Konoha: Starting with Sage Mode

Jiraiya saw this, and that was the Great Way.

As soon as he finished speaking, a stream of hot oil shot out from Gamabunta's mouth. Jiraiya immediately formed hand seals and used a fire-style ninjutsu to ignite the hot oil.

A huge burst of high-temperature flames struck the Eight-Tails.

As the wind intensified the fire, Orochimaru's giant wind serpent, controlled by Inorganic Reincarnation, also transformed into a fire serpent, causing the Eight-Tails to scream in agony.

Soon, the flames disappeared, and the Eight-Tails lay on the ground, its body charred black. It seemed to have been defeated by the fierce attack from Orochimaru and Jiraiya and was temporarily unable to continue its rampage.

Then, under the surprised gazes of a large number of Konoha ninjas, the Eight-Tails' body quickly disappeared, leaving behind Brubi's battered body.

"Orochimaru, did we win?"

Jiraiya looked at Burubi not far away and asked in confusion.

He felt something was off; the eight-tailed fox seemed rather weak, and they had taken it down so easily, it felt unreal.

Back then, when he faced the Nine-Tails, it was extremely difficult. If it weren't for Kirito's Adamantine Sealing Barrier, Konoha would have suffered huge casualties before they could suppress the Nine-Tails again.

Although the Eight-Tails is not as powerful as the Nine-Tails, and he is much stronger than he was a few years ago, he shouldn't have been so easily defeated by him and Orochimaru working together.

"..."

Orochimaru remained silent.

He also felt that something was not quite right, but he had already checked with his sensory ninjutsu. The Burubi in front of him was real and had a considerable amount of chakra in his body. However, it was probably because he had consumed too much chakra and his current chakra level was not as high as when he was at his peak.

With the Eight-Tails falling, the war between Konoha and Kumogakure finally came to an end.

"Jiraiya, now that the battle is over, let's go back."

Seeing that the battle was completely over, Shima the Immortal immediately spoke.

"Thank you so much for your help, gentlemen."

Jiraiya quickly expressed his gratitude and then released the Two Lives Technique.

Once the Twin Life Technique was broken, Shima the Immortal immediately returned, disappearing in a wisp of white smoke.

Fukasaku hesitated for a moment, then turned to Orochimaru, who was still in his cursed seal form, and warned him: "Orochimaru, you'd better not use that special Sage Mode of yours again. If you don't want to become the White Snake Sage's puppet slave, you'd better listen to me."

Before Orochimaru could even ask, he followed Shima back to Mount Myōboku.

When Gamabunta saw that his parents had left, he hurried back as well.

"Jiraiya, what does he mean by this?"

Upon hearing the warning, Orochimaru coldly questioned Jiraiya.

"Actually, I don't quite understand. Master Fukasaku said that you have the blood and chakra of the White Snake Sage in your body. These things are very dangerous and will corrupt you, turning you into a monster who has lost his mind. Orochimaru, Master Fukasaku is a sage who has lived for a long time and is very knowledgeable. What he said must have some truth to it. You can't just ignore it."

"Furthermore, I also feel that the magical power emanating from you is not good; there's a kind of evil in it."

Jiraiya spoke to him gently and kindly.

However, his words sounded extremely grating to Orochimaru at that moment. He felt that Jiraiya was denying the Sage Mode that he had painstakingly learned.

The thought of how he had painstakingly learned Sage Mode while Jiraiya, that fool, had been lucky enough to inherit the unique Sage Mode from Mount Myōboku, made him feel uneasy. He said coldly, "My affairs are none of your business. You should take care of yourself first. Your Sage Mode, which relies on others to achieve its goals, is simply absurd and will definitely become your fatal weakness in the future."

Chapter 291: The Golden Immortal Finally Appears

"You're right about that. My Sage Mode isn't quite up to par. But Orochimaru, we're talking about your Sage Mode right now. You really need to pay attention. You might not realize it yourself, but you've already changed a lot. If you don't believe me, go ask other people."

When Jiraiya heard Orochimaru point out the shortcomings of his Sage Mode, he humbly accepted it and continued to persuade him.

Have I changed a lot?

Orochimaru was slightly taken aback by Jiraiya's words, finally realizing that there might really be something wrong with him, but he still stubbornly said, "Stop talking nonsense, I'll handle it myself."

