Uchiha Madara remained composed. After all, Jiraiya was undeniably strong.
A single misstep could introduce unnecessary complications to the Moon's Eye Plan. It wasn't that he feared Jiraiya—far from it—but now simply wasn't the optimal moment to make a move.
"After today, we will have secured five Tailed Beasts. My lord, your dream is another step closer to reality."
Black Zetsu had no doubt that Uchiha Madara would emerge victorious against Jiraiya. While Jiraiya was undoubtedly powerful, Madara, with his Rinnegan awakened, was on an entirely different level. Even though his body was plagued with hidden ailments, limiting his ability to sustain prolonged combat, defeating Jiraiya was still well within his capability.
Today's biggest winners would undoubtedly be him and Madara.
As the black rods continued to absorb the Three-Tails' chakra, the massive beast rapidly shrank. Soon, even the last trace of its power was devoured, vanishing completely.
Jiraiya retrieved the black rod. The moment the Mizukage perished, the eerie sensation of being watched dissipated entirely. His guard remained up—he couldn't be sure whether the hidden enemy would strike again.
The fact that the sensation vanished upon the Mizukage's death confirmed his suspicion: someone had manipulated the Mizukage to spy on him from the shadows. That was why he had been unable to pinpoint the observer's location.
With that realization, the oppressive weight on Jiraiya's mind lightened significantly. If his enemy wished to continue monitoring him, they would now have to get closer, exposing themselves in the process. Given Jiraiya's extraordinary sensory abilities, the moment they entered his range, he would lock onto them instantly.
He had a strong hunch about who was lurking in the shadows.
The only person capable of manipulating the Mizukage like that was none other than Uchiha Madara.
Truthfully, Jiraiya had been eager for a chance to face Madara in battle. At his current level, there were few opponents left who could push him to his limits. Only a warrior of Madara's caliber could make his blood boil with excitement.
Fighting Kage-level opponents no longer thrilled him. They were simply too weak, unworthy of being his adversaries.
Jiraiya tucked away the black rod and began absorbing the Three-Tails' chakra into himself. With the beast's will already erased, there was nothing obstructing the process.
The Three-Tails' power paled in comparison to the One-Tail's. Despite the misconception that a Tailed Beast's strength was determined by its number of tails, the reality was different—except for the Nine-Tails, which was a special case.
When the Sage of Six Paths distributed chakra among the Tailed Beasts, he ensured an equal balance:
One-Tail received a portion. Nine-Tails received a portion. Two-Tails received a portion. Nine-Tails received a portion...
The process was meticulous and impartial.
Jiraiya wasn't in a rush to assist Hiruzen Sarutobi just yet. The old man could still hold his own.
Despite the Six-Tails and Two-Tails having fully transformed, Hiruzen was managing. Sealing both beasts would require a hefty sacrifice, but merely stalling them was still within his ability.
Jiraiya's priority was absorbing the Three-Tails' chakra before joining the fight. If his hidden adversary was truly Uchiha Madara, he needed every advantage possible.
It wouldn't take long. Given his immense physical endurance, he could absorb an entire Tailed Beast's chakra in a matter of minutes. For an ordinary shinobi, attempting such a rapid influx of chakra would be fatal—their body would rupture instantly.
Only someone as absurdly overpowered as Jiraiya could manage it.
...
The battlefield where Jiraiya fought the three Kage was far from the ongoing clash between the Fire and Wind Nation forces. The Wind Nation's shinobi remained unaware of the Tsuchikage, Raikage, and Mizukage's demise.
Had they known, they would have fled in sheer terror.
"Lord Madara, the Mizukage has been eliminated. Should we move to the battlefield now?" Black Zetsu asked.
He hadn't expected Jiraiya, in such a supposedly weakened state, to dispatch the Three-Tails in just two moves.
A terrifying display of strength.
Of course, it wasn't entirely beyond comprehension. After all, Uchiha Madara could control the Nine-Tails with just a glance, and Senju Hashirama had subdued it with a single technique.
To most shinobi, the Tailed Beasts were terrifying, nearly unstoppable forces of nature. But to true powerhouses, they were nothing more than overgrown pets, hardly a threat at all.
Madara hadn't personally hunted down the Tailed Beasts because of his body's condition—he couldn't sustain prolonged battles.
Additionally, the beasts were scattered. If he moved openly to capture them, his identity would be exposed, and the entire shinobi world would unite against him. Even he couldn't take on the entire world alone.
Jiraiya, on the other hand, had the Fire Nation at his back. His situation was far more advantageous.
If Madara still controlled the Fire Nation, his plan to gather the Tailed Beasts would have been in full swing already.
The Three-Tails was nowhere near as powerful as the Nine-Tails.
Having fully absorbed its chakra, Jiraiya stowed away the black rod and shot toward Hiruzen Sarutobi's battlefield.
...
Hiruzen was struggling. The Five-Tails, the most formidable in terms of raw physical combat, was relentlessly pressuring him. Meanwhile, the Two-Tails, swift and agile, darted around, launching attacks from unexpected angles.
The synergy between the two beasts was overwhelming.
Were it not for Enma, his indomitable summon, Hiruzen would have already sustained serious injuries.
Of course, if he pushed himself to the limit, he could seal both beasts, but at an immense cost.
"How's the situation on your end?" Hiruzen asked when he saw Jiraiya approaching.
"They're dead. All three of them," Jiraiya said flatly. "Much weaker than I expected. Honestly, I didn't think it would be that easy."
He had anticipated a hard-fought battle, expecting to struggle at least somewhat. But after unleashing his full power, he had effortlessly wiped them out.
Hiruzen, hearing that Jiraiya had eliminated three Kage, wondered if he was experiencing auditory hallucinations.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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