Still in Their Prime, the Legendary Sannin!

"Huh? The Ten-Tails has been resurrected." Black Zetsu emerged from the ground and stood behind Tōka.

He glanced curiously at the giant beast in the Forest and asked, "Did Uchiha Madara tell you about this?"

Compared to Tōka, Uchiha Madara clearly trusted Black Zetsu more. How could he possibly tell Tōka something that even Black Zetsu hadn't told him?

Perhaps only Kabuto Yakushi, who sent the Fourth Hokage to his death, could have guessed something about this.

Because in the cave where Kabuto Yakushi hiding, Tōka noticed a hint of surprise flash across his face, which meant that although Kabuto Yakushi was surprised, he had already anticipated it.

"It seems Uchiha Madara hasn't told anyone about this." Seeing Tōka shake his head slightly, Black Zetsu narrowed his eyes dangerously.

The chess pieces possessed immense power and developed their own ideas.

This is extremely dangerous!

Tōka glanced at Black Zetsu, and he could see the apprehension in Black Zetsu's eyes.

Without a powerful force to restrain Uchiha Madara, Black Zetsu will need more time to find a suitable opportunity to make his move.

Therefore, Black Zetsu's initial plan was to use Tōka as a pawn to deal with Uchiha Madara.

Unfortunately, Tōka is also a pawn with great power and different ideas, and he will not be so easily manipulated by Black Zetsu.

Let him fight Uchiha Madara to the death, and then let Black Zetsu Kaguya's Resurrection?

How could that be...

Sudden!

A strange feeling welled up in Tōka's heart. He looked up at the sky, where the air was filled with the evil chakra emanating from the Ten-Tails.

"Black Zetsu, have you noticed something strange?"

The Ten-Tails' chakra that permeated the air was extremely turbulent, although it is normal for the Ten-Tails' chakra to be turbulent.

But hidden beneath the frenzied atmosphere is something else entirely...

Tōka frowned, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

What exactly is it that makes me feel this strong sense of unease?

"What's going on? Why is the Ten-Tails' chakra so unstable?" Black Zetsu suddenly shouted.

Upon hearing this, Tōka's eyes lit up, and a look of sudden realization appeared on his face.

That's right, the Ten-Tails' chakra is extremely unstable!

This is the source of the sense of incongruity!

Tōka gazed intently at the giant beast with Ten Tails waving in the distance. The chakra within its body was extremely turbulent—no, it couldn't be described as merely turbulent.

The chakra within the Ten-Tails was like explosives exposed to a raging fire—extremely unstable, as if it would explode at any moment!

As the mastermind behind the resurrection of the Ten-Tails, Uchiha Madara clearly noticed this as well.

"The Ten-Tails..." Uchiha Madara noticed the key issue, but he didn't know the root cause. He could only barely suppress the agitated Ten-Tails.

Bang bang bang!!

Suddenly, three huge plumes of white smoke exploded in the ruins, followed by a gust of wind that dispersed the smoke that had enveloped the massive black shadow.

The shadowy figure gradually revealed its true form: a giant Toad with a pipe in its mouth, a large, striped snake, and a rather disgusting-looking slug.

The three Summoning Beasts of the Legendary Sannin!

Gamabunta, Manda, Katsuyu!

Even though Gamabunta, Manda, and Katsuyu were already as large as Small Mountain, they were like children compared to adults in front of the Ten-Tails.

Uchiha Madara, standing atop the Ten-Tails, looked down upon the three Summoning Beasts.

The black and white Rinnegan, with its god-like gaze, fell upon Manda, making it extremely uncomfortable.

"Honestly, why did I even participate in this kind of battle?"

Orochimaru stood behind Manda with a gloomy expression, and his face darkened even more when he heard Manda's disobedient complaints.

"I will prepare a thousand Sacrifice!" Orochimaru coldly uttered, and Manda shut his mouth in satisfaction.

Manda has secretly decided that if things go wrong, he will undo the Summoning Technique and escape.

A thousand Living Sacrifice would be tempting, but one must be alive to enjoy them. He wouldn't be foolish enough to risk his life for such a Sacrifice!

After calming Manda, Orochimaru's gaze fell on the man with spiky white hair on Gamabunta's head.

Fukasaku and Shima, two Toad, were standing on Jiraiya's shoulders; he had already entered Sage Mode.

Orochimaru Jiraiya need to turn around to feel Orochimaru's icy gaze.

"Orochimaru, this isn't just helping me, it's helping yourself too," Jiraiya said. "Without Rinnegan of equal level, you have no chance of escaping the Infinite Tsukuyomi."

This sentence changed Orochimaru's mind. The storm stirred up by Uchiha Madara had swept across the entire world, and there was no Pure Land where one could enjoy peace alone.

