Suigetsu wasn't wrong. After all, one of the figures responsible for this chaotic battlefield was none other than the God of Shinobi himself. And now, after so many years, someone finally emerged who could rival that legendary existence.
Concerned about the other battlefield, Deidara had no intention of wasting time. He controlled Deathwing and took the initiative to attack.
With a soul-stirring roar, the massive dragon flapped its enormous wings, its menacing jaws opening wide. This beast, surpassing all imagination, was set on slaying a god today.
"Incredible… Other than my battle with Madara back then, I never thought I'd meet another opponent who could push me to my limits." Senju Hashirama marveled.
Behind him, the thousand-armed wooden construct stretched out, its colossal wooden hands extending and elongating midair, swiping toward Deathwing.
Crack!
The same wooden hands that could withstand Tailed Beast Bombs without a scratch were easily bitten and torn apart by the monstrous dragon. Its body, composed of explosive clay, somehow wielded such overwhelming power.
This was the true power of materials science. Most C4-level art pieces couldn't even be constructed without high-grade clay. The properties of regular clay simply weren't sufficient to support such an enormous structure. It was like trying to build a skyscraper with nothing but common mud—impossible.
Back on the battlefield, although Deathwing could easily tear through the thousand-armed wooden construct, the sheer number of hands was overwhelming. Under Hashirama's chakra infusion, they rapidly regenerated, maintaining an unyielding assault.
The battle reached a deadlock.
Yet, while a grand clash between a bodhisattva and a dragon unfolded, Jiraiya was far from idle. He noticed Deidara chewing once again, clearly preparing another deadly creation.
He couldn't let that happen.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
"Sage Art: Earth Release!"
What if you can't fly?
Jiraiya demonstrated a bold solution on the spot.
He first created a shadow clone, which then performed a fairly common B-rank jutsu that summoned a massive disc-shaped rock, dropping it onto the enemy from above.
But Jiraiya didn't stop at one—he kept casting it, stacking the falling rocks into a staircase-like formation, using them as stepping stones to ascend toward Deidara in the sky.
Boom!
A barrage of C3-class projectiles rained down. The Asura Path unleashed its maximum firepower, attempting to halt Jiraiya's advance, while countless clay slugs swarmed his shadow clone, seeking to eliminate it.
"I don't have time to play with you two little critters," Jiraiya quipped, glancing back, half-joking, half-mocking.
These clay behemoths, which once would have been more than enough to crush him, were now mere "small fry" on this battlefield.
"Sage Art: Swamp of the Underworld!"
"Sage Art: Sticky Earth Drop!"
Two high-level Earth Release techniques were unleashed almost simultaneously, their sheer scale and power beyond what ordinary shinobi could fathom.
The ground beneath the Asura Path turned into a soft, engulfing swamp, rapidly swallowing its form. Desperate, it activated its exhaust ports as thrusters, trying to escape via reverse propulsion—only to be met with a massive downpour of thick, adhesive mud.
The viscous substance clung to its body, completely encasing it. The added weight left it utterly immobilized, allowing the swamp to swallow it whole.
At the same time, as missiles screamed through the air toward Jiraiya, his long white hair expanded dramatically, forming a massive protective wall.
Boom! Boom!
Explosions erupted against the wall of hair. Apart from a few singed strands, Jiraiya remained unharmed.
He had ascended to near-Six Paths level now.
As for the clay slugs, they could still engage his shadow clone, but Jiraiya's real body had already reached high altitude.
The ground battle was no longer relevant.
"Sage Art: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
Jiraiya brought his fingers to his mouth, took a deep breath, and unleashed a barrage of over a dozen fire dragons. Each one carried devastating power, intertwining as they surged toward Deathwing.
Roar!
Deidara commanded Deathwing to evade, but the dragon's sheer size made it difficult. Coupled with Hashirama's interference, dodging was nearly impossible.
Flames scorched Deathwing's tail, the intense heat causing its scales to peel away, exposing and destroying a large chunk of the clay beneath.
Deidara's expression turned serious. The damage seemed minor, but at this level of combat, even small hits mattered. Worse, Jiraiya showed no signs of stopping.
Immediately after the Fire Dragon Flame Bullet, he continued launching powerful Fire Release jutsu, each one no weaker than the last.
Deidara had no idea how Jiraiya had become so powerful, but being caught between two such formidable enemies was beyond frustrating.
"Still, don't underestimate me! Aerial combat is my specialty. You think I wouldn't prepare some masterpieces for it?"
"C3 Special Variant—Stealth Fighters!"
What… was that?
The fighter jet-like forms before them were beyond Jiraiya and Hashirama's comprehension.
As two massive clay jets materialized, Deidara nodded in satisfaction.
"Stealth Fighters! Engage Interception Mode!"
Wooom! Wooom!
The jets adjusted their shapes, flattening into an aerodynamically optimized form. Their external weapons and cannons retracted within.
With the roar of their engines, they accelerated beyond the speed of sound, charging toward Jiraiya from above.
"Sage Art: Sticky Earth Drop!"
Jiraiya reacted swiftly. He was already at a lower altitude than he wanted, so using Sticky Earth Drop not only attacked the enemy but also served as another stepping stone to ascend further.
Wooosh!
The fighter jets zipped past, dropping two missiles before Jiraiya could reach them. They disappeared from sight long before his Earth Release attack could land.
Jiraiya's white hair expanded once again, deflecting the missiles. Then, he noticed something—the fighter jets were turning back, looping around for another pass.
A perfect opportunity!
His sharp combat instincts immediately detected a pattern: these jets could fly forward at extreme speeds, but their turning ability was limited.
"Sage Art: Giant Dragon Fire Jutsu!"
This time, he infused a massive amount of Sage Chakra, unleashing an upgraded version of Fire Dragon Flame Bullet. The attack was larger, hotter, and more destructive.
Woooosh!
But instead of striking his target, Jiraiya was met with the roar of the fighter jets—and another round of missiles.
"Jiraiya, once my jets shift to Interception Mode, they have only one defining trait—speed."
"They're perfect for dealing with you. Your Earth Release techniques are too slow to hit them."
"And even if you use Fire Release, it won't matter. They pass through the flames too fast for the heat to cause any real damage."
Unlike Hashirama, Jiraiya wasn't an Edo Tensei summon, nor did he possess Hashirama's unparalleled regeneration. If he got hit, he'd suffer real damage—perhaps even death.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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