Jiraiya never expected that his proud summon, Gamabunta, would be instantly defeated!
"This is just a minor farce. Minato, relocate the battlefield to Training Ground 39 outside the village. Finish the match there."
Minato responded with a nod, then, without another word, patted Jiraiya on the shoulder and vanished in an instant.
The remaining young ninjas, following Fuma's gesture, quickly rushed toward the new battlefield. As a result, only two beings remained in the area—Gamabunta and Fuma.
"You… do you know about the Box of Ultimate Bliss?" Gamabunta asked cautiously, gripping the hilt of his massive blade tightly.
Beads of sweat dripped down his forehead, as if he was prepared to strike at any moment.
Fuma cast a curious glance at Gamabunta, pondering inwardly, 'This toad… it can still perceive its natural instincts even after being affected by the power of the lexical effect? Mount Myoboku… truly has its mysteries.'
"Don't ask too many questions. Let me send you on your way first."
Fuma effortlessly hoisted Gamabunta onto his shoulder, completely ignoring the toad's resistance, then flung him into the air.
*BOOM!*
With a light tap of his heel against the ground, he delivered a powerful kick, sending Gamabunta soaring toward Training Ground 39.
Fuma admired the arc of the kick—it was smooth, elegant, the kind of precision only an elite attacker (football) could achieve.
'Jiraiya, that fool… looks like he was once again swayed by the toad's endless prophecies and came here to make a scene. Five disciples, huh? Was that Hiruzen's idea?'
'Or did he fail to find the prophesized child and decided to rely on sheer numbers?'
Fuma loosened his joints and muscles, going through a warm-up routine, preparing for the long-awaited match against Jiraiya.
Jiraiya was a peculiar ninja, and Fuma had anticipated this confrontation for a long time.
The bond between them was nothing more than a drinking buddy's camaraderie. They had no shared ideals or ambitions—just years of drinking together.
As long as he perceived Fuma as a threat to Konoha, he would attempt to eliminate him.
Though, in the original timeline, why did it take him more than ten years after Minato's death to return to Konoha and check on Naruto?
And during the Third Great Ninja War, Tsunade, paralyzed by hemophobia, was unable to fight, Orochimaru was slaughtering enemies at the front lines, yet Jiraiya had no record of participating in battle.
Even when Konoha was besieged by the Four Great Shinobi Villages, there was no sign of intervention from Mount Myoboku's toads.
Only the "Yellow Flash" provided a momentary glimmer of hope.
Jiraiya had time to mentor Nagato for years, time to write three volumes of perverse literature compiled from peeping at bathhouses, yet somehow, he never found a spare moment to return to Konoha…
Busy? Or just avoiding it? Who knows?
A man who placed blind faith in a toad's prophecy and devoted his entire life to its pursuit—Fuma saw no need to reason with such a zealot.
Talk to him about unifying the ninja world, and he would argue about the inescapable chain of hatred.
Talk to him about the Uchiha clan fighting for their rightful place, and he would lecture about the "Will of Fire" and the necessity of sacrifice.
After all, this was a man who could write 'The Tale of the Gutsy Ninja' while obsessively chasing the 'Child of Prophecy'—a true split personality.
What was the point of debating with him?
Just fight.
And if he couldn't be reasoned with—kill him.
...........
"Gamabunta, are you alright?" Jiraiya asked worriedly. The usually intimidating, yakuza-like toad looked pale, seemingly overwhelmed by fear.
"Jiraiya… who is that guy? His power is terrifying!" Gamabunta ran a hand over his waist, still shaken. He could distinctly feel that Fuma's kick carried no killing intent—otherwise, his spine would have been shattered.
"That man… he's the head of the Uchiha clan, named Fuma. I'm sorry, Gamabunta. I shouldn't have summoned you without thinking it through."
Jiraiya placed a hand on the summoning seal on Gamabunta's body and muttered, "If you feel it's too dangerous, you can surrender. I might have to call in Lord Fukasaku and Lady Shima."
Gamabunta solemnly nodded. "That guy… has the aura of the Box of Ultimate Bliss. That's an extremely dangerous artifact for the entire ninja world. We need to call in Father and Mother to confirm it!"
"There's more to this?" Jiraiya's eyes widened in shock. His tone grew urgent. "I knew something was off about his power…"
The conversation between Jiraiya and Gamabunta was not discreet. Minato, standing nearby, heard everything clearly but chose not to interrupt.
'What kind of summon is this? Why does it act like it can interfere in human affairs? Is this what the Three Great Sage Regions are like?'
Minato glanced at Gamabunta and Jiraiya, both looking like they were deeply contemplating the fate of the ninja world, and internally scoffed.
'Tsunade once told me that the Great Slug Sage is a peaceful type who just enjoys gossip.'
'Even the snakes of Ryuchi Cave, who are contracted with Orochimaru, don't seem to meddle in this kind of nonsense. How is there such a massive personality gap between the three Sage Regions?'
A short while later, everyone arrived at Training Ground 39.
Asuma and the others stared at Fuma in shock. Even Kakashi, who was usually calm and collected, failed to maintain his composure—his pupils trembled violently.
They had all just witnessed how a hundred-meter-tall toad had been sent flying in a perfect arc toward them.
For these academy students, encountering a ninja of this caliber was simply beyond comprehension.
"Jiraiya, I think we should skip the student sparring. You and I, as senior shinobi of Konoha, should have a long-overdue match to demonstrate to the juniors."
Fuma glanced at Gamabunta, who was still barely holding on, and shook his head slightly.
Even in his weakened state, Gamabunta would be an insurmountable opponent for young ninjas like Obito, Konan, and Guy. His sheer mass alone made him untouchable.
"Fine, that works for me." Jiraiya nodded, knowing that his plan had already failed.
"No! Fuma-nii, trust me! Konan and I can defeat that monster!"
Obito, full of fighting spirit, raised the Explosive Blade and declared his determination.
Behind him, Konan also nodded firmly.
"Is that so… Jiraiya, do you have any objections?"
Jiraiya's face darkened. Channeling chakra into his fingertips, he forcibly released the summoning seal on Gamabunta, his voice low and resolute.
"Then let's begin."
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