Uchiha's personal opinion

Fukasaku was extremely anxious, and Shima's movements became somewhat disordered.

Uchiha Tokumitsu also keenly sensed that Jiraiya's condition seemed somewhat off, but he had no desire to investigate further. Instead, after the twelfth Yasakani no Magatama completely shattered Jiraiya's protective needle-like hair, Uchiha Tokumitsu took a deep breath—

"Immortal Technique - Five Escapes - Five Dragons Barrage!"

Five giant dragons of Sage Art with different chakra attributes intertwined and suddenly attacked Jiraiya's group.

"BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!"

The violent explosion shattered the Uchiha fire array that surrounded the area, and the four shadow clones of the Dao were disintegrated by the shockwave.

The return of the four shadow clones to the original body caused Uchiha Tokumitsu to tremble.

Then, with a wave of his left hand, he released the Creation Firelight Venerable hidden in his left arm, which flew towards the mushroom cloud that rose after the explosion.

"I...I came here by myself!"

Amidst the mushroom cloud, after enduring Uchiha Tokumitsu's attack, Fukasaku was now severely injured and coughing up blood incessantly.

But what shocked him most was not Uchiha Tokumitsu's ferocity, but Jiraiya's actions—

Just as it was about to crush the talisman bestowed by the Great Toad Sage and escape back to Mount Myōboku with its wife and Jiraiya, Jiraiya abruptly interrupted Fukasaku's actions through the chakra connection between the two frogs.

"Things have come to this point and there's nothing we can do. Retreat is the best option!"

Master Shima thought that Jiraiya was reluctant to abandon Ninja Snake and Ninja Frog, so he quickly shouted.

"Shut up!"

Fukasaku the Hermit suddenly flew into a rage and interrupted his wife.

At this moment, Lord Firelight had already charged forward, his dragon body swaying.

"Sage Art: Goemon!"

Jiraiya continued to frantically draw upon Sage Chakra, launching an attack on Firelight Lord.

Uchiha Tokumitsu also noticed Jiraiya's unusual behavior.

"They're really courting death..."

Uchiha Tokumitsu chuckled. He then urged the Two-Tails, Matatabi, to charge into the mushroom cloud.

"...I'm sorry, you two immortals, I've dragged you down."

Just as Uchiha Tokumitsu was about to strike, Jiraiya's initial intention to take others down with him suddenly softened.

Perhaps realizing that with the arrival of Uchiha Tokumitsu, he was also about to reach the last moment of his life, the scenes of his time learning at Mount Myōboku made him soften, so Jiraiya chose to voluntarily sever his chakra connection with the two sages.

"you……"

Shima the Hermit looked astonished, while Fukasaku the Hermit had a serious expression.

"They come and go, it's all just infighting among their own kind..."

Jiraiya chuckled self-deprecatingly.

At this moment, he recalled the group of snakes he had redeemed, which, after being released into the swamp, did not immediately flee but instead chose to devour each other.

"Immortal Technique·Earth Release·Yellow Spring Marsh!"

"...When did you start?"

Despite his exhaustion, Fukasaku continued to cast spells on the approaching Susanoo, briefly blocking Uchiha Tokumitsu, who was riding the Two-Tails.

"From the moment I was bitten on the neck by the White Serpent Sage of Ryuchi Cave~"

Jiraiya spread his arms, raised his head slightly, and completely gave up resisting.

"It wasn't until I returned to the ninja world that I understood..."

Jiraiya closed his eyes. "From that moment on, I was already dead..."

"I'm already an outcast in the eyes of the ninjas..."

"So, just die..."

"Don't struggle anymore, Master Fukasaku. Without our cooperation, you won't be able to exert much power. You should hurry back to Mount Myōboku..."

Fukasaku coldly patted Jiraiya on the shoulder, then pulled his wife along, intending to crush the talisman.

"Instantaneous Slash!"

A blurry figure swept past from the front.

Uchiha Tokumitsu abandoned his Susanoo form and the assistance of the Two-Tails Matatabi, and drew his long-unused kodachi to launch a sword attack.

"careful!"

The blade was aimed at Fukasaku, the hermit who was preparing to crush the talisman.

Shima Sage only had time to rush forward and push his still somewhat dazed wife back before being struck by Uchiha Tokumitsu's sword.

"Pity……"

Uchiha Tokumitsu frowned slightly, then swung his katana and cleaved Shima Sage in two.

Immediately, the terrified Fukasaku finally activated the teleportation spell.

A white pillar of light rose up from the spot, leaving only the lower half of Shima's body to fall to the ground with a thud.

