Chapter 414: Jiraiya Offline

Jiraiya was stunned for a long time before he could fully digest the shocking news.

Jiraiya never doubted that Mount Myōboku would support Konoha against Madara Uchiha, but Mount Myōboku joining the Shinobi Allied Forces, or even the Akatsuki, was something he found almost inconceivable.

Mount Myōboku is one of the three great sacred lands, an independent power separate from the major shinobi villages. Even during the era of the First Hokage, they could only maintain friendly relations with Mount Myōboku but never managed to bring it into their own camp. And what the First Hokage couldn't do, Byakuya had actually accomplished.

With this realization, Jiraiya's view of Byakuya changed completely. He had a faint premonition that Byakuya's future achievements would far surpass those of the First Hokage, and he was witnessing the rise of a legend.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Byakuya and Jiraiya left Mount Myōboku together. What even Jiraiya didn't notice was that after he left, Sage Fukasaku and Sage Shima sighed softly.

A few seconds later.

With a spatial shift, the scene before Byakuya's eyes changed to Turtle Island. The salty sea breeze blowing over the water instantly sharpened his senses.

Jiraiya glanced at Byakuya and slowly said, "Byakuya, did the Great Toad Sage really join Akatsuki?"

Byakuya nodded and said, "Would I lie to you? Mount Myōboku really has joined Akatsuki. Not only that, but your Konoha is also effectively a member of Akatsuki."

Jiraiya frowned, thinking silently: since when did Konoha belong to Akatsuki?

Byakuya seemed to guess Jiraiya's thoughts and slowly said, "Jiraiya Nii-san, do you know why the Great Toad Sage came to see me just now?"

"Why?" Jiraiya asked curiously.

"He asked me what the new order of the shinobi world will be after this ninja war ends."

Pausing briefly, Byakuya said with a faint smile, "I told him that after this war, there will only be one organization left in the shinobi world."

"One organization?"

Jiraiya's expression changed; he became even more confused, then as if recalling something, said, "Byakuya, are you planning to maintain the Shinobi Allied Forces and replace the Five Great Shinobi Villages?"

Byakuya nodded, then said, "Jiraiya Nii-san, do you remember the dream you, Yahiko, and Nagato talked about, to create a world where everyone understands each other?"

"Such a world may never truly exist, but we can strive for it. However, in the process of unifying the shinobi world, war will inevitably break out. I originally intended to lead Akatsuki to build a new alliance through peaceful negotiation, or if necessary, by force."

"You want to unify the shinobi world by force?" Jiraiya widened his eyes; he seemed to sense something.

Byakuya was noncommittal, "That was my previous plan. Akatsuki's rapid expansion over the years has all been preparation to unify the shinobi world. I'm ready to pay the price of millions of lives."

"Just for that, you're willing to sacrifice millions of lives?"

Jiraiya was deeply puzzled. He couldn't understand Byakuya's intentions, and even though he thought Byakuya might be crazy, such a crazy idea flashed through his mind.

After a pause, Jiraiya said, "Byakuya, do you realize what you're saying? Your idea will plunge the shinobi world into endless disaster. If you fail, even your Akatsuki will be uprooted."

"Then I will give up on launching an offensive against the shinobi world and instead cooperate with Madara Uchiha."

Byakuya's tone was casual, as if mentioning something insignificant, but to Jiraiya's ears, it was like a bombshell.

What was Byakuya saying, cooperating with Madara Uchiha?

Jiraiya's body trembled slightly as he said, "Byakuya, you must be joking. How could you cooperate with Madara? His goal is to realize the Infinite Tsukuyomi, and you want to unify the shinobi world."

"I know."

Byakuya continued, "But before the Ten-Tails fully resurrects, Madara and I share the same interests. He needs to fight the Five Great Shinobi Villages to collect the tailed beasts, and I need to use his presence to unify the Five Great Villages and rally them under Akatsuki's banner."

Jiraiya's expression fluctuated.

After Byakuya revealed his cooperation with Madara, many things suddenly became clear. He finally understood why Byakuya was always opposing Madara, why the Five Great Villages were constantly troubled, but also saved by Byakuya.

