—Thunder Release: Takemikazuchi!
BOOM!
The Susano'o-armored Kirin slammed into the earth with the force of a god's judgment.
CRACK—SHATTER!
The ethereal armor exploded. Shards of violet chakra, wreathed in blinding lightning, sprayed in every direction.
Much like Itachi's Sage Art: Fire God Crow, this was a secondary attack utilizing the exploding fragments of Susano'o. While it lacked the explosive propulsion of flames, the lightning-charged shards carried terrifying cutting and piercing power.
Within the radius of that thunderous cataclysm, no flesh and blood could survive.
When the dust settled, the scarred earth was studded with jagged Susano'o fragments. Some were embedded a hundred meters deep.
There was no sign of Jiraiya in the ruins.
Far away, the observers watched.
"Jiraiya and the two toads… their chakras have vanished from my senses," Karin reported. "That means… probably…"
"He wouldn't fall that easily," Orochimaru said.
Kabuto adjusted his glasses. "Then, did he use a reverse summoning, like Sasuke-kun did to escape Deidara's final explosion?"
"There is another possibility," Orochimaru mused. "He's inside the Toad Gourd Prison barrier."
The Toad Gourd Prison was a natural barrier within the belly of Mount Myōboku's Gourd Toad. It was a separate dimension, completely isolated from the outside world. In his final battle against Pain, Jiraiya had dragged the Animal Path inside to finish it off, and not even Nagato could sense what happened within.
Jiraiya could have used the Gourd Toad to escape that day. But to confirm vital intelligence, he had chosen to face death.
This time was different. As Sasuke clad the Kirin in Susano'o, Jiraiya summoned the Gourd Toad. The moment Takemikazuchi fell, it swallowed him whole, saving him from annihilation.
Inside the Toad Gourd Prison, Fukasaku sat on Jiraiya's shoulder, his heart still pounding from the close call.
"To think… it would be this dangerous. A few more of those, and even Sage Mode wouldn't have saved us."
"I've put you both in grave danger," Jiraiya said, his voice heavy. "My deepest apologies. Please, leave my shoulders."
"What nonsense are you spouting, Jiraiya-boy?" Fukasaku scolded. "It's not over yet. That kid's tough, but not that tough!"
"Yeah, yeah!" Shima added. "Besides, we can always bail and get help from Konoha!"
Jiraiya smiled weakly. "If Naruto learned the village killed Sasuke… I'd rather he hate me than the village."
"It's too early for that kind of talk," Fukasaku said. "There's still one technique. If it works, it can turn the tables in a single move."
Jiraiya's eyes widened. "Ah… You don't mean…?"
"Looks like I'll be performing the Toad Confrontation Chant with the old man after all this time," Shima sighed.
"Old woman, I thought you were too embarrassed to sing in front of people at your age," Fukasaku grumbled.
"What choice do we have? Jiraiya-boy's made up his mind. This is no time for shyness! Let's wrap this up and go home! I've got dinner to make!"
"You two… I don't know how to thank you," Jiraiya said, his voice thick with emotion.
"We'll complete the chant preparation inside this barrier," Fukasaku declared. "Then we'll pop out and give him one hell of a surprise!"
Fukasaku and Shima pressed their palms together, their cheeks puffing out as they began.
Five minutes later, a kilometer from the impact site, the Gourd Toad surfaced in a pond where the battle's heat had melted the ice. Pop! The cork flew off, and an arm reached out.
Jiraiya rose from the water, his eyes locking onto the white silhouette hovering in the sky.
—Demonic Illusion: Toad Confrontation Chant!
The Two Great Sages began their song.
"Ribbit… Ribbit…!"
The penetrating, resonant croaks drifted across the distance, straight into Sasuke's ears.
"Over there…"
Sasuke's gaze snapped to the distant pond, to the matchstick-sized figure standing on the water. Whoosh! His white cursed wings beat once, and he dove.
"The Toad Confrontation Chant requires the target to hear the complete melody," Fukasaku noted. "This distance… it'll work."
In the crystal ball, the scene unfolded.
