"The Child of Prophecy who can change the shinobi world has already appeared?"
Fukasaku Sage and Shima Sage looked toward the masked ANBU opposite them.
Was that the person Jiraiya called the Child of Prophecy?
Jiraiya said, "I wandered the shinobi world for years. Other than Nagato back then, I never saw anyone who could truly change the world.
The other villages have many powerful shinobi and many geniuses, but those strong people and geniuses are all confined by their villages. They have neither the intention nor the drive to change the shinobi world.
After returning to Konoha, I felt that Konoha is the place that has changed the most.
Not only its construction, but the feeling the village gives off.
The four great villages are about to join forces against Konoha. That was something that never would have happened before.
And the reason they joined forces is because Konoha's ANBU Commander, Fox, killed Kumogakure's Tailed Beast—the Two-Tails.
Kumogakure and Iwagakure hid their intentions all this time. Only after the Two-Tails revived, and only after it was sealed into a new Jinchūriki, did they begin forming the anti-Konoha alliance.
Honored Sages, I want you to help me confirm exactly what level ANBU Commander Fox's strength has reached.
Will the shinobi world change because of his will, just as it once changed because of the First Hokage?"
Shima Sage glanced at Tsunade. Tsunade's eyes were fixed on Fox, not Jiraiya.
"Are you sure you aren't just trying to show off senjutsu in front of Tsunade, so you deliberately challenged the strongest person in Konoha?"
Jiraiya's heart ached.
At this point, how was this about showing off in front of Tsunade?
Now he simply wanted to salvage the last bit of dignity he had in front of her and prove that he wasn't some useless wanderer.
Jiraiya kicked off his wooden sandals.
Webbing like a toad's appeared between his toes and fingers.
"I'm going in, Honored Sages!"
A black shadow shot forward.
Watching from the side, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Orochimaru, and the others showed surprise.
They knew Jiraiya's strength.
After several years apart, they had not expected him to improve this much.
Just the change in his taijutsu alone was enough to make them reassess him.
Hiruzen asked, "Orochimaru, have you come into contact with senjutsu?"
Orochimaru nodded. "I learned about senjutsu from Ryūchi Cave and tried to study it. Unfortunately, my talent for senjutsu is poor. Forcing it only produced some half-finished results."
Hiruzen silently thought it was a pity.
If all three of his disciples could learn the legendary senjutsu, that would have been ideal.
Hiruzen said, "Jiraiya's senjutsu also looks incomplete.
The preparation alone takes half an hour. In a real battle, the two of you would need to buy him time.
But once Jiraiya enters Sage Mode, his strength increases by somewhere between one-third and double.
And with the two great sages of Mount Myōboku added in, his strength increases by far more than double."
Orochimaru nodded repeatedly. He agreed with his teacher's judgment.
Senjutsu chakra was formed by mixing physical energy, spiritual energy, and natural energy.
With natural energy added, the improvement was extremely obvious.
Jiraiya unleashed a full-power whip kick, sweeping his leg toward Fox's head and aiming straight for his mask.
But Fox raised his hand and blocked in front of his head.
A heavy impact rang out.
Fox slid backward.
His legs dug into the ground as his whole body was forced back, leaving two deep trenches beneath his feet.
"Not bad taijutsu. So this is senjutsu?"
Seeing Fox block Jiraiya's powerful strike with his right forearm, then rub that forearm with his left hand, Shima Sage and Fukasaku Sage finally understood Jiraiya's concern.
Konoha's Fox was too strong.
The two sages became serious.
This was not a spar anymore.
This was verification.
Verification of whether Fox truly had the strength to change the shinobi world.
Jiraiya charged in again, launching a continuous barrage of taijutsu attacks at Fox.
Yet Fox blocked every strike.
From the look of it, Fox's taijutsu was actually above Jiraiya's even in Sage Mode.
After a full minute of close combat, Jiraiya said, "This isn't good. Senjutsu chakra consumption is too high. My Sage Mode won't last much longer."
Fukasaku Sage said, "Use a combined ninjutsu."
One human and two toad sages acted together.
One used oil.
One used fire.
One used wind.
They unleashed Sage Art: Goemon.
Burning toad oil surged forward like a tsunami dozens of meters high, radiating terrifying heat as the wave roared toward him.
Yako acknowledged Jiraiya's senjutsu strength.
Senjutsu was worthy of becoming part of his collection.
He withdrew his defenses and allowed Goemon to swallow him.
Thousands of degrees of boiling oil rapidly corroded his skin and flesh.
Right before death, one thought suddenly crossed Yako's mind.
Who exactly counted as the one who killed him this time?
Jiraiya?
Or the two sages?
[Host death detected. Arc of the Waning Moon system activating...]
Yako returned to more than twenty days earlier.
Inside the Wood Release: Kage-Level Suite, he was teaching Pakura the Diamond Seal while admiring her beautiful back.
After spending so many days obsessed with that back, with Pakura facing away from him so often, he had almost forgotten what her face looked like.
Once Pakura grew tired and went to rest, Yako came to the window.
[Arc of the Waning Moon activated!]
[The host has only one resurrection chance per month and revives on the previous full moon night after death.]
[Reward draw available:]
1 — Toad Oil Bullet Technique
2 — Mount Myōboku Sage Mode
3 — Sage Art: Hair Needle Senbon
Why painstakingly train when taking it from someone else was so much easier?
He chose the second option.
Mount Myōboku Sage Mode.
The system had named it Mount Myōboku senjutsu. That meant there were other types of senjutsu as well, such as Shikkotsu Forest senjutsu and Ryūchi Cave senjutsu.
Aside from the Three Great Sacred Lands, there might even be other ways to cultivate senjutsu.
In the next instant, Yako's perception changed.
He discovered that the world around him was filled with a special kind of energy.
In the air, in the hot wind, in the desert, inside every grain of sand—energy existed everywhere.
This energy made the entire world feel vibrant and alive.
It was natural energy.
Standing before the window, Yako began absorbing it.
Physical energy, spiritual energy, and natural energy.
When the three were mixed in a stable one-to-one-to-one ratio, senjutsu chakra was formed.
Senjutsu chakra could greatly increase the power of taijutsu and ninjutsu. At the same time, attacks would carry the special properties of senjutsu.
If training went wrong, chaotic senjutsu chakra could turn a ninja into stone.
But Yako had acquired Mount Myōboku's mature system, so there would be no mistake.
After more than ten minutes, red markings appeared around Yako's eyes.
He raised his hand and lightly clenched it.
His strength had increased by a great deal.
Because senjutsu chakra included natural energy, it belonged to a power system fundamentally different from the Ōtsutsuki chakra system.
Ordinary ninjutsu was useless against the powers of the Ōtsutsuki line, but natural energy could produce miraculous effects.
At the very least, the Ōtsutsuki method of absorbing chakra would not work properly against senjutsu chakra.
Yako thought to himself that he needed to master Sage Mode as soon as possible.
When Jiraiya challenged him again, he would put on a proper show.
During this period, Pakura needed training.
And so did he.
As long as his chakra reserves were large enough and his control precise enough, Sage Mode was just a matter of clapping his hands together.