After suffering multiple attacks, Jiraiya decided to head to Mount Myoboku to seek a solution. He used the Summoning Jutsu to call forth a toad and then used the Reverse Summoning Jutsu to return to Mount Myoboku. Upon his arrival, he immediately encountered Fukasaku and Shima.
Seeing him, Shima remarked, "Jiraiya, what brings you back to Mount Myoboku this time? Did you come because you missed my cooking?"
At her words, Jiraiya's face instantly turned green. Is that stuff you cook even fit for humans? he thought. Only toads can stomach it; any other animal would drop dead. If I weren't completely out of options, I wouldn't want to see you at all!
"Ma," Jiraiya said aloud, "I've come to Mount Myoboku to ask for help. It's like this..." Jiraiya proceeded to explain the mysterious attacks he had been suffering.
Once he finished his explanation and was about to see what the two toad sages suggested, a realization suddenly struck him. He had been on Mount Myoboku for some time now, yet he hadn't been attacked once.
"I haven't been attacked since I got here? What's going on? Is it a matter of distance, or something else?" Jiraiya pondered to himself.
While a curse technique was eerie, it was not without its counters. First and foremost, a curse was most effective when the victim was unaware they were being targeted. For those of a similar power level, it was difficult to succeed; a Daoist of equal standing possessed their own magical power, allowing them to potentially sense the activation of the curse and use a dispelling method.
Beyond that, the range of a curse technique was a significant limitation. With Qiu Xia's current level of magical power, his effective range was roughly a hundred miles around Konoha.
Anything beyond that range would cause the curse to fail. By using the Reverse Summoning Jutsu to return to Mount Myoboku, Jiraiya had naturally exceeded that range, causing Qiu Xia's curse technique to lose its effect.
"Jiraiya, we have never seen the kind of attack you're describing," Fukasaku said, exchanging a glance with Shima. After thinking for a moment, the two old toads realized they had never encountered such a bizarre technique.
Jiraiya considered this for a moment. "Alright then. I'll return to Konoha first, and then I'll use the Summoning Jutsu to bring you both there. If there's still no solution, I'll use the Reverse Summoning Jutsu to bring my teacher to Mount Myoboku to stay for a while."
Although those who were not successors of Mount Myoboku were generally forbidden entry, Jiraiya wasn't bringing Hiruzen Sarutobi there to learn Ninjutsu or Senjutsu, but merely for his safety. Mount Myoboku would certainly grant him that much face.
Having made up his mind, Jiraiya released the Reverse Summoning Jutsu and returned to the Hokage's Office. Seeing him return, Hiruzen Sarutobi whose eyes were bloodshot after enduring several more hits looked at him desperately. "Jiraiya, did you find a way?"
"A definitive solution hasn't been confirmed yet. All I know is that after I used the Reverse Summoning Jutsu to return to Mount Myoboku, that bizarre technique stopped working. I'm going to summon the two Sages here to see if they have a way. If they truly don't, then Old Man, you'll have to come with me to Mount Myoboku for a while."
After speaking with Hiruzen Sarutobi, Jiraiya began to form hand seals to perform the Summoning Jutsu once more. Meanwhile, Qiu Xia began to cast his spell again, allowing the curse technique to take hold of Jiraiya's body.
Just as the two toads were summoned, Jiraiya opened his mouth to speak, only to feel a familiar, agonizing pain strike him. He couldn't help but let out a miserable scream.
His sudden shriek startled the two old toads. "Little Jiraiya, what's wrong? Are you under attack again?"
"Pa, Ma... this is it. This is the bizarre attack. Look at me and see if there's anything you can do!"
Fukasaku and Shima immediately began to examine Hiruzen Sarutobi and Jiraiya. After a thorough inspection, they confirmed that the attacks occurred once every minute. It began with the One Thousand Years of Death, followed by the "End of Lineage" Series. This type of attack could not be detected using Chakra alone.
To facilitate a more detailed examination, the two toads entered Sage Mode. With Sage Mode active, their observations became much more precise. They could now detect the eerie occurrences on the two men's bodies during the attacks, but as for dispelling them, they were powerless.