After saying that, he vanished from the spot with a teleportation technique.

Seeing this, Jiraiya sighed, "I hope he really listened to what I said."

Orochimaru has indeed changed recently. He has become more sinister and unapproachable than before, making those around him feel fear and unwilling to get too close.

That's understandable; anyone would feel disgusted seeing Orochimaru's monstrous appearance during the battle.

"Kirito invented this cursed seal technique, so perhaps he has a way to help Orochimaru. Should we go and talk to him about it?"

As Orochimaru's friend, Jiraiya is genuinely worried about Orochimaru and has the idea of ​​asking Kirito for help.

Meanwhile, at Mount Myoboku.

In the home of Fukasaku Sennin and Shima Sennin.

The two toad immortals have returned here.

As soon as Shima returned, she said, "Honey, are we really not going to do anything about Orochimaru? That guy must have been parasitized by the White Snake. If we continue to let him grow, he might become a terrifying human clone of the White Snake, giving him the ability to interfere with the present world."

Mount Myoboku and Ryuchi Cave have been rivals since ancient times. This is not because Mount Myoboku provoked Ryuchi Cave, but because the White Snake Sage of Ryuchi Cave challenged the Great Toad Sage and suffered a terrible defeat. Afterwards, the old man harbored hatred and always wanted to avenge his humiliation.

Over time, the giant serpent of Ryuchi Cave developed a strong hostility towards Mount Myoboku and frequently clashed with it.

Over the generations, the animosity between the two sides has become irreconcilable.

Therefore, she absolutely did not want to see any substantial increase in the strength of Ryuchi-dong.

"Let's discuss this further. Orochimaru isn't the main point. The main point is that Konoha ninja named Tohsaka Kirito. Didn't Jiraiya say that Orochimaru's special Sage Mode was learned from this Konoha genius and then improved upon? Doesn't that mean Tohsaka Kirito has already mastered Sage Mode?"

Fukasaku, the sage, had no immediate interest in Orochimaru, so he shook his head and changed the subject.

More than a year ago, the Great Toad Sage made a prophecy that a golden sage would appear in the ninja world and bring about tremendous changes.

Judging from all the current signs, this golden sage is most likely the Konoha genius named Kirito Tohsaka.

Although Mount Myoboku has always lived in seclusion, it has never stopped gathering intelligence on the outside world.

Therefore, Fukasaku was aware of all the major events that had occurred in the ninja world during this period.

This Konoha genius is undoubtedly a key figure who has stirred up a storm in the ninja world in recent years.

He killed Ebizo, seized the One-Tailed Beast, then killed the Third Kazekage, and then fought against the Kage-level Edo Tensei puppet sent by Madara Uchiha. Now, he has captured the Third Raikage with a single move.

Each of these achievements alone is enough to shake the ninja world.

What's even more terrifying is that this Konoha genius is only a little over 12 years old. If he also masters Sage Mode, who in the ninja world can fight him? Perhaps only that person who has survived from the Warring States period.

“Honey, now that you mention it, I’ve remembered something too. This Golden Sage is no ordinary person. If Tohsaka Kirito is the Golden Sage, then the ninja world will definitely be in turmoil. Judging from what that kid has done, I know he’s not a kind person or someone who can be easily fooled.”

When Shima heard Fukasaku mention the Golden Sage, he finally remembered what had happened and said with a solemn expression.

All actions of Mount Myōboku are carried out based on the will of the Great Toad Sage. That is why they trained Jiraiya, the Konoha ninja who appeared in response to the Great Toad Sage's prophecy, and then used Jiraiya to search for the Child of Destiny.

But now the situation has changed, and the appearance of the Golden Immortal may seriously threaten the Chosen One.

Furthermore, the eyes of Nagato Uzumaki, Jiraiya's disciple who was considered the most likely chosen one by fate, were also taken by Kirito Tohsaka. Those were the Rinnegan, something that only the Sage of Six Paths possessed in legend.

However, according to the information Jiraiya obtained from Nagato, Nagato's Rinnegan was not something he was born with, but rather something that was transplanted into him from childhood. He was merely a vessel for cultivating the Rinnegan.

Who is the chosen one?

The clues are really getting fewer and fewer.

However, it is undeniable that Kirito Tohsaka is involved in all of these things.