It was all a drama orchestrated by Byakuya and Madara to weaken the influence of the Five Great Villages and elevate Byakuya's prestige to rival the Five Kage, securing his position as Allied Forces leader.

Taking a deep breath, Jiraiya said, "Your plan is far too risky. If it fails, the entire shinobi world will be dragged down by it. No matter what, I won't let you do this."

Byakuya looked at Jiraiya calmly and said, "Then, Lord Jiraiya, what do you plan to do?"

Jiraiya was momentarily speechless before saying, "I'll tell Tsunade everything you said and expose your plan to the leaders of the other shinobi villages to stop you."

"Do you think they'll believe you? Believe you or believe me, the Allied Forces leader?"

Byakuya's tone was playful: "Let me tell you something else, Yahiko and Konan know everything I've done. As for Nagato, he can no longer speak."

Hearing this, Jiraiya clenched his fist and his mind raced, trying to find a way to break the deadlock but to no avail.

Byakuya's heavy blows continued, "Not only Nagato, but even the Great Toad Sage agreed with my plan. He doesn't want to put Mount Myōboku in danger and chooses to trust me. And besides me, who else is Madara's match?"

Byakuya's words stabbed directly into Jiraiya's heart like sharp blades, leaving him in prolonged silence.

After a moment, Jiraiya lifted his head and said to Byakuya, "They don't want to stop you, but I can stop you. I won't allow you to continue down this wrong path."

Before he finished speaking, Jiraiya's body vanished and lunged toward Byakuya.

Before he could reach Byakuya, the surrounding trees transformed into vines attacking him. The vines looked soft but were incredibly tough.

Using his years of agility, Jiraiya barely dodged the vine attacks.

Watching Jiraiya evade the wood-style attacks, Byakuya slowly said, "Jiraiya Nii-san, I only told you some truths. Why are you attacking me?"

"I thought we were friends. You should understand my thoughts. But~ too bad you don't understand and even attacked me, becoming my enemy. But with your mere Anbu-level strength, are you really prepared to attack me?"

"Fire Style: Great Fireball!"

In response, Jiraiya formed hand seals and unleashed the Great Fireball Technique, directly aiming at Byakuya not far away.

Byakuya didn't even think about dodging and punched the fireball apart.

For Byakuya, whose ninja body techniques had reached a certain level, ordinary ninjutsu no longer caused him much harm.

Seeing this, Jiraiya frowned deeply and immediately heightened his alertness.

Byakuga was his friend across generations, but at the same time also one of the most terrifying enemies he had ever faced. Not only did Byakuga know his abilities inside out, but he was even stronger than him.

After creating some distance, Jiraiya once again used ninjutsu.

This time, it was a combination technique. First, he used Earth Release: Underworld Swamp to create a marshy area on the ground. Then, taking advantage of Byakuga getting stuck in the swamp, he unleashed his Rasengan.

The Rasengan was Jiraiya's most powerful jutsu, and also one of the few cherished memories left by Minato.

Facing the Rasengan attack, Byakuga did not underestimate it. After forming hand seals, numerous explosive tags shot out rapidly from the space behind him, exploding on the ground near Jiraiya at incredible speed.

These explosive tags were ones he had made in his spare time.

Although fewer in number compared to Konan, there were still millions of them, instantly causing a chain of explosions on the ground.

Seeing so many explosive tags, Jiraiya's face suddenly changed.

While a single explosive tag's power was not much, in such great numbers they could create a qualitative change. If he did not dodge in time, he could very well be blown to bits.

At this moment, seeing the continuous smoke on the ground, Jiraiya seemed to have an idea.

He gritted his teeth and, using the cover of the smoke, performed a summoning jutsu, intending to call upon Master Fukasaku and Master Shima to enter Sage Mode.

But just as he was about to slam his hand onto the ground, Jiraiya hesitated.

He knew Byakuga had made Mount Myōboku join Akatsuki. At this moment, Mount Myōboku and Byakuga were on the same side, so attacking Byakuga would make him a traitor to Mount Myōboku.

