Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha is not motivated.

"If it's not you, then who is this?"

After casually tossing the lecherous man's severed arm aside, Hiruko, his face full of curiosity, reached for the black box adorned with regular red patterns. This thing looked to be of extraordinary quality; it was necessary to investigate its origins.
"Don't move!"

Jiraiya, who was standing nearby, quickly reached out to stop the reckless Hiruko. His brows furrowed tightly. The appearance of such a thing out of thin air without his noticing was highly suspicious.

"Uncle, who...who are you?"

Suddenly, Yahiko's questioning voice came from behind them. Hiruko and Jiraiya were startled; they hadn't noticed any strangers approaching. They quickly turned around to look.

It was fine if he hadn't looked, but as soon as he saw the person, Jiraiya felt a chill run straight up from his heels to the top of his head.

"Hey, where did this monk come from?"

"Beloved!"

"what?"

Hiruko, who was about to ask a question, was startled by Jiraiya's sudden change in tone. Turning his head, he saw an unprecedented seriousness on his childhood friend's face.
"Take the kids and run, no matter what happens, don't look back."

Jiraiya stared intently at the monk-dressed man in front of the three children, his tone filled with unwavering resolve.
"Shh!"

As he spoke, he raised his hand and bit his fingertip, his bleeding hands forming a hand seal for a spiritual technique.

Facing this enemy, he could not afford to be complacent; he had to go all out and unleash his full power.

"Oh!"

As tadpole-like patterns spread out beneath his feet, two small figures leaped up from the rising smoke in the center and landed steadily on Jiraiya's shoulders.

"Little Jiraiya, you..."

"Shut up, old woman."

Shima, having finally gotten some fresh air, was about to greet Jiraiya with a smile when her husband sternly stopped her.

"You dare yell at me?"

"Now is not the time for casual conversation."

The white-bearded sage, Fukasaku, frowned deeply, his gaze fixed on the monk emanating a terrifying aura not far away, his frog-like eyes wide open.

"Little Jiraiya, you really know how to cause us trouble."

Reminded by her husband, Shima Senjin also spotted the enemy not far away. The anger on her face instantly vanished, and her eyes became exceptionally sharp.

"Let's begin, you two immortals. A slight misstep could be disastrous."

Jiraiya swiftly drew the facial markings for preparing for Sage Mode on his face, and as he finished the last stroke, he slowly added...
"...can die."

Meanwhile, looking at the unfamiliar monks before them, the three children huddled together, whispering amongst themselves.

Do you know him?

"Never seen one before, and there aren't any monks in our village."

"And he has tattoos, could he be a frivolous monk?"

Following the aura of the Karma seal, Jigen glanced indifferently at Jiraiya, who was preparing to unleash a powerful attack not far away. He didn't take this insignificant human seriously, but instead looked with interest at Nagato, the least noticeable of the three children. A faint hint of satisfaction flashed in his calm eyes.

A fine container; he was right about it.

"Nagato, do you know this monk uncle? Why is he staring at you?"

Still reeling from the shock of being transformed from a perverted man into a two-dimensional character, Yahiko's face paled. When he noticed Jigen's gaze fixed on Nagato, he couldn't help but nudge his friend beside him.
"I don't know him."

Nagato, shaking his head, swallowed hard, forcing himself not to look at the lewd man who had become a meat pie in the distance. He decided that from today onwards, he would never eat Yahiko's signature meat pie again.

"Uncle, who are you?"

Surprisingly, the most direct of the three was Xiaonan.

"I am Cixian, I am..."

With Cixian's vision and perspective, he wouldn't deign to harm humans, especially weak human cubs. Looking at the three little faces full of curiosity, he slowly uttered a single word.

"Kami".

Wow! So handsome!!!

Such a childish remark caused an instant awkward silence, but after a brief pause, Yahiko was the first to burst into a cheering exclamation, while the other two children looked at the incredibly pretentious Jigen with starry eyes.
"I am Yahiko, I am the Kamida of the new era!"

Yahiko couldn't wait to start his impersonation show. He raised his hands high and, in a very chuunibyou (delusional) tone, drastically altered Jigen's self-introduction.

You know what, this approach does give it a bit of a future rice-carrying god vibe.

After silently watching Yahiko's immature imitation, Jigen suddenly found human babies quite interesting, and thought that perhaps he could raise a few of them for fun someday.

"Let me see your left hand."

But that's a story for later. He came with a purpose, and then shifted his gaze to Nagato, whose fists were clenched and whose face was flushed with excitement.
"I?"

Nagato, who was about to take over and put on a Kami impersonation show, was stunned by what she heard. She subconsciously and slowly opened her tightly clenched left hand, revealing the diamond-shaped mark on her palm that was about to be covered by the black seal.

Cixian frowned slightly upon seeing this. The seal on this vessel's hand was too domineering. If it hadn't just triggered some kind of self-defense mechanism, his wedge probably wouldn't have had a chance to come out for a breath of fresh air in his entire life.

"follow me."

