"Jiraiya-boy, what made you think to summon us?" The voices of Lord Fukasaku and Lady Shima rang out.
When the smoke cleared, they beheld a scene utterly different from the prosperous Konoha they remembered. Buildings had collapsed, and dust and smoke filled the air everywhere. In the distance, several Hollows chased after ninja, the eyes behind their ghastly white bone masks exceptionally cold. A mere glance was enough to feel an endless wave of negative emotions, making one shiver as if doused with a basin of cold water in summer.
"This is..." Lord Fukasaku and Lady Shima wore expressions of utter disbelief. This was also their first time seeing life forms like Hollows and Shinigami, so different from humans and summoned creatures.
"I don't know how they appeared," Jiraiya said, his face grave. "Do you two Sages know what these are?"
"We've never seen anything like them," Lord Fukasaku replied solemnly. He hopped onto Jiraiya's shoulder and said in a low voice, "Jiraiya-boy, get us a little closer. That's the only way Ma and I can get a better understanding of these creatures."
"Alright!"
Once the two Sages were in position, Jiraiya used the Body Flicker Technique to appear before a Hollow, saving a Konoha ninja with a quick Fire Style jutsu.
"Lord Jiraiya!" Seeing Jiraiya arrive, the ninja present felt as if they had found their pillar of support.
"Leave this to me. Go support the others," Jiraiya's powerful voice boomed, echoing through the area.
"Yes, sir!!" The Chunin and Genin immediately began an orderly retreat. Simultaneously, the Sand-nin were also withdrawing. The Hollows' arrival had thrown the battlefield into chaos, and the Sand-nin, already outmatched by Konoha, were starting to beat a retreat.
"ROAR!" Several Hollows charged at Jiraiya. Instinct drove them to attack Jiraiya, who possessed the most chakra on the field—a biological imperative to eliminate the strong. However, they had chosen the wrong opponent.
Jiraiya's eyes instantly sharpened. He easily repelled two Hollows with taijutsu, then spewed raging flames from his mouth, engulfing the other two. The Hollows shrieked, bursting from the inferno. Even though their bodies were charred black, their offensive did not let up.
"Chunin and Genin-level combat power, unaffected by pain... it's as if they were born solely for slaughter," Jiraiya frowned.
"Ninja Art: Needle Jizo!" His long white hair extended, becoming like steel needles that pierced the four Hollows through and through. Needle Jizo could be used for both defense and offense.
"Their physical structure is still quite tough. Even Needle Jizo took some effort," Jiraiya muttered.
Receiving the shared information, Lord Fukasaku and Lady Shima were also investigating the Hollows' energy systems.
"There are traces of chakra, but also a strange energy. That energy is intertwined with chakra, causing this human transformation."
"But it's very strange... they have no internal organs. It's almost as if..." Lord Fukasaku frowned deeply, lost in thought. He felt a sense of déjà vu but couldn't pinpoint it. Suddenly, a flash of insight struck him, and he exclaimed, "The Pure Land? This feels like energy from the Pure Land!! Their internal energy signature is somewhat similar to Naruto's when he went berserk before!"
Lord Fukasaku's words made Jiraiya's pupils constrict sharply.
"Could it be... the mastermind possesses a Kekkei Genkai similar to Naruto's?" He didn't immediately suspect Naruto. After all, the persona Naruto had cultivated was practically perfect. During his time with Naruto, he too had been taken in by Naruto's refined and gentle nature. Anyone might defect, but Naruto absolutely, definitely would not.
"If someone else really possesses a Kekkei Genkai related to the Pure Land, then Naruto might be in danger," Jiraiya said, his expression grave. "Naruto should be at the arena now. We need to find him quickly."
However, several Hollows transformed from jonin charged at Jiraiya from a distance.
"Bang!" Jiraiya kicked one in the chest, a sharp pain shooting up his leg. His expression changed instantly. "These monsters are incredibly tough. They already have jonin-level energy!"
Seeing the urgency, the two Sages also took action.
"Sage Art: Frog Call!" Lady Shima opened her mouth wide, and a terrifying sound wave blasted out, spreading outwards. All Hollows within range clutched their heads in agony.
Lord Fukasaku then used Fire Style, coordinating with Jiraiya's Toad Oil Flame Bullet, to completely incinerate these jonin-level Hollows. Sparks flew, and the powerful fire jutsu directly set Konoha ablaze. It burned so fiercely that it almost dyed the sky above red.
Jiraiya thought, 'Well, this time I've really set Konoha on fire.'
"Ahem, looks like I overdid it a bit," Jiraiya said, scratching his head sheepishly under the strange gazes of the Konoha ninja.
Lord Fukasaku and Lady Shima immediately used Water Style to extinguish the flames. It took considerable effort to bring the fire under control.
After this ordeal, Jiraiya felt mentally and physically exhausted. He had initially thought it was just an ordinary village raid, but it turned out to involve monsters containing Pure Land energy. It seemed the ninja world was far from peaceful. He felt a sense of unease brewing. Could it be the Akatsuki? Jiraiya's brow furrowed.
