Jiraiya, in Sage Mode, had his perception of danger greatly enhanced.
The taijutsu attacks, one from the left and one from the right, were easily dodged by Jiraiya.
A figure, shimmering with blue electrical light, was none other than Raikage A, the Fourth Hokage, one of Orochimaru's few high-end accounts.
Another figure looked exceptionally petite, but her blood-red long hair was strikingly conspicuous; it was Uzumaki Kushina, Konoha's former Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
Their fists collided fiercely, striking their own teammate.
It wasn't that A and Kushina were weak; it was simply because Orochimaru couldn't operate them in combat very smoothly.
The result of their mutual attack was obvious: Kushina, like a child, was sent flying by A, her arm dangling, clearly dislocated.
A also didn't get off easy; one of his arms began to shatter from the fist, stopping only at the elbow, then rapidly regenerating.
Watching the two rapidly recover, Jiraiya's heart sank. Continuing to drag this out offered no chance of victory; only a quick battle was the solution.
Strike while the iron is hot.
The two recovered incredibly quickly, but Jiraiya's movements were even faster.
"Sage Art: Super Great Ball Rasengan!"
A massive Rasengan surged towards the two figures who had just regained their footing, with both A and Kushina within its attack range.
Orochimaru, multitasking, tried to make A and Kushina quickly dodge, but it was too late.
However, just as the two had punched each other, Yagura, who had already completed his Ninjutsu preparations, Shunshined forward, raised the peculiar staff in his hand, and pointed it at the void.
"Water Release: Water Mirror Technique!"
A mirror made of water instantly formed, and at the same time, another Jiraiya leaped out from the water mirror.
He also held a Rasengan of the same size.
When the two collided, there was no evenly matched impact as expected, which would have triggered a large explosion.
The Rasengan in Jiraiya's hand crushed the Rasengan in the clone's hand with overwhelming force, continuing its assault towards the target.
The brief delay allowed A and Kushina to escape the attack range of the Great Ball Rasengan, leaving only Yagura.
Yagura's Water Mirror Technique, renowned throughout the Ninja World and a source of immense headaches for countless people, performed so poorly, which was not within Orochimaru's expectations.
"This must be the characteristic of Sage Art after incorporating Natural Energy," Orochimaru quickly thought of the reason.
Yagura, unable to escape in time, was directly abandoned by Orochimaru. As for sending A or Kushina to rescue him, Orochimaru didn't even consider it.
The brief exchange made Orochimaru realize that his former comrade, after entering Sage Mode, had completely surpassed him in every aspect.
His powerful aura and oppressive presence alone made Orochimaru involuntarily recall Pain, whom he had encountered in the past.
The pressure Jiraiya exerted on Orochimaru at this moment was even greater than what he faced against Pain back then.
During the time it took for Yagura to recover, the remaining two would have to buy time.
Without any surprise, Yagura was crushed into dust by the Great Ball Rasengan, dissipating into the air, and was currently in the process of re-coalescing.
Jiraiya, slightly out of breath, looked at Yagura, who was recovering, A, whose lightning glow was even brighter, and Kushina, around whom golden chains had appeared.
He quickly spoke.
"Two elders, let's use that move!"
Just as Jiraiya was about to end this battle completely, forming hand signs with the two Mount Myōboku toads on his shoulders, a sudden change occurred.
The continuously rising auras of A and Kushina abruptly halted, plunging into a deathly silence, and the pile of earth that was still reforming also stopped coalescing.
Three summoning seals lit up on the ground, and then three coffins appeared, enclosing the two and the pile of earth, quickly sinking underground.
Orochimaru, at the first sign of the change, poofed into a thick cloud of white smoke, which was now rapidly thinning.
"Shadow Clone?"
"How is that possible!"
This was Jiraiya's only thought.
However, Jiraiya quickly discovered a figure lying on the ground within the thinning smoke and immediately went to check the situation.
"Orochimaru?"
"No!"
The corpse-like body lying on the ground was identical to Orochimaru, but Jiraiya immediately felt a strong sense of incongruity.
This Orochimaru was too young!
Jiraiya, who had no understanding of cloning technology, could only think that Orochimaru had subjected another innocent person to cruel and inhumane experimentation and modification.
Even with his mastery of Sage Mode and combat power among the top in the current Ninja World, Jiraiya still felt a pang of powerlessness.
Jiraiya, with the template of a great protagonist, was handed the script of a supporting character, constantly gaining but also constantly losing.
"What good is this power to me?"
Jiraiya lived a legendary life that 99% of the Ninja World envied, yet he always felt like a failure.
Jiraiya, who had everything, also lost everything, with only the uncertain mission to guide the Child of Destiny remaining.
Rather than saying Jiraiya was foolish and misled by Mount Myōboku, it's more accurate to say he had no choice but to believe; otherwise, Jiraiya's heart would have no support.
Jiraiya slowly lowered himself, intending to tidy up the body of the unknown unfortunate person before him and bury it on the spot.
Just as he squatted down, the younger version of Orochimaru lying on the ground lit up with several summoning seals and then vanished.
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