Boom—
Frog oil is the ultimate fuel. The fireball's power surges, flames shooting higher and turning darker with each second.
The paper figures instantly vanish into the raging inferno, dissolving into ash and disappearing into the air.
Konan stumbles backward repeatedly, but the fire follows her path, violently sweeping through the sky before finally crashing into her body.
The impact shatters her balance, wrapping her completely in flames.
She plummets toward the ground, leaving a fiery trail behind her.
Jiraiya, who launched the attack, watches everything unfold. Almost immediately, he cuts off the connection between techniques and shouts loudly to Wintai beneath his feet: "Wintai, now!"
Since Konan has been hit, this moment becomes the best opportunity for a follow-up strike.
Moreover, it seems frog oil truly suppresses Dance of the Shikigami better than Water Release. Combined with the fire's intensity, events are nearly as he predicted.
Hearing the call from above, Wintai narrows his eyes. Both hind legs push against empty space, stabilizing his descent midair.
Then he uses his claws to catch and launch Jiraiya straight toward the falling Konan.
A thunderous roar erupts from Wintai's movement through the air.
Jiraiya flies at speeds rivaling cannon fire, sonic booms echoing continuously. In an instant, he catches up directly behind Konan.
Still covered in frog oil and engulfed in flames, Konan struggles violently, shedding layer after layer of paper scraps in a desperate attempt to isolate the threat on her surface.
But her Dance of the Shikigami is restricted by the frog oil, losing its former flexibility.
Boom—
Finally, after fierce resistance, she sheds her outer paper layer like a snake shedding its skin.
Just as she thinks she has escaped Jiraiya's assault and can counterattack, her widened eyes meet her approaching teacher.
"Paper..."
She quickly attempts her jutsu, but the moment chakra stirs slightly, her entire body is immediately wrapped tight.
[Wild Lion's Mane Technique!]
Facing the still-resisting Konan, Jiraiya immediately forms ninja seals and unleashes his unique technique.
His hair suddenly grows massively longer, expanding outward from both sides of his body, tightly enveloping Konan.
In almost an instant, Jiraiya subdues Konan, dragging her down to land on the ground below.
The previous series of attacks consumed great energy, so as soon as Tu Yi lands, he starts panting heavily, his chest heaving constantly.
"Trouble!"
Konan glares at her former teacher, her shoulders twitching as she struggles against the bindings.
However, the white strands holding her remain unmoving.
After realizing there's no way out, she slowly stops resisting, glaring coldly at Jiraiya.
Neither one speaks, the silence between them heavy with tension.
Jiraiya steadies his breath while Konan considers her next move.
Their eyes lock in midair, silently sealing the distance between them.
Jiraiya cherishes his disciple; Konan values emotions.
Yet their positions stand clearly opposed.
"Now we can have a little chat, Konan."
After a long silence, Jiraiya finally spoke.
His expression was serious and resolute.
Killing this disciple would be his last resort—capturing her alive seemed like a much better option at the moment.
Moreover, the Frog Oil from earlier appeared to have affected Konan more than expected. Her [Paper Transformation] ability also seemed to have failed under these circumstances.
Crash—
Wintai slammed down onto the ground, his two powerful hind legs striking like massive stones, leaving behind deep claw marks.
The earth trembled, dust rose into the air, and shockwaves swept across the battlefield, scattering nearby ninja locked in combat.
"Damn it!"
"Konan-sama has been captured!"
"Push forward! Save our leader!"
"Show them the pride of Amegakure (Rain's Hidden Village)!"
"…"
The Rain Ninja noticed the battle nearing its end nearby and saw Konan, bound and helpless in Jiraiya's grasp.
Their expressions darkened instantly as they rushed toward her, abandoning their opponents with tunnel vision—focused solely on rescuing Konan.
But how could the Cloud Ninja and the samurai possibly let them pass?
If the enemy ran, they gave chase without hesitation.
As a result of the Rain forces losing their composure, the balance that once existed between the two sides tipped quickly in favor of the Cloud forces.
Within just a few seconds, many Rain Ninja were cut down onto the ground.
Upon hearing Jiraiya's words, Konan's face remained calm.
She looked at him and gave a mocking smile: "Jiraiya-sensei, are you really so sure you've caught me? Our fight isn't over yet!"
Hearing this, a flicker of confusion passed through Jiraiya's eyes.
But years of ninja experience kept him calm and alert.
He glanced around warily, though his focus remained locked on Konan.
Because he believed she was trying to distract him—creating an opportunity for herself to escape.
"Isn't it already over? What else do you have up your sleeve?"
Jiraiya slowly approached Konan, his hands beginning to emit chakra.
Although he had already restricted Konan's movement, if he could seal her chakra with a Sealing Technique, that would make things far safer.
