In this round of combat, Ye Zi was at a disadvantage.
At this moment, Tsunade broke free from the lightning clone's restraint and regrouped with Jiraiya.
During her struggle to escape, she had observed the clash between Jiraiya and Ye Zi, leaving her deeply unsettled.
The sheer power of Jiraiya's Sage Mode, Ye Zi's decisive countermeasures, and his ability to slice through such a powerful Fire Release in a single stroke, all of it made her acutely aware of the gap between them.
Without Jiraiya, she knew she couldn't defeat Ye Zi. Even now, the outcome remained uncertain.
Ye Zi didn't pause for long. He realized that this battle needed to end quickly, or his chakra reserves would run out.
Summoning immense willpower, he endured the pain coursing through his entire body. Releasing his grip on Chijin, he pressed both hands against the ground.
Wood Release: Sealing Prison!
The ground beneath Jiraiya and Tsunade erupted as four wooden walls rose simultaneously. As they reached a certain height, the tops of the walls extended horizontally, forming beams that sealed Jiraiya and Tsunade inside.
Compress!
Ye Zi's eyes turned cold as he activated his technique. Rising swiftly, he grabbed Chijin and dashed toward the rectangular wooden prison.
The sealed wooden structure suddenly twisted clockwise like a giant wringing mop.
This Wood Release technique was inspired by the application of Earth Release, trapping the targets inside a confined space and compressing it to crush them into pulp.
However, Ye Zi didn't believe this would be enough to eliminate Jiraiya and Tsunade. The purpose was merely to create an opportunity.
He needed a chance to separate the elder toads from Jiraiya's shoulders, hoping it would disrupt Jiraiya's Sage Mode.
Indeed, the wooden prison wasn't enough to contain Jiraiya and Tsunade.
Without the enhancement of Sage Chakra, the power of Wood Release fell far short of the First Hokage's level.
Boom!
Jiraiya broke through the wooden prison with a Sage Art: Rasengan, escaping with Tsunade.
At that moment, Ye Zi transformed into a streak of lightning, appearing in front of Jiraiya. Chijin transformed into a flurry of blade strikes aimed at Jiraiya, specifically targeting Fukasaku and Shima.
Faced with the barrage of slashes, Jiraiya twisted his body rapidly, dodging all of Ye Zi's strikes. Meanwhile, Fukasaku and Shima remained steadfast on Jiraiya's shoulders, despite the overwhelming pressure, refusing to leave.
This confirmed Ye Zi's suspicion, while also surprising him, Jiraiya, carrying the two elder toads, could still evade his attacks without injury.
As Ye Zi and Jiraiya exchanged blows, Tsunade appeared at Ye Zi's side and threw a punch.
Once again, it was her fists...
Tsunade's superhuman strength made her punches formidable, but against Ye Zi, they were ineffective.
The wind pressure from her punch neared. Ye Zi glanced sideways, spun, and evaded her attack. He raised his arm and slashed upward with his blade.
Slash!
Tsunade's arm was severed on the spot.
She retaliated with a kick aimed at Ye Zi's thigh, but he leapt back to avoid it. Ignoring her entirely, he charged toward Jiraiya. With a flick of his left hand, he hurled two shuriken infused with lightning chakra, targeting Fukasaku and Shima.
The successive attacks made Jiraiya realize that Ye Zi's focus was on the two elder toads. Dodging the lightning-charged shuriken with agile movements, Jiraiya collided directly with Ye Zi.
A fierce gust swept through the area.
Ye Zi, with his exceptional taijutsu and swordsmanship, pressured Jiraiya despite the latter being in Sage Mode.
Tsunade didn't remain idle, periodically assisting Jiraiya. However, her powerful punches couldn't land on Ye Zi, who managed to evade them while maintaining his advantage over Jiraiya.
The speed of their movements left Fukasaku and Shima unable to support Jiraiya directly, as they were busy absorbing natural energy.
As time passed, the frog-like features on Jiraiya's body became more pronounced. His toes had begun to morph into webbed feet.
Noticing these changes, Jiraiya grew anxious. While webbed feet were advantageous for enhancing jumping height and speed when grounded, they reduced agility in the face of Ye Zi's relentless attacks.
"Hm? His movements are slowing down."
Ye Zi noticed the change and seized the moment, thrusting his blade toward Fukasaku's abdomen. His aim was to force the toad off Jiraiya's shoulder, striking at a critical juncture.
"Watch out!" Shima shouted in alarm.
Jiraiya gritted his teeth, planted his feet firmly, and raised his body slightly.