Orochimaru curled his lip and muttered a curse under his breath.

When did he ever need to take orders from this stupid Toad? But at this moment, Jiraiya was indeed very strong.

Even Orochimaru and Tsunade combined wouldn't be a match for Jiraiya.

Besides Sage Mode, Jiraiya possessed another power—the power entrusted to him by the Six Paths.

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed, he clasped his hands together, and the chakra within him began to surge. "Yang Release..."

A few days ago, Mount Myōboku.

"What's that old man up to now? Doesn't he know I'm preparing lunch for the kids?" Toad Shima, wearing an apron, pushed open the door with a complaining look on his face.

Accompanying her were Fukasaku Jiraiya.

As I entered the hall, I saw the Toad Sage had just woken up and still looked sleepy.

"Perfect timing, perfect timing. I just had another dream..." The Toad Sage, looking rather senile, waved his hand, gesturing for the three to come closer.

Upon hearing that the Toad Sage had dreamt of the Mirai again, Fukasaku and Jiraiya immediately perked up their ears.

The Ninja World is currently in a turbulent period, and the Mirai that the Toad Sage saw in his dream may very well determine the future direction of the Ninja World.

"Jiraiya... I dreamt that you were fighting a monster with Ten Tails, trying to stop the man standing atop the Eye Beast..."

"We must stop him..."

After those two short sentences, there was no further movement in the hall.

When they were a little while later, Fukasaku and Jiraiya couldn't help but look up at the Toad Sage, only to find that he had already fallen asleep sometime earlier!

"An old senile man is just an old senile man, always having strange dreams." Toad Shima muttered to herself before turning and leaving the hall; she still had to prepare lunch for the children!

Fukasaku and Jiraiya, on the other hand, withdrew from the hall with solemn expressions.

Although the Toad Sage's words were only fragmented, the two were able to glean a great deal of information from them.

"Jiraiya, what are you planning to do?" Fukasaku asked, looking at Jiraiya. Mount Myōboku would have some information about what was happening in the Ninja World.

With the Raikage captured, Uchiha Madara plans to use him to lure out the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki.

Jiraiya glanced Budong in the direction of the Frog Forest. Naruto was still training hard, and his growth during this time was considerable.

It's just not enough to become a sanctuary for Konoha...

No, it's a towering Big Tree that shelters this world.

"Let me, as your teacher, buy you some time." Jiraiya's eyes shone with determination.

"Jiraiya, kid?" Fukasaku Jiraiya a strange look.

"Let's go find Orochimaru!" Jiraiya had complete faith in the Toad Sage's words, and the Toad Sage's prophecies had never been wrong.

Jiraiya did not tell Naruto that he was leaving because he did not want to disturb Naruto's training. Only Fukasaku, Shima, and Gamabunta knew that Jiraiya had left.

Because Jiraiya needed their help.

In the Otogakure, at Orochimaru's base.

The cold, damp cave was filled with gusts of chilling wind that sent shivers down one's spine and made Goosebumps rise all over one's arms.

Jiraiya, sporting a head of spiky white hair, walked through the narrow, dimly lit passageway, the flickering torches on the walls casting his shadow on the floor.

It kept shaking...

Jiraiya made no attempt to conceal his presence; his footsteps were remarkably clear in the empty passageway.

Swish swish swish!!

Who goes there?!

"Stop!"

The Sound Four flashed to block Jiraiya's path, but their expressions changed drastically the moment they saw who it was.

As one of the Jiraiya Legendary Sannin, how could the Sound Four not recognize Jiraiya?

This is someone even Lord Orochimaru finds troublesome!

"Take me to see Orochimaru!" Jiraiya didn't make things difficult for these low-level henchmen; after all, he had come to ask Orochimaru for help.

Upon hearing this, the Sound Four exchanged glances, secretly discussed their opinions, and then reached a consensus.

Jiraiya someone they can handle. Rather than fighting him head-on and dying in vain, it's better to take him to see Orochimaru.

At that time, they would not back down whether it was war or peace, because Orochimaru was there.

"Come with me," Tayuya said.

Kidomaru, on the other hand, went ahead into the base, as he needed to inform Orochimaru in advance that Jiraiya had broken into the base.

Tap tap... tap...

In the empty corridor, the sound of footsteps could be clearly heard.

A moment later, Jiraiya was following behind Tayuya, raised his eyes and suddenly noticed a tall, slender figure standing at the end of the passage.

"Jiraiya, I didn't expect you to come here." Orochimaru habitually licked his lips, a wicked smile spreading across his face.

"I don't have time to waste with you." Jiraiya's face was tense, devoid of his usual playful and silly demeanor.

