Jiraiya sighed. "All right, Hinata is safe for now. Let's head back soon. There's nothing left here that we want, and staying any longer would be pointless." With that, he picked up Naruto and Hinata and prepared to leave.
Sasuke nodded and was about to leave with Jiraiya when a voice rang out. "Leaving just like that?"
Sasuke and Jiraiya immediately looked around in surprise. Neither had expected anyone else to be there, much less someone who could evade their senses. They could hardly help being shocked. After all, one of them had activated Sage Mode, while the other possessed sage power even stronger than Sage Mode, with even sharper sensory abilities.
Yet neither had sensed anyone watching from the shadows. Killing them would be all too easy for this person. After their brief shock, they quickly regained their composure. Jiraiya called out, "Who's there? If you have something to say, come out and say it."
"Heh, you two youngsters are remarkably calm. Aren't you afraid I'll kill you both?" the voice spoke again.
Jiraiya replied confidently, "Heh, I was a little afraid at first, but not anymore. If you wanted to kill Sasuke and me, you wouldn't waste your breath talking to us. So I'm certain you won't kill us."
"Hahaha, you're rather clever. But this time, you've guessed wrong. I do whatever I please, no matter what it is, and the people I hate most are those who think they know everything. I wasn't planning to kill you, but now I've changed my mind. So die." The voice had sounded playful at first, but when it reached the word "die," it carried a bone-chilling coldness.
Jiraiya's and Sasuke's expressions changed drastically. They hadn't expected this person to turn hostile without the slightest warning. A burst of white light