The Great Toad Sage's prophecy might be rewritten by the other party.

"Yes, if he were a golden sage, it would be difficult for us at Mount Myōboku to guide him. His current strength is beyond our ability to deal with. At Mount Myōboku, perhaps only the Great Toad Sage can threaten him."

"Since his immortal arts are highly accomplished, and likely those arts are suitable for human cultivation, he probably wouldn't value the immortal arts tradition of Mount Myōboku. Getting him to be on good terms with our Mount Myōboku won't be an easy task."

The immortal Shen Zuo listened to this and agreed wholeheartedly.

Mount Myoboku has survived from ancient times to the present day not only because of its own strength, but also because of its understanding of how to assess the situation and conduct itself in a way that is appropriate for the times.

They were acutely aware that the ninja world belonged to human ninjas. In order to avoid being ostracized by human ninjas, they tried every means to contact outstanding human ninjas and sign mutually beneficial contracts with them.

Kirito Tohsaka is now undoubtedly a human hero worthy of Mount Myōboku's attention.

"Honey, if he really has mastered the immortal techniques suitable for human cultivation, then humanity will probably soon have its own unique immortal techniques, or maybe they have already been created. That strange immortal mode is clearly an attempt."

Shima-sensei suddenly thought of a very serious problem and quickly said...

Although Shima didn't say the problem directly, how could Fukasaku not have thought of it? He said with a worried look, "Yes, humans are finally going to have their own Sage Art inheritance. Although it was only a matter of time, I never thought it would happen in our generation."

The key to Mount Myōboku's ability to forge contracts with outstanding human ninjas lies in the inheritance of Sage Mode, which has always been a major lure attracting powerful human ninjas to Mount Myōboku.

However, the Sage Mode inherited from Mount Myōboku is ultimately only suitable for the Ninja Toad clan. Humans can certainly cultivate, but even if they achieve Sage Mode, they cannot obtain the long lifespan of these Sage Toads who have achieved Sage Mode.

This is a fatal flaw.

Human ninjas must have already realized this.

In this way, once a suitable Sage Art inheritance for human cultivation appears and solves this fatal flaw, the appeal of Mount Myōboku and the other two great sacred lands to human ninjas will be greatly reduced.

Just like Kirito Tohsaka now, he seems to have no interest in Mount Myōboku, and even though he knows that Jiraiya can use Sage Mode, he hasn't said anything.

"Sigh~, the chosen one has not yet descended, but the Golden Sage has already appeared. What should Mount Myōboku do now? Although Jiraiya's status in Konoha is not bad, his relationship with Kirito Tohsaka seems to be a bit off now."

Master Shima also looked worried and asked anxiously.

"Alright, let's not talk about these discouraging things anymore. The future of Mount Myōboku is not something you or I can decide. Let's go find the Great Toad Sage. With your wisdom, Master will surely find a way."

The immortal shook his head abruptly, clearing his face of worry, and said solemnly.

Master Shima, however, remained unconvinced and said with concern, "That old man is usually so muddle-headed, is he really reliable?"

……

While Fukasaku and Shima were searching for the Great Toad Sage, in a large river in the Land of Rain, a dark-skinned ninja with bloodshot eyes and an octopus tail swam swiftly like a fish, his face filled with glee.

He was none other than Furuhi, one of the eight Jinchuriki of Kumogakure, but at this moment Furuhi had been controlled by the Eight-Tails, Gyūki.

"This is freedom! It's amazing! Once I reach the sea by following the river, I can finally get rid of those damned ninjas."

Eight-Tails said with a look of delight.

Then, thinking about how its octopus-leg clone had successfully fooled the group of Konoha ninjas, and how it would have already escaped by the time they discovered that the Brubi it left behind was just a fake, it felt even more pleased.

There's nothing more fun than toying with a large group of human ninjas.

At this moment, Ya-Tails was already imagining the wonderful life he would have after returning to the sea and completely breaking free from the seal on Burubi.

The Eight-Tails swims very fast, not to mention it is currently swimming downstream. Soon, it passes through the Land of Rain and enters the Land of Fire, continuing downstream, preparing to flow into the sea through the river's estuary at the very bottom.

"Closer, closer! I can already feel the ocean's breath, hahaha~, ocean, I'm back."