Would Master Fukasaku and Master Shima really respond to his summoning?

After completing the summoning jutsu, the figures of Fukasaku and Shima appeared from the smoke. They jumped onto Jiraiya's shoulders and asked, "Young Jiraiya, are you really planning to take action?"

Clearly, Master Fukasaku and Master Shima knew Jiraiya was fighting Byakuga.

Jiraiya nodded and said, "Byakuga told me everything. Even if I'm no match for him, I want to prove that his ideas are wrong. His decisions will inevitably bring unprecedented danger to the ninja world. Master Fukasaku, I know what you're worried about. If you don't want to help me, then just cancel the summoning and leave. I won't blame you."

Fukasaku and Shima were slightly stunned by this, then said, "Young Jiraiya, since you successfully summoned us, don't you know what we think? We are not the sages of Mount Myōboku. At this moment, we are merely your comrades."

Before their words ended, Fukasaku and Shima formed hand seals and began channeling chakra into Jiraiya to help him enter Sage Mode.

Feeling the steadily refined senjutsu chakra, Jiraiya smiled.

With Sage Mode's boost, even if he was no match for Byakuga, he could at least relay Byakuga's information to others on the island, or even escape from this Turtle Island.

The cover of the explosions lasted for a full thirty seconds.

During this half minute, Byakuga did not make a move, allowing Fukasaku and Shima to pour enough senjutsu chakra into Jiraiya so that he could enter Sage Mode.

Once in Sage Mode, Jiraiya's confidence soared. He turned to Fukasaku and Shima and said, "Byakuga's power is overwhelmingly strong. Ordinary shinobi are simply no match. I plan to use the Toad Chanting Technique to control Byakuga. Only this way can we have a chance to escape."

Fukasaku nodded and said, "Alright, we'll start refining senjutsu chakra to prepare for the Toad Chanting Technique. You keep stalling."

Mentioning stalling, Shima suddenly seemed to recall something and asked, "Old man, young Jiraiya, with Byakuga's strength, even with the smoke cover, shouldn't he have found us by now? Why hasn't he attacked yet?"

"Of course, that's because I'm waiting for you to perform the Toad Chanting Technique..."

Byakuga's cold voice suddenly sounded, and his figure slowly emerged from the ground.

Expressionless, he looked at Jiraiya and said, "Fukasaku, Shima, I remember Mount Myōboku should be a subordinate group under Akatsuki? Are your actions representing Mount Myōboku, or are you planning to betray Mount Myōboku? Is it really worth it, for the sake of one stubborn, foolish shinobi?"

Jiraiya stared at Byakuga and said, "Cut the nonsense, Byakuga. I will correct you back to the right path. I can't just watch you keep going down the wrong one."

"Me? Keep going down the wrong path?"

Byakuga snorted coldly, his pupils spinning as they transformed into the Mangekyō Sharingan, casting a genjutsu on Jiraiya.

Jiraiya had never expected Byakuga to possess Sharingan. In a rush, he failed to resist and hesitated for a moment in body and movement. In a battle between strong opponents, a single moment of distraction can decide life or death.

The next moment, Byakuga suddenly appeared right in front of Jiraiya, stabbing a black rod into his body, then using one palm after another to send Master Fukasaku and Master Shima flying.

"How do you have Sharingan?" Fukasaku and Shima asked.

"I've always had Sharingan. It's just that no one in the ninja world knows about it. For Master's sake, you two better go back and meditate on your mistakes."

With that, Byakuga used the Contract Sealing Book to open Jiraiya's body.

Once the summoning contract was contacted, Fukasaku and Shima were instantly transported back to Mount Myōboku, disappearing immediately.

Then, Byakuga looked at the incapacitated Jiraiya on the ground and slowly said, "Jiraiya Nii-san, for the sake of this ninja war drama, you'll be exiting early. I'll fake the scene's evidence to make others think it was the Masked Man who did it, preserving your reputation."

Because of severe injuries, Jiraiya could no longer speak.

Seeing Jiraiya's painful expression, Byakuga sighed softly, then used a pre-recorded space ninjutsu to send Jiraiya away directly.