"Roar..."
"Hiss..."
Water and fire collided. The fire attribute of the Great Flame Bullet was restrained by the powerful Water Dragon Bullet. After evaporating some of the water carried by the Water Dragon Bullet, it was shattered by the water dragon, and the Dragon Bullet, whistling, charged towards Jiraiya.
"Despicable!"
Jiraiya cursed angrily and, with his two disciples behind him, used the Body Flicker Technique to move away from his original position.
"Wearing the forehead protector of a rogue ninja from the Hidden Sand, yet capable of using Water Style ninjutsu of this caliber, just who are you?"
The man from the Hidden Sand chuckled and casually formed a hand seal.
His chakra surged, and the shuriken that had fallen to the ground suddenly transformed into a sky full of iron sand needles, swarming towards Jiraiya.
"Magnetic Release – Iron Sand Shower!"
Jiraiya's pupils widened instantly, and he stared at the incoming needle rain in disbelief.
"How is this possible?"
"Magnetic Release... the Third Kazekage's Magnetic Release from the Hidden Sand Village?"
Jiraiya exclaimed, rapidly crossing his hands to form hand seals.
"Earth Style – Earth Shore Returns!"
He slammed his palms onto the ground, and with a rumble, the soil beneath them transformed into a massive stone slab that flipped up from the ground. A series of dull thuds, like beating leather, echoed as the incoming iron sand needle rain was blocked.
"Good reaction speed!"
"Magnetic Release – Iron Sand Needle!"
The iron needles embedded in the stone slab trembled, quickly forming a giant iron sand spear. With a single strike, it pierced through the stone slab in front of it and rammed fiercely towards Jiraiya.
Jiraiya dared not be careless. With a flick of his silver hair, it instantly lengthened. It wrapped around the iron spear attacking him, yanked it forcefully to the side, and threw it into the water pit formed by the impact of the Water Dragon Bullet.
"Yahiko, Nagato, you two go first!"
"This person's target is me. Go back and inform Mao, and have her inform Hanzō of the Salamander."
"The Third Kazekage appearing here disguised as a bounty ninja, I fear there will be another war between the Land of Rain and the Land of Wind!"
The two youngsters understood the implication of Jiraiya's words and glared at the approaching figure with rage.
"Hurry up and go!"
"If this fellow is indeed the Third Kazekage, I may not be able to look after you two while fighting him."
"Yes!"
The two gritted their teeth, nodded, and turned to run into the distance.
"Gagaga, want to leave? Did you ask this old man first?"
With a deafening roar, a bizarre beast descended from the sky, landing in front of the two youngsters and letting out a strange laugh.
Jiraiya's face turned ashen with alarm. He leaped towards the beast that looked neither like a dog nor a fox.
"Yahiko, Nagato, be careful!"
"Summoning – Toad Mouth Bind!"
With a loud *bang*, the stomach wall of the great toad from Mount Myōboku was summoned by Jiraiya. While shielding Yahiko and Nagato, the flesh and blood on the stomach wall writhed, rapidly engulfing the monster.
"Tch! Truly disgusting!"
The monster sneered in disgust and ripped a large hole in the stomach wall that was wrapping around its body with a claw. The Great Toad of Rock suffered a severe blow and, with a *bang*, the summoning jutsu was released.
"How is this possible?"
Jiraiya stared at the scene before him in utter horror.
The monster chuckled maliciously, glanced at him, and raised its claw to strike Nagato.
"In front of this old man, nothing is impossible!"
"Hahaha, poor little fellow, say goodbye to this world!"
Jiraiya's eyes blazed with fury, but he was too late to save Nagato from the monster's claw.
"Ah!"
Nagato, in mortal danger, let out an angry roar, and a powerful repulsive force suddenly erupted from his eyes.
"Eh? This power..."
"Ouch!"
Just as the monster's doubt surfaced, it was sent flying by this repulsive force, tumbling and thrown far away.
The man who had been attacking Jiraiya showed a hint of surprise as he witnessed Nagato unleash such power. He glanced at Jiraiya, who was both surprised and delighted by this sudden turn of events, and silently crept behind him.
With a raise of his arm, several thick vipers coiled around Jiraiya's body.
Jiraiya was startled and was about to struggle, but upon seeing the snakes coiled around him, a flicker of understanding flashed in his eyes, and his body immediately relaxed.
"So it's you..."
"Oro..."
"Aaaargh!"
The name that was about to be spoken turned into a startled cry. Jiraiya yelped and jumped up, clutching his neck.
"Orochimaru, are you crazy!"
"These snakes are poisonous, right? You actually let them bite Jiraiya-sama?"
Orochimaru withdrew the poisonous snakes from his sleeve and, with a *bang*, reverted to his original form.
"Heh, fool!"
"It's precisely because I want to poison you to death!"
With a cold smile on his face, Orochimaru looked at Jiraiya, who seemed to have made no progress at all, and coldly sneered.
"The venom contains natural energy and other powers that I refined. If you don't want to be assimilated by natural power, immediately try to enter Sage Mode and turn these powers into your own."
"Otherwise, you'll just wait to die!"
Jiraiya was shocked. He then realized that besides the burning pain from the snakebite, there was an exceptionally potent natural energy eroding his body.
With just enough time to shoot an angry glance at Orochimaru, Jiraiya quickly closed his eyes, banished all distracting thoughts, and attempted to enter Sage Mode.
"Truly incorrigibly foolish!"
"For some so-called child of prophecy, you've even neglected your own training!"
Orochimaru snorted with vexation, his gaze shifting to the two youngsters who looked rather bewildered.
"You are..."
"Lord Orochimaru?"
Yahiko, holding the puppy, got up from the ground and looked at Orochimaru with some hesitation.
He couldn't quite understand why Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin, would disguise himself as someone else to attack Jiraiya-sensei.
"You still remember me..."
"I thought that under Jiraiya's protection, you had already forgotten what he said back then!"
"The essence of a ninja is deception, always!"
Orochimaru's gaze turned cold as he looked at the puppy in Yahiko's arms and let out a disdainful snort.
"After a few days of peace, have you forgotten the dangers of the ninja world?"
"For the sake of a dog, you've put yourself and your teacher in peril. This has truly broadened my horizons!"
Yahiko's body stiffened, and he mumbled with his lips, lowering his head in shame. Nagato, who was still excited from the repeated activation of his eye's power, also froze. He looked at Jiraiya, who was meditating to absorb natural energy, and then at the stern-faced Orochimaru, and like Yahiko, lowered his head.
"Orochimaru, you scoundrel, you tricked this old man again!"
Under the transformation jutsu cast by Orochimaru for it, the Nine-Tails rushed to Orochimaru, pointed a claw at his nose, and wore an expression of extreme anger.
"Bastard, wasn't the Rinnegan awakened by that Uchiha Madara fellow?"
"Why is it in this red-haired brat?"
The Nine-Tails angrily pointed at Nagato and glared at Orochimaru with its large eyes.
"Indeed!"
"Why Uchiha Madara's eyes are in this child is indeed a question worth pondering!"
Orochimaru nodded and replied ambiguously.
The Nine-Tails bared its fangs at him, looking unconvinced.
"Bastard, you're still trying to fool this old man!"
"You know everything, yet you feign innocence in front of me."
"Pah! Shameless!"
Orochimaru chuckled softly and slowly shook his head.
"Kurama, this matter isn't me deliberately trying to deceive you!"
"Someone has been watching this child all along. Whatever you want to say..."
"When Jiraiya wakes up, I'll tell you then."