Unfazed by Jiraiya's movements, Konan glanced down at the white hair binding her body: "You're indeed much stronger than me, Jiraiya-sensei—even knowing your jutsu and habits, it's still difficult for me to gain an advantage in battle."
"In a way, I guess I've already come out ahead."
Her voice gradually weakened as her expression grew more determined.
At the same time, an unexplained sense of danger surged within Jiraiya's heart.
"Konan, what exactly are you planning?!"
He shouted angrily at her slightly upturned lips.
"It was a true honor learning from you back then! Jiraiya-sensei!"
Trapped within the thick strands of hair, she was crushed mercilessly from all sides. Her face rapidly flushed red, appearing to be in extreme discomfort.
"You're actually doing..."
Jiraiya seemed to realize something—he began hastily retreating.
At the same time, Konan started struggling violently again, her feet stomping against the ground, slowing Jiraiya's retreat.
"I told you, Master—you'll never be able to catch me. And if I can eliminate you, who stands in Pain's way, then I suppose my value has been realized. So... let's die together in this explosion!"
Konan gazed calmly at Jiraiya, her feet scraping two marks into the ground.
Then Jiraiya finally understood where the danger lay.
His eyes swept his surroundings and the ground beneath him, noticing that what should have been solid earth had, in an instant, turned into layer upon layer of red explosive tags.
These clearly hadn't just been placed here recently—they were a trick Konan had prepared long beforehand.
So after realizing it would be difficult for herself to escape, she'd arranged all this?
The explosive tags covered approximately twenty meters in every direction around where he stood, so densely packed that the sight of countless red tags made everyone's scalp crawl.
Jiraiya's face darkened. "I underestimated her!"
Judging by the quantity, there must be at least ten thousand tags. The explosion from such power would reduce even a Sage to dust if taken head-on.
As soon as this thought crossed his mind, he quickened his backward retreat.
Most likely, Konan intended to perish alongside him.
At the same time, he released his grip on Konan and flung her forward.
Still, he wasn't willing to watch one of his disciples perish!
That was both a mentor's stubborn determination—and foolish hope.
Whoosh—Whoosh—
Jiraiya leapt backward as Konan was flung forward.
Both left their original positions where piles of explosive tags lay.
In the next second, continuous explosions engulfed dozens of meters in all directions, reducing everything within the deafening roar to nothingness.
Though Jiraiya had noticed the tags one second earlier, the blast range remained vast, so he still got caught inside.
Yet even that single second allowed him to flee quite a distance.
And the explosive tags didn't all detonate simultaneously—first exploding at the core where Jiraiya originally stood, then spreading outward.
That slight delay gave Jiraiya just a little extra reaction time.
"Jiraiya!"
Wintai had just landed and was about to move toward him when suddenly saw Jiraiya's figure retreating frantically, followed immediately by a towering inferno engulfing him.
He couldn't help but call out involuntarily, its expression unmistakably showing worry.
Whoosh—
Jiraiya's figure burst through smoke and flames, landing somewhat messily and rolling several times before stopping.
Once grounded, he hastily raised several earthen walls in front of himself, blocking off the following shockwave.
This bought him a brief moment to catch his breath.
He crouched low, hacking through smoke-filled lungs, his cloak in tatters.
The blast wave tore across the nearby battlefield, lifting both warring sides off their feet.
When they witnessed such devastation, expressions of horror appeared across their faces.
Jiraiya slowly rose to his feet, watching the continued explosions unfold with a gloomy, regretful expression.
He had known Konan possessed such means, yet again acted carelessly, convinced he could control the situation—that led directly to this outcome.
Fortunately, no large-scale casualties occurred.
The place where they fought was at a certain distance away from the main battlefield.
In the end, a trace of helplessness flickered across his eyes.
What seemed like a battle already won slipped away because of a single careless moment.
Flung into the air by him, Konan immediately took advantage of the momentum to spread her wings and fly skyward. By now, she had become merely a tiny black speck.
Most of the Frog Oil's effectiveness had already worn off. Although Konan's flying technique looked a bit awkward, her speed was actually quite impressive.
Additionally, [Explosion] still raged in between, providing ample time for Konan to escape.
Therefore, for Jiraiya to continue the pursuit was now simply impossible.
What kind of situation was this?
Jiraiya spat out a mouthful of blood and turned his eyes toward the Rain Ninja.
...
"Kimimaro, guests have arrived. Go welcome them!"
A small snake with pale purple scales coiled around Orochimaru's arm as he suddenly furrowed his brows. He then turned to Kimimaro, who stood nearby.
Though still young, his strength was far from weak.
After resolving the hidden danger of his Kekkei Byo (a genetic disorder linked to his bloodline), his Shikotsumyaku grew even stronger, making him more than capable as a personal guard.
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru!"
Kimimaro gave a cold stare toward the valley's entrance and walked forward steadily.
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