Jiraiya's Lightning Release attack covered an enormous area.
Even though the enemy shinobi used the Body Replacement Technique the moment the attack struck, their real bodies were still within the lightning's range.
They were reduced to ash, unable to escape death.
Even their summoned creatures perished under the raging storm of lightning.
With their summoning contract severed, the barrier began to collapse.
The only one who survived was Shinden Ichiro, thanks to a rare jutsu that allowed him to transfer damage.
Whenever he sustained an injury, the technique redirected it to his summoned beast.
However, this secret art came with severe limitations—it could only be used once in a lifetime.
And the price was steep.
To activate the jutsu, he had to sign an extraordinarily rare summoning contract, one that required a personal sacrifice—an organ, to be exact.
Ichiro had sacrificed one of his kidneys.
A ruthless decision, but one that had kept him alive.
Despite the great toll on his body, this jutsu remained an immensely powerful survival technique.
After all, compared to his own life, a kidney seemed trivial.
"Amazing… What a terrifying Lightning Release jutsu. Is this one of Jiraiya-sama's original S-rank techniques?"
"Jiraiya-sama's talent is incredible. Not only did he become a jōnin at such a young age, but he even developed such a monstrous Lightning Release technique. He's way too strong."
"I've decided—I'm going to kill as many enemies as possible in this war. I need to earn enough merit to exchange for Jiraiya-sama's jutsu."
"Damn it! If only I had an affinity for Lightning Release! I'd do anything to learn that technique."
"This might be the strongest Lightning Release jutsu in the village… The Myriad Thunder Prison."
The Konoha shinobi who had been watching were stunned, their eyes fixed on Jiraiya in awe.
They had heard rumors of his S-rank Lightning Release jutsu before.
But this was the first time they had witnessed its devastating power with their own eyes.
The impact was overwhelming.
Every ninja with a Lightning Release affinity made up their mind right then and there—to fight harder in the coming battles and earn enough merit to exchange for the Myriad Thunder Prison.
"Water Release: Explosive Water Surge!"
Shinden Ichiro quickly formed hand seals and unleashed a massive wave of water toward Jiraiya.
Despite knowing how powerful Jiraiya was, he refused to give up.
His comrades had all perished at Jiraiya's hands.
He had to do something for them.
Even if he couldn't kill Jiraiya…
Even if all he could do was land a single blow.
Dying without resistance would be too pathetic.
The towering wave crashed toward Jiraiya.
But with a mere flick of his wrist, Jiraiya swung the Lightning Flame Blade downward.
A gleaming arc of lightning cut through the water, splitting the wave in half.
The water rushed past him harmlessly, flowing to either side.
"Damn it…"
Ichiro clenched his fists, his eyes burning with frustration.
At that moment, he realized how powerless he truly was.
There was nothing he could do for his fallen comrades.
The thought of wounding Jiraiya now felt laughable.
"Water Release: Water Serpent Bind!"
Refusing to surrender, Ichiro formed another set of hand seals, summoning countless serpents made of water.
They coiled through the air, lunging toward Jiraiya in an attempt to constrict him.
"This level of attack won't work on me."
Jiraiya's hands blurred through seals before he exhaled a torrent of flames, instantly evaporating the water serpents.
Then, in the blink of an eye, he vanished.
Before Ichiro could react—
The Lightning Flame Blade had already pierced through his chest.
"So this is all I amounted to… How ridiculous…"
Ichiro let out a bitter chuckle before closing his eyes forever.
"Jiraiya-sama, your strength is unbelievable! A whole squad of elite Rain shinobi wiped out just like that…"
"With you here, Jiraiya-sama, there's no way any of Amegakure's forces can interfere with our fortress construction."
The Konoha chūnin gazed at Jiraiya in awe, their admiration evident.
They had already been aware of his terrifying power.
But seeing it firsthand left them utterly speechless.
Even the other Konoha jōnin couldn't help but feel a deep sense of respect.
They were all supposed to be on the same level as Jiraiya.
And yet… the gap was insurmountable.
If they had to fight him, they had no doubt they'd be cut down in an instant.
The difference in power was just too overwhelming.
"Taking them down was easy."
Jiraiya sheathed his Lightning Flame Blade and turned to the others.
"Get back to the fortress. We can't afford to let the enemy infiltrate."
With that, he unsealed a scroll and began storing the bodies of the fallen Rain shinobi.
These corpses were valuable.
Back in the village, they would be exchanged for war merits.
"Yes, Jiraiya-sama! We'll return immediately!"
The Konoha ninjas were brimming with excitement.
Being able to fight alongside Jiraiya was an honor in itself.
And once they returned, they would have endless stories to boast about.
...
Meanwhile…
"Ka—Kakuzu! We're both bounty hunters. We have no grudge against each other. Why are you attacking us?!"
Somewhere in the Land of Fire, a jōnin wielding a samurai sword glared furiously at Kakuzu.
At his feet lay the corpse of his partner—his heart crushed in Kakuzu's grip.
They had come here after seeing a bounty posted by Konoha's Root division, hoping to take down Jiraiya and claim the massive reward.
But on their way, they had run into Kakuzu.
And for some reason, Kakuzu had attacked them without warning.
"If someone put a bounty on us, I'd pay double to keep us alive!"
The swordsman was shaking now, his voice filled with terror.
He and his partner had attacked together, and yet they had still lost.
Now, with his partner dead, there was no way he could win.
Kakuzu's expression remained cold as black tendrils writhed around him.
"No one put a bounty on you."
"But you tried to steal my prey."
"So I'm taking your life."
The black threads shot forward, wrapping around the terrified swordsman.
A bloodcurdling scream echoed through the night.
Unbeknownst to Jiraiya, Kakuzu had already slaughtered countless bounty hunters who had been targeting him.
Without realizing it, Kakuzu was eliminating threats in Jiraiya's path—one after another.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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