"I really don't like eating this kind of thing, Jiraiya," Gamabunta smacked his lips.
"That's not Tsunade," Jiraiya replied with a sigh.
Do I actually have to spell everything out like this? Just do what I say, okay?
Luckily, although Gamabunta complained, he was still willing to cooperate with Jiraiya.
He immediately opened his massive mouth, unleashing a whirlwind-like suction that dragged the nearby White Zetsu right inside.
"Gamabunta, don't kill them. They're connected to Kaguya—they've transformed into this species called White Zetsu," Jiraiya warned immediately upon seeing what happened.
Gamabunta nodded. As he was about to ask Jiraiya something, he suddenly noticed a woman appearing in the distance.
His mood abruptly turned serious.
Why does that woman look so similar to the enemy described by Elder Fukasaku and others?
Following Gamabunta's gaze, Jiraiya asked, "What's wrong, Gamabunta?"
Kaguya continued walking forward step by step, stopping five meters away from the man and beast.
She lifted her head slightly, speaking in an icy tone, "I despise anything that forces me to tilt my head up."
As she spoke, she suddenly raised her hand, palm open.
A sudden feeling of imminent death surged over Gamabunta. Without hesitation, he used his claw to toss Jiraiya onto his back.
"Gamabunta, who is she?" Sensing Gamabunta's sudden urgency, Jiraiya couldn't help but ask.
"Jiraiya..." Gamabunta was just about to explain briefly when suddenly a gray bone, seemingly unremarkable without any detectable energy fluctuations, shot straight toward him.
The sense of danger in his heart intensified even more. Gamabunta forcefully pushed off with his hind legs.
Fshk...
Hearing this sound, Jiraiya turned his head to look while standing on Gamabunta's head.
The gray bone had accurately struck Gamabunta's back. The moment it pierced through, the originally red skin turned gray.
Moreover, those gray areas began spreading outward like cracks across dry land, breaking down and decaying.
At this moment, Gamabunta also sensed the changes within his body.
Certain parts of his body felt hollow, completely numb, losing all sensation, as if they no longer existed.
"Gamabunta, stop quickly! Your body..." Jiraiya exclaimed anxiously.
Gamabunta ignored him completely. While his body was still functional, he kept jumping desperately, trying to carry Jiraiya away from Kaguya.
Coldly smiling inwardly, Kaguya thought: Gamabunta, this is merely a small warning for you. Compared to my suffering—the thousand-year seal, endless loneliness and void—this means nothing at all. Bear it well...
When the hated presence disappeared, she finally felt somewhat better.
Gamabunta, dozens of meters tall, exerted himself fully with each leap. Within seconds, he vanished from Kaguya's sight.
His body now largely grayed, he finally came to a stop.
"Gamabunta..." Jiraiya looked deeply worried.
Gamabunta shook his head slightly with obvious fatigue, then spat out the White Zetsu.
The White Zetsu had barely survived being crushed in Gamabunta's mouth and were already knocked out cold.
Gamabunta spoke rapidly.
"Jiraiya, I'm beyond saving. I'll surely die. Even the Sage Chakra within my body cannot stop its spreading..."
As he spoke, only his head still maintained a normal complexion.
Everything below his neck had turned gray and begun crumbling away.
"Don't forget to imprint seals inside their brains. These people might have some special ability for communication related to that woman."
"Just now, that woman was..."
He never got to finish the last sentence as Gamabunta's voice faded out.
Suddenly, Jiraiya realized he was falling downward.
No—it was Gamabunta...
Where had Gamabunta's body gone?
Gamabunta's body suddenly crumbled into nothingness. All that remained was a large heap of gray matter, barely keeping its form.
Standing on the ground, Jiraiya stared blankly at the scene before him.
A gust of wind blew, scattering the gray mass across the ground.
The wind continued, lifting the gray debris into the air, swirling it around, carrying it everywhere, drifting far away.
"Gamabunta!" Jiraiya cried out in anguish, yet he could do nothing to stop the ashes from flying away.
Another life now weighed heavily on him.
"Elder Fukasaku... Elder Shima... I'm sorry," Jiraiya murmured softly, unable to hide his grief.
Standing still for a moment, Jiraiya began dealing with the unconscious White Zetsu lying on the ground.
First, he sealed their chakra to prevent them from resisting.
As for implanting seals inside their brains, given the limited conditions, all Jiraiya could do now was wrap them up using large sealing tags.
With a heavy heart, Jiraiya began making his way home.
Mount Myoboku.
Within a certain grove, Elder Fukasaku sat silently, staring fixedly in one direction.
Even when Elder Shima hopped nearby, he remained the same.
"What's wrong? Did you see something regarding young Naruto and young Jiraiya?" Elder Shima asked.
She knew Elder Fukasaku occasionally observed Jiraiya and Naruto's whereabouts.
"Gamabunta won't be coming back..." Fukasaku said gloomily without even turning his head.
"What?" For a moment, Shima didn't understand what "won't be coming back" meant.
"That woman has appeared again."
Without another word toward Shima behind him, he hurried toward the temple.
Inside the ancient temple, Gamamaru opened his eyes, looking down at Fukasaku standing directly before him, his voice laced with laziness.
"It's you, Fukasaku. Have you been waiting long?"
Fukasaku showed no intention of humorously responding to Gamamaru's usual quips, unusually displaying urgency in front of him. "Lord, it seems that woman has revived."
"Hmm? What happened?" Gamamaru narrowed his eyes slightly, asking solemnly.
"Kaguya—she has returned. Gamabunta was killed by her."
Gamamaru seemed momentarily taken aback. "Are the nine Tailed Beasts still intact?"
"Yes," Fukasaku nodded.
"If so, she probably hasn't returned to her peak strength," Gamamaru mused quietly.
"...Lord, do you mean we should eliminate her as soon as possible?"
Gamamaru kept his silence, as if silently accepting the explanation.
But now, who could possibly defeat Kaguya?
Back then, if Gamamaru himself had been able to defeat Kaguya, he wouldn't have encouraged Hayato and Hamura.
Just how powerful was Kaguya without the Ten-Tails? Gamamaru wasn't entirely certain.
Worse still, Ashura and Indra, Hayato's two sons, were nowadays merely children unable to handle such a serious situation.
Gamamaru gave a silent sigh.
Where exactly was Hayato now? He hadn't left behind even a single word when he departed back then.
"Grandfather..."
"Grandfather... What should we do?"
Fukasaku called out repeatedly until Gamamaru finally heard him and came back to reality.
Noticing the sorrow in Fukasaku's eyes, Gamamaru let out a slight sigh.
"Fukasaku, I know you carry hatred inside, but this isn't the right time..."
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