The blade that had been aimed at Fukasaku's abdomen instead pierced Jiraiya's shoulder bone.
Splat!
Blood sprayed into the air.
"Rather get injured than let them separate?" Ye Zi's eyes were icy as lightning coursed through the blade and into Jiraiya's body. However, the paralysis effect was minimal due to Sage Mode.
Ye Zi twisted his wrist, angling the blade upward. He intended to sever Jiraiya's shoulder completely and then strike at Fukasaku.
At that moment, Tsunade's timely support arrived. Her punch struck Ye Zi in the side, sending him flying before he could fully sever Jiraiya's shoulder. Ye Zi tumbled across the ground, rolling a great distance before coming to a stop.
Ye Zi, sprawled on the ground, spat a mouthful of blood. Pain etched across his face as he struggled to rise. The rolling had exacerbated his existing burns, intensifying his agony. Unlike Jiraiya, Ye Zi didn't have the benefits of Sage Mode to dull the pain. His silent endurance was a testament to his steely resolve.
Jiraiya, clutching his injured shoulder, panted lightly. Sage Mode reduced the sensation of pain but didn't completely eliminate it.
"Jiraiya, are you alright?" Fukasaku asked worriedly.
"It's just a scratch," Jiraiya replied, shaking his head. His shoulder was nearly severed, yet he dismissed it as a minor injury.
After sending Ye Zi flying, Tsunade didn't pursue him. Instead, she quickly returned to Jiraiya's side to begin healing him.
In the middle of a battle, every second spent on healing was precious.
Not far away, Ye Zi, enduring the pain, stood up once more and charged toward Jiraiya and Tsunade, refusing to give them any breathing room.
As he dashed forward, he hurled another pair of shuriken, crackling with lightning chakra, at Fukasaku and Shima on Jiraiya's shoulder.
Seeing the incoming shuriken, Jiraiya and Tsunade's faces changed. They immediately halted the healing process and split up to dodge.
At that moment, Ye Zi closed in again, swinging his blade downward at Jiraiya's right shoulder, aiming to sever both Jiraiya's arm and Fukasaku.
"Jiraiya!"
Tsunade stomped her foot, ready to rush to Jiraiya's aid. At that moment, the black markings on her face suddenly disappeared.
This unexpected change caused her to hesitate briefly, her chakra could no longer sustain the Strength of a Hundred Seal.
Faced with Ye Zi's oncoming slash, Jiraiya's expression turned grave. He immediately formed a Giant Rasengan in his palm and pushed it toward Ye Zi. However, Ye Zi's lips curled into a cold smile.
Noticing the disappearance of the black markings on Tsunade's face, Ye Zi withdrew his downward slash. Just as the Giant Rasengan was about to hit him, he stepped to his left and dashed to the right, narrowly avoiding it.
Jiraiya, pressing forward with the Giant Rasengan, realized the change and turned his head to see Ye Zi rushing toward Tsunade. Her Strength of a Hundred Seal had lost its effect.
"He's targeting Tsunade… huh? The Strength of a Hundred Seal is gone?" Jiraiya was startled.
Seeing Ye Zi charging at her, Tsunade's pupils contracted. Without the Strength of a Hundred Seal, she had lost her regenerative abilities and couldn't act recklessly anymore.
Ye Zi had already closed in, his blade thrusting toward her heart with incredible speed.
Tsunade could barely react, managing only a feeble attempt to dodge, but it wasn't enough.
At the critical moment, Jiraiya twisted his arm and unleashed the Giant Rasengan in the opposite direction, generating an explosion.
Using the explosive force to propel himself forward, Jiraiya, at the cost of injuring his arm, reached Tsunade faster than Ye Zi.
Splat!
The long blade pierced just below Jiraiya's left heart.
That strike had been aimed at Tsunade's heart, but Jiraiya had intercepted it.
"Jiraiya!"
"Little Jiraiya!"
Tsunade and the two elder toads cried out in shock.
Ye Zi's expression remained cold as he freed his other hand and drew a kunai, throwing it at Fukasaku.
Blood poured from Jiraiya's mouth, but he reacted quickly. He voluntarily released the Blood Contract Seal, then shrugged his shoulder, tossing Fukasaku into the air to avoid the kunai.
With Fukasaku leaving his shoulder, Sage Mode was deactivated, and Jiraiya lost the ability to suppress his pain. Immediately, his brow furrowed in agony.
At this point, both Jiraiya and Tsunade were in grave danger.
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Currently on Chapter 448 - Contract Seal