86-90

Chapter 86: The True Eye of the Evil God

“Uh, I’m really sorry about that,” Uzuki Yugao said, her face flushed as she addressed Kakashi.

The faces of their other comrades were equally grim. After all, under the influence of that overwhelming power earlier, they had lost control of themselves.

Kakashi shook his head lightly and said, “Don’t worry about it. It was nothing more than an illusion used by the enemy—not reality.”

Fixing his Sharingan on the sky above, he continued, “Rather than dwelling on something so inconsequential, think about how we’re going to handle the situation in front of us.”

“What... is going on?”

Uzuki Yugao and the other awakened Konoha ninja stared at the scene before them, their faces filled with disbelief.

Even though everyone present was considered an elite ninja of Konoha, the sight before them was impossible to accept.

The entire village—tens of thousands of people—was smiling as they decapitated themselves, letting their spurting blood and escaping souls be drawn by an unknown power toward the blood-red moon in the sky.

The cawing of crows filled the air, an ominous herald of hell’s gate opening.

But to the souls bound by fear, that blood moon was the doorway to the divine realm. The crows’ calls were a joyous serenade, and the rivers of blood were the god’s guidance.

Everything was proceeding flawlessly.

As long as they reached the divine realm, disaster, terror, and misfortune would never afflict them again.

In this grotesque ritual, countless streams of blood converged like an inverted firework, flowing into the single eye of Ken Kaneki.

A doomsday-like aura radiated from that solitary eye, dyeing the entire night sky a crimson red.

“Captain, what do we do?”

Hayate Gekko turned to Kakashi, his voice trembling.

Kakashi’s presence was their greatest source of strength. As the leader of this mission, it was up to him to make the call.

Feeling the weight of his comrades’ gazes, Kakashi’s heart grew heavier.

He didn’t want to abandon the mission, but the memory of the illusion he had just experienced made his hands tremble uncontrollably.

He had seen his father, the girl he had been forced to kill on the battlefield, and his deceased friend’s disappointed gaze.

“Rin... Obito...”

“Kakashi-senpai?”

Uzuki Yugao tapped Kakashi on the shoulder, snapping him out of his daze.

“Captain, are you all right?”

Hayate Gekko’s concern was palpable. If even Kakashi faltered, what chance did they have?

Luckily, Kakashi wiped the sweat from his brow and regained his composure.

*Was it because I stared at that eye for too long?*

Quickly analyzing the situation, Kakashi realized the truth. None of his comrades were affected—only he had succumbed to an illusion because of his prolonged observation with his Sharingan, attempting to find its weakness.

*That was close. If I had been alone, it would have been over.*

“That eye casts genjutsu on anyone who stares at it. Be cautious,” Kakashi warned as he pulled his headband down to cover his Sharingan.

The others quickly averted their gazes, no longer daring to look directly at the monstrous eye.

“From here on, the mission is canceled. Everyone, retreat immediately. This is beyond what we can handle,” Kakashi ordered decisively. If they stayed any longer, survival itself would be at stake, let alone completing the mission.

“Understood.”

None of the nine present voiced any objections.

Wasting no time, Kakashi summoned a pug bearing the Konoha forehead protector.

“Kakashi, this...?”

Pakkun sniffed the air upon arrival, nearly gagging on the overwhelming scent of blood. Then, looking up at the sky, he let out a startled yelp. “Kakashi, what is this?”

“There’s no time to explain,” Kakashi said quickly. He recorded the critical information on a scroll and handed it to Pakkun.

“Pakkun, I’m entrusting this intel to you. Take it back to the village.”

Recognizing the gravity of the situation from Kakashi’s stern expression, Pakkun bit down on the scroll and nodded. “Got it. Leave it to me.”

Kakashi gave him a nod of gratitude before releasing the summoning. With Pakkun carrying the intel, even if they didn’t make it back, Konoha would learn of the events here.

“Good thing that thing doesn’t seem to affect space,” Hayate Gekko remarked with relief. Otherwise, getting the intel back would have been impossible.

“Enough chatter. Let’s move!” Uzuki Yugao urged, her voice laced with anxiety. She couldn’t stand another minute in this place.

