vncnus Chapter 98 Ban: Pay the copyright fee.
Chapter 98 Ban: Pay the copyright fee.
Chapter 98 Ban: Pay the copyright fee
Broly also thought Jiraiya was pretty crazy.
Despite possessing the strength of a Kage-level expert, he is always nowhere to be seen whenever a major event occurs in the village.
He wasn't there when his apprentices Minato Namikaze and his wife died protecting Konoha; he wasn't there when Naruto was isolated and discriminated against by the entire village from a young age and grew up in loneliness; he wasn't there when Kumogakure saw that Konoha only had one Kage-level hero left, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and dared to kidnap Hinata.
The reason he spent so many years wandering is even more peculiar: unlike Tsunade, who was heartbroken by the successive deaths of her lover and younger brother and insisted on fleeing Konoha, a place of sorrow; nor like Orochimaru, who became a rogue ninja due to his obsession with forbidden techniques.
He was simply bound by the so-called "prophecy" of some charlatan toad, and foolishly wandered around the ninja world.
They're sitting at the same table as Kozuki Oden, who, despite being capable of solving his own problems, pinned his hopes on Joy Boy to help him open his country 20 years later.
Although the story of "I came to the sea even though it didn't welcome me" was told in a very dramatic way, Broly found it rather comical that Broly was still thinking about the Great Toad Sage's vague prophecy before his death—it seemed as if he had lived his whole life in the illusions others had created for him, and had never truly lived for himself.
"Ha, now I'm not even interested in killing you anymore."
Broly's words, tinged with sarcasm, landed lightly on the battlefield.
Jiraiya, in Sage Mode and toad form, had his pupils contract, momentarily at a loss for words, and could only maintain his fighting stance with his hands in hand seals.
Broly said casually, "Get out of my way now, and I might spare your life."
In his view, although Jiraiya was led by the nose by prophecy his whole life and was somewhat clueless, compared to Hiruzen Sarutobi's stupidity and Danzo Shimura's ruthlessness, he was not "deserve to be beaten" and had no reason to die.
As long as this white-haired toad doesn't dare to cause trouble, it's fine to let him live.
"Oh my, what a coincidence!"
Just then, a long-lost voice, tinged with a slightly sinister laugh, suddenly rang out.
Jiraiya, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and the others all turned to look, only to see that Orochimaru, who had originally headed towards the Konoha Cemetery, had somehow turned back.
He stuck out his forked tongue, grinning at Jiraiya, his tone full of mockery: "You're really lucky, Jiraiya. It's rare that the Qikage-sama is so merciful as to let you go. Why don't you get lost?"
"Orochimaru!" Jiraiya growled through gritted teeth, veins throbbing on his forehead.
The reason he rushed back to Konoha after receiving the news was largely because of his former teammate.
Although his bond with Orochimaru wasn't as intensely romantic as that of Naruto and Sasuke, the camaraderie they shared while training under the Third Hokage in their youth was undeniable.
Otherwise, when Orochimaru was resurrected by Sasuke using the remaining chakra within Kabuto, he wouldn't have shown that fleeting, slightly sad look in his eyes upon hearing of Jiraiya's death.
Facing the enraged Jiraiya, Orochimaru remained unhurried. "Out of consideration for our past as teammates, I'll kindly remind you not to fight the Kikage. However, if you really want to die, I won't stop you."
Upon hearing this, Jiraiya, who had just been poised to fight to the death, suddenly stiffened, and his eyes instantly became hesitant.
Jiraiya's hesitation immediately made Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, and the others beside him extremely anxious, like ants on a hot pan.
That move, "Goemon," made it clear to everyone that Jiraiya in Sage Mode had surpassed Hiruzen Sarutobi in strength.
If he were to team up with Hiruzen Sarutobi, along with Killer Bee and Yugito Nii, two perfect Jinchuriki, they might actually find a glimmer of hope and defeat Broly, that monster.
Just as a glimmer of hope ignited in everyone's hearts, their gazes inadvertently swept over Yamato, who was still piloting the "Gundam".
Looking up at the sky, Hancock exuded a chilling killing intent that seemed almost tangible, and her Mangekyou Sharingan, identical to Yamato's, radiated a terrifying power.
In an instant, most of the flames of hope in everyone's hearts were extinguished, leaving only a deep sense of powerlessness: even if Jiraiya joined the battle, it probably wouldn't change much.
Orochimaru's seemingly sarcastic advice ultimately had an effect.
In his frog-like form, Jiraiya gritted his teeth as his mind raced through the various rumors he had heard about Broly during this time.
If those rumors are true, putting myself in Jiraiya's shoes, I know I couldn't have done that.
Moreover, the aura that Broly exuded just now was already far beyond what he could achieve.
"To fight or not to fight?"
Broly's voice suddenly rang out, like a heavy hammer striking everyone's heart.
For a moment, Jiraiya found himself in a dilemma.
Reason told him that given Broly's demonstrated strength, going up against him would be like a moth drawn to a flame, with no chance of winning.
Emotionally, this child, who appears to be around the same age as Minato's son Naruto, is actually a monster who is about to destroy Konoha.
