Jiraiya, understanding the capabilities of Tsunade's Strength of a Hundred Technique, had few concerns. He didn't even worry about leaving her to act as cover. Similarly, Ye Zi didn't attack Tsunade, and Jiraiya didn't rush to her aid, both sides knew there was no point. One side understood attacking Tsunade would be futile, and the other knew she wouldn't be in any real danger.
Jiraiya seized the moment, extending his hair, now hardened like iron, to bind Ye Zi.
At the critical moment, Ye Zi raised his blade, Chijin, positioning its edge outward before being entangled in the hair.
"Got him!" Jiraiya exclaimed with a hint of excitement.
Entangled by the hair, Ye Zi frowned, trying to slice through it with his blade. However, due to the lack of space to exert force, the blade failed to cut through.
In truth, the hair was infused with Sage Chakra, making it as hard as iron and difficult to sever. If Ye Zi had space to apply more force, he could have broken free.
When his attempt to cut through the hair failed, Ye Zi instinctively tried brute force to break free, but it was equally ineffective. He then attempted to channel his lightning chakra through the hair to shock Jiraiya, only to find the hair acted as an insulator, completely blocking the current.
Frustrated, Ye Zi's expression subtly shifted. Was this resilience a result of Sage Mode? Was Sage Mode truly this powerful?
It seemed the only way to win was to disrupt Jiraiya's Sage Mode. The key likely lay with the two elder toads on his shoulders.
As this realization flashed through his mind, Jiraiya acted, tightening the hair around Ye Zi in an attempt to crush him. However, the lightning armor around Ye Zi protected him, rendering the effort futile.
"Do it!" Jiraiya called out.
It was time to use the technique proposed by the two Great Toad Sages.
Toad Confrontation Chant!
Fukasaku and Shima nodded, their cheeks puffing as they opened their mouths to emit an ear-piercing croak. The harsh soundwaves reached Ye Zi's ears.
The moment he heard the croaking, Ye Zi winced slightly in pain, his mind vibrating at a high frequency as his nerves trembled.
"Is this... genjutsu?"
While considering his options for escape, Ye Zi began trying to resist the genjutsu. Yet, as the thought occurred, he realized his chakra flow wasn't disrupted.
"It's not genjutsu? No, this definitely is genjutsu but it's directly affecting my mind. But why isn't my chakra out of sync? Could it be based on sound?" Ye Zi forced his eyes open, glaring at the two elder toads producing the sound.
If it was based on sound... A trace of ruthlessness flashed in Ye Zi's eyes as he formulated a countermeasure based on his hypothesis.
"Almost there...!" Fukasaku and Shima thought to themselves, continuing to emit high-intensity soundwaves.
Crackle!
Suddenly, lightning around Ye Zi's ears intensified, emitting a bright glow. A burning smell wafted through the air, and soon the scent of charred flesh followed.
Ye Zi's previously pained expression began to relax as he realized he could no longer hear the soundwaves. Taking advantage of this, he started thinking about how to escape.
For now, his lightning armor could provide temporary protection. Although he had tried increasing his lightning chakra output earlier, it wasn't enough to break the hair. Fire might work, but with his hands restrained, he couldn't form the necessary seals.
There was one technique he could try. Though it was difficult to control and incomplete, precision wasn't necessary in this situation.
Resolute determination flashed in Ye Zi's eyes. Using that technique would break the restraints but also injure himself. At this point, he had no other choice.
The burning smell and the sight of Ye Zi's severely swollen, reddened ears shocked Jiraiya, Fukasaku, and Shima.
The Great Toad Sages immediately stopped the Toad Confrontation Chant.
"Did he use Lightning Release to injure his own ears?" Fukasaku asked, his face filled with disbelief.
Jiraiya's expression grew serious. "That's likely. There's nothing else we can do now."
Although the soundwaves hadn't affected him, Jiraiya had realized early on that this was an auditory-based genjutsu. Ye Zi had decisively sacrificed his hearing to escape its effects.
"This brat is truly ruthless," Shima exclaimed in shock.
