Chapter 11

~Land of Earth~

The rocky terrain of the Earth Country's border was silent, save for the whisper of wind over stone. This tranquility was shattered as two figures burst into view, their movements blurs to the untrained eye.

Jiraiya, the Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku, skidded to a halt atop a jagged outcropping. His wild white mane whipped in the wind, his face set in grim determination. Across from him, standing on a pillar of hardened lava, was Roshi, the Four-Tails Jinchuriki of Iwagakure.

"Well, well." Jiraiya called out, a cocky grin belying the tension in his stance. "If it isn't Iwa's infamous lava-spewer. Fancy meeting you here, Roshi!"

Roshi's eyes narrowed, the corners of his mouth twitching in suppressed annoyance. "Jiraiya of the Sannin. Your reputation precedes you. Though I wonder if it's more hot air than substance."

Jiraiya clutched his chest in mock offense. "You wound me! I'll have you know every word of my greatness is absolute truth. Perhaps a demonstration is in order?"

Without waiting for a response, Jiraiya's hands blurred through a series of seals. "Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!"

The ground beneath Roshi's feet suddenly transformed into a bubbling quagmire, threatening to swallow him whole. But the Iwa nin was ready. With a burst of chakra, he leaped high into the air, his hands already forming seals of his own.

"Lava Style: Scorching Rock Stream!"

A torrent of molten rock spewed from Roshi's mouth, hurtling towards Jiraiya with terrifying speed. The Toad Sage's eyes widened for a split second before he vanished in a burst of speed, the lava obliterating the spot where he had stood.

Jiraiya reappeared on a nearby boulder, his hair slightly singed. "Phew! That was a close one. You don't mess around, do you?"

Roshi landed gracefully on a patch of unaffected ground, his eyes never leaving Jiraiya. "This is war, Sannin. There's no room for half-measures."

With that, Roshi charged forward, his body suddenly wreathed in a cloak of red chakra. The Four-Tails' power surged through him, enhancing his speed and strength to superhuman levels.

Jiraiya's playful demeanor vanished, replaced by the focus of a seasoned warrior. He met Roshi's charge head-on, their fists colliding with earth-shattering force. The shockwave cracked the very ground beneath their feet as they exchanged a flurry of blows, each impact resonating like thunder across the battlefield.

Jiraiya ducked under a lava-enhanced punch, retaliating with a sweeping kick that Roshi barely avoided. The Iwa nin countered with a point-blank Lava Release jutsu, forcing Jiraiya to substitute himself with a nearby rock to avoid being melted.

"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bomb!" Jiraiya's voice rang out as he reappeared, a massive fireball in the shape of a dragon's head roaring towards Roshi.

The Jinchuriki responded in kind. "Lava Style: Lava Globe!"

The two Jutsu collided in mid-air, resulting in a spectacular explosion that lit up the sky like a second sun. Through the smoke and debris, both shinobi charged at each other once more, engaging in a high-speed taijutsu exchange.

Breaking apart, both shinobi paused to reassess their opponent. Jiraiya's expression was serious, recognizing the need to step up his game. Roshi's chakra cloak bubbled and swirled around him, two tails now visible behind him.

"I must admit." Roshi said, a note of respect in his voice, "You live up to your reputation, Jiraiya."

Jiraiya grinned, though his eyes remained sharp and focused. "Right back at you, lava-boy. But I'm just getting warmed up!"

Realizing the true threat Roshi posed, Jiraiya bit his thumb, his hands flashing through seals. "Summoning Jutsu!"

In a massive puff of smoke, two elderly toads appeared - Fukasaku and Shima.

"Jiraiya-boy!" Fukasaku exclaimed. "What the hell possessed you to find an opponent like this!!"

Shima nodded, her eyes narrowing at Roshi. "A Jinchuriki, no less. We need to be careful!"

Roshi's eyes widened slightly at the new development. He had heard of the Toad Sage's ability to summon Toads, but he had never heard of the two smaller toads being summoned.

Not to be outdone, he allowed more of the Four-Tails' chakra to flow through him. A third tail materialized behind him, the ground beneath his feet beginning to melt from the intense heat of his chakra.

"Shall we take this up a notch?" Roshi growled, his voice deepening as the Tailed Beast's influence grew stronger.