If even a legend of Konoha like him chooses to back down, then the entire village of Konoha, and even its people, will face annihilation.
Just as the thought of "Minato's son" flashed through his mind, Jiraiya was suddenly jolted awake as if struck by lightning.
He whirled around, his gaze urgent as he looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, and demanded loudly, "Grandpa! How is Minato's child? Is Naruto alright?"
The moment those words were spoken, the entire room fell into a deathly silence. This was a critical moment in Konoha's life-or-death struggle; Broly's blade could fall at any moment. Why the hell were you asking this now?
Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, and the others were all stunned, their faces filled with bewilderment.
Broly also found it amusing, and his fierce aura instantly subsided by more than half. He shrugged, a hint of boredom flashing in his eyes.
You only think of breastfeeding when your child dies, and you only know to shake your nose when snot gets into your mouth.
When Broly saw Jiraiya ask this question, he knew that he had lost interest in fighting.
His gaze casually swept over the Cloud Village members who stood frozen in place, trembling with fear.
When Broly's gaze fell upon them, Tsuchita and the others felt every cell in their bodies screaming an alarm, and only one thought remained in their minds: escape!
Sure enough, the next second, Broly's voice rang out: "Kill all of these people from Kumogakure."
These people could no longer bring him any joy, and their presence would only cause trouble, so Broly naturally had no reason to let them go.
Upon hearing Broly's order, Hancock, Yamato, and the others immediately sprang into action.
"Susanoo!"
Two deep shouts rang out simultaneously, followed by the sudden appearance of two enormous Susanoo in their third form, covered in the same orange-red chakra armor, leaving everyone present dumbfounded.
Uchiha Tekka, Uchiha Izumi, and the other Uchiha clan members were utterly shocked, their mouths agape. They were internally screaming: "Isn't the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan supposed to be only one pair?"
Why can that woman in the sky use it too?
However, the Kaguya clan, which settled in Kigakure earlier than the Uchiha clan, and the Kirigakure forces, who came with Orochimaru, seemed unsurprised.
They had already witnessed Hancock using the Corpse Pulse technique, and could guess that this woman's abilities were far more than just controlling others.
The next second, the two Susanoo simultaneously reached out and grasped the Ame-no-Murakumo sword that appeared behind them.
The pitch-black flames of Amaterasu seemed to come alive, rapidly coiling around the sword, emitting a sizzling sound and exuding an aura of destruction.
Immediately afterwards, Susanoo exerted force with both arms and swept his longsword horizontally!
"boom--!"
The massive sword aura, infused with Amaterasu's black flames, was like a tangible thunderbolt, tearing through the air with a piercing whistling sound as it swept towards the Cloud Village ninjas who were trying to escape.
Wherever the sword energy passed, deep trenches were carved into the ground, and rocks instantly turned to dust.
"Aaaaaah—!"
Screams rose and fell, never ceasing. Those Cloud Village ninjas who were slower to run were grazed by the sword energy, and their bodies instantly burst into black flames.
The fire of Amaterasu cannot be extinguished; it can only continuously burn their bodies and chakra, bringing them extreme pain.
They rolled and struggled on the ground, but could only watch helplessly as their bodies were devoured by the black flames, eventually turning into a pile of charred remains.
The people of Konoha felt a chill run from the soles of their feet to the top of their heads as they watched this scene.
Is this the strength of Kigakure?
Broly didn't even glance at the Cloud Village ninjas, turning to Orochimaru, "Did you bring them?"
Orochimaru revealed a strange smile and slowly nodded: "Of course, Lord Broly. However, the Impure World Reincarnation technique requires a living person as a sacrifice."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, and asked pointedly, "What do you think—?"
"Whatever," Broly waved his hand dismissively.
Upon hearing this, the Uchiha clansmen, led by Uchiha Tetsuka, had their eyes light up, their eyes flashing with intense joy and resentment.
They exchanged a glance, immediately understanding each other, and charged into the crowd of Konoha residents watching from afar like hungry wolves.
"Ah—! Help!"
"What do you want?!"
The people of Konoha screamed in terror and fled in all directions.
But the Uchiha clan members were extremely fast. In just a few leaps, they grabbed three trembling people and brought them before Broly.
Uchiha Tetsuka knelt on one knee, a fawning smile on his face, and said excitedly, "Lord Broly, let's use them!"
Broly glanced at the three tearful, trembling people. They weren't wearing the standard Konoha ninja vests, so they probably weren't ninjas.
"Who are they?"
Broly had never seen these people in the original books.
Uchiha Tekka and the others' excitement intensified, a hint of vengeful satisfaction in their voices as they reported, "Lord Broly, they are members of the Sarutobi clan!"
Upon hearing this, Broly immediately understood.
Back then, Hiruzen Sarutobi tacitly approved Danzo Shimura's attack on the Uchiha clan. Now that the Uchiha are under his control, he naturally wants to seize the opportunity to take revenge.
Anyway, the Sarutobi clan has a large and powerful population, so capturing a few to use as sacrifices wouldn't be a big loss for them.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood there, trembling with rage, his hands clenched into fists, his nails digging deep into his palms, blood dripping from between his fingers.