In his years of pursuing Orochimaru, he had also been gathering information about the Akatsuki—a mysterious organization that had gradually gained notoriety in recent years. It was said to be composed entirely of enigmatic Kage-level powerhouses. They operated covertly, often taking on extremely difficult commissions, and always completed them with high efficiency. No one knew the Akatsuki's purpose for forming, nor did anyone know its true scale. Moreover, Uchiha Itachi, who had defected from Konoha, had joined the Akatsuki. Such a powerful organization was one that even Konoha dared not underestimate.
With a heavy heart, Jiraiya rushed to the arena. By then, the battle within the barrier was nearing its end. Orochimaru had used the Impure World Reincarnation to summon the previous Hokage. Fortunately, the Third had managed to prevent the Fourth's summoning. With the help of shadow clones and his summoned beast, he had barely managed to fight Orochimaru to a standstill.
The Third could sense that Orochimaru seemed to be holding something back, which puzzled him. Perhaps his disciple didn't truly intend to destroy Konoha and kill him, as he claimed.
After a fierce exchange, both had nearly exhausted their trump cards.
"Sarutobi-sensei, it seems you're still sharp. Your years as Hokage haven't caused your strength to decline too much."
"Although you desperately want to kill me, I promised someone I wouldn't take your life. So, you should just step down," Orochimaru said, clashing with the Third while wielding the Kusanagi Sword.
"Promised someone? Who? Could it be Danzo?" The Third's pupils constricted, his movements faltering for an instant.
"Swish!" Hesitation in battle is fatal. Orochimaru moved like a phantom, and before everyone's shocked eyes, he slashed off the Third's arm with his sword, then kicked him in the abdomen. Unleashing Hidden Shadow Snake Hands, he left the Third covered in bite wounds. He then let out a mocking laugh. "Losing focus in battle, Sarutobi-sensei... you've truly gotten old."
The Third collapsed to the ground, covered in blood. He clutched his severed arm, his face paling from the pain.
"No way... Lord Hokage actually lost?"
"If Lord Hokage lost, then what happens next—?" For the Konoha ninja, this was undoubtedly a devastating blow. The Third, whom they regarded as Konoha's top powerhouse, had been defeated by his own disciple!
"Orochimaru!" Jiraiya arrived just in time to witness Orochimaru severing the Third's arm. That slash also signified that Orochimaru had completely severed his ties with Konoha. From that moment on, there was no possibility of him ever returning to the village.
The barrier dispersed, and Orochimaru began to retreat. Before leaving, he made eye contact with Jiraiya, his gaze utterly devoid of emotion.
"Orochimaru... have you truly resolved to abandon all ties?" Jiraiya clenched his fists, his eyes filled with anguish.
"Never mind that, find Naruto quickly!" the two Sages urged. Clearly, in their eyes, Naruto was more important than the Hokage of Konoha. Jiraiya quickly found Naruto, who was fighting alongside Sakura and Sasuke. Their teamwork was excellent; they could even defeat ordinary Sand Jonin.
Seeing this, Jiraiya breathed a sigh of relief. He used a Fire Style jutsu to send nearby Sand-nin flying and landed in front of Naruto and the others.
"Oh, Lord Jiraiya," Sakura said, putting away her kunai, slightly out of breath.
"It's Pervy—ahem—Lord Jiraiya," Sasuke corrected himself. As the saying goes, one doesn't bite the hand that feeds; after receiving Jiraiya's guidance, Sasuke felt too embarrassed to call him Pervy Sage anymore.
"Jiraiya-sensei. And the two Sages, good afternoon." Naruto dispelled Kyoka Suigetsu and offered a gentle smile.
The surrounding Sand-nin were all retreating. In the distance, Shukaku had vanished, and Gaara, back in his human form, was withdrawing with the main contingent. He looked towards Naruto from afar, anticipating their next meeting.
With the Root ninja joining the battle, most of the Hollows scattered throughout Konoha had been dealt with. However, some ninja noticed a few Hollows being subdued by various jutsu and then transported to an unknown location. Everything was proceeding according to Naruto's predictions.
Seeing the anxious expressions on Jiraiya and the two Sages, Naruto guessed they already knew the Hollows' source energy bore the scent of the Pure Land.
"Naruto, have you been here the whole time? Did you encounter any strange opponents?" Jiraiya asked first.
"Yes, I've been coordinating with Sasuke and Sakura," Naruto replied.
"Yeah, we haven't left, and no strange opponents," Sasuke added from the side, a puzzled look in his eyes, not understanding why Jiraiya would ask such a question.
Looking at Naruto's sincere expression, Jiraiya fell silent. Lord Fukasaku spoke up, "This matter is very complicated. Naruto, you must be careful recently. If you encounter any danger, summon us immediately with the Summoning Jutsu."
"Danger? What's going on? Is some power targeting Naruto?" Sakura asked nervously.
Sasuke also cast an inquisitive gaze.
"It's nothing, don't worry about it," Jiraiya quickly deflected.
"Thank you for your trouble this time, honored Sages. I need to go see the old man," Jiraiya said, thanking the two Sages. Then, with a puff of smoke, they returned to the Summoning Realm.
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