The battle began.
The commotion throughout the city was so enormous that it was hard not to notice.
Those farther away discussed it among themselves as all kinds of guesses flew through the air.
Those closer by wished they had two extra legs so they could run faster.
Powerful Ninjutsu truly had no regard for anything in its path. Every blast swept across a huge area. Buildings with slightly weaker structures collapsed one after another, while the even more fragile two- or three-story houses were overturned by the dozen.
Miserable wails and screams rang out everywhere, mixed with blood flecks in the billowing dust.
That was the scene Tsunade saw.
To save her alone, Jiraiya had thrown caution to the wind.
But she could not.
Was it really worth going this far?
Deep down, she felt it was not. Otherwise, she would have already thrown a punch at Mimi.
Even if she could be resurrected.
Physical pain could be healed. Once the scars vanished, the pain could be forgotten.
But wounds of the heart could never be simply smoothed over.
"Stop, Jiraiya!"
Jiraiya merely carried Tsunade on his back and charged forward with his head lowered, surrounded by Ninja, his body covered in wounds.
If the Ninja had not held back out of consideration for Insect Princess on Jiraiya's back, and if the Fourth Hokage's order had not been merely to stop Jiraiya, he would have already fallen.
That gave Jiraiya some room to maneuver. As more and more reinforcements arrived, even that small amount of space rapidly shrank.
He could not escape.
Konoha was simply too powerful.
A trace of despair flickered through Jiraiya's eyes.
At this point, no one could help him anymore.
Jiraiya stumbled and lunged forward, sliding a long distance across the ground.
"He's almost done