Being held back by the Fourth Kazekage and unable to escape, the Third Hokage shouted with urgency, "Jiraiya, quickly go stop Shukaku!"
Just like the Third Hokage, Orochimaru was also locked in a deadlock, unable to move freely, as he clashed fiercely with the formidable Chiyo. Their battle was evenly matched, preventing either of them from disengaging.
Only Jiraiya had an overwhelming advantage. He faced off against Ebizo, and having summoned Gamabunta, the mighty chief toad from Mount Myoboku, he had completely dominated the battlefield. Ebizo stood no chance against such sheer might and had no way of stopping Jiraiya from withdrawing.
Even without the Hokage's command, Jiraiya knew what had to be done. As someone capable of summoning a colossal creature, he was the only one fit to confront a Tailed Beast. Wasting no time, Jiraiya leapt onto Gamabunta's head and set off toward the rampaging monster.
With a thunderous leap, Gamabunta bounded across the battlefield, crossing dozens of meters in a single jump. Within moments, the giant toad vanished from Ebizo's sight, leaving only the sound of rumbling earth in his wake.
Ebizo considered briefly whether to follow the example of his sister and the Fourth Kazekage by attempting to pin down Jiraiya. But reality hit hard—his two remaining puppets were half-destroyed, and there was no way he could keep up with Gamabunta's speed or stop that giant monster.
The battlefield trembled as Gamabunta arrived before the monstrous Shukaku, who was rampaging across the terrain with wild abandon. The moment Shukaku noticed the giant toad, his laughter subsided. A low growl resonated from his chest as he sized up this new challenger.
"This is Shukaku," Jiraiya said solemnly, gripping his cloak tighter against the wind stirred by the massive creature. "One of the Nine Tailed Beasts. Even with just one tail, its power is unimaginable. Stay sharp, Gamabunta."
Gamabunta squinted at the sand demon, tightening his grip on the short sword slung across his back. The blade, enormous like a skyscraper to ordinary men, gleamed as he unsheathed it. Sweat dripped from his huge chin and splashed on the ground, forming steaming puddles.
"He's huge... and the pressure he emits… it's suffocating," Gamabunta muttered. "I don't like this one bit."
Shukaku narrowed his eyes, a twisted grin spreading across his monstrous face. "At last... a worthy opponent. Those insects down there are too easy to crush. But you, toad—you might actually last a few minutes."
Irritated, Gamabunta growled back, "Let's see how strong Shukaku—the so-called weakest of the Nine Tailed Beasts—really is."
Shukaku's expression darkened instantly. "YOU FOOL! The strength of the Tailed Beasts isn't determined by the number of tails! You dare mock me?! Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet!"
With a thunderous slap to his belly, Shukaku unleashed a massive air cannon that hurtled toward Gamabunta.
"Dodge!" Jiraiya shouted instinctively.
Gamabunta launched himself skyward, narrowly avoiding the attack. As he soared, he swung his titanic blade downward toward Shukaku's head. But Shukaku merely raised one hand and caught the strike with ease, the blade barely leaving a mark.
With a malicious grin, Shukaku hurled both Gamabunta and his sword through the air. The two plummeted like meteors, crashing into the earth and narrowly missing both Konoha and Sunagakure shinobi.
Gamabunta grunted, digging his claws into the dirt to slow himself and regain balance. "Damn it... he's stronger than I thought. I dropped my sword."
Before they could recover, Shukaku's voice rang out again: "Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet!"
Three air bullets blasted forth in quick succession.
Gamabunta could only respond with emergency ninjutsu: "Water Release: Water Bullet Technique!"
Two of his water bullets collided with two of the air cannons, resulting in thunderous explosions and torrential water spraying across the battlefield. Shinobi from both villages were soaked as the aftermath of the clash swept across them like a tidal wave.
But one Drilling Air Bullet had not been stopped.
Before Gamabunta could dodge, the attack struck him squarely, sending both him and Jiraiya hurtling backward.
"Gamabunta! Are you alright?" Jiraiya called out, rising shakily from the rubble.
Gamabunta groaned and stood, touching his bruised chin. "Tch… I let my guard down. That Wind Release is packed with chakra. One more like that and I might be in real trouble."
Though unharmed for the most part, the pain sparked fury in Gamabunta. As Shukaku advanced, Jiraiya leapt to action.
