Outside Konoha,
Boom!
A giant red toad was sent flying.
"Are you all right, Gamabunta?" Jiraiya called out anxiously.
Gamabunta was strong, but he was still far outmatched by the Three-Tails. On top of that, Jiraiya was holding Naruto and couldn't fight at full strength. They had quickly fallen into a disadvantage.
"Roar!"
A sudden, deafening roar reached their ears. In an instant, Jiraiya felt a wave of savage, bloodthirsty energy.
"That's... the Nine-Tails."
Jiraiya looked at the enormous figure racing toward Konoha in the distance, his face clouding with worry.
He could just barely hold out against the Three-Tails alone, but with the Nine-Tails joining in, they had no chance of winning.
By then, the Nine-Tails' massive body was almost upon them.
The Three-Tails was no match for the Nine-Tails, whether in presence or sheer size.
"Roar!"
While Jiraiya was distracted, the Three-Tails seized the opportunity and charged forward.
"Enma, Adamantine Staff!"
Just as the Three-Tails was about to reach Konoha, a massive iron staff appeared and thrust forcefully toward it.
"The old man's here," Jiraiya said, recognizing the familiar jutsu.
"Get back!" the Third Hokage roared, straining with all his might in his black combat uniform. Under the force of his blow, the Three-Tails' enormous body began to retreat.
Whoosh!
Space rippled, and Minato appeared beside Jiraiya.
His pupils contracted as he noticed not only the Three-Tails but also the Nine-Tails. "I'm sorry, Jiraiya-sensei."
A guilty look crossed Minato's face.
"Enough. Now's not the time for that. Take Naruto back first." Jiraiya handed Naruto to Minato.
Minato understood how dire the situation was. He took Naruto, gave the Third Hokage behind him an apologetic look, then used the Flying Thunder God Technique to leave.
"All right, Gamabunta, let's give them a fight they'll remember!" Jiraiya called out heartily.
"What a pain," Gamabunta grumbled, but he still took up a fighting stance and began to gather his strength.
Thud!
Gamabunta leaped with all his might, clearing the Three-Tails in a single bound.
"Roar!"
Just then, the Nine-Tails' huge body came charging toward them.
"Toad Oil Flame Bullet!" Jiraiya and Gamabunta shouted together.
Jiraiya spat deep-red flames, hot as magma, while Gamabunta spewed a huge amount of oil.
When the flames met the highly flammable oil, they erupted with a boom, surging toward the Nine-Tails in a raging blaze.
Meanwhile, the Third Hokage had skillfully drawn the Three-Tails to another area. Though past his prime, he was still a formidable opponent.
The Adamantine Staff, transformed from Enma, whirled in his hands with tremendous force. For a time, he held off the fully transformed Three-Tails by himself.
But he knew it wouldn't last. He could feel the chakra within him rapidly draining away, and he would lose the ability to fight before long.
Jiraiya was in even worse shape.
Even with Gamabunta's help, he was facing the strongest Tailed Beast, the Nine-Tails. Though Obito's control kept it from fighting at full strength, it was still more than Jiraiya could handle.
"Ha... ha..."
Jiraiya gasped for breath. His long, flowing hair was caked with grime, leaving him looking rather disheveled.
"Sorry, Jiraiya. I'm out of chakra." As soon as Gamabunta finished speaking, he vanished in a puff of smoke.
"Thanks, Gamabunta," Jiraiya thought. He had faced two Tailed Beasts in succession, the second being the strongest of them all. Gamabunta had done everything he could as a summoned beast.
"Roar!"
The Nine-Tails roared furiously. Under Obito's control, it had only one thought: to trample Konoha.
Its enormous body tensed, and it opened its massive jaws slightly as a powerful energy gathered in its mouth.
Soon, the energy took the shape of a blue-black sphere.
"Oh no, a Tailed Beast Ball!" Jiraiya cried.
Boom!
The enormous Tailed Beast Ball tore through the air and hurtled toward them at incredible speed. Its powerful impact ripped a fissure across the ground.
A bitter smile crossed Jiraiya's face. With the power he had at his disposal, there was no way he could stop an ultimate attack like the Tailed Beast Ball.
Suddenly, space rippled in front of him, and two familiar figures appeared.
A white Hokage cloak and dazzling blond hair: his most outstanding student, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
When Jiraiya saw the figure beside him, his pupils trembled. She had long, waterfall-like crimson hair and wore a green flak jacket, the uniform of a Konoha jōnin.
"Kushina, how did she..." Jiraiya said in surprise.
"Looks like we arrived just in time." Minato had only just teleported there when he spotted the Tailed Beast Ball, brimming with violent energy. Without hesitation, he flashed toward it.
He held a special Kunai across his chest and shouted, "Flying Thunder God Technique!"
Space before him rippled like a rising tide, and the Tailed Beast Ball slowly disappeared into it.
Boom!
A moment later, a tremendous explosion sounded in the distance, and a column of fire rose visibly into the sky.
"Phew, it worked." Minato let out a quiet breath. Teleporting an enormous mass of energy like that had consumed a great deal of his chakra.
"Nine-Tails, you'd better behave!" Kushina stood before the Nine-Tails. Her face was still a little pale, but she looked much better than before.
After absorbing most of the energy inside Naraku, Kushina had recovered to this state.
"Adamantine Sealing Chains!" Kushina shouted, and a powerful energy surged from her body.
Nine chakra chains shot toward the Nine-Tails.
"Roar!"
The Nine-Tails roared. Though it was under control, hatred welled up within it, burning fiercely—but it still wasn't enough to break through Obito's control.
Rumble!
At the Nine-Tails' command, its nine enormous tails slammed into the Adamantine Sealing Chains.
"Hmph!"
Kushina snorted.
In the Shinobi World, no one knew the Nine-Tails better than Kushina.
If childbirth hadn't left her so weak, and if Obito hadn't used the Tailed Beast Extraction Seal on her, the Nine-Tails wouldn't have broken free of its seal. Normally, Kushina used it as a chakra battery.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The nine chains darted through the air, quickly suppressing the Nine-Tails.
Whoosh!
Minato appeared in front of Kushina. They exchanged a glance, then Minato placed a hand on her shoulder. At the same time, the nine massive Adamantine Sealing Chains erupted with renewed force.
"Behave yourself!" Kushina roared. As she unleashed her full power, the Nine-Tails was firmly bound by the chains.