The only feeling one experiences when wrapped by a snake is restraint and pressure. And now, Gamakichi was swallowed by the serpent. Not only was he forced to endure the crushing pressure that was several times stronger than the outside, but he was also facing the digestive fluids from all sides, leaving him unable to find a way to escape.
Thanks to Hyuga Mirai's genetic enhancement of Little Purple, it had been strengthened in all aspects, including digestion, which was now several times stronger than a regular Ryuchi Cave snake.
Gamakichi, being the size of a small mountain and carrying an immense amount of Sage Chakra within, could have provided Little Purple with days of food, but soon, if it couldn't catch prey, it would need to rely on absorbing natural energy to alleviate hunger.
Summoning beasts, when facing danger, could usually break free from the summoning jutsu and return to their home base, but this would take some time. Unfortunately, Gamakichi lost this opportunity as soon as he was ensnared by Little Purple. Now, only an outside force could save him.
The only one who could help Gamakichi was Jiraiya, but he was blocked by Hyuga Mirai. At this rate, in just a few minutes, Gamakichi would lose his life to the powerful digestive acids of Little Purple.
"Two Sages, Goemon."
"Understood, little Jiraiya."
The two toads simultaneously performed Sage Jutsu. The combination of wind, fire, and oil created a technique called Sage Art: Goemon. Its power and range were immense, and because of the oil, it was difficult to extinguish with water jutsu.
As the technique was released, Orochimaru, standing at a distance, felt a scorching heatwave rush toward him.
"So, this is Sage Mode? I never thought that Jiraiya would reach this level," Orochimaru muttered with a serious expression, watching the oncoming composite jutsu. He had studied Sage Jutsu before, but practicing it in Ryuchi Cave was extremely dangerous. After careful thought, he abandoned the idea of training Sage Jutsu there, believing he could find a safer method. However, he hadn't anticipated that Jiraiya had already learned it.
"With this level of jutsu, even the Rashomon might not hold up. Mirai, what will you use to block it? Or will you just avoid it?" Orochimaru's gaze shifted toward Hyuga Mirai. This might be one of the few chances he had to understand Mirai better, so he didn't want to miss it.
Seeing the toad oil burning fiercely, aided by wind jutsu, and nearly covering a hundred meters, it was obvious that Jiraiya's intent was not to target him but rather Little Purple behind him.
Mirai thought to himself, if he dodged, the jutsu would strike Little Purple, and Jiraiya would seize the opportunity to rescue Gamakichi.
"Too naive, Jiraiya. I told you, your toad is as good as dead!"
"Eight Trigrams: Mountain Crusher!"
Mirai struck with both palms, using more than 20% of his Sage Chakra. From his palms, a massive, solidified green chakra formed into a giant hand, shattering the Sage Art: Goemon. Even the ground beneath the toad oil was punched out, creating a crater several meters deep.
"Not good, Sage Art: Needle Earth Store!"
The force from Breaking Mountain Strike didn't lose momentum as it broke apart the burning toad oil, charging straight toward Jiraiya. Realizing the danger, Jiraiya quickly infused his Sage Chakra into his hair, causing it to extend in front of him, forming a layer of defense.
Boom!
Jiraiya was sent flying, as if struck by an inflated balloon, and hurtled nearly a hundred meters. He crashed through three large trees before finally stopping.
"Ugh!" Jiraiya spat out blood. If not for the two layers of protection from his hair, he would have been injured much worse.
"Little Jiraiya, are you okay?" Fukasaku asked in panic.
"I'm fine, two Sages," Jiraiya said, touching his chest. "Just a couple of broken ribs, no big deal. But... Gamakichi..."
Thinking of Fukasaku, Jiraiya's urgency rose again, and he tried to rush to save him. Fukasaku had been the first toad he met when he entered Mount Myoboku, and they had fought side by side for over a decade. Their bond was stronger than that of brothers. Now, with Gamakichi's life on the line, Jiraiya couldn't just stand by.
"Damn it!"
"Little Jiraiya, don't be reckless," Fukasaku warned, seeing Jiraiya about to rush forward. "This person's Sage face is a perfect Sage Mode. Unlike the ones in Ryuchi Cave, it seems to be from a completely different Sage lineage."
"Fukasaku, hurry up and give me a solution! If we wait any longer, Gamakichi will be gone!" Jiraiya was desperate.
Fukasaku immediately said, "Use Genjutsu, Old Woman, get ready."
Shima, knowing the urgency, hesitated but finally agreed. "That technique... fine. But after this battle, I need a good rest."
"Watch out, he's coming!" Before Shima could finish, Fukasaku noticed Hyuga Mirai charging straight at them.
Jiraiya, sensing the danger with Sage Mode, also detected Mirai's position. But his speed was too fast—reaching more than a hundred meters in an instant.
"Do you think I'll give you the chance to strategize?"
A calm voice reached their ears, and then, Jiraiya saw Hyuga Mirai's figure appear before him.