Jiraiya nodded, his expression serious. "Ma, Pa, I need your help. It's time for Sage Mode."

Fukasaku and Shima began to gather natural energy, channeling it into Jiraiya. The Sannin's appearance changed, his face taking on toad-like features as he entered Sage Mode. The natural energy surged through him, heightening his senses and amplifying his jutsu.

The two powerhouses faced each other, the very air seeming to crackle with the energy they were emitting, as malevolent Chakra met Senjutsu Chakra. Then, as if responding to an unheard signal, they both moved.

"Sage Art: Goemon!" Jiraiya shouted, as Fukasaku spat out a stream of oil, Shima released a gust of wind, and Jiraiya himself exhaled a massive fireball. The three elements combined into a devastating tsunami of burning oil.

Roshi, however, was ready. "Lava Style: Molten Armor!"

His body was suddenly encased in a layer of cooling lava, protecting him from the worst of Jiraiya's attack. As the burning oil washed over him, Roshi burst through, his molten armor cracking and reforming continuously.

"Lava Style: Planet Splitting Eruption!"

The ground rumbled ominously before exploding in a cataclysmic eruption of lava. Massive pillars of molten rock shot into the sky, raining down destruction across the battlefield.

Jiraiya's eyes widened at the sheer scale of the attack. "Ma! Pa! We need a barrier!"

The two elder toads nodded, quickly weaving signs. "Sage Art: Amphibian Technique!"

A translucent, dome-like barrier formed around them just as the lava rained down. The barrier held, but the strain was visible on the toads' faces.

As the lava cooled and the dust settled, the landscape had been transformed into a hellish, obsidian wasteland. Roshi stood at the center, four tails now swishing behind him, his body barely visible beneath the dense chakra cloak.

Jiraiya emerged from the barrier, his clothes singed and his breath coming in heavy pants. "Well, that was certainly impressive. But let's see how you handle this! Sage Art: Hair Needle Senbon!"

His wild mane suddenly stiffened and shot forth a barrage of chakra-enhanced hair needles, each as hard and sharp as steel.

Roshi's chakra cloak bubbled and shifted, forming a shield against the onslaught. But Jiraiya wasn't done. Using the needles as a distraction, he had maneuvered closer.

"Sage Art: Frog Strike!" Jiraiya's palm, charged with natural energy, slammed into Roshi's chest. The impact sent the Jinchuriki flying, crashing through several newly formed obsidian pillars.

But Roshi was far from defeated. He emerged from the rubble, his chakra cloak now taking on a more defined shape, resembling a miniature version of the Four-Tails itself.

"You've pushed me this far, Jiraiya," Roshi's voice echoed with the power of the Tailed Beast. "Now face the full might of Son Goku!"

The chakra construct around Roshi grew, expanding rapidly until a fully formed Four-Tails towered over the battlefield. Its roar shook the very foundations of the earth, causing fissures to open up across the ground.

Jiraiya stared up at the monstrous form, a bead of sweat rolling down his face. "Well, this complicates things. Ma, Pa, I think it's time for that technique."

The two toads nodded grimly. "Be careful, Jiraiya-boy. This will put a massive strain on your body."

Jiraiya grinned, though his eyes never left the looming form of the Four-Tails. "No pain, no gain, right? Let's do this!"

Fukasaku and Shima began an intricate series of hand seals, their chakra merging with Jiraiya's. The Sannin's body began to change, growing larger, his skin taking on a more toad-like texture. In moments, where Jiraiya had stood was now a massive toad-human hybrid, nearly matching the Four-Tails in size.

"Sage Art: Amphibian Technique - Toad Transformation!"

The two titans faced each other, the very air trembling with the power they exuded. Then, with earth-shattering force, they clashed.

Jiraiya's toad form met the Four-Tails' charge head-on, their massive hands interlocking in a test of strength. The ground beneath them cracked and splintered, unable to withstand the tremendous forces at play.

The Four-Tails opened its mouth, a massive ball of chakra forming. Recognizing the danger, Jiraiya quickly disengaged, leaping back with surprising agility for his size.

"Tailed Beast Bomb!" Roshi's voice echoed from within the beast as it fired the condensed chakra sphere.