"Gamabunta, stall him! I'm going to summon the Two Great Sage Toads and prepare Sage Mode. That may be our only hope."
Gamabunta nodded grimly. "I'll do what I can. But we can't keep this up forever."
As Jiraiya formed hand seals, Gamabunta retrieved his sword and re-engaged Shukaku, this time dancing around the beast with swifter, more evasive movements.
But his attacks continued to bounce harmlessly off Shukaku's dense armor of sand.
High above, from the edge of a broken cliff, Akira—a mysterious shinobi who had been observing silently—watched the unfolding battle with intense eyes.
He had been surprised when Jiraiya summoned Gamabunta. In the original events he remembered, it was Naruto, not Jiraiya, who summoned Gamabunta to confront Shukaku and awaken Gaara.
Back then, Gamabunta had managed to sever one of Shukaku's arms.
"But now," Akira murmured, "Jiraiya and Gamabunta together can't even make him bleed."
Akira's mind raced, and he soon realized the truth. The Shukaku they now faced was larger—far larger than in the past. And more than that, it was not just Gaara partially transformed into a Tailed Beast.
This was the true Shukaku, fully unleashed, empowered by the environment of endless sand that strengthened his form.
The battlefield was no longer in Konoha. The sea of sand beneath them amplified Shukaku's might.
Back then, what Gamabunta slashed wasn't Shukaku's real arm, but a construct of Gaara's chakra. Now, the real Tailed Beast stood before them in full power.
"This is no comparison. The conditions are entirely different," Akira thought. "And that means Jiraiya's about to face his toughest challenge yet."
As Jiraiya continued to focus chakra and ready himself for Sage Mode, the battlefield held its breath, waiting to see whether the Toad Sannin could rise to the occasion—or if Shukaku's wrath would engulf them all.
Canvas
Gamabunta was locked in a savage clash with Shukaku, the immense One-Tailed Beast, and the battlefield trembled beneath their titanic blows. It was a clash of monsters, and strangely enough, Jiraiya—the Toad Sage and one of the legendary Sannin—stood on the sidelines, not casting any jutsu.
It was not like him to remain idle.
Instead, he stood still, hands clasped together in a meditative seal, sweat glistening on his brow as he silently gathered chakra.
Akira, observing from a distant perch, narrowed his eyes. He understood. Jiraiya was preparing his ultimate trump card—Sage Mode. It was a powerful transformation, but Akira doubted its effectiveness in this instance.
Sage Mode was overwhelming when used against humans or ordinary summons, but a Tailed Beast was a different entity entirely. It wasn't just a monster—it was a force of nature. The arts of the Three Great Sage Lands, though mysterious and mighty, did not offer the kind of overwhelming force needed to contend with a bijuu. Especially Mount Myōboku's techniques, which leaned heavily on genjutsu and taijutsu, lacking in destructive ninjutsu.
Akira couldn't help but question whether the Sage Mode would truly make a difference.
Tailed Beasts were not beings that one could defeat with effort alone. They required overwhelming force, precise sealing techniques, or the power of legendary kekkei genkai—Wood Release, the Sharingan, perhaps a perfect jinchuriki.
The Third Raikage had once fought a Tailed Beast to a standstill, relying on sheer indomitable strength. But he had been a singular titan of a man. Most shinobi, no matter their resolve, could not hope to replicate that feat.
The shinobi of Konoha watched with bated breath. Many didn't understand the vast difference in scale between Gamabunta and Shukaku, but it was clear even to the untrained eye that Jiraiya's summoned beast was losing ground. Every blow from Shukaku shook the earth. Gamabunta, bloodied and exhausted, was slowing down.
Still, Jiraiya didn't move.
He continued his hand seals in silence. The Konoha ninjas, feeling helpless, offered silent prayers. Their only hope was that their legendary Sannin would unveil some miraculous jutsu to save them all.
Gamabunta gritted his massive toad teeth, ribbiting through the pain. He wasn't a bijuu—he was a proud warrior of Mount Myōboku, but even pride had limits when faced with Shukaku's endless chakra.
At last, Jiraiya's preparations reached their climax.
He bit into his thumb, smeared blood across his hand, and slammed it into the ground. "Summoning Technique!"
Two puffs of smoke appeared on his shoulders as the air shimmered with chakra. Fukasaku and Shima, the two elder toad sages, appeared.
