Hiruzen The Professor!

In Sage Mode, I can't lose.

When A and I join forces, we're unbeatable!

At this moment, both sides were thinking the exact same thing.

After the Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan clashed with the mini Tailed Beast Ball, both retreated back to their teammates. With strength evenly matched, the two sides entered a standoff.

"So you really mastered this mode." Tsunade looked at the toad-like form of Jiraiya with some emotion.

As fellow contract holders with one of the three sage regions, she clearly knew about Sage Mode. She never expected that in the end, it would be the one once considered the weakest of the Sannin who achieved it, something she, a descendant of the Senju clan, and the genius Orochimaru never managed.

"Yeah, though my mastery isn't perfect." Jiraiya remained focused on A and Killer B, his frog-like eyes narrowing slightly as he spoke in a deep voice. "Are you trying to start a war?"

A shook his slightly numb right hand, adjusted his lightning armor, and shouted, "We're past words now! Let's go!"

He charged in like a bolt of lightning.

"Yo yo, bro's impulsive~ After a fierce battle, the brothers unite~ Fight the Sannin, and win tonight!" The half-beast Killer B rapped as he charged from another angle, coordinating with A.

The two became streaks of lightning intertwining as they attacked, their blinding speed leaving afterimages in the air.

It was the ultimate hot-blooded Kumo combo attack, aimed at Jiraiya, who leapt high into the air, his reactions in Sage Mode incredibly sharp. While jumping, he shouted, "Leave this side to me, go deal with the Kumo ninjas over there!"

On his shoulders, Fukasaku and Shima began forming seals in coordination.

One man and two toads joined forces for a battlefield-controlling move, Sage Art: Goemon!

Wind, fire, and oil fused with senjutsu chakra, producing a heat far surpassing any ordinary Fire Release technique, an inferno of over 3000°C that engulfed the battlefield.

The forest instantly burst into flames.

The blazing A-B combo was interrupted.

Even in Lightning Release Chakra Mode and semi-tailed beast state, they had no choice but to retreat to avoid the flames.

"…" Tsunade's face darkened as she suddenly appeared beside A and Killer B, who were avoiding the flames. She shouted, "Let's take these two out first!"

Compared to the duel-like atmosphere on this side, the battlefield on the other was filled with standard Kumo ninjas and summoned beasts, deaths had already begun. If not for Darui frequently helping his teammates, the Kumo forces might have already suffered devastating losses.

Much of the Sannin's fearsome power came from their summoned beasts. And with casualties occurring, Tsunade's psychological trauma might inevitably be triggered.

Jiraiya, whose tactical suggestion had been rejected by her, didn't seem to mind. He laughed heartily and said, "Alright then, let's have a long-awaited joint battle!"

But inwardly, once his suspicions were confirmed, he was filled with concern. Her condition... so it's true, huh.

Tsunade smashed the ground with a powerful punch, instantly creating a crater several meters wide. At the same time, Jiraiya's flames blocked off A's escape path.

A and Killer B had to split up and dodge rapidly in opposite directions. On the battlefield, with Jiraiya acting as heavy artillery and Tsunade playing both tank and healer, the Sannin clearly held the upper hand. If the fight continued like this, it was only a matter of time before the Sannin won.

But just then, A shouted: "B!"

Killer B responded, "Got it!"

In a flash of lightning, A abandoned the battlefield, rushing straight toward Naruto in the distance.

How could A not know that defeating seasoned powerhouses like Jiraiya and Tsunade in a short time was unlikely? From the very beginning, his true target was Naruto.

With his speed, as long as Killer B could hold the Sannin off for a short time, he was confident he could either capture the Nine-Tails or, at the very least, kill its jinchūriki! After all, that jinchūriki was the son of Minato. If the strongest tailed beast's host one day learned the Flying Thunder God Technique… Kumo couldn't afford that risk.

Just imagining Killer B mastering the Flying Thunder God made A shudder, it would make the Kumo ninjas practically unstoppable. Applying the same logic to Konoha's jinchūriki mastering it? That was simply terrifying.

"Damn it!" Jiraiya and Tsunade's faces changed at the same time, but, Killer B had already completed his full tailed beast transformation, becoming a giant ox-headed octopus monster that summoned a violent storm.

The burning forest, fanned by the storm winds, erupted into even more intense flames. Standing before the sea of fire, the massive form of the Eight-Tails completely sealed off any pursuit route.

In the monster's mouth, ultra-condensed chakra was gathering.

---

Meanwhile, on another battlefield, dozens of Kumo ninjas were being suppressed by Gamabunta and Katsuyu, even suffering significant casualties.

Darui was growing anxious. He'd tried several times to climb the toad and strike at the mission target atop its head. But—this giant toad was surprisingly good at taijutsu. Every time Darui made a move, it would leap out of reach.

The toad even had an attitude, trash-talking as it fought:

"Hahaha! Little Naruto, watch me dominate the battlefield! You're still far from earning my approval!"

"These new Kumo ninjas? Way weaker than the ones me and Minato fought back in the day!"

"Hahaha! Watch closely, kid!" Gamabunta shouted, swinging his massive short blade and stirring up a raging wind. "These guys aren't even good enough to be my warm-up!"

With a flash of his blade, another Kumo ninja who couldn't dodge was taken down. Darui's pupils shrank, he had to stop this toad.

"At the very least, you'd need to be at Jiraiya's level before I'd take you seriously!" Gamabunta leapt to evade a lightning attack, then slashed down in return.

A blast of water disrupted several coordinated jutsu attacks from the Kumo ninjas. Then another slash tore through Darui's Lightning Release technique. The combination of the toad's weapon and ninjutsu completely overwhelmed him.

Though he would become the future Fifth Raikage, right now he was basically a second-tier version of Kakashi, well, a standard one. He struggled in unconventional battles like this.

He could defend himself, sure, but breaking through and defeating a top-tier summoning beast capable of clashing with tailed beasts? That was another story entirely.

A-sama… you need to hurry.

Thinking this, he rapidly formed hand seals.

Countless beams of lightning-infused water twisted toward Gamabunta, forcing the toad to leap back, incidentally saving a Kumo ninja who was about to die.

"You're the most annoying one," Gamabunta muttered midair, then slashed down at Darui as he descended.

It seemed Darui had no time to dodge, he had to block with his blade. But the size difference was absurd, like trying to stop a broadsword with a toothpick.

The blade cleaved through like a hot knife through butter, Darui and his sword were split in two.

"I got even stronger? I beat them before Jiraiya came back!" Gamabunta was feeling quite proud.

"That's a clone!" shouted Shizune from atop Katsuyu. Naruto's staff opened to reveal an eye as he yelled, "Naruto, defend yourself!"

The Darui on the ground vanished in a flash of lightning.

His real body had taken advantage of Gamabunta's landing moment to climb the toad's body and reach its head, slashing down at Naruto.

Sorry, kid. Though not a bloodthirsty killer, Darui still apologized in his heart to the boy who still looked like a child, then struck with deadly intent.

"Naruto!" Shizune cried out in alarm.