat mischievous. "The fact that he ran so quickly proves he's afraid."
"Afraid?" Jiraiya was stunned.
"Exactly. He's an extremely cautious fellow. Once he realizes we're on guard against him—and can even predict his movements—he'll start questioning his entire existence."
Gamakon gave a cold laugh. "If things exceed his expectations too much, he might even go back into hiding for another thousand years."
...
Deep within the forest, at the base of a towering tree.
Black Zetsu's figure slowly emerged. His usually expressionless face was now written with terror.
"Impossible... absolutely impossible!" His raspy voice was trembling.
In that moment earlier, that toad had shouted 'don't let him touch the ground.' What did that mean? It meant the opponent not only knew of his existence but even knew about his 'Mayfly Jutsu'!
"Who is it? Just who is it?!"
Black Zetsu's gaze frantically scanned the surrounding darkness, as if every shadow hid a pair of prying eyes. He had remained hidden in this world for a millennium. He had altered the Uchiha stone tablet, guided Indra's reincarnations, and orchestrated countless wars. He prided himself on being the mastermind behind history, the player looking down upon all living beings.
But now, he felt like a clown running naked on a stage, while there were actually spectators in the audience!
"Konoha... no, it's not just Konoha."
Black Zetsu forced himself to calm down. That toad... that purple toad! He remembered the little thing perched on Jiraiya's head. It was the one who had shouted.
"A summoned beast? Mount Myoboku?"
A chill welled up in Black Zetsu's heart. Could it be that the old fossil, the Great Toad Sage, had prophesied something? Regardless, the current situation had completely spiraled out of control.
"Obito is still in the Kamui space."
Black Zetsu suddenly remembered the pawn currently being 'educated' by Minato Namikaze. If even his own intel had been leaked, then Obito's intel must have been leaked long ago!
Damn it, I've been set up!
How could Black Zetsu not realize by now that this was a trap? Minato Namikaze proactively entering the Kamui space was essentially cornering his prey.
"I must save him!"
Black Zetsu no longer cared about the Nine-Tails or any plans. If Obito was lost, his plan to revive his mother would be delayed by decades—perhaps even forever!
He transformed back into black liquid, racing recklessly toward the Hokage Rock.
...
After the spatial vortex above the Hokage Rock closed, it swallowed the golden figure along with the masked man. The night sky returned to a deathly silence, as if that earth-shaking clash of chakra had never happened.
Only the cracked rubble on the cliffside and the lingering scent of ozone in the air stood as silent witnesses to the fact: the Fourth Hokage of Konoha had vanished.
"Lord Hokage... is gone?"
"Was he taken away by that masked man?"
Panic spread through the crowd like a plague. The evacuation lines, which had been somewhat orderly due to the alarm, began to push and shove. Fear was magnified infinitely now that they had lost their pillar of support.
"Quiet!"
A vigorous roar exploded like thunder, instantly drowning out all the noise.
Hiruzen Sarutobi flickered onto a high rooftop on the street, his Adamantine Staff slamming heavily onto the tiles with a dull thud. Though his Hokage Cloak appeared old, the pressure of the 'Legend of Shinobi' made everyone's hearts tremble as his cloudy yet sharp eyes scanned the scene.
"Minato is performing a spatial relocation operation with the enemy. This is to prevent the battle from affecting the village."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was steady and firm. Even though his heart was equally anxious, he could not show a hint of wavering right now.
"Until he returns, I will take full command of all village defenses!"
The prestige of the Third Hokage was on full display. The panicked shinobi quickly found their direction, and the chaotic order began to be forcibly restored.
"Anbu, split into six squads. Conduct a grid search of the village and eliminate any remaining enemies!"
"Police Force, evacuate the civilians to the shelters immediately and maintain order in the districts!"
"Barrier Corps, reopen the sensory barrier!"
Order after order was issued methodically. The massive war machine that was Konoha, after a brief stutter, began to operate at high speed once again.
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a shallow breath and turned his gaze toward the Uchiha Compound. It was brightly lit, clearly showing that the entire clan had been mobilized. Since he had stopped Danzo earlier, the Uchiha clan was naturally fulfilling their duties as the Police Force. Although the atmosphere was tense, at least no internal rebellion had occurred.