“Right.”

Kakashi gave a sharp nod, signaling the retreat with a Konoha-specific hand code.

But just then, the eye in the sky, now saturated with blood, began to expand erratically.

It grew like a cancer, with no discernible purpose or form, its blood-covered sclera pulsing grotesquely.

The air grew heavier, suffused with an apocalyptic aura, making it almost impossible for the group to breathe.

“Faster!” Kakashi barked, abandoning caution.

Behind them, the grotesque eye continued its grotesque transformation. A massive fleshy orb with blood-red wings had replaced the moon, its jagged veins radiating like cracks across its surface.

The horrifying presence was suffocating, dredging up memories of terror that seized everyone’s minds.

“It’s noticed us.”

Kakashi turned back, the massive blood-red eye staring down at them like a god.

Without hesitation, he hurled shuriken to wound his comrades, the pain snapping them out of their fear-induced paralysis.

“I’ll stay behind to hold it off. The rest of you, scatter and escape. Don’t look back.”

Kakashi’s words left no room for argument.

The others, though reluctant, followed their training and fled in different directions.

Left alone, Kakashi uncovered his Sharingan again. Plunging a kunai into his arm, he steeled himself to stay alert and assess the battlefield.

(End of Chapter)  

Chapter 87: Jiraiya Appears!

Unable to stare at this creature for long, Kakashi knew he had to finish the fight quickly!

The terror grew even more intense as Kakashi prepared himself.

From the enormous, eerie eyeball sprouted countless spiked, thick tendrils, lashing out to engulf Kakashi.

The moment he tracked the monster's movements with his Sharingan, Kakashi immediately used the Body Flicker Technique to escape.

As expected, the tendrils tore the earth apart, leaving behind massive fissures—a scene akin to mountains crumbling and the ground splitting.

"This kind of monster... it's unreal," Kakashi muttered as he dodged frantically, uncharacteristically helpless in the face of such a foe.

Never in his career had he encountered anything like this.

Not only was the creature gigantic, but its tendrils lashed out at incredible speeds, and its body constantly emitted an aura of illusory mental attacks. A moment's lapse in concentration would leave him paralyzed by fear.

This made Kakashi hesitant to rely too much on his Sharingan to analyze its movements.

The tendrils struck wildly, ripping open the earth wherever they landed, creating deep chasms.

Finally, adapting to the enemy's attack rhythm, Kakashi appeared atop one of the tendrils with a Body Flicker.

“Chidori!”

Without hesitation, he unleashed his most powerful technique.

With a thunderous roar, terrifying lightning enveloped his hand as his body transformed into a flash of light, streaking along the tendril toward the giant eyeball in the sky.

Kakashi knew attacking the tendrils was futile; only by destroying the main body could he secure victory.

His speed reached its peak under the stimulus of Lightning Release chakra.

But the creature was no sitting duck. It thrashed its tendrils violently, attempting to shake Kakashi off.

Failing that, more tendrils swarmed toward him, aiming to crush him where he stood.

Kakashi was forced to rely on his Sharingan to track their movements, ignoring the blood streaming from the corners of his eyes.

Through the Sharingan, the tendrils' attacks played out in his mind, and he used his unmatched speed to evade them. Like a bolt of zigzagging lightning, he raced toward the eyeball.

Just as Kakashi was about to strike, the tendrils suddenly sprouted countless spikes, forcing him to leap into the air to avoid them.

In midair, a massive shadow loomed over him as tendrils descended with a deafening crash.

With no room to dodge, Kakashi was struck directly. His body dissolved into smoke—just a shadow clone.

On another tendril, a scroll unfurled, revealing Kakashi's true form. He reappeared, lightning blazing in his hand as he thrust toward the eyeball.

Compared to the creature's massive frame, the eyeball resembled a dark, bottomless lake.

Kakashi clearly saw a glint of mockery within the pitch-black pupil—a look akin to a lion ignoring a hyena's futile defiance.

Suddenly, a scarlet pupil flared with a terrifying spiritual pressure. Visions of his deceased father and comrades flooded Kakashi's mind.