Uchiha Tokumitsu's gaze fell upon Jiraiya, who was waiting to be slaughtered.

At this moment, Firelight Lord and Two-Tailed Matatabi also landed on either side of Jiraiya, surrounding him completely.

Jiraiya glanced at Shima's mangled body, his face filled with sorrow, and sighed softly before shifting his gaze to meet Uchiha Tokumitsu's eyes.

"Looks like he really does want to die."

Uchiha Tokumitsu said calmly.

"You'll only die!"

Jiraiya closed his eyes again. "But after I die, can I remove the title of rogue ninja?"

Trying to clear my name?

Uchiha Tokumitsu chuckled, then swung his sword straight for the head.

"cannot!"

Although he didn't use the chakra he gathered on the sword, the incredibly sharp katana still managed to behead Jiraiya.

Then his head fell to the ground.

"what!"

Just as Uchiha Tokumitsu was about to sheathe his sword, a white light suddenly emanated from the neck of Jiraiya's mangled body. Then, his corpse vanished into nothingness, leaving only his head, still bearing the lingering smile of a smile, in the same spot.

"What kind of sorcery is this?!"

Uchiha Tokumitsu's eyelids twitched.

Chapter 373 Testing the Waters

"died!"

"He died just like that!"

As she struggled to counterattack and suppress Orochimaru and Yagura, Tsurugi-hime's eyelids twitched. After witnessing Uchiha Tokumitsu's awe-inspiring display of power, severely injuring Shima Sage and killing Jiraiya, her snake-tail attack slowed down.

Orochimaru had just breathed a sigh of relief when he keenly noticed Jiraiya's body disappear.

The severed head and the mangled remains of Shima the Immortal were swallowed whole by the Firelight Lord.

Orochimaru was initially startled, but then breathed a sigh of relief.

The Firelight Lord's "devouring" is more like an alternative form of storage, rather than digesting these corpses.

"At worst, we can just get that idiot's head back and erect a monument for him..."

Orochimaru looked dejected.

Orochimaru was immediately sent flying by the enraged Tsurugi's tail, the immense force causing his body to slam into a huge crater.

If it weren't for Yagura's thick skin and tough body, as he charged forward to continue withstanding Tadatsuhime's attacks, Orochimaru would probably have been reduced to ashes by Tadatsuhime.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Orochimaru, who didn't have time to use his secret technique, struggled to crawl out of the deep crater he had created, coughing up blood as he forcibly used his chakra to put his scattered bones back into place.

If he hadn't made significant modifications to his body, Princess Tsuratsu's tail would probably have blasted him to pieces in mid-air.

"call……"

Just as Orochimaru had forcibly "assembled" his body, he saw Uchiha Tokumitsu riding the Two-Tails Matatabi and charging towards Tsurugi-hime.

Firelight Lord was faster, flying through the air first and biting the rampaging Tuanjin Princess. Then, the snake and the dragon entangled and rolled together on the spot.

After Uchiha Tokumitsu stepped forward, the tailed beast-transformed Yagura Karatachi immediately retreated a few steps to clear the battlefield. After hesitating for a moment, he bypassed the fighting between Hikari-no-Mikoto and Tsurugi-hime and charged towards the ninja army battlefield, which had initially been one-sided.

Uchiha Tokumitsu could also see that Yagura was somewhat half-hearted in his efforts, but he didn't take it to heart. In any case, the objective of this battle had been achieved, and there was no need to be too demanding of subordinates who didn't cost him any money.

"Ow~"

Two-Tailed Taru let out a low growl. Perhaps it was the cat form that had given it the interest to hunt long worms, so it was somewhat tempted to attack the turbulent Princess who was rolling and fighting with the Firelight Lord.

"You go first..."

Uchiha Tokumitsu leaped down from the top of the Two-Tails Matatabi's head and landed next to Orochimaru.

Upon receiving the order, the two-tailed beast immediately roared and pounced on the vital spot of the damsel in distress.

"What a scene of a dragon and tiger fighting a venomous snake!"

Uchiha Tokumitsu said with interest, then turned his gaze to the disheveled Orochimaru.

"How is it? Should we send the military medical ninja over first?"

"I won't die... so I won't need to for now."

Orochimaru didn't like the effects of medical ninjutsu, so he shook his head and refused Uchiha Tokumitsu's "kindness." After straightening his spine, he began to reposition his ribs one by one through his clothes and skin.

"Crack, crack..."

The cracking of bones was incessant, making Uchiha Tokumitsu's eyelids twitch.