Faced with this multilayered attack, Jiraiya chose to hold his ground and respond to whatever came.
With a flash, he too put some distance between himself and Orochimaru. At the same time, he formed hand seals and cast his self-created defensive ninjutsu, Needle Jizo.
In an instant, he poured a tremendous amount of energy into his white hair.
As though infused with some potent tonic, his white hair grew wildly in a matter of moments, its resilience increasing dramatically.
Jiraiya controlled his hair, wrapping it around himself like a great net.
This dense mesh could absorb impacts and reduce damage, providing strong protection against most physical attacks.
Of course, Needle Jizo was not merely a defensive ninjutsu. It also possessed formidable offensive power.
With a thought from Jiraiya, the outer strands stood on end, hardening like steel needles before shooting outward in a dense barrage.
Now Jiraiya resembled a hedgehog with its head tucked away, making it difficult for enemies to attack him while allowing him to hurt them in return.
That was exactly what happened now. When Orochimaru sent the giant snakes lunging onto Jiraiya, they failed to hurt him in the slightest. Instead, those steel-like strands pierced them until they were covered in blood.
For a moment, the sight was gruesome.
Seeing this, Jiraiya did not hesitate. He used his hair to fling the giant snakes aside, then rapidly extended the white strands toward Orochimaru in the distance.
This was another ninjutsu Jiraiya had developed from Needle Jizo: the Wild Lion's Mane Technique.
This technique allowed him to extend his hair even farther and make it exceptionally sharp. Once it coiled around an enemy, it could shred them in an instant, making it extremely lethal.
As his former teammate, Orochimaru naturally knew how terrifying this move was, so