“Rin…”

Snapping back to reality, Kakashi realized the chakra in his hand had vanished. Instead, a massive tendril loomed before him.

Smack!  

As if swatting a fly, the tendril sent Kakashi hurtling through the air.

Boom!  

Kakashi crashed like a high-speed cannonball, demolishing a house and leaving a crater in the ground.

Even though he had reinforced his body with Cakra before impact, the blow nearly shattered him.

Cough… cough…  

Bright red blood seeped from beneath Kakashi’s mask. Multiple internal organs had shifted, and several ribs were broken.

Exhausted from using so many jutsu, his chakra was nearly depleted. There was no hope left.

At the outskirts of the village, a black-and-white figure clad in a red cloud-patterned cloak emerged from a crack in the wall.

“What a terrifying creation. Kaneki always manages to produce such unimaginable things,” White Zetsu remarked, staring at the giant eyeball in the sky.

Black Zetsu nodded. “It seems he might actually fulfill his promise to Nagato.”

With just three or four of these creatures, any ninja village would face immense trouble.

As they spoke, a swirling vortex appeared beside them, and a masked man with tiger stripes stepped out silently.

“If possible, we should recruit him to our side,” the man, known as Tobi, commanded, adopting a leader’s tone.

White Zetsu quipped, “Oh my, you’ve taken quite a liking to this guy, huh?”

Ignoring the comment, the masked man gazed at the battlefield in silence.

“It’s over…”

Lying helplessly in the rubble, Kakashi’s body was soaked in blood. As the massive tendrils descended again, he lacked the strength to resist.

But maybe that was for the best. He had no attachments left.

Rin and Obito must be doing well in the Pure Land…

Just as despair consumed him, a massive explosion of smoke erupted nearby.

A sharp blade of light carved an arc through the air, slicing the tendril clean in half!

“What is…”

Kakashi’s eyes widened in shock. The enormous figure that had cut the tendril was familiar—a giant red toad smoking a pipe!

Standing on the toad’s back was a man with white hair, wearing a red vest and wooden sandals. Grabbing Kakashi, the man leapt to the toad’s head with a Body Flicker.

“I’ve got to say, giving up like that isn’t your style, Kakashi.”

Kakashi gave a bitter smile. “Thanks, Jiraiya-sama.”

The white-haired man smiled brightly. “Don’t worry. Leave this to me.”

The monster roared in rage at the loss of one tendril, unleashing another wave of terror.

Jiraiya frowned as unpleasant memories surfaced, but he quickly clasped his hands together to steady his mind.

“Gama-Bunta, let’s create some distance.”

“Got it,” replied the giant toad, using its powerful legs to leap away from the monster.

Moments after they left, four or five tendrils slammed down, obliterating the area.

(To be continued...)  

Chapter 88

“Jiraiya, why did you provoke such a monster? Is this really a creature from the Shinobi World?”

Gamabunta grumbled while frantically dodging the tentacles attacking him.

A massive eyeball with two pairs of wings and countless writhing tentacles—such a bizarre creature was likely something even the elders of Mount Myoboku, who had lived for millennia, had never encountered.

What’s worse, the tentacles moved with astonishing speed. Even for Gamabunta, a battle-hardened toad renowned for his agility and leaping ability, this opponent was proving difficult to handle.

Jiraiya’s face was equally grim.

Unlike his usual carefree demeanor, Jiraiya’s mind was sharp and perceptive.

What worried him wasn’t just the monstrous creature before them but what it represented.

The Shinobi World seemed to be brewing an unknown and ominous crisis.

“Quit complaining, Bunta. Let’s go with that move,” Jiraiya said firmly.

Gamabunta wasn’t truly upset. Having fought alongside Jiraiya for so many years, there was hardly an opponent they hadn’t faced. Though this one was strange, it wasn’t enough to make him retreat.

The giant toad nodded, gathering an immense amount of chakra in his mouth. In an instant, he spewed a torrent of refined oil!

Jiraiya also got serious, weaving hand signs and shouting, “Fire Release: Toad Oil Flame Bomb!”

The flames from Jiraiya’s mouth ignited the oil mid-air, creating a blazing inferno that surged toward the sky!