In the past, Cixian might have found this troublesome, but things are different now. He has recruited many scientific research talents and believes that as long as the benefits are right, someone will be able to break this annoying seal.

"Huh? No, my mom won't let me go with strangers."

Upon hearing this, Nagato immediately shook his head vigorously.

Although Jigen showed no malice, and Nagato even vaguely sensed a strange connection between them, he still kept his parents' advice firmly in mind.

I am informing you, not asking you.

Jigen gently shook his head, and with a slight lift of his arm, Nagato instantly felt a terrifying suction force pulling him towards him.
Yahiko and Konan also realized that the newcomers were hostile and immediately grabbed the unsteady Nagato, but unfortunately, they were clearly not heavy enough.

"Ahhh! I'm flying!"

Amidst Nagato's terrified screams, the three small figures gradually lifted off the ground.

"Whoosh!"

At this extremely critical moment, a sharp whooshing sound suddenly rang out.
【Secret Technique: Tongue-Based Binding】

"Snapped!"

Seeing the long, sticky tongue wrapped around his arm, a hint of displeasure instantly surfaced on Cixian's expressionless face.
"Stay away from those children."

Jiraiya's calm voice came from afar. The children turned around with surprise and joy, but before they could express their gratitude, their tone changed after seeing the unrecognizable appearance of their rescuer.
Nagato, covering his mouth, exclaimed, "Jiraiya... Ugh!"

Xiao Nan, covering her eyes, exclaimed, "So ugly! I hate toads!"

Yahiko, clutching his head, exclaimed, "I don't agree to this marriage!"

The immortal, his head covered in black lines, simply said: "."

You three ungrateful brats, if it weren't to save you, would I, an immortal, have needed to resort to this trick?
Having learned his lesson from being humiliated by a certain Yin once, Cixian first used his Byakugan's perception to ensure there was no trace of that Yin around before uttering any threats. He immediately straightened his back a bit.
"This time, let's make her one of my collectibles."

"This immortal is no longer the same as before!"

Even if he lost, he wouldn't back down. He knew he was no match for Jigen, but when it came to spirit, the people of Konoha had never backed down.

Jiraiya clasped his hands together and pulled himself back sharply. The frog tongue wrapped around Jigen's arm instantly straightened, and the terrifying force ripped him away.

"hiss!"

Seeing Jigen flying towards him, the Fukasaku sage attached to his shoulder immediately formed a complex hand seal, puffed out his cheeks, and unleashed a slender, hair-like yet deadly water blade.

[Water Slash] Cixian frowned slightly in mid-air. If his true form were to descend, he might not be afraid, but the body that had been with him for many years was too fragile. Once it died, he would be forced to turn around, and his lifespan would shrink rapidly.

"Shu~"

A glint flashed in his eyes, and the long black staff appeared out of thin air in his other hand.
"Pfft!"

Gripping his long staff tightly and swinging it upwards, Master Shima immediately showed a pained expression.

"Thud~"

Looking at the half-eaten tongue wriggling on the ground, Cixian expressionlessly flicked the slime off his arm.

"Well"

Shima-sensei covered the bleeding frog's mouth, glaring at Jigen with eyes full of resentment. Although its tongue could regenerate, it would take a long time, during which time it would be unable to enjoy its favorite insect dishes.

"Feel sorry."

Jiraiya glanced at the injured Shima and said with deep remorse,

"Little Jiraiya, you're no match for this guy right now. Why don't you come back to Mount Myōboku with us and hide for a while?"

Fukasaku looked at his wife with a pained expression. He knew very well that without sufficient information and preparation, the two frogs combined were no match for Jigen. It would be better to stop now and make a run for it.

"No."

Jiraiya glanced at Hiruko, who was stealthily approaching the three children, and shook his head firmly. He could escape using the Reverse Summoning Technique, but what about the others present?
At least we need to lure him away so that the others can evacuate safely.

Gritting his teeth, Jiraiya flicked his hair, and a thousand sharp needles shot towards Jigen.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

After flicking the black stick, sending all the white senbon needles flying, Jigen's face revealed a mocking expression, as if he were watching a dying prey.

While he was focusing his attention on Jiraiya, Hiruko, who had circled the field once, finally reached the three children.

"Little Sister Bei"

"Shh~ Don't talk, come with me."

Hiruko, who had already discussed the rescue plan with Jiraiya while he was charging up his energy, made a shushing gesture and glanced worriedly at his childhood friend who was confronting Jigen in the distance.
Jiraiya, you must come back alive.

"Cunning humans."

Cixian quickly sensed the unusual movements of the group, glanced sideways slightly, and aimed the black staff in his hand at the gaunt figure of Hiruko, about to release it.

"Immortal Technique·Super Large Jade Rasengan!"

Seeing this, Jiraiya disregarded the disparity in strength between friend and foe, leaped up, and swiftly conjured a massive, azure Rasengan in his hand, slamming it down on Jigen.

"Whoo~"

Just as the enormous, buzzing Rasengan was about to engulf Jigen, he suddenly raised his hands, and the unstoppable Rasengan instantly froze in mid-air, shrinking at a visible speed.

