Under Yoru's utterly unleashed Heavenly Phenomenon Descends, all of Tsunan Town became a frozen wasteland.
Death and cold filled the world at that moment.
It was as though even the air had frozen.
"Crack!"
Fugaku shattered the thick ice and pulled a slender figure out from within it.
The Three-Tomoe spun constantly in his eyes as he stared at the scene around him. Fugaku was beyond shocked.
The sight before him was simply too astonishing. Even Fugaku, who had already witnessed Yoru's terrifying Hyoton, felt a chill of fear.
"Can Hyoton really do something like this...?"
According to legend, the First, Hashirama Senju, could create a forest in an instant and reshape an entire landscape. Even the ultimate Divine Power of his Uchiha ancestors could not rival that.
Fugaku had no idea what that scene would look like, but one thing was certain: facing Yoru as he was now, even if Fugaku awakened the third stage of Susanoo, he probably still couldn't defeat him...
"So the Uchiha's power... can't even match your Hyoton..."
Fugaku clenched his fists, unwillingness filling his eyes.
The proudest of clans, the Uchiha, now felt utterly powerless.
"Come on, Shisui. Prepare to retreat!"
Fugaku looked toward Jiraiya atop the giant toad and grabbed Shisui by the shoulder. Then he realized that Shisui, too, was staring blankly at the frozen world before him.
"They're dead... They're all... dead..."
"Everyone... just like that..."
"Yuki Yoru..."
The Uchiha prodigy seemed unable to believe what he was seeing. His remaining eye fixed on Yuki Yoru, who stood atop the ice wall, looking down over everything.
Shisui's right eye was bandaged, while Yuki Yoru's right eye was hidden behind a mask.
Their left eyes seemed to meet in midair. Shisui could clearly see the sneer and scorn at the corner of Yuki Yoru's mouth, as if mocking his weakness and the frailty of Konohagakure.
"You..."
Uchiha Shisui clenched both hands, his fingertips scraping gouges into the ice.
Suddenly, an astonishing aura swept down from above. Fugaku's expression changed as he felt it. He grabbed Shisui by the shoulder and quickly retreated.
It wasn't just Fugaku. Almost everyone on the battlefield felt the aura.
One after another, their gazes converged on the white-haired figure.
"Haah!"
As Jiraiya brought his hands together, Yoru could clearly feel the power of the world around them stir. An indescribably terrifying energy was gathering within Jiraiya.
"That stance, that aura..."
Yagura's pupils contracted. He hurriedly called out a warning.
"Yoru, watch out! This is the power that earned the Sannin Jiraiya the title of Toad Sage. He wields the legendary power of Senjutsu!"
Jiraiya's Senjutsu was no secret among the upper ranks of the Ninja World. He possessed Sage Mode, just like the legendary First.
Jiraiya had activated Sage Mode many times while traveling through the Ninja World.
During this Third Great Ninja War, he had even entered Sage Mode on the Iwagakure Battlefield to fight the two Tailed Beasts there.
Such overwhelming power had long drawn the attention of the Ninja World's strongest fighters, leading them to explore Senjutsu themselves. Unfortunately, not one of them had succeeded.
That only made Senjutsu seem even more mysterious and powerful.
And it made the Sannin's name all the more renowned!
"You think I'd just let you use a move like that?"
Yoru appeared right in front of Jiraiya in an instant, and an Ice Dragon Roar burst forth.
But another, smaller toad appeared in front of Jiraiya.
Holding a steel fork in one hand and a shield in the other, the toad blocked the ice dragon head-on, then thrust the fork at Yoru's face.
"Oh! I may be clumsy, but I can still be of some use!"
"Get out of my way, you troublesome toad!"
Yoru's gaze turned cold. Hyōrinmaru clashed with the steel fork, ringing like metal striking metal.
A bone-chilling cold spread along the fork. In the blink of an eye, it was about to freeze the toad as well.
However—
Though the toad looked clumsy, its reflexes were astonishing.
The moment the cold began to spread, he had already dropped the fork and dodged the oncoming ice dragon, landing safely on the ground.
"Thanks for your hard work, Gama Ken!"
Gama Ken cast a reluctant glance at the frozen fork. "It's all because I'm so clumsy..."
"I'll make you a whole new one later! Leave this to me for now!" Jiraiya said with a smile.
As natural energy gathered, Jiraiya's appearance changed noticeably.
On his face, marked with red lines, red eyeshadow—the distinctive sign of Sage Mode—appeared around his eyes.
It was still faint, but Jiraiya's pupils had already become horizontal slits like a toad's, and several small, bumpy growths had appeared on either side of his nose.
At the same time—
With a puff of white smoke, two short figures appeared at Jiraiya's sides.
"I was cooking, little Jiraiya... Why does it feel so cold? With weather like this, has little Jiraiya come to the Land of Snow? Oh, Gamabunta's here too!"
"Don't say that, dear. Looks like little Jiraiya's run into a formidable enemy."
As the smoke cleared, two tiny toads appeared before everyone, speaking in human tongues.
"Sorry for the trouble, Big Sis, Boss. I had to summon you here under these circumstances." Jiraiya took a deep breath and looked at Yuki Yoru and the dense ranks of Kirigakure Ninja. "I really had no other choice this time."
"So it's a war. No wonder you even activated your least favorite Sage Mode."
Sage Fukasaku noticed Jiraiya's unusual aura. Following his gaze, he also spotted the people from Kirigakure.
"That Forehead Protector, that getup... Kirigakure, huh?"
"Looks like Konohagakure is at war with Kirigakure. So the Yuki Clan created this icy landscape?"
"The Yuki Clan's Hyoton can reach this level? But speaking of which, little Jiraiya, shouldn't you learn to enter Sage Mode on your own? Little Minato can do it already!"
Sage Shima still hadn't gotten over having her cooking interrupted, and couldn't help ribbing Jiraiya.
At that,
Jiraiya immediately thought of the golden-haired boy and burst into laughter. "Hahaha... Minato can use Sage Mode now? That's my student for you!"
"That's right. Little Minato can use Sage Mode, and his Sage Mode is exceptionally perfect. He doesn't become even a little toad-like," Sage Fukasaku said with a nod.
"Don't praise him too much. That kid will get cocky." Jiraiya looked proud. "When I get back, I'll have to put his recent training to the test... If I can get back, that is..."
"Now, let's get moving!"
The two Toad Sages stood on either side of Jiraiya, while the natural energy within him surged to its peak.
Toad Sage Jiraiya.
Going all out!
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