"You want me to take down Rasa?"
Jiraiya sat on a rock, reading the urgent message from an ANBU. He'd lost his taste for war a long time ago. Ever since the Great Toad Sage gave him that prophecy, he'd been hunting for the Child of Destiny—the one who could finally bring real peace to the ninja world.
He'd once pinned his hopes on Minato. Minato was dead. He'd thought about Nagato and Yahiko too, but they'd gone silent years ago. Jiraiya suspected they might already be gone.
"Hiruzen-sensei didn't kill Minato," he muttered. "The old man's got some nasty habits, but he's not that twisted. Someone else released the Nine-Tails."
His eyes hardened.
"Sand Village…"
Jiraiya hated anyone who started wars. And right now, it looked like Sand was the one constantly provoking the Leaf. On top of that, the village came first—always. Even above Tsunade.
"Hiruzen-sensei calling me back means things are bad. Minato's gone. Sand's getting aggressive."
He tore the message to pieces and dropped it into the water.
"Time to teach Sand a lesson."
Jiraiya didn't bother picking special targets. He went straight for a Sand outpost.
"Summoning Technique!"
A massive red-and-pink toad exploded into existence, covered in warts and wearing a brown cloak.
"Gamabunta—wreck them!"
The giant toad charged the Sand camp without hesitation.
"Enemy attack!"
Gamabunta was strong, but against regular ninja he was overwhelming. In seconds the outpost was in chaos.
Then the ground shook.
A massive bull with razor-sharp horns burst out of the sand and slammed straight into the toad. Behind it came the giant chameleon, striking from the shadows.
Gamabunta roared as the chameleon's tail whipped across his back. The bull seized the opening and flipped the enormous toad like he weighed nothing.
"Boom!"
Gamabunta hit the ground hard.
Jiraiya's face twisted. He jumped into the fight himself.
The Sand forces were holding for now, but they knew they couldn't last. One of them turned and shouted.
"Send word to Lord Kazekage—now!"
Rasa received the message and acted instantly.
"Yatagarasu. We're moving."
The giant crow spread its wings and shot into the sky, carrying Rasa straight toward the battlefield.
When they arrived, the Sand ninja were already falling back. Their giant bull and chameleon were badly hurt. But so was Gamabunta.
The Sand forces cheered the second they saw Rasa.
"It's Lord Kazekage!"
"Lord Kazekage is here!"
To them, Rasa was unbeatable. Even the Yellow Flash couldn't take him down. Compared to Minato, Jiraiya was just an old legend who hadn't fought in years.
Rasa looked down at the battlefield from Yatagarasu's back. His eyes narrowed when he saw the damage to his forces.
Jiraiya stared up at him.
"Rasa! Come down and fight me!"
Rasa didn't move. Instead, he gave a cold order.
"Yatagarasu—bomb the Leaf forces. Now."
If Jiraiya wanted a fight, he could wait. Sand had already taken heavy losses. The Leaf was going to pay first.