A Three-on-One

Bang!

Several figures leaped out of the black smoke as an explosion rang out.

"Konoha's Sannin? You're just as formidable as the rumors say."

Jiraiya looked ahead. Three ninjas stood there, and without exception, they were all rogue ninjas.

The one at the front was a man who bore some resemblance to Heili.

He wore a Forehead Protector around his neck. The symbol of Takigakure on it had been slashed through.

"But..."

Kurohane spread his hands, and the two Jonin behind him assumed fighting stances.

"What will the legendary Sannin do against three of us?"

At that, Jiraiya smiled, then his expression turned serious.

"Then—"

"Get a good taste of the power of the Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku!"

Jiraiya pushed off with his foot and charged at Kurohane and the others.

"Fire Style: Great Flame Bullet."

They were Jonin, after all, and had plenty of combat experience. The instant Jiraiya moved, one of them unleashed a jutsu.

"Water Style: Water Bullet."

Jiraiya formed Hand Seals as he charged. A Water Style jutsu immediately extinguished the Great Flame Bullet flying toward him.

"Earth Style: Earth Walk Technique."

The ground gave way beneath him, pitching Jiraiya forward. The earth suddenly collapsed under his feet, and someone was waiting below.

Just a few seconds ago, that person had been standing right in front of Jiraiya.

The ninja underground thrust upward with a Kunai. Though Jiraiya was still off balance, his excellent battle instincts let him evade the attack in time.

The Kunai grazed his cheek. Jiraiya retaliated with a spinning kick aimed at the ninja below.

"Lightning Style."

The man in front of him ignored his partner's safety and was already forming Hand Seals.

Jiraiya's kick struck the ninja beneath him, but his opponent was a Jonin—and a rogue one at that. He might not have had more combat experience than Jiraiya, but he was no less seasoned.

With a puff, smoke curled around Jiraiya's foot. The enemy he had kicked vanished into a cloud of smoke.

A log appeared out of thin air, hanging as if frozen in place—a clear sign that the ninja had used the Substitution Technique.

"Earth Flow!"

By then, the other two Jonin had begun unleashing the Lightning Style jutsu they had held back earlier.

A bolt of lightning slithered toward Jiraiya like a snake.

Jiraiya hopped lightly and dodged the jutsu with ease.

But the enemies had been waiting for that moment!

While their ally provided cover and stalled him, Kurohane seized the instant Jiraiya was airborne and charged at him from one side with the other Jonin.

The Kunai in their hands gleamed. They were Chakra Blades, which could only be wielded by someone with a certain level of chakra control.

But the Chakra Blades in their hands were no ordinary weapons. From the corner of his eye, Jiraiya could see that the incoming blades carried nature transformations.

Nature transformation was an essential skill for Jonin. Adding it to a jutsu raised its power by an entire level.

The Rasengan was a classic example. After the addition of Wind Style nature transformation, it could go from an A-rank jutsu to one on the level of a forbidden technique.

Ordinary Chakra Blades were also enhanced by nature transformation.

One Kunai glowed red; the other shimmered with a razor-sharp edge.

They had Fire Style and Wind Style nature transformations.

It was clear that Kurohane and the other Jonin charging at him had those affinities.

Putting that aside, Jiraiya was in grave danger. He was suspended in midair, with enemies attacking from both sides.

There was almost no way to dodge.

That should have been the case.

But—

Jiraiya didn't panic. His wooden sandals tapped together beneath him.

The sharp clacking rang out like a sound wave.

Kurohane and the other ninja had reached Jiraiya, but the moment the wooden sandals clacked, both of them inexplicably froze for an instant.

Their Chakra Blades were about to swing, but that brief hesitation gave Jiraiya his opening.

Jiraiya stretched his legs apart in midair, doing the splits. He kicked Kurohane and the other ninja, who had both momentarily frozen, and sent them flying.

Jiraiya landed steadily, while Kurohane and the other man staggered back several steps.

Jiraiya had won that exchange.

"Fire Style."

"Fire Dragon Flame Bullet Technique."

Ninja battles left no room for a breather; every moment was tense.

Even after being knocked back, Kurohane and the other man immediately formed Hand Seals.

Soon, two Fire Dragon Flame Bullets spewed out simultaneously from Jiraiya's left and right.

Jiraiya wasn't foolish enough to stand there like a sitting duck. He pushed off the ground and leaped aside, dodging the attack.

The two fire dragons collided, their flames merging and surging upward.

The scorching flames heated the air and the wind. Jiraiya's battle with them continued.

"Lightning Style: Heavy Flow Violence."

Jiraiya had just landed after dodging the two jutsu when he heard the crackle of electricity beside him.

He turned his gaze. The third man was charging at him at great speed, electricity coiling around both hands.

"Earth Style."

Jiraiya slapped his palm against the ground. A seal appeared from his palm.

"Multiple Earth Spikes Technique."

As Jiraiya finished speaking, the ground surged.

Electricity still coiled around the third man's hands as he reached Jiraiya. But the very next moment, the earth beneath him heaved.

The rising ground lifted him into the air, and his eyes fell on spikes thrusting toward him.

They were spikes formed from the earth beneath his feet.

He didn't panic. He was a Jonin, after all—and a rogue ninja at that. He had seen this sort of thing plenty of times.

He clenched his fist. Electricity crackled around his hand as he adjusted himself deftly in midair. His electrically charged fist smashed the spike in front of him to pieces.

"Wild Lion's Mane Technique."

Jiraiya's voice came from beside him. When he looked over, all he saw was white.

Pfft.

A cloud of smoke rose, and a few streaks of blood appeared on the ground.

"Quick reflexes."

Jiraiya drew back his white hair and looked to the side.

Kurohane stood there with the other two ninjas. One of them had blood covering half his body.

He was the ninja Jiraiya had just struck with the Wild Lion's Mane Technique.

"Do you still want to continue?"

After that exchange, anyone could see that Jiraiya was clearly in the stronger position, despite being alone.

As expected of the Sannin. He had earned that reputation on the battlefield.

"Jiraiya the Maniac really is as formidable as the rumors say. But I wonder how your students will fare."

Kurohane smiled, as though everything had gone according to plan.

"What do you mean?"

Jiraiya's expression turned cold.

Kurohane didn't panic. He continued with a smile.

"We have more than just three Jonin!"

Jiraiya immediately understood. Their goal was simple.

They just wanted to keep him—their high-level combatant—occupied.

"Damn it."

Jiraiya immediately tried to run toward Yueshu, but the three men quickly blocked his way.

"We can't let you ruin our plan now. Don't worry."

Kurohane smiled.

"It won't take long."

Jiraiya gritted his teeth and charged straight at them. The Maniac's battle raged on!