You Mean... Just This Much More?

Jiraiya saw that things were taking a turn for the worse. He flashed up onto Gamabunta's head, landing steadily on the rough toad skin.

"Gamabunta!"

No words were needed. Gamabunta understood at once, his massive mouth opening as foul, viscous liquid rapidly gathered in his throat.

"Hmph, leave it to me!"

With a roar, Gamabunta spat out Toad Oil, sending it sweeping forward like a torrential downpour. The air was instantly filled with its pungent stench.

The oil spread rapidly, enveloping Susanoo like a spiderweb and leaving no gaps.

Almost at the same instant, Jiraiya swiftly formed Hand Seals. Chakra surged through him, and he opened his mouth, spewing scorching flames that blazed brightly.

"Toad Oil Flame Bullet!"

Boom—!

The flames and oil mingled, erupting with an earth-shaking roar and turning into a sea of fire that swept across the land. Waves of scorching heat churned through the air.

Susanoo was swallowed by the flames. The intense heat scorched the air, and the scenery around them began to warp.

Yet Uchiha Yoru's gaze remained cold in the face of the terrifying sea of fire. A look of disdain appeared at the corner of his mouth.

He lifted his head slightly and gazed toward the sky, his voice calm.

"Foolish."

The Chakra Armor covering Susanoo trembled faintly. Purple light rippled across it like water, quickly forming an airtight barrier that completely blocked the flames.

The flames licked wildly at the armor's surface, but couldn't penetrate it. The chakra barrier also kept the oil from sticking.

The fire gradually died down. The scorching heat that lingered in its wake was like an echo that had yet to fade, but Susanoo still stood unmoved, like a war god looking down on mere mortals.

"Still no good..."

Jiraiya stood atop Gamabunta, fists clenched as cold sweat trickled down his temple.

He had thought the Toad Oil Flame Bullet's intense heat and sticky oil would be enough to break through Susanoo's defense. Yet against Susanoo's immense power, it all seemed so futile.

Reality had slapped him hard, laying bare his helplessness.

"Damn it..."

Uchiha Yoru looked down at them with contempt. His scarlet Sharingan glittered with amusement, his voice as cold as a blade, as if he were dealing with insignificant prey.

"You've struggled long enough."

He formed no Hand Seals. The chakra within him surged violently, its power sweeping over everything like a hurricane.

Overwhelming flames burst from Susanoo, transforming into an endless inferno that covered the entire world in an instant.

"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"

Boom—!!!

The flames surged forth like a rampaging dragon, blotting out the sky. A torrent of burning air roared forward with unstoppable force, the atmosphere twisting violently as though even the earth were bowing beneath the pressure.

Compared with other Fire Style techniques, Majestic Destroyer Flame, bolstered by Susanoo's chakra, had long since surpassed the bounds of ordinary ninjutsu.

The flames seemed capable of devouring heaven and earth. Everything crumbled beneath their scorching heat.

"Damn it!"

Gamabunta's pupils shrank. His massive body leaped into the air, tracing an arc as he narrowly dodged the flames' direct impact.

Yet the scorching sea of fire followed close behind, as if alive, relentlessly pursuing him.

"These flames... they can track us?"

Cold sweat poured down Gamabunta's face. The flames behind him drew closer and closer, their heat nearly scorching his skin.

He could almost feel the blazing waves of heat tearing at his body.

"What a pain."

Gamabunta gritted his teeth and forced himself to stay calm. He spat out a water bullet, hoping to distract the flames. But no matter what he tried, the fire surged after them, impossible to shake off.

Jiraiya, too, felt a pressure unlike any he had faced before, anxiety rising in his heart.

He knew that if this continued, Gamabunta wouldn't be able to hold on much longer, and he wouldn't last much longer himself.

"Rock Lodging Great Toad!" Jiraiya suddenly formed Hand Seals and performed the Summoning Technique.

At nearly the same instant, the air beside them rippled. The enormous Rock Lodging Great Toad appeared on the battlefield, its massive intestines changing their surroundings and temporarily shielding them from the sea of fire.

But before the Rock Lodging Great Toad could do anything, the Giant Susanoo tore through its intestines. The toad cried out in pain and vanished with a bang.

"At this rate..."

Gamabunta panted heavily, his heart sinking as he looked toward Uchiha Yoru. The crushing pressure, almost impossible to resist, weighed heavily on him.

"Jiraiya, this guy... isn't someone an ordinary person can handle."

He spoke gravely, staring at Susanoo with a tense body.

No matter what they tried, they couldn't break through the terrifying force bearing down on them.

Still, Jiraiya showed no sign of backing down. His resolve only grew stronger.

He gritted his teeth, his low voice carrying a note of determination.

"Gamabunta, cover me!"

"I'm going to enter Sage Mode!"

Gamabunta paused, then grinned fiercely. "All right! I'll do my best!"

Even with an enemy this terrifyingly powerful, he was willing to give everything for Jiraiya.

At this life-or-death moment, he didn't hesitate for a second.

Boom—!

Susanoo advanced at a steady pace. The ground trembled, and its overwhelming pressure crashed down like collapsing mountains and raging seas, making the air feel heavy.

In the next instant, Susanoo suddenly raised its hand. Its long blade split the sky, wrapped in an aura of destruction, and came crashing down toward Gamabunta!

Clang—!!!

Gamabunta swung both swords to meet the blow. Sparks flew, and the tremendous impact numbed his arms, nearly making him lose his grip.

"Tch!"

Gamabunta cursed under his breath and hurriedly fell back, spitting out a water bullet in an attempt to create some distance.

But Susanoo merely raised its long blade and brought it down with casual ease—

Boom!!!

A terrifying slash swept across the earth, sending dust billowing into the sky and boulders flying. Gamabunta was forced back again and again, nearly caught in the attack.

Susanoo continued slashing at Gamabunta.

Gamabunta could only keep leaping to evade Susanoo's attacks. One misstep, and he would be cut into pieces.

The battlefield was in ruins.

"Just a little longer... Just a little longer..."

Jiraiya could only growl helplessly.

In Uchiha Yoru's eyes, the preliminary steps of entering Sage Mode made Jiraiya look like a sitting duck.

Suddenly, Jiraiya's pupils shrank. He whipped around—

"Is that... Flying Thunder God?!"

He spotted Uchiha Yoru's clone, and the traces of lightning beneath it had yet to fade.

When did he—?!

Before he could sort out his thoughts, Uchiha Yoru's clone had already struck without hesitation. It swept its left hand outward, and a Susanoo blade appeared in an instant, thrusting straight into Gamabunta!

Stab!

The blade pierced through him. Gamabunta's body, which had been charging wildly across the battlefield, stiffened abruptly. The next moment—

"Ughhh—!"

Amid his anguished cry, the massive toad turned into billowing smoke and vanished completely.

With nothing left to support him, Jiraiya plummeted to the ground and crashed down with a thud, causing the earth beneath him to crack apart.

Still, he wasn't injured.

As dust filled the air, Uchiha Yoru slowly approached.

Jiraiya gritted his teeth, wanting to say something.

"You..."

Before he could finish, a violent pang of dread swept through his entire body.

In an instant, Uchiha Yoru's hand had pierced his chest.

He leaned close to Jiraiya's ear, his tone calm and cold.

"Just a little more? You mean... just this much more?"

With his other hand, Uchiha Yoru made a gesture that would make an athlete from a certain country turn red with rage.

Stab!

Blood splattered across the shattered ground.