Toads

A deathly silence fell over the battlefield.

The witnesses, both from Konoha and Iwagakure, were paralyzed with shock. No one had imagined that Luo Lei would dare to attack Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin, at such a critical moment and in such a brazen manner.

For an instant, time seemed to stand still.

The Konoha ninjas, with eyes bulging in disbelief, could barely process what they had just witnessed. Even among the ranks of Iwagakure, expressions of astonishment were evident.

"This... this is serious," Shikaku muttered.

"What do we do now?" Inoichi's question hung in the air, laden with desperation.

Chōza could only shake his head in helplessness.

Konoha's high-ranking leaders exchanged worried glances. Deep down, they knew something like this could happen.

Luo Lei's volatile character was well-known; any attempt to question or direct him would inevitably result in a brutal demonstration of his power.

And now, in front of friends and enemies alike, Luo Lei had slapped Jiraiya.

The Konoha ninjas, sensing the tension in the air, instinctively lowered their heads.

The choice between Luo Lei and Jiraiya was impossible, and the fact that Iwagakure's army was watching only complicated matters further.

'Why?'

The silent question echoed in their minds. 'Why did Jiraiya-sama have to provoke him at such a crucial moment?'

Amidst this emotional chaos, Obito's voice sounded from a corner:

"Hey, Kakashi, don't you want a little brother? I can take your last name," he said, his eyes fixed on Luo Lei with fear and admiration. "He's so dominant, so cruel, so ruthless... I feel like the wild is calling me."

Kakashi audibly swallowed. "Luo Lei-san wasn't like this before," he responded sadly.

"Then what changed him?" Obito's eyes sparkled with curiosity.

Kakashi shrugged, his mind wandering to the memory of his father and his tragic end.

A shadow of sadness crossed his face. "Who knows?"

Noticing the change in his companion's tone, Obito wisely decided to remain silent.

_____

On the Iwagakure side, the atmosphere suddenly changed.

"For Iwagakure! The gods smile upon us!"

Shibito's voice, though low, was charged with emotion. His eyes shone with a mixture of amazement and opportunism as he observed the chaos unfolding in Konoha's ranks.

With a quick movement, he gathered his officers. "Everyone, remain calm," he ordered in a whisper. "Our opportunity approaches. Let's not act hastily."

"Understood!"

"Yes, Shibito-sama!"

The jōnin of Iwagakure, Gari, Sumashi, and the others, nodded with barely concealed enthusiasm.

'Damn,' Shibito thought, 'Fortune suddenly smiles upon us.'

The internal conflict in Konoha, at this critical moment, was more than they could have hoped for. Now, all eyes were fixed on Jiraiya, waiting to see his reaction to the public humiliation he had just suffered.

'If he counterattacks,' Shibito reflected, 'Konoha will fall into chaos. And then...'

The possibility of taking advantage of this moment of weakness was almost intoxicating.

Meanwhile, Rōshi, still in his colossal red gorilla form, moved with solemn gravity. With his enormous hands, he collected Han's decapitated body and, in a few powerful leaps, retreated several hundred meters.

With care, he handed the body of his fallen comrade to an Iwagakure ninja. "Take Han's body back to Iwagakure," he ordered. "Let the Tsuchikage-sama give him a proper burial."

"Understood!" The chūnin, without hesitation, took the body and quickly disappeared from the battlefield.

Rōshi, his eyes burning with barely contained fury, gritted his bestial teeth: "Han, your death will not be in vain. Look, you have sown the seed of discord between Luo Lei and Jiraiya. Rest in peace, my friend."

_____

Meanwhile, in the crater created by the impact...

"Luo Lei..." The name left Jiraiya's lips like a curse.

"Pfft... pfft..." The Sannin crawled out of the hole, spitting saliva mixed with blood and teeth.

His cheek, red and swollen, throbbed with pain as he rubbed it, snorting with rage.

Humiliation burned in his chest. To be slapped like this, in front of everyone... How could he tolerate it?

"Ugh!" A collective gasp ran through the ranks of Konoha upon seeing Jiraiya's state. Some ninjas struggled to contain laughter, aware of how inappropriate the moment was.

"Jiraiya-sensei..." In a yellow flash, Minato appeared beside him. "Are you alright?"

"Do I look alright to you?" Jiraiya pointed to his swollen cheek. "How am I going to approach beautiful women after this? What am I going to do now?"

Carefully measuring his words, Minato responded: "Jiraiya-sensei, if you can't bear it, remember the plan. You're fighting for Konoha. You must contain yourself."

"It's all for the village," he continued. "The Will of Fire teaches us about sacrifice and dedication. This is just a small loss in comparison." Then, leaning in, he whispered something in Jiraiya's ear.

"What did you say?!" Jiraiya's white hair seemed to bristle. "Minato, don't get involved in this."

"Summoning Technique!" he roared with Chakra surging from his body as his palm hit the ground, forming complex seals.

POOF!

A column of white smoke erupted, revealing two small green toads on Jiraiya's shoulders.

"Little Jiraiya, it's been a while," said the toad with a white beard and eyebrows. "Are you in trouble and need our help?"

"My boy, look how they've hit you," exclaimed Shima, the toad with purple hair and lips.

"Yeah?" Fukasaku showed genuine interest.

Shima scanned the battlefield, her eyes finally resting on Luo Lei. Her brow furrowed. "It seems to be..." she muttered, sensing a dangerous aura emanating from that shinobi.

"Don't ask anything!!" Jiraiya snapped. "I need to enter Sage Mode, now!"

"Understood!" Fukasaku and Shima responded in unison. "Anyway, we were getting bored. We'll help you."

Whoosh!

In an instant, the two toads, already positioned on Jiraiya's shoulders, concentrated.

Hummm!

Suddenly, a fluctuation of natural energy, terrifying in its intensity, enveloped Jiraiya.

Waves of chakra coursed through his body, and red markings began to appear around his eyes. Crimson lines drew themselves on his swollen and reddened face.

"Could it be... the legendary Sage Mode?"

"Heavens! Is Jiraiya-sama getting serious?"

The Konoha ninjas watched in awe as Jiraiya seemed to merge with nature itself.

Shikaku and other leaders exchanged worried glances. The summoning of the toads from Mount Myōboku and the adoption of their most powerful form could only mean one thing: a real battle was coming.

If he really faced Luo Lei...

"Sage Mode has appeared!"

"Jiraiya will fight against Luo Lei! We'll be able to watch the fireworks from a distance!"

Among the ranks of Iwagakure, Shibito, Gari, Sumashi, and other jōnin could barely contain their excitement. However, they remained silent, aware that any interruption could direct the combatants' anger towards them.

Meanwhile, Luo Lei remained impassive, his expression inscrutable. Thanks to his acute hearing, he had clearly heard Minato's whisper to Jiraiya.

But that didn't matter.

As he had foreseen, Jiraiya, now in Sage Mode, clenched his fists.

But instead of confronting Luo Lei, he turned towards the Iwagakure army. "Attack the Iwagakure army!" he roared.

"Sage Art: Hair Needle Senbon!"

Fwoosh! Fwoosh!

Jiraiya's white hair bristled, hardening like needles. In an instant, a rain of capillary projectiles flew towards the ranks of Iwagakure.

"What...?"

The Iwagakure ninjas, who expected to be spectators of an internal conflict in Konoha, were stunned.

Confusion spread through their ranks.

Had Jiraiya made a mistake? Had he erred in the direction of his attack?

How could he endure such humiliation? To be slapped, lose teeth, spill blood... and still not seek revenge?

At that moment, the morale of countless Iwagakure ninjas crumbled.

________

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