Itachi's brow furrowed. "That technique… could it be?"
Orochimaru's vertical pupils narrowed. "The greatest trial of the Fifth Bout has arrived. Mount Myōboku's strongest genjutsu… the Toad Confrontation Chant."
"But Sasuke-kun can see through even the reversed illusions of Tsukuyomi," Kabuto pointed out.
"Tsukuyomi is a visual genjutsu," Itachi explained quietly. "Sasuke's powerful dōjutsu grants him immense resistance to those. But the Toad Confrontation Chant is an auditory genjutsu. He has no experience with it. He likely cannot resist."
"Not 'likely.' He cannot," Orochimaru corrected. "True immunity to the Toad Confrontation Chant only comes at the level of a Ten-Tails Jinchūriki. However… there's no need for excessive concern."
"Ribbit… Ribbit… Ribbit…"
As Sasuke dove, the croaking grew clearer. His vision suddenly blurred.
This feeling… Is it…?
Zzt!
The realization came too late. His Sharingan spun erratically in their sockets.
The next moment, he was trapped in the world of the illusion.
To the East, West, South, and North stood four mighty, blade-wielding toad warriors. Between their clasped palms, a purple barrier cage imprisoned Sasuke's spirit.
A genjutsu I've never seen Naruto use. Such a powerful restraint… It's impossible to break by force. Have I… lost?
In reality, Sasuke's White Cursed Seal wings dissipated. He crashed onto the cold, hard ground.
Jiraiya walked over, a broad-bladed sword in hand, but he hesitated to strike the final blow.
"Jiraiya-boy!" Fukasaku urged. "You won't get a second chance to trap him in this genjutsu! If you don't do it now, you'll regret it forever!"
"I know…"
Jiraiya hardened his heart. He raised the blade high and plunged it into Sasuke's chest.
"Guh—AH!" Sasuke's eyes flew wide as blood sprayed from his mouth.
Jiraiya's voice was heavy with sorrow. "Your power… if used for good, it could have been a blessing for the shinobi world. A shame… it cannot be allowed to remain."
"Cough! Cough-cough-cough!" Fukasaku and Shima doubled over, wracked by violent coughs.
"Are you two alright?" Jiraiya asked, concerned.
Fukasaku's voice was hoarse. "We're fine… The Toad Confrontation Chant puts a tremendous strain on the throat. A few days' rest will fix it."
"Right…" Jiraiya murmured, turning away. "Now I have to think about how to tell Naruto."
…
"For the current Sasuke, only decapitation is a truly fatal wound," Orochimaru stated calmly. "And Jiraiya, as a shinobi who adheres to a strict code of honor, would never execute an opponent by beheading."
"So that's why you were willing to let Sasuke endure that genjutsu," Itachi concluded.
"But in terms of the outcome, hasn't Sasuke been defeated?" Kabuto asked.
"In the Ten Bout War, victory and defeat are secondary," Orochimaru explained. "Growth is what's key. The profound impact of experiencing defeat firsthand… it is the perfect catalyst to awaken the power that has been stirring within Sasuke since the Fourth Bout!"
…
"Jiraiya-sama… you always leave your back exposed. That isn't a good habit."
The low voice from behind made Jiraiya's eyes snap wide. He whirled around.
There, in the pool of his own blood, the Sasuke who should have been dead… was standing. He pulled the blade from his chest, and the fatal wound over his heart healed at a visible rate.
Jiraiya stared, stunned. "You…"
Sasuke tossed the bloodied sword at Jiraiya's feet, a faint smile on his lips. "You are an honorable man. I would never strike someone like you from behind. So let us continue our fight fairly, face to face. Victory no longer matters. I simply wish… to release this power!"
ZZZZT—CRACKLE!
On Sasuke's neck, the White Cursed Seal—dormant since achieving its 'Absorption' state in the Fourth Bout—erupted with violent, seething energy.
Orochimaru's expression turned solemn. "Yes. The next stage of the White Cursed Seal. The penultimate stage. The time for 'Release' has finally arrived."
—White Cursed Seal: State Three!
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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