"Do you just pretend I'm not even here…?"
The very moment Jiraiya made his move, Shinji appeared instantly in front of Sasuke.
Holding the Kubikiribōchō — the Executioner's Blade — he caught every strand of Jiraiya's speeding, hardened white hair along the edge, spun the heavy blade around, and drove it deep into the ground.
THUD!
Shinji had blocked Jiraiya completely. Behind him, Sasuke's Chidori never actually struck home — it stopped just inches from the back of Naruto's heart.
Right now, Sasuke had no reason to kill Naruto. The technique had only been a response to Naruto's relentless, aggressive attacks earlier. If he could make Naruto leave him alone for good, that was all he wanted.
"I'm sorry. We concede."
Jiraiya took a deep breath and made the decision on Naruto's behalf.
Naruto's face was still pressed hard into the dirt. He couldn't speak, but he heard every word clearly.
Mmph… mmph!…
He was still struggling, refusing to admit defeat — especially not to Sasuke.
But the truth was undeniable: he had been utterly crushed.
"Concede? Here I was, thinking you were itching for a fight and looking for someone to spar with."
Jiraiya knew he was in the wrong for interfering. Besides, Sasuke hadn't actually hurt Naruto. He kept quiet and accepted the rebuke without arguing.
Seeing Jiraiya say nothing, Shinji lost interest. He didn't press the matter further and simply pulled his massive sword free from the earth.
Jiraiya understood the silent truce. He released his technique and his hair returned to normal length.
"Sasuke, let's go."
At Shinji's command, Sasuke extinguished the lightning in his hand and finally let go of Naruto, who was still face‑down in the mud.
"Two minutes and twenty‑three seconds. It seems I thought far too highly of you."
Hearing those words, Naruto — still lying prone on the ground — dug his fingers into the soil and clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white.
Suddenly, a terrifying, ominous chakra began pouring out of him.
If anyone had looked at his face right then, they would have seen that his eyes had changed into vertical pupils — the mark of a wild beast.
This series of crushing defeats hadn't just shown Naruto how weak he really was; it had awakened within him a desperate, burning hunger for greater power.
A seductive, whispering voice began calling to him, tempting him endlessly.
He hesitated… but Sasuke's calm, cold statement — Two minutes and twenty‑three seconds — was the final straw that broke the camel's back.
"You can give me the power to defeat Sasuke…?"
"Are you joking, kid? My power can let you defeat anyone! All you have to do is remove this little seal…"
Naruto's hand reached up and touched the seal on his stomach. With frightening ease, he lifted the corner of it…
BOOM!
A raging torrent of Nine‑Tails chakra instantly enveloped Naruto, forming a dark red, shimmering coat around his body.
Every injury he had suffered during the fight healed almost immediately.
"NO! This is bad — Naruto's losing control!"
Jiraiya was horrified. He immediately formed hand seals, whipped his hair forward, and wrapped it tightly around Naruto to restrain him — the Wild Lion's Mane Technique.
Nearby, Tsunade's expression turned grave. Jiraiya had told her all about Naruto's identity earlier.
This was clearly the early stage of a Jinchūriki going berserk. If they handled it poorly, everyone here would be in grave danger… and the entire city might well be destroyed!
She instinctively reached for the crystal pendant hanging around her neck.
It was a relic left behind by the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. Inside it lay a seal containing some of Hashirama's own chakra, which had the power to suppress the Nine‑Tails.
But without Wood Release, she wasn't sure if it would still work.
ROAR!
With a mighty cry, Naruto broke free from Jiraiya's restraints through sheer force and charged straight at Sasuke.
Defeat Sasuke… That was the only thought remaining in his mind as he lost consciousness.
CLAP!
A sharp sound echoed. Where Sasuke had stood a moment before, Shinji now appeared, swinging the massive Executioner's Blade in a wide, powerful arc.
THUD!
The blade — over two meters long, heavy as a door — slammed right into Naruto's face.
In the next instant, the out‑of‑control Jinchūriki was sent flying backward like a cannonball.
"Took you long enough. Finally, I get to stretch my legs and have some fun!"
Hidan had been waiting nearby without anyone noticing. He raised his Scythe of the Bloody Rain high above his head, aiming straight for Naruto's skull.
But before he could strike, Jiraiya's hair lashed out again, wrapping tight around him and stopping the blow.
"Hey! You white‑haired old man! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"
Hidan was furious. He had finally gotten a chance to fight and was enjoying it, only to be stopped dead in his tracks.
"Stay away from him! This is a matter for Konoha. Outsiders have no business interfering!"
From Jiraiya's point of view, he was absolutely right.
The Jinchūriki was too valuable to risk. If someone here struck too hard or went too far and accidentally killed Naruto…
Jiraiya would never be able to face the memory of Minato, or explain himself to Lord Hiruzen back in Konoha. He would be branded a traitor to the village.
He preferred to handle this alone rather than risk any more accidents.
But some things were simply out of his control…
Hidan was still entangled in Jiraiya's hair. As soon as Naruto recovered, he punched Hidan straight across the clearing.
Enhanced by the Nine‑Tails' chakra, that punch was so powerful it nearly made Hidan vomit up all the meat he had eaten earlier.
Needless to say, Hidan hated Jiraiya even more now.
Rasengan!
While Hidan was flying backward, Jiraiya appeared above Naruto and slammed a Rasengan down onto him, pinning him to the ground.
His silver hair swirled wildly, wrapping around Naruto again and again, binding him tight.
Five Elements Seal!
A faint, pale blue glow appeared on the fingertips of Jiraiya's right hand.
He knew the seal would cause Naruto intense pain and suffering for a while… but right now, he had no choice. If he waited any longer, it wouldn't work at all.
But just as Jiraiya was about to press his hand down and complete the seal…
Hidan — who had been thrown back earlier because of Jiraiya — finally saw his chance for revenge.
He hurled his Bloody Rain Scythe straight forward. The curved blade span rapidly like a crimson moon, slicing through the air directly toward Jiraiya's head.
He didn't care about the big picture. He didn't care if Naruto lost control or what happened to anyone else.
All he cared about was that this white‑haired man had ruined his fun earlier — and now it was his turn to ruin things!
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
Strands of hardened silver hair were sliced clean through. Jiraiya instinctively threw his head back, barely dodging being decapitated.
But the split‑second delay was enough.
By now, most of the restraints around Naruto had been cut away. Helped by the Nine‑Tails, which desperately wanted to avoid being sealed again, Naruto broke free completely.
Before Jiraiya's hand could touch him, a massive arm formed from swirling chakra reached out and grabbed Jiraiya by the throat.
Hidan's eyes lit up with delight at the sight!
He yanked hard on the chain attached to his weapon. The spinning scythe came flying back — aimed perfectly at Jiraiya, who was now unable to move.
Jiraiya saw it coming, but he was held fast and couldn't escape in time.
At this critical, life‑threatening moment…
Tsunade stepped in. With a powerful kick, she sent Hidan flying backward, away from Jiraiya.
____________________
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