"Wind Release: Technique of Wind, Cloud, Mist, and Rain!"Mayfair's voice rang clear and fierce, echoing through the courtyard.In an instant, the sky darkened—the winds howled, and clouds gathered thickly above her head like a living storm.
"Sure enough… it's a Kekkei Genkai," Jiraiya muttered, his brow furrowing as he glanced around the courtyard at the motionless bodies strewn across the ground. His jaw tightened.
He hadn't expected this. The girl—barely ten years old—was wielding power that rivaled trained shinobi. Before he could even react, she had shrouded the entire area in mist. It had seemed harmless at first—just vapor—but by the time he realized something was wrong, everyone around him had already collapsed, their fates unknown.
And now, she was weaving another jutsu—one even he couldn't read.
"Summoning Technique!"
Poof!
Another explosion of white smoke filled the courtyard—but this time, it wasn't from Mayfair.A giant figure emerged, the ground quaking beneath its weight. A massive toad with a scar across its eye appeared, a smoking pipe clenched between its lips.
The building couldn't withstand the impact. The surrounding walls cracked, then crumbled, collapsing under the sheer weight of Toad Gamabunta.
"Wentai! Get everyone off the ground—don't let them get caught in the fight!" Jiraiya shouted, standing atop the giant toad's head, cloak whipping in the wind.
"Tch, tch… what a pain in the tail," Gamabunta grumbled, removing his pipe. His wide mouth opened, and in a single inhaling gust, he sucked all the fallen shinobi into his gullet for safekeeping. His massive eyes narrowed as he scanned the fog. "So… where's the enemy?"
A shadow flashed.
"Right here!"A black figure shot out from the clouds—one of Mayfair's blood-robed subordinates—his kunai charged with a sinister aura.
He slashed straight toward Jiraiya.
Jiraiya twisted at the last second, dodging narrowly. The man's mouth curved into a mocking grin.So this is one of the Legendary Sannin? What a joke.
"Go to hell!"His weapon erupted with slicing wind, unleashing a sickle-shaped blast that screamed through the air, aimed point-blank. There was no room to evade.
The wave tore through Jiraiya's body.
For a heartbeat, the man grinned in triumph. Then the grin froze.The "Jiraiya" before him dissolved into white smoke.
"...A shadow clone?! When—?" he gasped. But before he could finish, cold metal pierced his heart from behind.
Jiraiya stood there, expression grim, his kunai buried deep in the man's chest.
"Too slow."
The black-clad man staggered, blood spilling from his lips, and fell to his knees atop Gamabunta's head before toppling lifelessly.
One of the Legendary Sannin.Jiraiya had earned the title for a reason.
"Qu Xiao was too careless!" another voice hissed from the clouds above, filled with frustration.
"It's not that he was careless," Mayfair said quietly, her tone sharp and cold. "It's that Jiraiya is too strong."
Her crimson eyes narrowed."I didn't expect them to bring him into this. …We're retreating. We'll come back next time."
"Yes, Leader!"The last remaining subordinate—the one who worshipped Mayfair above all else—answered instantly, ready to die if she willed it.
The two of them darted from the storm clouds, moving fast in the direction of the border.
But—
Whoosh!
A blur appeared in front of them. Jiraiya again—his face now marked with orange lines, his eyes glowing gold. The air around him pulsed with raw natural energy.
Sage Mode.
Although his opponent was a young girl, Jiraiya's expression hardened."She might be beautiful, but this time… I'll have to cut down even the flowers."
The man in black instantly understood what that meant. "Leader! Go! I'll hold him off!"He bit his thumb, pressing his hands into a desperate seal.
Mayfair's lips trembled. For a moment, something like pain flickered in her eyes."I'm sorry…" she whispered, voice barely audible—and then she turned and ran without looking back.
"Hmph!" Jiraiya snorted. "Wentai—don't let that girl escape! I'll handle this one!"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Gamabunta grumbled, then leapt high into the air. His massive form shadowed the earth as he came crashing down, pursuing Mayfair's fleeing figure.
Far away, Kazehaya Hayate suddenly felt the ground tremble beneath his feet.What the…? He looked up—and saw it.
A toad the size of a mountain was firing giant water cannons that exploded across the forest floor.
"That's… Jiraiya's summoning beast," Hayate realized instantly. His gaze shifted—and froze.The target of those attacks… was Mayfair.
She was darting through the mist below, her movement as fluid as vapor. But against a beast like Gamabunta, her speed meant nothing.Even if she ran with all her might, one well-timed leap from the toad would crush her.And her counterattacks required preparation—time she no longer had.
Jiraiya will catch up any second… once he does, it's over, she thought bitterly.Father… Mother… Grandma… Grandpa…Mayfair will be joining you soon.
Her eyes fluttered closed."I'm sorry… I was too arrogant to think I could avenge you…"
Boom!
The water cannon hit squarely, blasting her through two massive trees before she crashed hard into the earth. She coughed violently, blood spilling onto her hand, her body trembling as she struggled to sit up.
The shadow of another water cannon loomed over her.
"So… it ends here, huh?" she whispered faintly, tears mixing with the rain.Her vision blurred, and in that haze, she saw her family—smiling, waving to her from beyond.
Peng!
A deafening explosion tore the ground apart. But… the impact never came.
Instead, Mayfair felt water splashing against her face—not blood, not pain. When she looked up, she saw a glowing golden light before her. A swirling mass of energy was colliding with the water cannon, holding it back with immense force.
A figure stood between her and the destruction.That silhouette—broad, determined—was one she recognized.
"...That brother…?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "Is that… you?"
Hayate glanced back over his shoulder, a small, rueful smile tugging at his lips."Yeah," he said softly. "It's me."
In his hand, the Great Rasengan roared with golden light. His hair whipped wildly in the storm's fury. "You really are a handful, you know that?" he said with a helpless chuckle.
The glow reflected in Mayfair's wide eyes. Her heart trembled, the corners of her lips curling faintly.
"Hehe… no one's said that to me… in such a long time…"