Several tentacles aimed at them were instantly engulfed, emitting a nauseating burnt odor.

But that wasn’t all—the flames raced along the tentacles, surging toward the massive eyeball in the sky. Forced to react, the creature flapped its wings, generating powerful gusts of wind to block the advancing fire.

It even shed the burning tentacles to protect its main body from further damage.

“Impressive as always, Jiraiya-sensei,” Kakashi said, his single visible eye finally showing a glimmer of hope.

After all, this was the first time Konoha ninja had gained the upper hand against this creature.

“Of course!” Jiraiya grinned proudly.

“Don’t get cocky, Jiraiya. I doubt this move had as much of an effect as you think,” Gamabunta cautioned.

Jiraiya’s smile quickly faded as the enormous eyeball began regenerating, sprouting new tentacles at the severed points.

Its body seemed to have an uncanny ability to grow and multiply, recovering from any injury almost instantly.

“Well, well, as expected of one of the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya.”

A lazy voice suddenly rang out from above the giant eyeball. A figure clad in a black cloak adorned with red clouds appeared silently.

“Who…?”

Jiraiya’s brows knitted tightly as he stared at the man wearing a tiger-striped mask.

“Be careful, Jiraiya-sensei,” Kakashi warned. “This might be the mastermind behind the Divine Chosen Organization.”

There was no way such grotesque creatures and ghouls could have emerged naturally. Someone had to be orchestrating these events, but their motives were unclear.

Jiraiya nodded. Though he hated intrigue, it didn’t mean he was ignorant of it.

He needed to uncover this person’s identity and intentions.

“May I ask who you are?” Jiraiya asked.

The masked man tilted his head slightly and adjusted his mask.

“Since you’re asking, I suppose I’ll tell you my name.”

A faint glow shone from the single hole in the mask.

“I am… Tobi.”

“Tobi?”

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, clearly doubting the name.

Kakashi’s expression mirrored Jiraiya’s skepticism.

However, the ones most baffled were Black Zetsu, White Zetsu, and the masked man hiding at the edge of the battlefield.

Feeling the resentment emanating from the nearby masked man, White Zetsu hesitated before cautiously whispering, “Uh… that guy has the same name as you. And his mask… kinda looks like yours.”

Black Zetsu: …

Tobi: …

After a long, awkward silence, the real Tobi finally spoke. “It seems our new ‘friend’ has quite the sense of humor.”

“Tobi, huh?”

At this point, Jiraiya no longer cared whether the name was real or fake.

He straightened up and said sternly, “If this monster has caused so much harm, why not leave it to Konoha to deal with?”

Naturally, Tobi—no, Kaneki—had no intention of agreeing.

After all, this creature wasn’t just any experiment; it was one of his most important research subjects: The Apostle of Fear, the Eye of the Evil God.  

If the Apostle of Desire manipulated human desires to lead them into worshiping the evil god, sacrificing their bodies and souls, the Apostle of Fear exploited their deepest anxieties.

Fear of the unknown future compelled them to surrender everything, embracing the evil god completely.

Compared to his earlier experiments, Kaneki now had far greater mastery over the manipulation of souls.

For Kaneki, the Apostles themselves weren’t the primary goal—the data and techniques gained from the experiments were what truly mattered.

Only with enough data could he unravel the truths of this world.

As for pretending to be Tobi?

Well, he was already part of the Akatsuki. Letting them take the blame seemed perfectly reasonable.

And who was better suited for that than Tobi, the perpetually masked enigma?

After all, no one really knew what was under Tobi’s mask. Who else could be the scapegoat?

Worst case scenario, Tobi could just change his mask later.

“Don’t you think your demand is a bit rude?”

Kaneki spread his hands and continued, “This creature is an important experimental subject of mine. Handing it over to Konoha would be a significant loss for me.”

Faced with Kaneki’s refusal, Jiraiya found himself at a crossroads.

He had two options: retreat with Kakashi to Konoha, the safest course of action, or engage in battle to uncover the mysterious man’s secrets.

Jiraiya chose a middle ground.

He summoned a toad with orange skin and black markings—Gamakichi’s father, Gama Chū—and unceremoniously stuffed Kakashi into its mouth.

