Chapter 233 Toad Mouth Bind

Jiraiya instinctively took a step forward, but hesitated as a thought crossed his mind.

A look of hesitation flickered on his face as he glanced in the direction where Itachi and Kisame had retreated. Then, he turned his head toward the area where Naruto and Sasuke had chased after Logan, finding himself caught in a difficult decision.

Itachi, who had been fiercely fighting just moments before, retreated without a trace of hesitation. Clearly, once Kisame had arrived, the plan to split up and delay their pursuers had come to an end.

'Those two brats…' Jiraiya was worried in his heart. The sky-illuminating fire was unsettling, and he knew that Itachi and Kisame were retreating to regroup with Logan.

However, the two groups were moving in different directions, making it clear that they weren't foolish enough to head in a straight line, which would make them easy to track by the Konoha's pursuers.

Jiraiya couldn't predict their final rendezvous point, and if he focused on one, he'd lose track of the other.

Itachi and Kisame moved swiftly, soon disappearing into the depths of the forest. Realizing he couldn't waste any more time thinking, Jiraiya made up his mind and, with blinding speed, pursued the pair dressed in black cloaks adorned with red clouds.

Theoretically, this was the most rational choice. After all, Itachi and Kisame would eventually head to their agreed location, so there was still a chance to complete the pursuit mission.

"Think you can escape?"

Jiraiya poured chakra into his legs, unleashing the full power of one of the Legendary Sannin, and in a burst of speed, he caught up to Itachi and launched a punch.

Itachi dodged with a body flicker, and the fierce punch struck a tree trunk, causing it to shudder and rain down a shower of splintered wood and leaves.

Jiraiya moved with relentless power, his strength and speed exceeding what he had previously shown. As Itachi hastily formed hand seals, a loud slicing sound cut through the air, and a massive bandaged sword came crashing down in Jiraiya's path with equal force.

In the ensuing clash, Jiraiya stepped back slightly, his rhythm interrupted, while Kisame was pushed back several meters, surprise etched on his shark-like face.

With a cold snort, Jiraiya's entire presence became imposing. His Chakra surged, making his form appear even larger. The playful demeanor he had shown earlier was gone, and now one of the Legendary Sannin was getting truly serious.

Kisame's heart tightened at the sight. He gripped his Samehada tightly, thinking that this was going to be a tough opponent to deal with. He turned to gauge Itachi's intentions, and Itachi gave him a calm look.

'Split up.'

The two had worked together for years, and this level of understanding was second nature. Kisame didn't hesitate and, without engaging further, both separated, becoming black blurs darting in opposite directions before Jiraiya's next attack could land.

Jiraiya struck empty air. Seeing that Itachi and Kisame had no intention of teaming up for a two-on-one fight and instead opted for a swift retreat, he couldn't help but frown at the troublesome turn of events.

"I told you, you're not getting away."

Their cunning, evasive tactics were indeed troublesome, but Jiraiya had ways to handle them.

The opportunity presented itself as they hadn't yet separated too far... Jiraiya's hands formed hand seals so fast his hands turning into afterimages, and he slapped his palm onto the tree trunk beneath him, "Summoning: Toad Mouth Bind!"

A strange, sticky noise filled the air, and the surroundings subtly quivered. Suddenly, orange-red fleshy walls erupted rapidly, forcing Itachi and Kisame to halt, their expressions filled with surprise and uncertainty as the fleshy walls surrounded them from all directions.

"This is..." Kisame muttered.

A curved, orange-red fleshy wall materialized in mid-air between the two points where Itachi and Kisame stood. Enclosed within, they couldn't see the outside world, as if they were trapped in an entirely different space.

"A Summoning Technique?" Itachi eyed the nearby fleshy wall, its muscular fibers pulsing as if alive. He cautiously stepped back, turning to face Jiraiya, who also seemed confined within the narrow, fleshy walls.

"That's right. This is the oesophagus of a giant toad of Mount Myoboku. No one has ever managed to escape from it." Jiraiya chuckled, satisfied with the sight of Itachi and Kisame trapped within the technique. Although fully forming this oesophagus would take more time, simply restricting their movement was enough for now.

Kisame wasn't about to believe Jiraiya's words. He swung his massive Samehada, slamming it against the thick wall with a resounding thud. A force capable of easily slicing a tree in half barely left a mark on the muscular wall, which absorbed the impact as its fibers pulsed grotesquely.

The intestinal wall, sprawling and twisted between several trees, proved unexpectedly resilient on both its inner and outer surfaces. Kisame steadied his breathing and raised Samehada high, "Being inside a toad's stomach isn't exactly pleasant..."

His expression turned fierce as he mustered his strength, slashing down with all his might, "Just break!"

Whoosh!

Suddenly, several orange-red tendrils sprang from the wall. Before Kisame could channel his anger and strength into his strike, they coiled tightly around his arm.

"Be careful." Itachi warned, having observed the unfolding situation.

More fleshy tendrils shot out from either side, moving as swiftly as striking snakes. With their tough exterior, being hit by one would certainly not be pleasant.

Having anticipated the attack, Kisame flipped, landing atop the tendrils coiled around his arm. He yanked Samehada free, and together, he and Itachi dashed along the upper part of the intestinal wall, dodging the incoming tendrils as they ran.

"The space is shrinking." Itachi noted, dodging the tendrils that repeatedly whipped back toward them after missing their target.

"What should we do?" Kisame asked, hefting his sword horizontally, his voice solemn.

Itachi didn't answer and glanced silently at Jiraiya, who was calmly observing the battle from the sidelines, 'Was he waiting for the right moment to strike?'

'This summoned place was clearly alive, capable of contracting and expanding at will. If we allowed the tendrils to multiply unchecked, it would soon leave us with no room to maneuver.' Thinking of this, Itachi knew what had to be done. Battle instincts took precedence over hesitation, and he began channeling Chakra into his eyes.

"Kisame, head right."

After Itachi said this, he closed his eyes. When he reopened them, his Sharingan had transformed. The three tomoe in his eyes spun rapidly and connected to form a black, pinwheel-like pattern. A streak of blood trickled eerily from the corner of his right eye.

Jiraiya's expression shifted dramatically as he observed Itachi, "Is that the Mangekyo Sharingan?"

"Amaterasu!"

Itachi's voice was hoarse as black flames, consuming all light around them, erupted on the right side of the intestinal wall.

Silent and unyielding, the ominous black fire blazed with an overwhelming, otherworldly power. What Samehada had failed to damage was now effortlessly devoured by the dark flames.

The wall rapidly disintegrated under the assault. Jiraiya, captivated by the black flames, recognized their legendary origin from myth, 'Amaterasu's fire… It won't extinguish until it consumes everything it touches.'

The orange-red surroundings were pierced by the colors of the forest as the black fire burned a massive hole through the intestinal wall. A cool breeze brushed against Jiraiya's face as he watched the two adversaries escape through the opening.

Jiraiya's most secure barrier technique had been broken. Pursing his lips, Jiraiya watched the still-spreading black flames, a sigh weighing on his heart.

'This Amaterasu fire must be dealt with first. If it is allowed to burn, the entire stomach of the Mount Myoboku's giant toad would be reduced to ashes...'