The chase!

After Tōka left Konoha, Jiraiya took over as the instructor of Team 7, mainly because Naruto was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

Intelligence from various sources indicates that both Tōka and the Akatsuki Organization from Amegakure are targeting the Tailed Beast, thus requiring a powerful figure like Jiraiya to protect Naruto.

In a corner of the Forest of Death, after Jiraiya found Naruto, he immediately prepared Reverse Summoning Technique, intending to send him to Mount Myōboku.

Just as Jiraiya's chakra overflowed and he was preparing for Reverse Summoning Technique.

As Tōka, who was near the central Tower, had a sudden realization, Jiraiya's chakra was all too familiar to him!

"So it was hiding in such a remote place! No wonder I couldn't find it after searching most of the Forest of Death."

Tōka raised his hand, pointing his Sword Hand Seal upwards, and chakra surged within him.

Buzz!

Space-Time Ninjutsu activated! Immediately afterward, a jet- Black Vortex appeared, swiftly engulfing Tōka's body...

"You three hurry up..." Jiraiya's words were cut off as if he had been choked.

Because in his line of sight, Tōka was standing right behind the three kids, just one step away!

Tōka could grab any one of the three of them with a single reach!

"Get down!" Jiraiya shouted, changing his hand seals.

Everyone was startled by the sound, but after spending the past few months together, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura had come to trust Jiraiya completely.

The three kids might not have quite grasped the concept yet, but their bodies were already acting according to Jiraiya's instructions.

Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet Technique!

Jiraiya took a deep breath, his mouth, chest, and abdomen bulging like balloons, and then a burst of scorching air gushed out.

The screen was filled with Kakkō that completely obscured Tōka's vision, as if only the raging fire remained between heaven and earth.

Tōka watched the approaching flames with a slight smile, and without making any unnecessary movements, a black Vortex suddenly appeared in front of him.

All the Kakkō were swallowed up by this endless Black Hole.

"Space-Time Ninjutsu?" Jiraiya's eyes narrowed, and he led the three kids back to create distance between himself and Tōka.

The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, was known as the Yellow Flash because of his Space-Time Ninjutsu — the Flying Thunder God.

The Flying Thunder God Formula also has a technique with the same effect as Tōka's technique, which uses the power of space and time to transfer the enemy's escape technique to another location.

Even after the Great Flame Bullet was swallowed by the Black Vortex, Jiraiya did not let his guard down.

Because it could very well appear somewhere else nearby!

Sure enough, the thought had barely crossed his mind when Jiraiya immediately sensed something amiss behind him; the temperature suddenly spiked as if it could scorch his body.

"Is Tōka's Space-Time Ninjutsu already on par with Minato's...?"

Jiraiya's face was solemn as he slammed his wooden clogs into the ground, making a crisp cracking sound.

Earth Release: Rock Lodging Collapse!

The ground beneath their feet revealed cracks as thick as wrists, which spread outwards in a spiderweb pattern from Jiraiya's foot as the center.

"Ah!!"

With a cry of alarm, the earth collapsed, and Jiraiya, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura's bodies plummeted to the ground.

The yellowish-brown rock formations around them rose rapidly upwards, but this was actually an illusion created by the four people falling so fast that it made them feel as if the ground around them was rising rapidly.

Boom!!

The Great Flame Bullet whistled past almost directly above everyone's heads, its scorching flames nearly setting Jiraiya's hair ablaze.

With Jiraiya's help, the four landed steadily below the rock strata.

Although they escaped the attack of the Great Flame Bullet Technique, they were not safe, because Tōka was not far from the entrance of the collapsed cave.

"Jiraiya- sensei, what on earth is going on?!" Sakura asked, on the verge of collapse. They had already collected all the Heaven and Earth Scroll for the Chunin Ninja Exams.

Why did they suddenly run into Teacher Tōka? More importantly, why did Teacher Tōka relentlessly pursue them?

And... why did Teacher Tōka leave the village so inexplicably?!

Sakura wasn't the only one with a lot of questions; Naruto and Sasuke also had their own opinions on Tōka's strength, and after spending some time together.

Looking into the three pairs of stubborn eyes, Jiraiya sighed inwardly and simply explained, "Now is not the time to talk about this; we must leave here as soon as possible!"

Jiraiya sure whether he should reveal everything he knew, even though much of the information was deduced from subtle intelligence.

But everything points to Tōka!

The Nine-Tails Incident twelve years ago, the Third Hokage's deadly battle with Orochimaru, and the simultaneous attack on Konoha by the Sunagakure Shinobi, Kirigakure Ninja, and Sound Ninja.

"I'll go ask Teacher Tōka!" Unable to get an answer, Naruto didn't give up and grabbed the uneven rock wall, preparing to climb up.

Sasuke remained calm and quickly grabbed Naruto's arm.

