Ginkaku's men and Jiraiya's squad had already revealed plenty about themselves to each other during the earlier chase and the first counterattack. In a battle between ninja, nothing mattered more than how much you knew about your enemy.
So after that roar, both sides fought even more savagely and bloodily, forcing even "Uchiha Kagami" to stay on edge, his eyes wide as he monitored the condition of the four children.
If any of them faced death, he would intervene without hesitation.
For now, though, everything remained under control. As long as they were safe, they could fight to their hearts' content!
Under the threat of death, people's potential would be pushed to its limits. They would grow rapidly and become dependable ninja.
After several close-range exchanges, Ginkaku's men discovered that, with Jiraiya having taken out several of their teammates, the two sides were now evenly matched.
Being fought to a standstill by a few children was utterly humiliating. They exchanged glances, preparing to settle the battle in a single strike.
Noticing that Jiraiya looked increasingly pale and had stopped using that technique that made him invisible, the enemy guessed he was running low on chakra. They viciously pressed him, trading wounds for wounds.
One of them broke through a gap in the squad's defenses and approached Dan Katō, who lay on the ground.
"Get back here!"
The enemy had slipped past him. Clutching his slashed arm, Jiraiya's expression grew even uglier.
But the other enemies around him intensified their attacks, pinning him down and leaving him no chance to come to the rescue. Tsunade was in the same situation on the other side.
Orochimaru, who was closest to Dan Katō, had his back to that direction and seemed completely unaware of this sudden turn.
The enemy was too fast.