They were small—no larger than an average household pet—but their power belied their size. They were second only to the Great Toad Sage, Gamamaru, and their true bodies were enormous. They simply preferred this more practical form.
"Long time no see, little Jiraiya," croaked Fukasaku, his voice both amused and serious. "You must be facing quite the opponent to call us here."
Jiraiya gave a solemn nod. "I need your power. That monster—it's Shukaku. I need to stop him."
The two sages turned toward the hulking mass of sand and chakra. Shukaku stood like a living nightmare, and on his head sat his jinchuriki, Bunpuku, locked in slumber.
Fukasaku frowned. "Shukaku, eh? This isn't something you can fix with Sage Arts alone, little Jiraiya. Tailed Beasts like him aren't vulnerable to our techniques. You'd need sealing jutsu."
"I know," Jiraiya replied, "but look closely—he's already sealed by another method. That boy on his head—he's the jinchuriki. What I'm aiming for isn't to seal Shukaku, but to awaken the medium. If we wake Bunpuku, he'll suppress Shukaku from within."
Shima narrowed her eyes. "Hmm... False Sleep Technique. Shukaku's power is being channeled while Bunpuku's consciousness keeps the beast subdued. But if the jinchuriki sleeps too deeply, Shukaku's full power takes over."
"If I can wake him," Jiraiya said, "we can end this."
The sages gave a curt nod. "Then let's do it."
They began weaving hand seals.
The air thickened as natural energy swirled into Jiraiya's body, aided by the two sages. They were absorbing it for him, maintaining the delicate balance necessary to remain in Sage Mode during battle—a feat few could manage alone.
Jiraiya's features changed. His eyes turned amber with horizontal pupils, his skin mottled slightly, and toad-like warts appeared on his face. The transformation was imperfect—he was still not a complete sage—but even this level of power amplified his physical prowess and perception immensely.
Then, he moved.
With a burst of wind and a crack of displaced air, Jiraiya vanished from his position, dashing toward the rampaging Shukaku. He leapt at the perfect moment—when Gamabunta rose to clash once more with the One-Tail.
Like a streak of lightning, Jiraiya landed on Shukaku's sandy form, darting forward with impossible speed.
Shukaku roared, sensing the intrusion. With a wave of his hand, a wall of sand surged forward to intercept the intruder. But it was too late. Jiraiya's speed under Sage Mode now exceeded even Akira's expectations. He weaved between the rising sand, closing in on Bunpuku.
Akira, watching from afar, tensed.
And then—
Jiraiya reached Bunpuku. Hope surged within him.
He pulled back his fist, chakra surging through his muscles, preparing to awaken the boy with a strike infused with Sage power.
But then—he saw it.
Shukaku's face twisted—not in fury or fear—but in smug satisfaction.
The sand around Bunpuku stirred, reconfiguring in an instant, encasing the boy's body in a sphere of reinforced sand. Mysterious runes crawled across the surface—sealing marks.
Jiraiya's fist slammed into the barrier.
A tiny crack.
That was all he could manage.
The shell regenerated instantly. His Frog Kata—one of the Sage Body Techniques—was ineffective. Worse, his hand throbbed from the recoil.
The sand surged again, trying to bind him. Jiraiya flipped back and barely escaped.
Gamabunta, struggling but still vigilant, reached out and caught his summoner midair, placing him safely back on his head.
Jiraiya landed heavily, panting.
He looked down at his fist, then at Shukaku's now smug expression.
"I failed," he muttered.
Akira closed his eyes. He had known this would happen. The Sage Mode wasn't enough—not against a Tailed Beast that had lived through a thousand battles, had been sealed and unsealed more times than any of them could count. Shukaku had learned. He had evolved.
Now, even Jiraiya had no path forward.
Gamabunta was weakening, each breath labored. He could not hold out much longer. If he disappeared, Jiraiya would be left vulnerable.
Jiraiya clenched his fists. "We need help. Might Guy, Sarutobi-sensei, Orochimaru—someone has to finish their fight and get here before it's too late."
But Akira no longer had the luxury to wait.
The Sharingan in his eyes began to spin. A dark pattern emerged—the Mangekyō.
It was time.
He gave the signal to his clone.
And then, for the first time since awakening that terrifying power, Akira prepared to use the secret technique that even he had feared to unleash.
The battlefield would soon change.