"He's no longer your teacher, he's Konoha Rogue Ninja!" Sasuke had an intense aversion to the term "Konoha Rogue Ninja."

Not only that man, but even Teacher Tōka, who gave him the hope of killing that man...

Naruto kept his head down, his back to the three of them, so no one could see his expression.

"Let go!" These two simple words conveyed a sense of undeniable authority.

Sakura glanced at Sasuke with concern, then turned to look at Naruto. She didn't know what to do; Naruto had always been the most unreliable one.

At that moment, Sakura felt that she was the most useless one.

"If you want to understand, you'd better become stronger first!" Jiraiya slammed his fist into the wall, and the rock strata shattered instantly.

Large chunks of debris fell down, threatening to bury everyone alive!

The three were startled awake by the sudden, loud noise. They reflexively looked up and saw countless pieces of rock falling. Instantly, chaos erupted in the cave.

Jiraiya couldn't care less about that; his hands, which were forming hand Hand Seals, became a blur of afterimages.

In less than two seconds, the Hand Seals were completed, and a surge of powerful Earth Element chakra erupted!

Buzz!

"Earth Release: Subterranean Voyage!"

A C-rank Ninjutsu that uses Earth Element chakra to liquefy the surrounding land, allowing the user to swim like a fish in water.

Jiraiya plunged headfirst into the mud, Sasuke, reacting fastest, was the first to follow...

In the Forest, the raging fire illuminated the entire forest in a fiery red glow, and amidst the Kakkō, Tōka stood on the ground with a mocking expression.

"You think you can hide underground and escape my sight?"

Little did he know, everything Jiraiya did was clearly seen by Tōka.

"Subterranean Voyage is a good technique." Tōka's figure flickered and disappeared from the spot, closely following the four people who were lurking underground.

Rock formations may obstruct vision, but they cannot hinder the perception of chakra.

Jiraiya could easily find Tōka's figure in the vast Konoha, so how could he not know that Tōka was relentlessly pursuing him from above?

"No, at this rate, there's no way we can shake him off!" Jiraiya's heart sank, as if a Taiseki was pressing on his chest.

Sasuke and Sakura did not sign a contract with the Toad of the Mount Myōboku clan, so it would take some time to prepare before they could be summoned back to Mount Myōboku.

Judging from the current situation, Tōka has no way of giving him time to prepare.

Jiraiya glanced casually at the two brats beside him, and a thought flashed through his mind: Should he abandon them?

Tōka's target is the Nine-Tails; Sasuke and Sakura pose no threat to him.

Even if he stayed, there wouldn't be any danger, Jiraiya comforted himself.

"Have you had enough fun? It's time to come out!" Tōka locked onto the group's location, suddenly stretched out a hand, and clenched his five fingers into a tiger's claw.

Buzz!

In an instant, the raging chakra transformed into an extremely strong Attractive Force, piercing through the thick rock layers and heading straight into the depths of the earth!

"Huh? What's going on!" Sasuke's figure paused, a sense of something about to burst forth and fly upwards!

The moment Tōka made her move, Jiraiya noticed it and was also drawn in by that Attractive Force.

Instantly, Jiraiya concentrated his chakra in his palms and soles, gripping the hard rocks in the rock strata with both hands and desperately sticking his feet to the rock wall.

"Grab me!" Jiraiya shouted, forcefully resisting Tōka's strength and pulling his body back.

Sasuke swiftly moved closer and grabbed Jiraiya's sleeve, while Naruto, being Jiraiya's primary focus, was pulled into his embrace.

Sakura, who was a step slower to react, wasn't so lucky.

She felt her body lighten, and in a flash, she was pulled off the ground!

"Pink hair, it must be Sakura!" Tōka said with a mischievous grin, holding up Sakura's collar and tilting his head.

However, when Tōka chuckled, Sakura didn't find it funny at all.

A chill ran down her spine, and Sakura froze on the spot, too stunned to turn around.

Thump!

Tōka released his fingers, threw Sakura to the ground, and then opened his five fingers again, pointing them at Jiraiya and the others.

"Let's see how long you can hold out!"

Ice Blue halo danced in the depths of his eyes, as an even greater surge of chakra flowed into them. Powerful Dojutsu served as the source, activating the Jutsu Formula residing within his eyes.

Boom!

An exaggerated Chakra Storm transformed into a whirlwind, radiating outwards from Tōka in all directions.

"Ah!" Sakura exclaimed, quickly covering her face and curling up into a ball to avoid being hurt by the leaves and pebbles in the strong wind.

Tōka's eyes narrowed, and he clenched his fists tightly. "Come out here!"

Click click click!!

Dark cracks spread out, the earth split open, rock layers collapsed, and the three people hidden underground seemed about to emerge.

