Incomplete Sage Mode

There was a kind of ambition in Senju Nawaki's eyes.

Even if the Sage of Six Paths appeared before him, he would turn him into a pile of experimental materials.

With the Bloodline Completion System backing him, the Otsutsuki Clan no longer seemed so far beyond his reach. He only needed time.

It would all begin with the Second Shinobi World War.

The Uchiha Clan, the Hyuga Clan, the Sarutobi Clan, the Ino-Shika-Cho family, the toads of Mount Myoboku—everyone who had hurt him would become nourishment on his path to growth.

Rather than sacrifice myself to benefit you, I'd sacrifice you to benefit myself!

In the end, wasn't everything decided by the power in one's hands?

"Jiraiya, even though you know I'll die, even though you know the Senju Clan will perish, you still take this attitude.

That makes me very unhappy.

That's the fate you see, not the future I see."

Senju Nawaki opened his eyes. They were utterly calm, and his tone was even.

A chill radiated from him. Everywhere it reached, Senju Nawaki absorbed all signs of life.

Senju Nawaki's ninja way grew stronger. If the world itself was his enemy, then he would destroy the entire world.

"As expected of a destroyer of order. If you're allowed to grow up, the Ninja World will be destroyed. I can't keep letting you live!"

Jiraiya stared intently at Senju Nawaki. This change terrified him, and his expression grew even grimmer. He couldn't let his momentary softness create a violent criminal who would destroy the world.

He had to act.

All the life force in the world was being absorbed by Senju Nawaki. Jiraiya guessed that, just as the Great Toad Sage had said, Senju Nawaki would devour the entire world.

He formed Hand Seals. His white hair stood on end, his pupils became horizontal slits, red markings appeared at the corners of his eyes, and his mouth widened and flattened, making him look more and more like a toad.

A foul stench emanated from him, stopping the energy radiating from Senju Nawaki from spreading.

"Move! Use Space Cage to stop him from using the Summoning Technique!"

Senju Nawaki watched Jiraiya's transformation, which made him look more and more like one of Mount Myoboku's toads. His nostrils flared, and he frowned as he ordered Senju Tojian.

Jiraiya might have grown accustomed to the foul stench, but Senju Nawaki felt sick.

A bunch of self-righteous beasts dared to claim they could decide the world's fate, and there were fools who actually believed this absurd prophecy.

The whole world had become twisted beyond recognition.

What Senju Nawaki found hardest to accept was that he was supposed to be the sacrifice, the one who put the greater good first.

I can sacrifice myself, put the greater good first, and give my life for the things I care about, but I won't benefit a bunch of self-righteous idiots who think they're above everyone else.

I'm supposed to share the benefits, but shoulder the responsibility alone?

How is that any different from someone blaming me for global warming because I farted or lit a fire in my previous life?

What you call right and wrong isn't what this world considers right and wrong.

This time, Senju Nawaki would no longer yield to the world's oppression.

He would use the power he controlled to fight back against this injustice.

Senju Nawaki anticipated Jiraiya's next move: he would use his most powerful form of attack. The partial beast transformation happening to him was the prelude to entering Sage Mode.

Naturally, his next move would be to summon the two old toads and use an imperfect Sage Mode.

He had to cut off Jiraiya's connection to Mount Myoboku now.

Otherwise, Jiraiya's strength would rise exponentially, and all kinds of unexpected things could happen.

"Wood Release: Deep Forest Cage!" Senju Tojian was a little surprised by Senju Nawaki's order, but he carried it out without hesitation.

If anyone wanted to destroy the Senju Clan he protected or sacrifice Senju Nawaki, whom he had sworn to protect, they would have to step over his corpse.

"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"

The two of them unleashed their most powerful jutsu at the same time.

Senju Tojian's Deep Forest Cage descended, imbued with his will. The cage was both protection and confinement: it protected the Senju Clan and confined anyone who wanted to harm them.

Combined with the Sealing Jutsu Senju Tojian had mastered, this cage formed a barrier that could block the Summoning Technique.

Senju Nawaki's Deep Forest Emergence had abilities similar to Senju Hashirama's. Within this forest, Senju Nawaki's power was bolstered to its fullest. He could nullify certain jutsu, and everything would obey his will.

"Bang..."

Jiraiya's expression was grave. He bit his finger and pressed it onto the summoning array formed by black chains on the ground.

Just as Senju Nawaki had expected, Jiraiya was trying to summon the two old toads and use the human-toad Sage Mode.

But when the smoke cleared, the two old toads were nowhere to be seen, and Jiraiya had lost his connection to Mount Myoboku.

Jiraiya's eyes filled with surprise.

The ground began to shake. The surroundings shifted completely, and he found himself trapped in a vast forest.

He heard rustling. Several broken leaves clung to the brown vines as they crawled along the ground like pythons and came at him to strangle him.

"Damn it! Toad Oil: Great Fireball Technique!"

Jiraiya cursed under his breath. He spat out black oil and combined it with the Fireball Jutsu.

He wanted to use powerful flames to force back the vines closing in around him.

Normally, this jutsu, combined with the toads of Mount Myoboku, would have been flawless. Now, he was locked in a stalemate.

It wasn't nearly as effective as he'd imagined.

The flames had only traveled a few meters from him before they began to die out, accomplishing nothing.

Fortunately, the toad oil he spat out was like poison. Wherever it dripped onto the plants created by Deep Forest Emergence, spots of stone-like patterns appeared.

Those plants were no longer under Senju Nawaki's control.

Whoosh...

Whoosh...

Before Jiraiya could feel relieved, the brown vines lunged at him, wrapping around his limbs and tightening around his throat. They left rings of red marks across his body.

His eyes were bloodshot.

"Senju Nawaki is far too ruthless. He didn't give me a moment to react, as if he knew all along I'd try to summon Sage Shima and Sage Fukasaku. The two of them have such troublesome Wood Release. I might really die here this time."

Jiraiya regretted his actions. He had lost the initiative right away. He knew he couldn't beat the two of them, so he'd tried to enter Sage Mode.

But Senju Tojian's jutsu had cut off his connection to Mount Myoboku. He couldn't summon the two Toad Sages to help him.

At this rate, he would die!

Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit...

Jiraiya's throat swelled like a toad's as he croaked, snapping the vines wrapped around it.

He spat out black toad oil to ward off every plant trying to attack him, and the vines around his body also loosened.

"Sage Mode!"

He roared and forced himself into Sage Mode. His head had become half human and half toad.

The most toad-like part of him was his legs.

His feet, clad in wooden sandals, had turned into toad webbing. They no longer had human toes.