It was common knowledge in the shinobi world that one should never engage in close combat with the Hyuga clan. The Gentle Fist and Byakugan had earned their fearsome reputation during the Warring States period and the previous two Shinobi World Wars. Even Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin, who had entered Sage Mode, found himself unnerved by the idea of facing Hyuga Mirai, who was also using Sage Mode. The moment Mirai closed in, Jiraiya couldn't help but feel a sense of panic and the urge to dodge.
"Sage Art: Great Ball Rasengan."
A Rasengan nearly half a meter in diameter appeared in Jiraiya's hands, swirling with Sage Chakra in his palms like a miniature hurricane. If this hit, even in Sage Mode, it would spell disaster.
But Hyuga Mirai's speed was his greatest asset. In Sage Mode, his body's movement was so fast that even the Three-Tomoe Sharingan could barely track his movements.
Boom!
Jiraiya's Great Ball Rasengan struck the ground, creating a deep crater, but it missed Hyuga Mirai entirely.
"Behind you, little Jiraiya!" Fukasaku, sensing Mirai's position, immediately called out a warning.
But even with Fukasaku's warning, Jiraiya couldn't react in time. He wasn't a Taijutsu specialist, and his training didn't make him a master of physical techniques.
Splat!
Jiraiya's arm was severed by a chakra blade.
"Little Jiraiya!" Fukasaku and Shima, seeing Jiraiya struck so easily, immediately used their ninjutsu. Wind and Water Release combined to launch an attack at Hyuga Mirai.
"Kainten!"
As two toads attacked, Hyuga Mirai activated a wide-scale Kainten technique. The chakra swirling around him expanded to five meters, and the instant it activated, Jiraiya was thrown back.
Jiraiya's strength, though superior to Orochimaru's, was not enough to withstand Hyuga Mirai's overwhelming force. Mirai found Jiraiya easier to deal with than Orochimaru, as Jiraiya lacked the substitution techniques that could mitigate damage.
"This ends now!"
Seeing Jiraiya sent flying, crashing through trees, and Fukasaku also being knocked away, Hyuga Mirai decided it was time to finish things. With one toad left, Jiraiya slowly began to exit Sage Mode.
"Air Palm!"
Hyuga Mirai struck, his intent as sharp as his chakra. Sensing the 'prophecy' from Mount Myoboku, he didn't hold back against Jiraiya. Strictly speaking, there was no personal conflict between them, but Jiraiya lacked his own convictions, blindly following the toad prophecy. He was strong in Sage Mode, but Mirai saw him as someone who might act without understanding the full scope of things. Since Jiraiya had already shown his intentions, Mirai wasn't going to show mercy.
Boom!
"Hmm?" Hyuga Mirai furrowed his brow, tilting his head toward the other side. Namikaze Minato was holding Jiraiya, his face grave, eyes burning with anger as he looked at Mirai.
"Ah, so it's Minato, the Hokage. No wonder Jiraiya was saved earlier."
Hyuga Mirai said calmly, but in his mind, he was already strategizing how to counter the Flying Thunder God technique.
It wasn't just Minato; through his Byakugan, Mirai saw Sarutobi Hiruzen and his ANBU approaching from the distance. The Third Hokage had let Orochimaru go when he had a chance to catch him, but now, with so many unexpected events unfolding on Jiraiya's side, things had gotten out of hand.
"Mirai... Hyuga Mirai, I know you might have defected from Konoha, but I never understood why. Now, it seems it's because of the Caged Bird, isn't it?" Minato's voice was cold as he asked, his eyes blazing with restrained anger. After Jiraiya's arm had been severed, he had barely kept his composure enough to ask for information.
"That's not something to discuss now," Hyuga Mirai said with a light smile, forming the "Ren" seal and creating two Shadow Clones.
With that, his main body turned and began to leave, leaving the clones to hold off his pursuers.
Mirai had set strict rules for himself in combat. When his chakra level was above seventy percent, it was the safe zone. Below fifty percent, it was the warning zone. If his chakra dropped to thirty percent, he would need reinforcements.
After the recent battle, his chakra was at about sixty percent, and with Minato arriving and Sarutobi Hiruzen's ANBU not far behind, it was no longer a favorable situation for him to stay.
"Don't think you can escape!"
Seeing Mirai preparing to flee, Minato immediately rushed forward. But one of Mirai's Shadow Clones struck him with an air palm. Minato had no choice but to retreat with Jiraiya, otherwise, Jiraiya would be at risk of being killed if left behind.
"Lord Mirai, do you need help dealing with them?" Little Purple, with its round belly, rumbled toward Hyuga Mirai. However, having just eaten, Little Purple's movements had slowed considerably.
"No need. Go back and digest. Summoning Jutsu, release!"
Boom!
Hyuga Mirai dispelled the summoning technique, sending Little Purple back to the Ryuchi Cave.
He then tossed Orochimaru a wristwatch and said, "Let's go, Orochimaru. The Third Hokage is coming. If he catches up, he won't let you off easily."
Orochimaru took the wristwatch with a hoarse laugh, saying, "Then we'll meet again, Lord Mirai."
(End of Chapter)
=========================================================
DROP THEM POWER STONES PLEASE
SUPPORT ME ON P@TREON IF YOU'D LIKE ACCESS ON ADVANCED CHAPTERS
PAT REON . COM / TurdTranslations (Just remove the space).