"Is this the power that even the Sage of Six Paths fears?" Jiraiya's five fingers gripped tightly in the cracks of the rock, but he still couldn't resist the attraction from Tōka.

A crisp click rang out!

The stone that Jiraiya held in his hand snapped in two, and the chakra absorbed by his feet was no longer enough to resist Tōka's power.

Jiraiya, Naruto, Sasuke all flew upwards together.

Seeing that Naruto and Sasuke were about to fall into Tōka's hands, Jiraiya immediately released the pebbles in his hands and Hand Seals.

Hai, Xu, You, Shen, Wei!

"Summoning Technique: Toad Mouth Binding Technique!"

Summoning the stomach and intestines of the Mount Myōboku- san Toad can not only be used for defense, but can also trap enemies inside.

Using the Toad's powerful digestive system, they slowly digested the enemy!

As Jiraiya finished speaking, thick layers of flesh grew out strangely around the collapsed Rock fracture.

Two muffled thuds sounded as Naruto and Sasuke's bodies crashed into a thick layer of flesh above them.

"The stomach and intestines of the giant Toad of the Rocky Abode?" Tōka frowned slightly. Jiraiya really had a lot of tricks up his sleeve.

If Itachi could burn away this fleshy barrier with Amaterasu, Tōka naturally had a way to tear it apart as well!

Since it's the stomach and intestines of the Giant Rock Toad, it must be connected to the Giant Rock Toad's life form, capable of dealing with living flesh walls?

Super-fast regeneration? High defensive capabilities?

"All-Killing Ash Bones - Earth Spear Pierce!" Tōka suddenly squatted down and slammed his hands into the ground.

Puff puff puff!!

Countless Bone Spur, reeking of decay, pierced straight into the stomach wall of the Toad within the rock strata.

"Not good!" A strange, decaying odor surged forth, Jiraiya felt a bone-chilling cold sweep over him.

The giant Toad of the Rocky Abode has a powerful digestive system and regenerative abilities, but even it couldn't withstand Tōka's All-Killing Ash Bones!

This is Jiraiya has seen the ability to All-Killing Ash Bones!

Bang!

The Summoning Technique was dispelled in an instant, the thick fleshy walls receded like a tide, and the rock strata returned to their original state once again.

Upon seeing this, Tōka, who was forcefully channeling chakra, immediately raised his hands, and the wildly growing gray Bone Spur stopped growing as he released his hands.

The sharpest Bone Spur at the very front cornered Naruto, less than a hand's width from his face.

Upon seeing this, not only Jiraiya breathed a sigh of relief, but even Tōka relaxed his furrowed brows; what he wanted was the Nine-Tails' chakra.

It wasn't a dead Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

When Tailed Beast is sealed inside Jinchūriki, Tailed Beast life becomes tied to that Jinchūriki; if the Jinchūriki is killed, the Tailed Beast will also die.

But the Tailed Beast is not truly dead; it will be resurrected, though it will take a long time.

"Jiraiya, you can't escape." Through the fractured rock strata, Tōka's cold gaze fell on Jiraiya.

Jiraiya received very little information from the Sage of Six Paths, partly due to time constraints and partly because Jiraiya was not of the Otsutsuki bloodline, and there were some things the Six Paths did not want to tell him.

However, this did not affect Jiraiya's determination.

"Although I don't understand why you're doing this, I will definitely stop you!" Jiraiya and powerful words stirred up the courage in Naruto and Sasuke's hearts.

At least, they dared to look Tōka in the eye at this moment.

"Just you?" Tōka narrowed his eyes, his suspicious nature making him wary. Could it be that Jiraiya had some hidden trump card?

Better safe than sorry.

Tōka didn't want to repeat the mistake of the last time, when she carelessly fell into Six Paths Dao's trap, causing all her plans to be delayed for several years.

"Not just me, but all of us!" Jiraiya shouted, biting his finger. "Naruto, follow me!"

Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai!

Noticing Jiraiya's handprint, Tōka's pupils contracted sharply. He also knew Summoning Technique, so he could naturally tell what kind of jutsu Jiraiya was using.

Sizzle...

Tōka raised his arm high, chakra frantically gathering in his palm, and a lightning spear crackling with lightning appeared in his hand.

Lightning Release: Serpent Spear!

Call out!

A sharp, piercing crackling sound of electricity tore through the rock, shooting straight towards where Jiraiya was below...

Tōka's technique was very fast, skipping the time for Hand Seals. Almost the instant he raised his hand, the serpent spear was formed, and then he threw it out.

A flash of lightning appeared in their sight, and the serpent spear had already pierced through layers of broken rock.

Boom!

A tremendous explosion rang out, and the fault gap below collapsed instantly!

Dust mixed with wisps of white smoke drifted out, and Tōka's face darkened. "They still managed to escape..."