"This is?"

Feeling his chakra being drawn inexplicably by a mysterious force, Jiraiya quickly flipped backward and landed, looking solemnly at Jigen, who was emanating a strange black aura.
"It tastes awful."

The chakra, mixed with the natural energy of Mount Myōboku, had a strange smell. After absorbing it with Karma, Jigen showed a rare expression of disgust.
"He has the ability to absorb ninjutsu chakra."

As Fukasaku the sage analyzed the situation, the apprehension in his eyes grew increasingly intense.

So, does that mean we can only rely on physical skills?

Jiraiya stretched his neck. Physical combat was one of his strengths, and as long as he was careful of the black staff in Jigen's hand, he should be able to hold his own against him for a while.

"Insufficient intelligence, don't be careless."

Shima the Immortal couldn't help but remind him that if he had known he would encounter such an enemy today, he would have gone to the Great Toad Immortal to have his fortune told.

"Don't worry, when it comes to taijutsu, I've never been afraid of anyone except Tsunade and Dai."

Full of confidence, Jiraiya, empowered by Sage Mode, charged towards Jigen with a powerful leap, his massive paws swaying with tremendous force.

Seeing Jiraiya's overconfident attempt to challenge him to a physical duel, a strange expression appeared on Jigen's face.

Who is he?
He is a man who has won the national martial arts competition of the Otsutsuki home planet for 348 consecutive years. Even Kinshiki, a martial arts genius who appears only once in a thousand years, could not last ten rounds against him.

How dare this human?
Unaware that he had kicked a vibranium plate, Jiraiya threw a simple, unadorned straight punch at the somewhat dazed Jigen, only to have it easily blocked by the latter.

Seeing this, Jiraiya wanted to continue his attack, raising his other fist high with unstoppable force.

“Ignorance.”

Cixian coldly uttered two words, his figure flashing like a ghost, his entire body rapidly closing in, his seemingly frail fist striking Cixian's lower abdomen from below at an eerie angle.

"puff!"

A terrifying surge of energy rushed into his body, causing Jiraiya's expression to change drastically. He opened his mouth and vomited up gastric juices mixed with blood. His previously relatively stable chakra instantly became chaotic, and the two sages on his shoulders were forcibly sent back to Mount Myōboku before they could even say a word.

"thump!"

Sage Mode deactivated, and the intense pain forced Jiraiya to his knees. Looking up at Jigen, who remained in a punching stance, his eyes were filled with horror.

"What kind of boxing style is that?"

"Tongbei, seemingly soft and supple, actually penetrates with a penetrating force."

Having finally gotten a chance to showcase his unique skills, Cixian unusually patiently explained one sentence.
"hateful."

Jiraiya, crippled by a barrage of back punches, let out a helpless howl. He had thought that even if he couldn't win in taijutsu, he could at least hold his own against Jigen, but instead, he was utterly defeated.

"Release Jiraiya!"

Seeing Jigen reach for Jiraiya's neck, Hiruko, who had already run hundreds of meters away, turned back and charged at him with his sword.

"Pfft!"

But in Jigen's eyes, this lowly ninja was no different from an ant. Without even raising his head, he made a flicking motion, and Hiruko's figure froze.
"open"

Looking down in disbelief at the dripping black rod protruding from his stomach, Hiruko's vision went black, his consciousness receded like the tide, and his frail body collapsed to the ground.

"thump!"

"You lowly wretch!!!"

Jiraiya's eyes widened in fury at the sight, but it was a pity he didn't have Uchiha blood; otherwise, the world would have gained another pair of Mangekyou Sharingan users.

"Little Sister Bei!"

The three children ran over crying, and seeing Beiliuhu soaked in blood, they all wept uncontrollably.
"No one can save you this time."

Jigen shook his head, placed one hand on Jiraiya's ashen head, and prepared to take him into his Daikokuten.

"Brother Xiaobei, don't die!"

Seeing Hiruko's increasingly weak breath, and then looking at Jiraiya who was being controlled by Jigen, Konan suddenly stood up and forcefully thrust the white pony hanging at her waist.
"Boom!"

"Xiao Nan, what are you doing?"

"Erzhuzi San San said that as long as I break it, Lord Shenju can grant me one wish."

Under the puzzled gazes of her two friends, Xiao Nan bit her lip, clasped her hands together in a prayer-like gesture, and her childish voice echoed throughout the room.
"I hope someone can save us all right now!"

"Hmph! Still daydreaming at a time like this."

Hearing this, Cixian couldn't help but smile mockingly. Human children are so naive; they even believe such deceptive nonsense.
The next second, the sky changed dramatically, and a dark cloud that had appeared above everyone's heads completely blocked out the already thin sunlight.

Sensing an inexplicable pressure, Cixian suddenly stopped what she was doing and looked up into the air as if sensing something.
Two figures had appeared on the treetops above. One stood holding a halberd, his eyes gleaming with a bloodthirsty crimson; the other was dark-skinned and panting heavily, as if he had just finished some strenuous exercise.
"Is it you who's bullying my most talented student?" (End of Chapter)