In Sage Mode, Jiraiya's strength was nothing short of terrifying.
With the amplification of Senjutsu, his chakra reserves, physical abilities, and combat prowess all received a massive boost.
Combined with Jiraiya's exceptional battle experience, he truly wielded the power to stand against an entire army by himself.
Against someone of this caliber…
Even with the "Unlimited Water Element" terrain buff in his favor, and after burning 50,000 system points to unlock Shunhō: Wrath of Winter, Yoru still couldn't overpower Jiraiya.
All he could do was contain him.
But that was enough.
There was no need for him to forcefully try to take Jiraiya's head himself—it wasn't something he could pull off right now anyway.
After all…
There were still dozens of elite Kirigakure shinobi present on the battlefield, including Yagura himself. With their support, Yoru's pressure would be significantly reduced.
"Water Style: Wild Water Wave!"
"Water Style: Water Pressure Bullet!"
"Ten-Finger Bullet Barrage!"
"Ice Style Secret Technique: Thousand Flying Water Blades!"
A barrage of jutsu rained toward Jiraiya as if chakra cost nothing. Jiraiya was forced to go on the defensive.
"Sage Art: Goemon!"
A torrent of boiling fire, wind, and toad oil raged across the icy field. With Senjutsu chakra as its core, it clashed violently with the incoming wave of ninjutsu.
But in that very instant, Yoru's figure suddenly appeared behind Jiraiya, Hyōrinmaru sweeping down toward his neck.
"Watch out, Jiraiya!" croaked Fukasaku in alarm.
Thanks to Sage Mode's heightened perception, Jiraiya immediately sensed Yoru's presence. But mid-casting Goemon, he couldn't fully evade the strike.
Shkk!
A biting edge sliced across his back.
Ignoring the pain, Jiraiya dropped low, scrambling forward like a toad.
The Kirigakure elites were ready to pounce, but the two elder toad sages on Jiraiya's shoulders quickly fired off jutsu to halt their momentum.
"They just keep coming," muttered Shima. "This isn't working, little Jiraiya. Even with me and the old man backing you up, it's impossible to handle this many enemies. That ice-style brat is a real nuisance!"
"I know," Jiraiya muttered, eyes scanning toward the direction the Konoha forces had retreated—but the chaos and fighting in the distance made his heart sink.
There were simply too many enemies. Not even he could stop them all.
And worse, to stall these top-tier enemies, he had to avoid using techniques that could cause collateral damage. That left him relying mostly on large-scale suppression tactics.
Still, even so—he had to hold the line!
"Old man, ma'am… If it comes to it—retreat using reverse summoning. Don't stick around."
"Don't joke around, Jiraiya! That's not happening!" Shima huffed.
"Haha, it's no joke," Jiraiya grinned bitterly, quickly forming hand seals. "Sage Art: Swamp of the Underworld!"
The icy terrain beneath his enemies abruptly melted into a quagmire, dragging dozens of Genjutsu-addled Mist ninja into its depths.
But an icy chill swept over them all—Yoru's ice chakra blanketed the swamp, instantly freezing it solid.
"…This guy's Ice Release is something else," Fukasaku said, grimacing. "I don't know how he does it, but there's a dense flow of natural energy within it. It's not quite true Senjutsu, but it's beyond ordinary chakra manipulation. No wonder even Goemon and Swamp of the Underworld couldn't break through it."
"Yeah," Jiraiya muttered, cracking off the ice dagger lodged in his back. His gaze locked on Yoru, who now stood shirtless, Hyōrinmaru gleaming in hand, ice winds swirling around him.
"A monster in the making… He's only fourteen, supposedly even younger than Minato was back then."
Jiraiya clenched his jaw.
"Maybe I need to eliminate him now. If we let this one grow any further, he'll be a greater threat to the Leaf than any of us could've predicted."
"Can you even pull it off? That kid's jutsu is tricky. And there are still too many Mist ninja around…"
"I've got a plan."
Jiraiya nodded. "His jutsu is bizarre—blade techniques, shunpo, natural energy-infused ice—all dangerous. But I've observed one thing: his right eye. If I'm right, he's implanted Shisui's Sharingan."
Jiraiya's eyes narrowed on the small white mask covering Yoru's right eye.
"So, this time, I need you two to use that Genjutsu—not on him, but on the battlefield. Just give me a one-on-one setup!"
"Tch… Still making me sing at my age," grumbled Shima, face blushing.
"This isn't the time for modesty, dear!" Fukasaku sighed. "Fine, if that's your choice. If it doesn't work, we'll reverse-summon out."
"Thanks," Jiraiya said, exhaling.
…
Yoru's ice had frozen over the swamp, and the Mist shinobi began digging themselves out, one by one.
The battle between Yoru and Jiraiya had reached such an extreme that even with dozens of elite jonin around, they could hardly keep up.
"The rumors were true. This is what it means to be one of the Legendary Sannin…"
"But even so, victory will be ours."
"We'll take his head—and it'll mark the beginning of Mist's triumph in this war!"
"Hahaha, yeah—wait… do you hear that?"
Suddenly, a soft ribbiting began to echo throughout the ruins of Jinnan Town.
All the Mist shinobi—Yagura included—began to feel their vision blur. The very world around them shifted.
They were no longer on the battlefield.
They now stood trapped in an enormous, sealed water chamber. Four massive armored toads stood at the cardinal points, each one raising a sword in their right hand, and pressing their left palms against the glass-like walls of the water prison.
"A Genjutsu…?" Yagura muttered, his expression growing tense.
"Instant induction… This must be a binding-type Genjutsu—my body's immobilized, but my consciousness is still intact…"
"…Where's Yoru? Where's Jiraiya?"
"Of course," Fukasaku said, staring grimly at the battlefield, "that kid wasn't caught in the Genjutsu."
"…It's all on you now, little Jiraiya."