Gamabunta wasn't at all surprised to be summoned by Jiraiya in such a manner. Gamaden Hakai no Jutsu was one of their usual tactical moves.
However, right after he sat down, Gamabunta cried out "Croak!" and jumped up while clutching his butt.
Tingly and numb—was that a Lightning Dragon Drill?
Seeing Jiraiya, Gamabunta drew his tanto and swung at him, yelling, "You idiot Jiraiya! Don't throw me into some messed-up place ever again!"
Jiraiya quickly dodged and awkwardly scratched his head as he said, "Boss Toad, it's a misunderstanding—a misunderstanding!"
The surrounding ninja were all confused—was Jiraiya-sama really summoning a summoned beast just to kill its master?
The two men nearly crushed under Gamabunta's butt barely escaped being flattened. They resumed fighting each other before charging toward Jiraiya's position.
[Fire Release: Big Flame Bullet!]
[Lightning Release: Lightning Dragon Roar!]
[Boil Release: Acid Bomb!]
Fire and lightning clashed midair, erupting into blazing flames mixed with corrosive mist. The inferno spread outward like a fiery meteor shower raining down from the sky.
Witnessing this, the three groups of shinobi locked in battle immediately fled away in terror.
"Not good! Run for your lives!"
"Get further away quick! Getting hit by this attack is no joke!"
Privately, Jiraiya and the other three thought the same thing—this is bad. None dared to lose focus, worried the other two might seize the opening if they did.
Just then, a wave of cold spread out.
The flames died out. The acid froze. Delicate ice crystals drifted through the wind, turning what had been a terrifying cataclysm into something beautiful.
"Phew! Saved!"
"Wait, this ability...?"
As everyone felt relieved, they suddenly realized something—the only ones capable of this must be either from Mist or that certain person from Konoha.
Who could it possibly be?
In the next moment, a figure emerged from the forest like a nightmare for the Cloud and Mist ninja.
Both factions immediately cried out in despair.
"Oh no! That monster is back again!"
"Is it going to be like before?!"
"No, this time should be even worse—he supposedly made Tsuchikage fall flat on his face!"
Not just them—even A, Shō, and King in the center unconsciously stopped battling.
"I'm stronger than last year, but dammit, this bastard got even stronger too!" A inwardly grumbled. He had improved greatly, yet the enemy seemed to have improved even more.
"That's Seiki Shimaseki who defeated the Seven Swords of the Bloody Mist?" Nagare Hozuki narrowed his eyes. Though eager for revenge, he didn't rush forward recklessly.
"This kid sure knows how to steal the spotlight—the Hermit hasn't even gotten his moment yet!" Jiraiya muttered quietly to himself.
If last year when Seiki left the Eastern Front he was merely a rising star, then today's return from the Western Front meant he had risen above Iwagakure and now become a legendary figure across the entire shinobi world.
Just appearing on the battlefield was enough to draw everyone's attention.
Dodai cautiously stepped forward and asked, "A-sama, should we consider retreating?"
"What kind of disgraceful talk is that coming out of your mouth?"
A snarled, "Do you really think the great Kumogakure would be scared off by a mere brat?"
"Well said," Hozuki Nagare chuckled beside him. "Then let me test the strength of this legendary Light of Konoha. It'll be interesting to see whose Sage Lady Katsuyu is stronger—yours or his."
"Six-Tails Saiken? That guy's also in the form of a slug and even has similar acid-spewing abilities!" Jiraiya thought to himself.
Because his opponent was Seiki, who had previously sealed away Four-Tails in a single move, Hozuki Nagare dared not show any disrespect and immediately transformed into Partial Transformation form.
[Boil Release: Corrosive Wolf Miasma!]
A highly corrosive liquid poured from his mouth like a wave sweeping toward the Konoha ninjas where Seiki stood.
Although this attack appeared extremely terrifying, the Konoha ninjas were not worried at all. They simply looked toward Seiki standing before them with hopeful and admiring eyes.
Even after an absence of one year, that back view still seemed so reliable!
Seiki merely clapped his hands together and closed his eyes.
[Sage Mode!]
Massive Dragon Pulse Chakra surged from the Yin Seal, flooding every part of his body with incredible power.
Never before had such power surged through him!
[Sage Art: Ice Release - Blizzard]
Countless frost flakes descended from the sky like arrows, blowing toward the enemy side and instantly freezing the surging waves as they approached.
"It actually matches my chakra... No, it's even more abundant than the Bijuu chakra I've harnessed. How did he achieve this?" Hozuki Nagare felt perplexed; this was the first time he encountered a monster capable of matching a Jinchuriki head-on in terms of chakra.
As he lost himself in thoughts, Seiki placed his right hand on the ground. In the next moment, ice rapidly spread across the battlefield.
Hozuki Nagare didn't dare delay and started sprinting with all limbs touching the ground.
While dodging frantically, he kept launching acid bombs toward Seiki.
Yet Seiki didn't even consider dodging. Maintaining his half-squat posture, he raised walls of ice around himself.
The acid splattered against the icy walls, failing to break through the barrier and instead itself becoming part of the frozen defenses.
Seeing his long-range attacks ineffective, the crimson beast behind him flickering six tails changed direction and charged straight at Seiki.
However, hundreds of meters surrounding Seiki had already been covered in ice.
Just as Hozuki Nagare turned back, his limbs were instantly frozen. Worse still, the frost continued spreading across his body.
The immense power of the Partial Transformation form wouldn't be so easily restrained. Streams of solidified chakra energy burst from his body, peeling away and shattering the ice covering his surface.
But he wasn't unscathed; the intense cold made him feel nearly numb.
"How is this guy's Ice Release even stronger than The Third's? Could it be because of that Sage Art?"
Hozuki Nagare started regretting his recklessness, but there was no turning back now. He had no choice but to charge headfirst, channeling chakra furiously as he went.
Finally, when he rushed in front of Seiki, one of his tails shattered the barrier. Waiting for him was a tiny sun—compressed over ten times by Seiki.
[Sage Art: Miniature Compression Rasengan!]
"D***!" Nagare yelled with a muffled curse before getting blasted away by the erupting energy beam.
A blinding flash erupted, blasting the crowd with a violent wave of sand and wind so fierce they couldn't even keep their eyes open.
As the light faded, everyone finally saw the horrifying scene before them.
A charred trench stretched several kilometers across the ground, as if a meteorite had plowed through the land.
"Th-that was terrifying!"
"This isn't even a fight between normal ninja anymore—this is way beyond that!"
Jiraiya, locked in intense combat with A, was completely stunned. He nearly got hit and sent flying by his opponent due to his lapse in focus.
He originally thought Seiki had just entered One-time Sage Mode, but now the more he watched, the more off it seemed. Since when did Sage Chakra get wasted so extravagantly?
Never mind One-time Sage Mode—it shouldn't still be active. Even normal Sage Mode should've worn off by now!
This kind of reckless offense had Jiraiya green with envy. If he could also wield Sage Chakra at this level, then forget about A—he'd fearlessly strike down A's father too.
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