Faced with the fully transformed Son Gokū, Jiraiya had no particularly good options.
The large-scale combo ninjutsu he excelled at simply didn't deal enough real damage to a Tailed Beast.
The only technique he had that might actually hurt one was the Big Ball Rasengan.
But to land a Rasengan, he would have to get in close to Son Gokū's magma-covered body. That was the kind of move where you injured the enemy for a thousand and yourself for eight hundred.
After turning it over in his head again and again, Jiraiya came to only one conclusion.
If he wanted to hold Son Gokū back, he would have to use Sage Mode.
Just as he was about to perform the Summoning Jutsu again, a ripple in space slowly spread open beside him.
Then, a pale and elegant hand came to rest on his shoulder.
"Yuzuru?!"
The moment he saw Yuzuru, Jiraiya inexplicably let out a breath of relief.
Son Gokū might have pushed him to the brink, but in front of this man... it probably wouldn't be able to stir up much trouble at all.
His mission was complete.
"Leave the rest to me."
Yuzuru's tone was calm as he slowly walked toward Son Gokū.
He didn't say anything intimidating. He didn't unleash any flashy, powerful ninjutsu.
Because...
His Mangekyō Sharingan would explain everything for him.
The moment Son Gokū saw those scarlet eyes and felt the terrifying Dōjutsu Power spilling from them, its enormous body actually took several steps back on instinct.
It had always been hot-tempered and fearless.
But now, it was completely overwhelmed by Yuzuru's presence.
"Damn it, I knew Jiraiya wouldn't come near us for no reason."
"We should've run the moment we had the chance. We never should've stayed and fought this guy."
Inside the mental world, Rōshi was stunned when he heard Son Gokū's inner grumbling.
"Son Gokū... is this Uchiha Yuzuru really that terrifying?"
"Even you don't have confidence in beating him?"
Son Gokū rolled its eyes and said in a heavy voice, "Let me put it this way. Every instinct in my body has been screaming at me, warning me just how dangerous this man is."
"He's completely different from every opponent we've faced before."
Rōshi snorted. "Scared is scared. Stop dressing it up with excuses. If you don't dare fight, then give the body back to me."
Son Gokū was so irritated by the stubborn old man that it immediately exploded.
"You bastard! We've been together this long, and you still don't understand me at all!"
Rōshi shot back without backing down, "Don't talk like we're friends. At the end of the day, we're just using each other."
"I need your power to protect myself. You need my permission if you want to go outside and breathe fresh air. That's all."
For a moment, Son Gokū fell silent.
"...Fine. I'll give control of the body back to you. Deal with the rest yourself."
As soon as Son Gokū finished speaking, Rōshi felt his consciousness gradually returning.
Before long, he had fully regained control of his body.
"I'd like to see for myself just how much this so-called legendary power the Uchiha are always bragging about—the Mangekyō Sharingan—is really worth."
The mental world and the real world were disconnected, so by the time Rōshi fully took control again, only an instant had passed in reality.
Looking at Yuzuru slowly walking toward him, Rōshi sneered.
"Yuzuru Uchiha, let me see just how strong the man who made Ōnoki submit really is."
As he spoke, his hands moved nonstop through a string of seals.
In an instant, countless molten firestones surged forward like a storm, swallowing Yuzuru whole.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
...
The terrifying explosions rang out one after another. Flames and thick smoke spread everywhere, while dark clouds piled over the sky.
Within a radius of a thousand meters, the landscape looked as if the world had suddenly entered the apocalypse.
Even Jiraiya swallowed hard at the sight, unable to stop himself from worrying for Yuzuru.
"Hahahahaha... die!"
Rōshi's manic laughter echoed from the other side as he continued launching attack after attack into the smoke.
Yuzuru's figure had been completely devoured, nowhere to be seen.
"Yuzuru, be careful! This guy's strong!"
In the end, Jiraiya still couldn't help shouting a warning.
The moment his voice fell, an even more arrogant laugh rang out.
"Jiraiya, don't use your standards to judge the opponents in my eyes."
"They're nothing but grains of sand."
"Not even half of my strength is needed."
"Kamui!"
The next second, it was as if time itself had been paused.
A gust of violent wind swept through, scattering the flames and smoke and revealing the scene ahead once more.
Jiraiya saw it clearly.
Rōshi was being held up by the throat in Yuzuru's grip, his entire face already turning a suffocating shade of blue.
"Sink into the genjutsu of the Mangekyō Sharingan."
Yuzuru muttered softly, and Rōshi's eyes instantly went blank.
He tossed Rōshi to the ground and placed both hands directly on his stomach.
Inside the mental world—
Son Gokū looked at the suddenly appearing Yuzuru, but there wasn't much surprise on its face.
If even it had instinctively felt fear toward this man, then how could Rōshi possibly have stood a chance?
Thinking that, it lowered its voice and said in resignation,
"Uchiha Yuzuru, seal me. I won't resist."
But Yuzuru simply held out his fist.
"Son Gokū. Let's do a fist bump first."
Son Gokū froze for a moment. Looking into Yuzuru's sincere eyes, it finally clenched its fist and bumped it against his.
In that instant, the memories of Shukaku, Kokuō, and Gyūki inside Yuzuru flowed directly into Son Gokū's mind.
Son Gokū's mouth fell open in shock.
The one Sage of Six Paths had prophesied...
Had really appeared?!
"Son Gokū, the day when you Tailed Beasts gain true freedom isn't far away anymore. Just wait a little longer."
Yuzuru's words brought Son Gokū back to itself.
It nodded firmly.
"Lord Yuzuru, please rest assured. I definitely won't cause you any trouble."
"Good. Then I'll seal you into my body for now."
As the number of Tailed Beasts inside Yuzuru increased, there were some things he no longer even needed to explain himself.
The other Tailed Beasts would naturally explain everything for him.
With Son Gokū fully cooperating, it took Yuzuru less than half a day to transfer it from Rōshi's body into his own.
Looking at the still-dazed Jiraiya, Yuzuru said calmly,
"Jiraiya, you've done a great service this time. The village will transfer ten million Ryō into your account as payment."
"And from now on, keep an eye out for the other Tailed Beast jinchūriki as well. If you find any, report it to the village immediately."
Jiraiya nodded.
"Got it."
"Oh, right..." Yuzuru suddenly added. "While organizing ninjutsu recently, I came across a technique called the Telescope Technique. You can have it."
After saying that, Yuzuru tossed a ninjutsu scroll into Jiraiya's hands.
"With this, gathering 'intelligence' should be much more convenient in the future."
Hearing that, Jiraiya instantly broke into a wide grin.
The Telescope Technique...
He'd been coveting that one for ages.
And now, he finally understood a little better why Yuzuru had so many fiercely loyal subordinates.