“Gama Chū, take Kakashi to Mount Myoboku.”

“Wait, Jiraiya-sensei—” Kakashi tried to protest, but Jiraiya promptly dispelled the summoning, sending Gama Chū and Kakashi to Mount Myoboku.

---

(End of Chapter)  

Chapter 89: The Toad Brothers

"Lord Jiraiya really is as bold as he is skilled," Kaneki remarked, looking down at Jiraiya. "Expending chakra to send your comrades away before the battle begins? That's quite a feat."

Jiraiya grinned, unconcerned, and replied, "Don't worry, I’ve got plenty of chakra left—enough to deal with you."

As if to prove his point, he clapped his hands together and summoned once more.

Two massive plumes of smoke erupted on either side of him. Jiraiya had called forth two more summoning beasts.

The one on the left had purplish-red skin, dressed in a samurai outfit, wielding a spiked iron trident in one hand and a white, hat-shaped shield in the other.

On the right was a blue-skinned toad with two katana strapped to its back. Arms crossed and posture aloof, it gave off the air of a dual-sword-wielding swordsman.

"Jiraiya? Summoning us in the middle of the night—what’s the deal?" asked the purple-red toad, Toad Ken, the first to speak.

"Hmm? Big Brother Bunta is here too," Ken noted, narrowing his pale yellow eyes at the monstrous figure hovering in the sky. "This opponent doesn’t seem simple."

The blue toad also noticed the enemy, gripping the hilts of its swords as its expression turned serious and cold.

"Ken, Hiro, I’m counting on you," Jiraiya said with a cheeky grin.

"Counting on us, huh? But your face doesn’t show the slightest hint of regret for calling us," Toad Ken quipped bluntly.

Bunta, the largest of the three, bit down on his enormous pipe and said sternly, "Stay sharp. This enemy isn’t ordinary."

Hearing this, both Toad Ken and Toad Hiro quickly composed themselves.

Normally, Jiraiya would summon just one toad for assistance. The fact that he had called all three brothers at once meant the opponent was formidable.

As they laid eyes on the bizarre, gigantic eyeball floating in the sky, both Hiro and Ken realized their instincts were spot on.

"Toads from Mount Myoboku, huh?"

Kaneki raised a hand, casually rubbing his mask.

Back at the Akatsuki base, he had acquired significant intelligence about the ninja world from White Zetsu, including details about the man before him.

During the Second Great Ninja War, this man—one of the legendary Sannin, acknowledged by Hanzo the Salamander—had earned the title alongside Orochimaru and Tsunade.

One of Jiraiya's signature techniques was summoning toads from the sacred land of Mount Myoboku to aid in battle.

White Zetsu's reports had documented this in detail: these summoning beasts all hailed from Mount Myoboku.

"In that case, let’s see if your toads are stronger than my apostles," Kaneki said with a faint smile.

Despite the impending battle, he seemed entirely unfazed. Instead, he looked intrigued, as if testing Jiraiya's strength was part of an experiment.

Responding to Kaneki’s will, countless tentacles lashed out, surging toward the enemy.

"I’ve got this!"

Toad Ken took the lead, blocking the oncoming tentacles with his shield. As he held them off, Toad Hiro leapt over Ken’s head, crossed his swords, and sliced the tentacles clean off.

Meanwhile, Bunta gathered chakra and unleashed a torrent of sticky toad oil.

"Let’s go! Fire Style: Toad Oil Flame Bullet!"

Jiraiya spewed fire, igniting the oil into a searing inferno that surged toward Kaneki.

The intense heat distorted the air as flames raced up the tentacles.

Jiraiya's eyes gleamed. Against such a large opponent, summoning creatures of equal size was the best strategy.

It was clear his tactics were working.

Facing the relentless attacks of the three toads, Kaneki was forced to abandon his tentacles.

"As expected of one of the Legendary Sannin," Kaneki remarked.

Instead of anger at being pushed back, he seemed pleased, even smiling.

An experiment was only worthwhile if the subject posed a challenge.

Raising two fingers, Kaneki performed a summoning jutsu.

