Artisan Country.
In a forest on the outskirts.
Rōshi caught a fish from the river, started a fire on the spot, and began roasting it.
He didn't have any seasoning on hand, so he simply sprinkled a little salt over it before digging in.
As he ate, he grumbled, "That bastard Ōnoki really has no spine. As Tsuchikage, he actually handed over the Land of Earth to the enemy."
"If you ask me, even if it came down to the very last person, surrendering to the enemy should never have been an option."
"And he keeps babbling on about some 'will as solid as rock.' Tch!"
After saying that, Rōshi bit down hard into the fish.
He didn't even bother picking out the bones, just devouring it in huge mouthfuls.
Inside his mental world, the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, spoke up. "Rōshi, whatever you do, don't act recklessly. There's no going back to Iwagakure now. If you return, it'll be a dead end."
They had only just managed to escape, and it had no intention of letting Rōshi lose his mind and head back there.
Otherwise...
There was a good chance they'd both end up locked inside some sunless prison again.
Hearing that, Rōshi gave a light snort. "Son Gokū, my wish has always been to live as an ascetic monk. Of course I won't go back. So relax."
"Once a little more time passes, we'll head south."
"As long as you don't try to take control of my body, it'll be hard for anyone to track us down."
Son Gokū retorted, "You promised before we left that you'd let me out once in a while to get some air."
Rōshi replied impatiently, brushing it off, "Yeah, yeah, I know. But you're too damn big. I'll let you out once we find a suitable place."
Son Gokū was unhappy, but Rōshi did have a point, so it didn't argue any further.
But then, Son Gokū suddenly frowned.
"Rōshi, someone's coming."
"Hm?"
Rōshi immediately stuffed the rest of the fish into his mouth and silently raised his guard.
Not long after, the sound of footsteps reached him.
Rōshi turned his head and saw a white-haired man sneaking his way over.
The moment he saw the man's face, his eyes narrowed.
Jiraiya?
"Wahahahaha..."
"Talk about lucky. I actually found such a clear little stream. Perfect for a nice bath."
After saying that, Jiraiya casually set the woman he had been carrying down on the ground.
As if he had only just noticed Rōshi, he blinked in surprise and said, "What are you doing here?"
Rōshi replied coldly, "Jiraiya, I don't want any trouble with you. You'd better stay away from me."
Jiraiya gave a dry laugh, sounding mildly annoyed. "Does this stream belong to you or something? I just came here to wash up."
Rōshi didn't bother replying any further. He immediately formed hand seals with both hands.
"Lava Bullet!"
"Rasengan!"
Jiraiya blocked the attack and snapped angrily, "What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you attacking the moment we meet?"
Rōshi let out a cold laugh and said, "I like preparing for the worst possible outcome. Since you won't leave, then stay here for good."
When traveling the shinobi world, caution came first.
Rōshi absolutely did not believe that someone as strong as Jiraiya would just happen to appear near him for no reason.
There was no such thing as that kind of coincidence in this world.
"Lava Release Chakra Mode!"
With a thought, a layer of scorching magma instantly coated Rōshi's body.
Like a man made of fire, he charged straight at Jiraiya.
Jiraiya immediately leapt backward, his long white hair rising like the quills of a hedgehog.
"Ninja Art: Needle Jizo!"
His sharp hair shot forward like countless steel senbon, surging toward Rōshi in a dense storm.
But Rōshi didn't dodge at all. He simply charged through Jiraiya's attack and closed the distance.
With his lava armor, ordinary attacks couldn't even break through his defense.
"What a pain..."
Jiraiya muttered under his breath, forced to retreat again as his hands rapidly formed seals.
"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!"
The solid ground around them instantly turned into a muddy swamp, and before Rōshi could react, his body began sinking into it.
"Big Ball Rasengan!"
Jiraiya leapt high into the air, a massive Rasengan forming in his hand as he slammed down toward Rōshi's head from above.
Rōshi snorted coldly as chakra surged endlessly from his body.
"Lava Release: Granite!"
A thick slab of molten granite formed above his head, blocking Jiraiya's Big Ball Rasengan.
At the same time, waves of flame swept toward Jiraiya.
After forcing Jiraiya back, Rōshi let out another low shout.
"Lava Release: Scorching Stream Rock Technique!"
Massive amounts of lava erupted outward, and in an instant, the Swamp of the Underworld was baked dry and cracked apart.
With a slight exertion of force, Rōshi broke free from it.
"Rōshi, don't get dragged into a prolonged fight with him. End this quickly!"
Hearing Son Gokū's urging from within, Rōshi barked, "I know that already. I'm giving you control now."
As soon as the words left his mouth, his body began swelling once more.
In only a few short seconds, the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, appeared on the battlefield.
"ROAR!"
Son Gokū threw back its head and let out a deafening howl, pounding both fists against its chest with booming thuds.
Jiraiya let out a helpless sigh and bit his thumb.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Bang!
A cloud of smoke billowed upward, and Gamabunta appeared beneath Jiraiya's feet, a giant cigarette clenched in his mouth.
When he saw Son Gokū standing opposite them, Bunta exhaled a stream of smoke and said flatly, "Jiraiya, I knew you wouldn't summon me for anything good."
Jiraiya scratched the back of his head awkwardly and said quietly, "You just need to hold it off as much as possible."
"Got it."
Bunta didn't say anything else. Drawing the long blade from his waist, he charged straight at Son Gokū.
The two giant beasts quickly clashed in chaotic combat.
But after only a few dozen exchanges, Bunta was already struggling.
"Jiraiya, this isn't working! This bastard's entire body is on fire..."
"I'm about to get roasted alive here!"
Jiraiya said in a low voice, "Let's use that move!"
"Ninja Art: Toad Oil Flame Bullet!"
Bunta spat oil, Jiraiya spat fire, and a terrifying sea of flames instantly surged toward Son Gokū.
Seeing that, Son Gokū slammed both fists into the ground.
"Lava Release: Flower-Fruit Mountain!"
The earth erupted like a volcano, and endless lava burst upward, suppressing the combined attack of Jiraiya and Bunta.
Immediately after, a Tailed Beast Bomb began forming at Son Gokū's mouth.
"Die!"
Carrying overwhelming destructive force, the Tailed Beast Bomb shot toward Bunta and Jiraiya.
Jiraiya hurriedly released the summoning, narrowly escaping the attack.
The Tailed Beast Bomb exploded in the distance with a thunderous blast, making the entire ground shake violently.
"Gulp..."
Seeing the power of that explosion, even Jiraiya couldn't help but feel a lingering chill.
If he had reacted even a moment slower just now, Bunta might have lost his life...
Seeing that Son Gokū was preparing to attack again, Jiraiya clenched his teeth.
At this point, there was only one thing left to do.
He would have to summon Fukasaku and Shima.