Jiraiya's Escape

So that was it—even Lord Jiraiya had no way to deal with this monster.

"Lord Jiraiya, let's go back. The Third Generation just died, and Konoha is in turmoil. It needs a strong leader like you right now."

A Konoha ninja shook his head and said to Jiraiya.

"No, maybe there's another way. Didn't you say earlier that maybe it wasn't this domain growing, but Uchiha Yue moving? Fine, if that's the case, let's circle around this domain and find where Uchiha Yue is."

Jiraiya straightened up, his face full of reluctance. He didn't want to come rushing over in a panic, only to scurry away just as panicked, like some weakling.

Who did he, Jiraiya, think he was!

Soon, the group began sprinting around the perimeter of this domain.

Not long after, back at the starting point, Jiraiya's expression had completely darkened.

It wasn't this thing moving—this domain was growing!

"Uchiha Yue, can you hear me? I am..."

Soon, Jiraiya's voice rang out. Unwilling to rashly step into this Dead Silence Domain, he hoped to reach Uchiha Yue through other means—to awaken his conscience, make him understand his mistake, and stir the Will of Fire buried deep in his heart.

But his voice, upon entering this Dead Silence Domain, quickly dissipated. The active energy generated by the sound waves was directly absorbed. Deep within the domain, Uchiha Yue lay quietly inside the Susanoo, completely unaware—or perhaps utterly unconcerned—about the outside world. By the time he woke up, this world might already be destroyed.

Outside the domain, Jiraiya stopped and began to think. How could he enter this domain, use the power of talk-no-jutsu to awaken Uchiha Yue's conscience, make him put away this ability, or get close enough to kill the bastard?

"Maybe this could work."

After a moment's thought, Jiraiya nodded, then summoned Fukasaku and Shiken. He explained his plan to the two toads.

"So this is the disaster the old man prophesied? Little Jiraiya, the old man told you not to get close. Forget it, leave this place. Wait until you find the Child of Destiny, then talk about the rest."

Fukasaku stood on Jiraiya's shoulder, trying to dissuade him.

"No, I've already come this far. How can I not try? Besides, this domain only absorbs Chakra—there's no other danger. As long as I'm fast enough, if I can't hold on, I can still come back."

Jiraiya shook his head, his face resolute as he stared at this domain. Today, he would make that Uchiha brat understand his mistake, realize the error in his heart, dammit!!!

"Ribbit! Run, dammit!!!"

Jiraiya's voice rang out inside the Dead Silence Domain, quickly fading. A dim golden light flickered over his body, his face twisted in terror as he fled for his life through the domain, frantically squeezing and extracting every bit of Chakra from his body. The two toad sages on his shoulders were desperately tapping their own potential to maintain Jiraiya's Sage Mode.

"Ribbit, little Jiraiya, I told you to listen to the old man, but you wouldn't. Now we're done for!!!"

"Ribbit, hold on, hold on, little Jiraiya. Give it everything we've got. We have to—"

"Ribbit, I have to survive, dammit!!!"

On Jiraiya's shoulders, the two toad sages roared and bellowed. Jiraiya roared too, running like a madman.

But the next moment, the golden light on his body went out like a lightbulb—fwoosh—snuffed. The Chakra and other energy inside him were almost completely drained.

Thud!

Jiraiya collapsed face-first onto the ground. His whole body felt weak and limp, no strength left, dammit!

"No, survive. I have to survive. I haven't... I haven't... Power, come out, dammit!!! Ribbit!!!"

Jiraiya raised his hand with agonizing slowness, exhaustion weighing him down. He crawled forward like a snail, moving as fast as he could.

"Lord Jiraiya, we're coming to save you! Don't die!!!"

Outside the domain, the Konoha ninja saw Jiraiya's pitiful state and shouted, charging in like madmen. The moment they entered, their Chakra began draining rapidly. Their faces grew pale at a visible speed.

But thankfully, Jiraiya had already struggled to the edge. They reached him easily, grabbed his hand, and started dragging him out.

"No, we have no strength left. Lord Jiraiya, I'm sorry, we can't save you!!! No!"

Soon, the Chakra inside these two ninja was completely drained. Their physical strength vanished too. They collapsed weakly to the ground, writhing like earthworms.

"No!!!"

Jiraiya saw this and cried out in grief, but he had no strength left. He could do nothing.

Just then, two more ninja rushed in from outside, like a relay team. They lifted Jiraiya and carried him away. But after moving a short distance, they too collapsed, powerless.

By now, Jiraiya's consciousness was growing hazy.

"Ribbit, it's my fault. I shouldn't have ignored the Great Toad Sage's words. Don't come save me anymore. Don't come. You can't save me, dammit. You..."

Jiraiya struggled to lift his head, mumbling, as if trying to say something, but he no longer had the strength to speak.

"Lord Jiraiya, don't worry. We will get you back. Please, don't test Uchiha Yue anymore, dammit. He's not human—he's a monster, a monster beyond human power to resist. Please, go back and lead Konoha to greatness again!"

The last two ninja roared. They dragged Jiraiya, running like mad. Finally, as they neared the edge of this Dead Silence Domain, they collapsed.

Their Chakra was spent. Their bodily energy was nearly gone. Their lives were about to end—they were starving to death.

"Just a little more, Lord Jiraiya. You have to survive, dammit! This is our last strength! Live!!! For Konoha!!! Banzai!!!"

The two ninja lifted their heads, their faces twisted with ferocity. They placed their hands on Jiraiya and pushed him, inch by agonizing inch, toward the outside.

"No! No!!! Don't!!! Ribbit!!! I was wrong! I was wrong!!! Ribbit!!!"

Jiraiya roared helplessly in his heart. Tears streamed from the corners of his eyes. If he hadn't been so stubborn, if he hadn't overestimated himself, everyone wouldn't have... wouldn't have... No!!!!