"Summoning Jutsu: Apostle of Desire."

A massive shadow descended from the sky like a meteorite.

"What is that?"

Jiraiya's eyes widened as he stared at the rapidly enlarging shadow.

Fortunately, the three toads reacted quickly, leaping away with powerful jumps the moment it appeared.

Boom!  

A grotesque mountain of flesh crashed to the ground like a meteor, its impact obliterating everything in its vicinity.

The once-thriving village of Yugakure was reduced to ruins in an instant.

"Are all his summons this grotesque?"

Jiraiya muttered, unable to hide his disgust at the towering monstrosity.

Although Kaneki’s previous Apostle of Desire had self-destructed, he had since created a new and improved version.

The energy cost? That was a question for their great Lord Jashin.

Gone was the amorphous blob of flesh. The new Apostle resembled a demonized Boggart—a massive, grotesque mountain of flesh covered in twisted, human-like faces and radiating a blood-red aura.

Its size dwarfed the three toads combined.

"This big guy is yours," Bunta commanded his brothers. "Jiraiya and I will handle the one up top."

"Understood," Ken responded firmly. He and Hiro each took a side, advancing toward the fleshy mountain.

Before they could launch their attack, every face on the monstrous Apostle opened its mouth Kanekiltaneously.

"Praise my lord!"

A deafening soundwave erupted, flinging the two toads backward. The sonic blast carried a psychic force that left them writhing in pain.

"It’s a sound-based genjutsu!"

Jiraiya swiftly used a secret technique to seal off his hearing.

He then clasped his hands and sent his white hair shooting out like ropes, grabbing the two fallen toads and injecting his chakra into their bodies to disrupt the genjutsu.

"This is tougher than I thought," Jiraiya admitted, his expression grim.

He glanced at Kaneki, who stood watching with an amused expression.

The enemy’s arrogance infuriated Jiraiya.

Toad Hiro quickly recovered, shook his head, and used his sword to slice off a section of Jiraiya’s hair. He then stuffed the hair into his ears.

"That should take care of it. Jiraiya, go on ahead. We’ve got this," Hiro said with a determined look.

Ken nodded in agreement.

Even toads have their pride.

(Chapter End)

*Chapter 90: Me, Jiraiya, Making My Exit!*

Jiraiya nodded heavily toward the two giant toads. Gamabunta immediately carried Jiraiya around the fleshy mountain and charged directly toward Kaneki.

"Gamabunta, one more time."

Jiraiya's gaze locked onto the giant eyes above, flickering with contemplation, as if he had a plan.

Gamabunta nodded in understanding. Despite sealing off his hearing, years of camaraderie allowed him to discern Jiraiya's intent.

"Fire Release: Toad Oil Flame Bullet!"

Once again, a torrent of toad oil combined with Jiraiya's fire, creating a massive sea of flames surging upward.

"The same trick again?"

Kaneki lightly pressed his mask. This time, he refrained from using the tendrils of the Eye of the Evil God.

After all, Jiraiya's fire release posed a significant counter to the tendrils.

At Kaneki's command, countless crystalline shards emerged from the flesh of the demonic eye, descending like a torrential rainstorm.

The crystal rain swiftly dismantled Jiraiya and Gamabunta's combined attack, revealing Gamabunta's massive figure.

Spinning his ninja blade, Gamabunta intercepted the incoming crystals. Sparks erupted as the shards clashed with the blade's edge.

"Jiraiya, it's up to you now."

Though Jiraiya couldn't hear him, Gamabunta silently vowed in his heart.

With that, he poured all his strength into his arms and hurled the ninja blade with all his might!

The spinning blade effortlessly sliced through the air, cutting down the oncoming crystals with a sharp whistle as it hurtled toward Kaneki.

Kaneki squinted slightly as a thick, dark-red centipede tail emerged rapidly from under his loose black cloak, forcefully deflecting the incoming blade into the sky.

The impact from the tail left Kaneki's arm slightly numb.

The ninja blade soared through the air, and with a loud crash, smoke erupted. From within the smoke, Jiraiya's figure emerged.

Fixing his gaze on Kaneki, Jiraiya completed his hand seals with lightning speed.