"Sage Art: Frog Call!" Jiraiya countered, emitting a powerful sound wave that disrupted the Chakra frequency of the Tailed Beast Bomb, causing it to detonate prematurely.

The resulting explosion was catastrophic, obliterating what remained of the battlefield. Both combatants were thrown back by the shockwave, crashing into the distant mountains.

As the dust settled, both Jiraiya and Roshi had reverted to their normal forms, their chakra reserves nearly depleted. They stood across from each other, battered and exhausted, but neither willing to back down.

"You're... as tough... as they say." Roshi panted, a grudging respect in his voice.

Jiraiya grinned, despite the numerous cuts and bruises covering his body. "Right back at you, lava-boy. Shall we call it a draw?"

Roshi shook his head, dropping into a fighting stance. "This is war, Sannin. There are no draws."

Jiraiya's grin faded, replaced by a look of grim determination. "Have it your way then."

With their chakra reserves low, they resorted to taijutsu, their movements slower now but no less deadly. They exchanged blows, each impact a testament to their indomitable wills.

Jiraiya caught Roshi with a powerful uppercut, sending the Iwa nin stumbling back. But Roshi recovered quickly, retaliating with a sweeping kick that caught Jiraiya off balance.

As they continued to trade blows, the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the devastated landscape. Neither warrior was willing to give an inch, their battle a microcosm of the larger war raging across the nations.

Finally, as the last rays of sunlight disappeared behind the horizon, both Jiraiya and Roshi collapsed, their bodies finally giving out after hours of intense combat.

They lay there, mere feet apart, too exhausted to even move. The silence of the battlefield was broken only by their labored breathing.

"You know." Jiraiya said after a long moment, his voice hoarse, "Under different circumstances, we might have been friends."

Roshi chuckled weakly. "Perhaps. In another life, maybe."

With those words, the Jinchuriki of the Four-Tails fell unconscious. Jiraiya, summoning the last vestiges of his strength, managed to stand up. He approached Roshi's prone form and applied a sealing jutsu to the man's chest, ensuring the Four-Tails' power remained contained.

At that moment, rain began to pour from the sky. Jiraiya stood there, face turned upwards, letting the cool droplets wash over him.

'When will it end?' Jiraiya thought to himself, his mind drifting to his true mission, though doubts were creeping into his mind. 'Will I really find them?'

With a heavy sigh, Jiraiya hoisted Roshi's unconscious form over his shoulder and began the long journey to the base in the Land of Grass. The war might rage on, but for now, this battle was over.

~

Meanwhile, back in Konoha, unaware of the epic battle that had just taken place at the same time, Garp was overseeing the training of his grandchildren in a secluded training ground.

"Alright, you little rascals!" Garp boomed, his voice carrying across the field. "Let's see how much you've improved!"

Yahiko stepped forward first, electricity crackling around his body. With a shout of effort, he released a bolt of lightning that shattered a nearby boulder.

"Not bad, brat!" Garp praised. "But remember, control is just as important as power. Try to focus it into a more concentrated beam next time."

Konan was next. She raised her hands, and the ground before her erupted with wooden tendrils. The tendrils weaved together, forming intricate patterns before transforming into a flurry of paper butterflies.

"Beautiful and deadly." Garp nodded approvingly. "You're getting better at combining your natural origami skills with the Wood Release. Keep it up!"

Nagato observed quietly, his Rinnegan eyes taking in every detail of his siblings' training.

Unbeknownst to them (or so they thought), a ROOT ANBU was hidden in the trees nearby, carefully observing and taking mental notes of the children's abilities.

'Impossible' the ANBU thought. 'That girl possess Wood Release!! And the other two do not have weak abilities either. Danzo-sama will want to know about this immediately.'

As the ROOT agent prepared to leave, they failed to notice the slight smirk that appeared on Garp's face. The old warrior's Observation Haki had detected the spy long ago, but he had chosen to let the show continue.

'Let them watch.' Garp thought to himself. 'I've been looking for a reason to take that bastard out, and this might be what I'm waiting for.'

Turning back to his grandchildren, Garp clapped his hands together. "Alright, that's enough showing off for now. Time for some good old-fashioned physical training!"

The children groaned good-naturedly, but their eyes shone with determination and admiration for their grandfather.

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