"Little Jiraiya, whenever you and the Third are attacked, a strange, unknown energy appears," Fukasaku said, looking at Jiraiya. "This energy can be perceived while in Sage Mode, but as for how to deal with it... we simply don't know."
Fukasaku continued, "Right now, the best plan we can think of is what you suggested earlier: take your teacher back to Mount Myoboku first. We need to consult the Great Toad Sage to see if he can find a way."
Shima added after hearing Fukasaku's words, "You know that old man, Jiraiya. At his age, he's a bit muddled. Even if he knew a way before, he probably can't remember it now."
Seeing the situation, Hiruzen Sarutobi turned his gaze toward Shikaku Nara. "Shikaku, while I am away from Konoha, you will act as the proxy for certain Hokage duties. Kakashi,
take a team and find Tsunade. She's been away long enough; it's time for her to come home. I don't know if the condition Jiraiya and I are suffering from can be resolved. If it can't, Konoha will have to rely on Tsunade from now on."
"Yes, Lord Third!"
After Hiruzen Sarutobi endured the pain to give his orders, he departed with Jiraiya for Mount Myoboku. Qiu Xia tossed aside the two grass dolls that had been poked to rags and replaced them with two fresh ones, simultaneously stopping his mechanical contraption.
"Those two nuisances have finally left. Going to that old toad for help? Dream on. I don't just have one type of curse technique; I have many. If you keep looking for trouble, I'll keep messing with you. If you refuse to learn your lesson, don't blame me for being ruthless. Regardless, I gave you a chance and you didn't cherish it. Who else can you blame?"
The moment Jiraiya and Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived at Mount Myoboku, they felt the cycle of pain that hit every minute finally come to a stop. Both men breathed a sigh of relief as the pain vanished. After arranging a place for Hiruzen Sarutobi to stay, Jiraiya followed Fukasaku and Shima to find the Great Toad Sage.
"Great Toad Sage!"
Usually, Fukasaku and Shima would have to call out to the Great Toad Sage for a long time before he would wake up. This time was different. Almost as soon as they called, the Great Toad Sage spoke.
"Fukasaku, Shima, and Little Jiraiya... I just had a dream. In my dream, I saw the state of the Shinobi World, and it seems to have changed compared to before. When I tried to see exactly where the change occurred, I found myself waking up. I can no longer enter the dream to view the future."
"The future has changed? Then, Great Toad Sage, has the fate of the Child of the Prophecy changed as well?"
"I cannot see clearly what the destiny of the Child of the Prophecy is now, but it has certainly changed."
"Great Toad Sage, Jiraiya came here this time to ask you..." After asking about the Child of the Prophecy, Jiraiya immediately inquired about the condition affecting himself and Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"The condition on your bodies is similar to ancient Onmyōdō and witchcraft. There aren't many left who understand these arts. You might want to seek out some Onmyōji or Miko to see if they can resolve it."
As an entity that had lived for a thousand years, the old toad possessed great insight. It didn't take long for him to offer a potential solution after hearing Jiraiya's question. However, immediately after giving the answer, the Great Toad Sage's senility returned. "By the way, who are you again?"
Jiraiya: "..."
Because of Qiu Xia's tactics, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Jiraiya did not dare return to Konoha. While the village relied on Shikaku Nara to handle administrative affairs, others were sent to find Tsunade so she could take charge.
Although Kakashi didn't possess Naruto's Talk no Jutsu, once he explained the current state of Konoha, Tsunade realized she had no other choice.
The Three Elders of Konoha were dead, and both the Third and Jiraiya had been neutralized by Obito Uchiha using unknown means. If Tsunade did not return, Konoha would be completely finished.
They wouldn't even have to wait for an external invasion for the village to collapse. After all, with the Third, Jiraiya, and Tsunade all absent, there was no one in Konoha left who could stand against Fugaku Uchiha once he activated his Mangekyo Sharingan.
Tsunade loathed the Konoha high-ranking officials, but she did not want to see Konoha destroyed especially now that three of the officials she hated most were already dead.
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