He's serious!

Seeing this, Orochimaru narrowed his Golden Slit Pupils slightly, quietly waiting for Jiraiya to continue.

Jiraiya asked expressionlessly, "I heard you tricked Tōka last time?"

Orochimaru frowned slightly, a dangerous glint in his eyes. This was nothing to brag about, because Tōka had absolutely no intention of fighting him.

Otherwise, if Tōka really wanted to kill him, he wouldn't still be standing here.

Orochimaru didn't understand Jiraiya's meaning, but he felt very uncomfortable hearing Jiraiya's words.

"Besides Uchiha Madara, there's only one person who can remain unaffected by the Infinite Tsukuyomi," Jiraiya said, ignoring Orochimaru's unfriendly gaze.

"You should be able to guess who this person is!"

Jiraiya spoke with such certainty, and then deliberately mentioned Tōka's name in the previous sentence.

Orochimaru wasn't stupid; he naturally guessed who this person was.

He only told Itachi Uchiha about his idea of not wanting to participate in the war and only wanting to find a way to break the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

But Jiraiya found out...

"Have you met Itachi Uchiha?" Orochimaru asked in a deep voice.

"That's not important, what's important is your choice!" Jiraiya want to waste time with Orochimaru and went straight to the point.

Upon hearing this, Orochimaru's brow furrowed even more.

He knew he didn't want to participate in the war, but finding a way to break the Infinite Tsukuyomi was almost impossible.

This battle has divided the world in two. Uchiha Madara, representing darkness, will win, and the world will fall into slumber, where everyone will die in a beautiful dream.

To remain unaffected? Impossible!

Despite his displeasure, Orochimaru did not deny Jiraiya's words.

"I seem to have no other choice." Orochimaru took a deep breath and uttered a calm sentence.

He may not have given an answer, but he has actually made a choice.

From the moment Uchiha Madara was resurrected, there was no other choice; Orochimaru had his own ambitions.

He was willing to die in a sweet dream...

Having received Orochimaru's affirmative answer, Jiraiya's tense expression relaxed slightly; with Orochimaru willing to help, things became much simpler.

"I have a plan..."

Land of Lightning Border.

After crossing the Forest to the west lies the sea that separates the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning; to the Northeast lies deep into the Land of Land of Lightning; and to the southwest is the direction towards the Land of Fire.

The sound of waves crashing against the rocks and the howling sea breeze, carried inland by the destruction of vast tracts of trees by the Ten-Tails, was palpable.

"Drink!" Jiraiya roared, and the chakra within his body surged like boiling water.

Fukasaku and Shima, the two Toad, stood on Jiraiya's body, also channeling their full chakra.

The Technique of the Sage of Six Paths are not so simple; the three of them exerted all their strength just to activate the Yang Release planted within the Ten-Tails.

The Ten-Tails became even more frenzied, and its evil chakra, which permeated the air, became even more agitated.

"Although I don't know the reason, it must be you guys who are behind this!" Uchiha Madara's face darkened, and a flash of killing intent One Flash eyes.

His body suddenly sank, his hands flew, and in an instant, his hands formed a series of hand seals, turning into Hand Seals.

Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!

A powerful Fire Release was unleashed from Uchiha Madara's mouth, causing the temperature in the Forest to suddenly increase several times over.

The flames that filled the entire screen seemed to be devouring everything.

Anything that the flames touched, whether living or dead, was reduced to ashes.

The Kakkō illuminated the sky, and even though they were a thousand meters apart, Orochimaru and Tsunade could feel the intense heat, as if the sun had fallen.

"Tch, I knew it would be this troublesome!" Orochimaru's pale face turned red, and a solemn look appeared in his Golden Slit Pupils.

Click!

Orochimaru put both thumbs into his mouth, biting them with his sharp teeth until blood flowed down his palms.

Hai, Xu, You, Shen, Wei!

"Summoning Technique!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Huge plumes of smoke exploded in front of the three Summoning Beasts!

"Multiple Rashōmon!"

Unlike the linear arrangement, Orochimaru Rashōmon summoned this time were arranged in a fan shape in front of the three Summoning Beasts.

Uchiha Madara's Great Fire Annihilation like a massive, overwhelming wave of fire, which put Orochimaru under immense pressure.

Seeing this, Tsunade flashed and landed on Manda.

She placed her hands on Orochimaru's back, and a cool stream of chakra flowed into Orochimaru's body, relieving the Orochimaru that had been drained from him in that instant.

Ten ugly doors, arranged in two fan-shaped layers, completely blocked the three Summoning Beasts and the Ten-Tails.

Orochimaru wasn't sure if he could actually stop them...