But now that things had come to this, he dared not utter a single word. Broly's power, Hancock's terror, and the monsters roaming Kigakure all filled him with fear.
He could only watch helplessly as his people were sacrificed.
Just as when he sacrificed the Hyuga clan to Kumogakure, Hiashi Hyuga and his clan were powerless to stop it.
With no other options, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, and the others could only turn their gaze to Jiraiya, their eyes filled with hope. At this point, they believed that only Jiraiya in Sage Mode could stop all of this within the Konoha camp.
However, to their utter surprise, Jiraiya completely ignored the crisis before him and turned around to rush into the crowd.
Before long, he found the little boy with the yellow spiky hair and orange jacket, squatted down, and put on what he thought was a friendly smile, asking, "Hey, kid, want to become my apprentice? I'm one of the legendary Sannin, Lord Jiraiya!"
Naruto stared blankly at the freak in front of him who looked like a toad, his face full of disgust, thinking to himself: Who the hell are you?
Clearly, Jiraiya has completely abandoned any concern for the Sarutobi clan's fate or the crisis facing Konoha.
All he can think about right now is that he can't die.
At the very least, he wanted to make up for what he owed Minato by helping him raise the child properly and make him a powerful ninja.
However, Jiraiya hesitated for a moment and ultimately did not reveal Naruto's true parentage. He was afraid that Naruto would question him: Why did your father seal the Nine-Tails inside you? Why have you never come back to see me all these years? He could not answer any of these questions.
"We don't need that many people, three will be enough," Orochimaru said with a smile, his tone carrying a hint of impatience.
As he spoke, he quickly formed a hand seal and slammed his palms down on the ground.
Suddenly, countless tadpole-shaped runes appeared on the ground, wriggling rapidly like living creatures, surging towards the three Sarutobi clan members in the front row, quickly climbing up their bodies along their ankles.
When Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, and the others saw this scene, their expressions became extremely complicated.
They were no strangers to this scene. Back when they followed their teacher Tobirama Senju to participate in the First Shinobi World War, Tobirama Senju used this forbidden technique to summon the souls of powerful figures from past generations to fight for Konoha.
"Ninja Art: Impure World Reincarnation!"
Orochimaru let out a low shout and suddenly exerted force with both hands.
"Aaaaaaahh ...
The three Sarutobi clan members let out extremely shrill screams, their bodies convulsing violently.
The runes had completely climbed onto their bodies, seeped into their skin, and transformed their bodies from the inside out.
His once rosy skin became dry and cracked, like a puppet made of clay, and his eyes lost their luster, leaving only empty darkness—this is the characteristic of Impure World Reincarnation.
Under the incredulous gazes of those around them, the appearances of the three bodies rapidly changed.
"That's... the First Hokage?!"
"And there's the Second Hokage! It's Tobirama Senju!"
Many veteran Konoha ninjas gasped in surprise, instinctively looking at the two rock sculptures on the far left of the back mountain of Konoha. They were the statues of Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju, exactly the same as the two people who had been resurrected by Edo Tensei!
When everyone saw the third person resurrected through Edo Tensei, many looked confused and whispered among themselves, "Who is this little girl?"
"I don't recognize him. I've never seen this person before."
"Could she also be a powerful senior figure? But she looks only twelve or thirteen years old—"
Only a few people, including Kakashi and Might Guy, had their pupils suddenly contract when they saw the girl's face, their faces filled with disbelief.
Rin Nohara!
She was their classmate in the Water Gate class back then, the gentle and kind girl who always had a faint smile on her face!
However, unlike Kakashi and Might Guy, who are now over twenty and have experienced many hardships, Nohara Rin, who was resurrected through Edo Tensei, still looks like she did when she was twelve years old—short hair to her ears and a round face.
Hidden deep underground in a corner of the battlefield, a White Zetsu clone couldn't help but swallow hard. "Damn it—Madara's plan has been thwarted!"
That's right.
When Madara Uchiha was planning the Battle of Kannabi Bridge and implanted the Three-Tails into Rin Nohara, he deliberately preserved a portion of Rin Nohara's DNA.
His goal was simple: when the time was right, he would use the Impure World Reincarnation technique to summon Rin Nohara and give Obito Uchiha a good thrashing.
This is why, in the original work, when Madara, resurrected through Edo Tensei, saw Naruto and the others defeat Obito, he said, "Thank you for defeating Obito. Now I don't have to waste my energy weakening him."
At the time, many readers were puzzled, wondering why Edo Tensei Madara was so confident that he could defeat Obito.
This is Madara's last resort.
Given Obito's "sycophantic" nature, his resolve would surely crumble if he saw Nohara Rin resurrected through Edo Tensei, and saw her reappear in the world in this inhuman and demonic form.
At that time, even Obito in Six Paths will inevitably reveal a huge flaw, and Madara Uchiha will naturally have a chance to defeat him.
But who could have imagined that Orochimaru would beat him to it and use the Impure World Reincarnation technique to summon the copyright of Nohara Rin Ichiban, thus forcibly taking it away from him.