"Ninja Art: Wild Lion's Mane Technique!"

His white hair extended rapidly, cascading down like a waterfall.

Seeing this, Kaneki manipulated his centipede tail to coil around himself, forming a protective shell over his body.

Jiraiya seized the opportunity to ensnare Kaneki tightly with his elongated hair.

"Got you!"

He stared intently at the bound Kaneki. The strands of hair, infused with a significant amount of chakra, were tougher than steel wires, making escape through brute force nearly impossible.

Even so, Jiraiya remained vigilant.

Never relax until the enemy is confirmed dead—that's a basic rule of being a ninja.

Sure enough, a black swarm of insects suddenly emerged beneath the hair's coverage, surging toward Jiraiya's feet.

"Insects? Reminds me of the Aburame clan."

The peculiar ability immediately brought to mind Konoha's Aburame clan.

Although he wasn't sure what these insects could do, Jiraiya knew better than to underestimate them.

Without hesitation, he formed hand seals and exhaled a blazing fire curtain to block the approaching insects.

Of course, Kaneki wouldn't attack from only one direction. More insects swarmed in from all sides, leaving Jiraiya no choice but to retreat.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Kaneki merged into the apostle beneath him, reemerging right below Jiraiya.

A crimson scaled tail shot out like lightning, piercing Jiraiya's chest in a flash of surprise.

Unfortunately, it was just a shadow clone.

The real Jiraiya had used the fiery curtain as cover to retreat to a safe distance.

"Your abilities are truly bizarre."

Jiraiya regarded Kaneki with a solemn expression.

This opponent’s genjutsu, ninjutsu, summoned creatures, and battlefield instincts were all among the best he'd ever encountered.

Most troubling, though, was Kaneki’s utterly unique ability, unlike anything Jiraiya had seen or heard of in the ninja world. This made it nearly impossible to devise a counterstrategy.

"To earn such a compliment from Lord Jiraiya is truly an honor," Kaneki replied.

With that, Kaneki unleashed all his kagune—armor, tail, scales, and wings—entering full kakuja mode and charging at Jiraiya amidst a swarm of kagune.

"After testing ninjutsu, you're ready to try taijutsu with me?"

Jiraiya drew a kunai, seemingly understanding Kaneki's intent.

This battle wasn’t just about testing Kaneki's abilities. Kaneki was also probing Jiraiya’s skills.

The two clashed at incredible speed, engaging in fierce combat.

Kaneki wielded the black wings on his back like massive blades, while Jiraiya countered with the Wild Lion’s Mane Technique.

Jiraiya's taijutsu prowess was formidable.

Even with the help of his kagune, Kaneki found it hard to gain an advantage.

As impressed as Kaneki was, Jiraiya was equally astonished.

Strong genjutsu and ninjutsu were one thing, but this opponent was also highly skilled in taijutsu.

This left Jiraiya both surprised and deeply wary.

Amidst the intense battle, a faint voice emerged from beneath Kaneki’s tiger-striped mask.

"That’s enough probing, Lord Jiraiya."

Jiraiya then noticed several black insects crawling through his white hair.

Moments later, the insects began to swell violently, releasing a fiery explosion that engulfed everything in flames.

Kaneki reappeared from the apostle's body, calmly surveying the battlefield.

As the smoke from the explosion cleared, Jiraiya’s figure reemerged.

He no longer looked as imposing as he had when the battle began. His clothes were singed, and his face was smudged with soot.

"Didn’t expect to fall for that one."

Despite using the Wild Lion’s Mane Technique to defend himself, Jiraiya still ended up scorched and battered.

"If Tsunade saw me like this, she’d definitely mock me."

Wiping his face, Jiraiya turned to Kaneki with a serious expression.

"This round is yours. Let’s meet again sometime."

In short, he had gathered enough intel and decided that continuing the fight might not end well—time to retreat.

With that, the three toads holding off the apostle disappeared in puffs of smoke, and Jiraiya himself vanished using reverse summoning.

Watching Jiraiya disappear, Kaneki lightly adjusted his mask.

"Escaping to Mount Myoboku, huh?"

"Fine by me."

(End of Chapter)