Explosions continued to roar from the palace gates, where countless ninjas from rival villages were left dead or dying.
Faced with absolute violence, stealth attacks and even the most dazzling array of Ninjutsu techniques proved utterly ineffective.
"Monster—die already!"
A frenzied ninja roared and charged forward, plastering his body with Explosive Tags.
Bei Gongcheng and Kondō stood their ground, not flinching as they took the blast head-on.
As the smoke cleared, everyone stared in disbelief.
"Even a steel golem wouldn't survive that many Explosive Tags," one ninja whispered.
Yet when the smoke finally lifted, what they saw was terrifying.
The two towering figures remained standing like unshakable iron pillars, unmoved by the explosion.
Not a single mark marred their bodies. They stood like immovable mountains.
"A few pathetic Explosive Tags couldn't scratch me."
Bei Gongcheng sneered, crimson steam rising from his entire body like a red cloak draped over him.
Though he didn't know how he had gained such a powerful physique, he clearly understood how to use it.
His Crimson Steam Mode expelled chakra from his body, forming a tough protective layer around him.
"Finished already? My turn now."
With those words, he squatted down before explosively launching himself toward the palace like a released bowstring.
The ninja at the gates turned pale and cried out for defense.
[Earth Release: Mudflow Wall]
[Water Release: Water Encampment Wall]
[Lightning Release: Lightning Cutter Net]
[Sand Cloak Technique]
...
Another wave of jutsu erupted, but this time all were defensive, aimed at blocking Bei Gongcheng's advance.
Inside the palace, the Great Daimyo of the Land of Rice Fields watched the so-called Evil Punisher charging in and tumbled from his seat in sheer terror.
"Stop him! You must stop him!"
A storm of jutsu erupted as wind, water, earth, fire, and lightning clashed to stop Bei Gongcheng—but nothing could slow his advance.
Stone walls, rushing water, sand shields, lightning nets, and flames—all shattered beneath his massive frame.
Like a demon god descended from heaven, unstoppable and unmatched, Bei Gongcheng shattered each feeble defense with relentless punches.
He didn't falter at minor obstacles, striding forward with unstoppable momentum until reaching the palace gates.
Just as he stepped toward the threshold, a commanding voice rang out.
Inside the palace, Jiraiya flashed through Hand Seals and unleashed one of his signature techniques.
[Earth Release: Swamp of Yomi]
In an instant, the ground transformed into soft, muddy swampland, its soil pulling people downward as if gravity itself had intensified.
Before Bei Gongcheng could react, Jiraiya rapidly completed another two techniques.
As the Summoning Technique took effect, a giant frog suddenly appeared atop his shoulder, assisting him in executing his next move.
[Fire Release: Toad Oil Fireball]
The frog spat a huge jet of oil from its mouth that mixed into the swamp, turning the terrain into an inescapable trap.
[Jiraiya's Inferno Bullet], immediately following, came into contact with the toad oil and burst into fierce flames.
The toad oil itself was refined from chakra, and combined with Fire Release, instantly producing an attack of extreme heat.
Moreover, the toad oil spread over a wide area, leaving Bei Gongcheng unable to escape in an instant.
The expert's move was decisive, with instant results.
"No wonder Master Jiraiya is one of the Sannin."
"The Sannin of Konoha are truly impressive. They're just too strong."
Ninjas watching nearby all sighed in relief.
Even ninjas from enemy villages, seeing how seamlessly Jiraiya had trapped the enemy, felt relieved as well.
Many let out sighs of relief, believing this combo ninjutsu should be able to eliminate the opponent.
Minato Namikaze saw that Jiraiya's expression remained serious, so he couldn't help but feel startled, nervously looking toward the flames.
"Master Jiraiya, could it be the enemy isn't dead yet?"
In Minato's eyes, being trapped in such raging flames without any chance of escape, the enemy should have either been charred beyond recognition or suffered grave injuries.
However, Jiraiya shook his head and said, "Minato, you're still young and lack experience fighting enemies."
"Although I've trapped him in fire and can't see clearly what's happening, look at his companions—they haven't shown any signs of panic, meaning this level of damage probably isn't enough to kill him."
Kushina, hearing this, couldn't help but let out an astonished whistle, then followed Jiraiya's gaze toward the other enemy mentioned.
Kondō stood with arms crossed in front of his chest, carelessly watching the raging flames.
Through genetic modifications, their bodies could freely open the Eight Gates while also possessing several special abilities.
A little flame like this wouldn't even come close to killing Bei Gongcheng.
It wasn't even likely to injure him.
After all, their modified bodies had extremely active cell metabolism and rapid regeneration abilities—there was practically no opportunity for injury.
Once attacked, they could recover immediately, even adapting to the harm.
Sure enough, the next moment, a tall and muscular figure emerged from the flames with smooth muscle lines, his skin only slightly reddened, showing absolutely no sign of injury.
"You really live up to your reputation as one of the Sannin, Master Jiraiya. What a fearsome reputation, what overwhelming might!" Bei Gongcheng's gaze burned like lightning as he stared at Jiraiya.
His confidence mainly stemmed from knowing long ago that Jiraiya was among the guarding ninja.
His master had specifically instructed him to measure himself against Jiraiya.
In reality, it was simply a trial—to assess whether he could defeat someone like Jiraiya.
In an instant,
Bei Gongcheng took a deep breath, his chest suddenly pulsing outward. With popping and crackling sounds spreading from his ribcage outward, his entire body resonated like firecrackers going off in unison.
His body swelled again, blazing toward Jiraiya at full speed, lifting his arm as a palm thick with bulging veins slammed forcefully downward toward him.
With a bang!
A thunderous noise erupted as the place where Jiraiya had just stood collapsed into ruins, leaving behind a deep crater on the ground.
Looking up again, everyone saw Jiraiya standing far away.
Minato carried Kushina using the Shifting Body Technique, instantly relocating to another spot.
He knew that neither he nor Kushina were completely out of their league in this battle; the only thing left for them was not to disturb Master Jiraiya.
Minato watched as Professor Jiraiya and his opponent clashed back and forth, his eyes gleaming with a peculiar light.
Such immense power—truly admirable.
When would he possess such overwhelming strength, capable of turning the tide of battle effortlessly?
As the test subject fought against Jiraiya, far away in Konoha, Satori Hyūga stood within The Laboratory, observing the scene unfold.
After investing enormous manpower and funding, the long-range video device they developed functioned quite well.
The battle between the two was clearly visible on the screen, though some moments were too fast for the camera to capture.
Watching the test subject's combat performance as it forced Jiraiya into retreat, Satori Hyūga nodded in satisfaction.
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