After cleanly and decisively defeating and sealing the Fourth Hokage's Impure World Body, Menma stepped forward and mounted Vermilion Bird's back.
Seeing that Menma was about to leave, Jiraiya panicked. "Naruto!"
Menma turned his head, shot Jiraiya a cold glance, and then looked away.
At that moment, the Vermilion Bird beneath his feet slowly flapped its wings, carrying him up into the air.
Jiraiya could not worry about much else now as he hurriedly formed hand seals. "Fire Release, Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
Boom!
Instantly, a scorching fire dragon surged from Jiraiya's mouth, shooting toward the Vermilion Bird that was carrying Menma into midair.
Yet just as the fire dragon was about to swallow Vermilion Bird, the Reaper stepped in front of it and swung its scythe.
Swish.
Accompanied by a piercing sound, the reaper-wielded scythe, glowing with a faint halo, reaped the chakra of Jiraiya's Fire Dragon Flame Bullet, causing the fire dragon to dissipate midair.
With this delay, Vermilion Bird had already carried Menma high into the sky, closely followed by the Celestial Maiden, who kept the Fourth Hokage's Impure World Body sealed and bound as she drifted right beside Vermilion Bird.
The other Nine Masked Beasts, including the Reaper, vanished one after another on the spot.
High up in the sky.
Menma looked down at Jiraiya and Orochimaru below, speaking coldly, "You don't need to rush to find me, because I will come find you!"
With that parting remark, Menma turned and rode away without looking back.
Watching Menma retreat into the distance, the corners of Orochimaru's mouth twitched slightly. "Was that brat back there really Naruto Uzumaki?"
From launching his attack to retreating, the entire process had been smooth and unhesitating, without a single trace of drag, leaving Orochimaru quite surprised.
Let alone Orochimaru, even Jiraiya