An infinitely blurred, faint silhouette.
Jiraiya, Chōza, Itachi, Kurotsuchi, Deidara, and the others all had their nerves stretched to the absolute limit.
Who would win!?
Who would lose!?
Or would they both perish together!?
Yet it was only when the two utterly different figures flickered into view.
Boom!
From deeper within.
A terrifying burst of Chakra erupted once more.
"What!?"
In an instant.
A streak of light tore across the sky as a figure rapidly closed in.
The next second.
"Little Jiraiya, get out of the way!"
Fukasaku and Shima, the two Toad Sages who had cultivated senjutsu for centuries, could not keep up with the figure's speed either.
Yet the two Toad Sages were extraordinarily sensitive to the flow of Natural Energy, and they reacted almost the instant it moved.
They shouted sharply.
"!?"
Jiraiya's expression changed at once.
But before he could react.
Whoosh!
The upright figure had already reached him.
As their eyes met.
A chilling gleam was reflected in his pupils.
Most importantly, those endlessly profound purple Rinnegan patterns looked so mysterious, so icy at that moment.
"Uchiha Shōji!?"
Just as Jiraiya spoke that name.
Bang!
Shōji, who had stepped before him, gave a cold smile.
His clenched fist smashed heavily into Jiraiya's abdomen.
"Gah!"
Under that blow.
Blood burst uncontrollably from his mouth.
Just as his body was about to be sent flying.
Shōji changed his fist into a palm, seized Jiraiya by the head, and slammed him down.
Bang!
Jiraiya was viciously flung onto the ground.
A violent, muffled crash rang out.
Rumble!
A fierce cloud of dust rose.
"Urgh!?"
After the second heavy blow.
Jiraiya's face twisted in unbearable pain.
"Bastard! Let go of Lord Jiraiya!"
Only then did Chōza, standing nearby, realize what had happened.
Boom!
He spread his Butterfly Mode wings