Meanwhile, at Mount Myoboku.
"Jiraiya, are you really decided? To involve yourself in the turmoil of this event?"
A deep blue toad looked at Jiraiya with concern.
He was one of the Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku. But unlike the aloof Great Toad Sage, he held deep affection for Jiraiya, whom he had watched grow up.
Before this, he had asked the Great Toad Sage about the outcome of this war.
The Great Toad Sage only said this: "Amidst blood and mist, there is a flash of golden light. Beyond that, I see nothing."
The deep blue toad was immediately alarmed.
The Great Toad Sage's prophecies had never failed.
Since he saw something related to blood in the prophecy, this war must be dangerous to a certain degree, possibly even claiming the life of a Kage-level figure.
Therefore, he was utterly unwilling to let Jiraiya, whom he had watched grow up, break the tranquility of his many years of seclusion and wade into these muddy waters.
"Sensei, there's no need to persuade me further. This is a mistake I made in the past, and it's a responsibility I must bear. I must participate in this war."
Jiraiya's gaze was resolute as he looked firmly at the deep blue toad, his tone decisive.
The origin of everything was his own inaction.
If, on the day the Kyubi attacked, he hadn't been wandering around, enjoying himself and sightseeing, would his most outstanding disciple, the child of prophecy recognized by the Great Toad Sage as the savior of the world, have possibly not died?
If, after learning of his death, he had immediately found Minato's descendant, carefully taught and raised Naruto from childhood, would this Kyubi's Jinchuriki not have defected from the village?
Countless regrets, like chains of sin, piled up layer upon layer in Jiraiya's heart.
Lately, he had barely been able to sleep at night, filled with self-reproach every evening.
If he hadn't found Sasuke, a promising candidate for Sage Mode training, a potential future Child of Prophecy, the guilt in Jiraiya's heart would have been compounded by a sense of failing his prophetic duty.
But now, with Sasuke as his successor, he had no more worries holding him back.
This war, even if it cost him his life, he must go and bring it to a conclusion.
To teach Naruto the Will of Fire that he failed to impart before.
To tell the village that this child should not be an enemy, that he has a heroic father and should never have received unjust treatment.
These were all things Jiraiya wanted to do.
But now…
"Jiraiya, long time no see..."
A pallid, ghostly snake-like face suddenly appeared behind Jiraiya.
"Who's there?!"
The deep blue toad reacted instantly, leaping up and spewing a powerful Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique from its mouth.
Whoosh!
The massive fireball traced a scorching arc through the air, shooting explosively towards the pallid face.
Sizzle!
However, the next moment, the pallid face dissolved into a disgusting, thick liquid, instantly extinguishing the Great Fireball.
Orochimaru had no shortage of such repulsive Ninjutsu.
However, Jiraiya was deeply puzzled, 'Why would Orochimaru come here at this time?'
'Wasn't he currently under attack by the Konoha's Shinobi Forces, overwhelmed and extremely busy?'
"Orochimaru! Why are you here?! And, is the Kyubi's Jinchuriki in your hands?! Hand him over immediately, and Konoha might still spare your life!"
But Jiraiya was, after all, Jiraiya.
The idiot with the poorest strategies back in the day, even after all these years of growth, still had a straightforward and stubborn personality.
The moment he saw Orochimaru appear, all the questions in his mind instantly turned into words, spoken without concealment.
Orochimaru, meanwhile, narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at Jiraiya with amusement.
'To protect the village's Jinchuriki, had this once most dull guy now learned to lie?'
'Telling me to hand over the Jinchuriki.'
'Wasn't that Kyubi's Jinchuriki, the son of the Yondaime Hokage right here in the Mount Myoboku?'
With one sniff, Orochimaru could sense that unusual presence.
'A few days ago, someone of exceptional talent must have trained at Mount Myoboku. They made immense progress in an extremely short time, the Child of Prophecy designated by Mount Myoboku.'
'Who else could possibly have such an unusual identity, if not that Jinchuriki?'
"Jiraiya, there's no need for concealment. We are old friends who have known each other for years. I'll give you a chance. Hand over the Jinchuriki yourself and stay out of this muddy water."
Orochimaru spoke lightly.
Of course, he didn't actually expect Jiraiya to hand over Naruto so easily with just these words.
It was a probe, to test just how important the Jinchuriki was to Jiraiya.
If it was of the highest importance, Jiraiya would undoubtedly start fighting without another word.
Slightly less important, and he might argue a bit before the fight escalated.
So now, Jiraiya's reaction was…
"Nonsense! It seems you won't tell the truth without a fight!"
Confused by Orochimaru's attitude and recalling the countless heinous things this man had done to the village, Jiraiya's anger surged and he threw a punch.
Whoosh!
As one of the Sannin, Jiraiya's Taijutsu wasn't weak either. His years of training at Mount Myoboku had given him the reflexes and intuition of a toad.
The speed of these punches momentarily surpassed the sound barrier. If they landed, they were enough to blow someone's head off.
But Orochimaru, possessing the strongest escape ability among the Sannin, how could he be hit so easily?
"Multiple Snake Hands Technique, Shedding."
Orochimaru formed hand seals, his entire body transforming into a slippery small snake, shedding from its main form.
Jiraiya's supersonic punches only destroyed his snake shed, leaving the main body completely unaffected.
The two quickly repositioned, each standing on a high platform.
They both knew the initial exchange was just a simple probe.
The real battle was only now beginning.