Destroying one's ears would indeed negate the Toad Confrontation Chant's effects, but losing hearing was a severe disadvantage in combat.
"Since he's still restrained, let's use Fire Release," Jiraiya suggested. His hands clasped together as he continued channeling Sage Chakra to maintain the binding, while the Great Toad Sages prepared to use ninjutsu.
At this point, the Sage markings on Jiraiya's face were spreading. Except for his nose and mouth, most of his face had turned red, and subtle toad-like features appeared on his hands and feet.
The longer Sage Mode was active, the more pronounced these traits became. However, there was still a long way to go before they reached a dangerous level, so there was no need for concern.
Even if it reached a critical point, Shima or Fukasaku could dissolve the Blood Contract Seal, separating themselves from Jiraiya. This would end the fusion state of Sage Mode. Without the continuous input of natural energy, Jiraiya could instantly convert the remaining natural energy in his body into Sage Chakra, eliminating the toad-like features.
"Don't blame us if the hair gets burned," Fukasaku remarked, forming hand seals.
"You said it," Shima replied, also forming seals.
Their strongest combined Fire Release technique with Jiraiya was the Sage Art: Goemon, a fusion of wind, fire, and toad oil.
Now, with just Fukasaku and Shima, they could only use the combination of toad oil and fire. However, under the influence of Sage Chakra, its power was still terrifying.
Toad Oil Flame Bullet!
Fukasaku spat a stream of toad oil at Ye Zi.
Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet!
Shima followed up with a searing blaze.
The combination of toad oil and fire created a terrifyingly high-temperature flame that engulfed Ye Zi, who was still bound by Jiraiya's hair.
Danger approached!
Ye Zi's eyes suddenly snapped open, and the lightning coursing around his body began to change in color, shifting to an inky, obsidian black.
Due to the ferocious flames obscuring their view, Jiraiya and the Toad Sages didn't notice this transformation.
Pitch-black lightning!
This was the result of Ye Zi experimenting with a combination of Yin Release and Lightning Release, creating a powerful but unstable technique.
Currently, Ye Zi couldn't fully control this black lightning. While it possessed immense destructive power, it also harmed its user, making it a double-edged sword.
If he had any other option, Ye Zi would have avoided using this technique. But in this moment, it seemed like the only way to break free of the restraints.
The raging black lightning, like sharp claws, tore through Jiraiya's hair. At the same time, it caused significant injuries to Ye Zi's body over a wide area.
"Hm? He broke free!" Jiraiya immediately sensed the severing of his hair and alerted the others.
By now, the flames were mere inches from Ye Zi's face. The intense heat preceding the fire had already scorched his skin.
The pitch-black lightning transferred to the blade, Chijin. Ye Zi's brows furrowed in pain as he swung the blade, now wrapped in black lightning, toward the combination of the toad oil and Great Flame Bullet.
Slash!
The flames were split in two!
After cutting through the fire, Ye Zi, enduring the oppressive heat, pressed forward toward Jiraiya. He swung his blade horizontally, aiming to cut through both Jiraiya and the toads' necks in one stroke.
Though Jiraiya had anticipated Ye Zi breaking free, he was still shocked to witness him cleaving through such a powerful Fire Release with a single strike.
Despite his surprise, Jiraiya relied on his Sage Mode perception to leap backward in time, evading Ye Zi's deadly strike.
"So, he dodged."
As the blade missed its target, the pitch-black lightning abruptly dissipated from both the weapon and Ye Zi's body.
Ye Zi twisted his wrist, stabbing the blade into the ground as he dropped to one knee, breathing heavily. His body was covered in severe burns, and he had completely lost his hearing.
These injuries, while severe, were manageable for Ye Zi. The continuous pain was something he was long accustomed to; an ordinary person would have been incapacitated by it.
Thanks to the regenerative power of Hashirama cells, his injuries would begin to heal with time.
Now, he had to figure out how to break Jiraiya's Sage Mode.
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Currently on Chapter 447 - Learning Sealing Techniques