More than twenty days passed, and Yōkō awaited Jiraiya's challenge.
Surrounded by Sarutobi Hiruzen, Tsunade, and Orochimaru, Jiraiya had Bunta hold off his opponent while he sat there, absorbing natural energy on his own.
Bunta noticed Fox had no intention of continuing the attack and crouched outside the valley, waiting together for Jiraiya to enter Sage Mode.
After a puff of white smoke, Jiraiya walked out, the two Great Sages perched on his shoulders.
The three of them were muttering something. From a distance, snippets like "Child of Prophecy" and "change the world" could be heard, sounding rather mystical.
Finally, time for the show, Yōkō thought to himself.
"Lord Jiraiya, you're finally ready. Half an hour. I nearly fell asleep."
For some reason, this line hit Orochimaru's funny bone, and he started chuckling strangely.
Jiraiya wasn't provoked. He slowly kicked off his geta sandals.
"Fox, I admit you are strong, but my Sage Mode is not weak either. Let me see just how much skill the Head of Konoha's Anbu truly possesses."
Webbing grew between Jiraiya's fingers and toes. He stomped cracks into the ground and charged at Yōkō.
A powerful roundhouse kick swept towards Yōkō.
However, a two-person-tall miniature Three Worlds Wood Human erupted from the earth.
Jiraiya's kick landed on the wood human's chest with a dull thud, like a wooden mallet striking stone.
Jiraiya stared in horror, seeing the wood human completely unfazed, and hastily retreated.
Looking closely, Jiraiya saw the wood human had long roots extending from its feet into the ground. The force of his flying kick had been transmitted through these roots into the earth, which was why the wood human hadn't budged an inch.
Sage Fukasaku exclaimed, "So that's the Wood Release of the First Hokage. Its durability is incredibly high."
Yōkō placed a hand on the back of the Three Worlds Wood Human, assessing Jiraiya's Taijutsu strength.
Some cracks had formed inside the wood human from the impact, but they quickly repaired themselves due to Wood Release's properties.
In Sage Mode, Jiraiya's strength was top-tier even among Kage-level ninja.
But Yōkō had to put on a show.
"Jiraiya, is this Mount Myōboku's Sage Mode? I have a question. Is Mount Myōboku's Sage Mode the weakest among the three Great Sage Lands? Why can't it even break my wood human?"
Jiraiya still wasn't angry, because he knew his Sage Mode was powerful.
"Sage Art: Hair Needle Senbon!"
Jiraiya dropped to the ground, and the white hair on his back shot forth like a barrage.
A dense, sky-covering storm of hair needles rained down on Yōkō and the wood human.
The wood human could block these attacks, but ending up looking like a porcupine wasn't very appealing.
"Wood Release: Wooden Arhat Technique!"
Curved wooden walls, like a silkworm cocoon, shielded Yōkō.
Thump, thump, thump echoed from outside. A technique like Hair Needle Senbon lacked the power to breach Wood Release.
Jiraiya stared at the porcupine-like wooden arhat and muttered, "Wood Release is too strong. Ordinary techniques can't even break its defense."
The Wood Human Technique could catch Tailed Beast Balls barehanded, and the Wooden Arhat Technique was defensive Wood Release. Jiraiya didn't have many options.
"Then let's do it! One uses oil, one uses wind, one uses fire!"
The trio began forming hand seals, preparing to use the combined Sage Art: Goemon.
At that moment, a voice resounded through the valley.
"Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees!"
Jiraiya lost his footing as countless thick tree trunks erupted from the ground.
The human and two toad sages were fully committed to unleashing Goemon.
However, hidden within the maple tree trunks was a slender Wood Dragon.
Only as thick as an arm, the Wood Dragon coiled around Jiraiya's right leg, waist, and chest.
Jiraiya's chakra drained rapidly.
Yōkō's figure reappeared.
"Goemon? That's the legendary S-rank Fire Release technique. It would be troublesome if you managed to use it."
Vast amounts of chakra were absorbed by the Wood Dragon Technique.
Sage Shima said, "Kid, Mount Myōboku's Sage chakra isn't something you can just absorb as you please..."
Crackle, crackle... The sound of petrification rang out. Yōkō saw the Wood Dragon absorbing Sage chakra and beginning to turn to stone.
Yōkō's expression changed. "So this is Sage chakra..."
Another Wood Dragon descended from his sleeve, swiftly rushing towards Jiraiya to continue restraining him.
Jiraiya complained, "Why does using this Wood Dragon give off Orochimaru vibes? It's so annoying.
Since we can't shake off the Wood Dragon for now, you two, let's absorb natural energy together and produce Sage chakra. Let him experience just how volatile Sage chakra can be!"
Sages Fukasaku and Shima were there precisely to help Jiraiya produce and control Sage chakra. The three of them, unmoving, began extracting Sage chakra.
Vast amounts of natural energy transformed into Sage chakra, only to be siphoned away by the Wood Dragon.
Several minutes later, Sages Fukasaku and Shima suddenly opened their eyes, staring in horror at Fox standing on a tree branch across from them!
"Jiraiya! Stop extracting Sage chakra now! Open your eyes! Look!"
Jiraiya opened his eyes. After extracting Sage chakra for several minutes, he felt not better, but worse.
And across from him, Fox had removed his mask!
Beneath the mask was a face wearing a cloth covering, but Fox's eyes were exposed.
Around those eye sockets were unmistakably the markings of Sage Mode!
What was going on?
Fox absorbed Sage chakra, not only avoided petrification, but also... entered Sage Mode himself?
A voice rang out, causing Jiraiya, Sage Shima, and Sage Fukasaku to stiffen simultaneously.
For a moment, it was hard to tell who should be turning to stone—Fox, who had absorbed Sage chakra, or the rigid Jiraiya and the two Sages...
Yōkō uttered Uchiha Madara's famous line: "So this is Sage chakra. This power... is merely average."
Orange-red markings appeared around Yōkō's eyes. He had directly entered Sage Mode!
Jiraiya was dumbstruck!
Fox absorbed Sage chakra with the Wood Dragon Technique and directly mastered Sage Mode?
Then what did him years of bitter training count for?
What did all the suffering he endured on Mount Myōboku count for?
What did his triumphant return to Konoha count for?
Cold sweat broke out on Sage Fukasaku's toad head. He looked as if he had swallowed a bowl of foul-tasting bug soup, unable to believe what he was seeing.
Sage Mode, Sage chakra—this was Mount Myōboku's most important trump card.
And here was someone who, after absorbing Sage chakra, directly entered Sage Mode in the middle of a battle?
"No!" Sage Shima shouted,
"Your use of the Wood Dragon Technique is as slimy as those stinking snakes from Ryūchi Cave! Did you learn Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode? Are you trying to deceive us?"
Jiraiya and Sage Fukasaku snapped out of their stupor, hurriedly looking at Fox, hoping to hear the answer they desired.
Yōkō raised his hand, gazing at his palm, sensing the power of Sage arts, and said:
"Sage Fukasaku, Sage Shima, don't you even recognize Mount Myōboku's own Sage Mode?
The Sage arts of the three Great Sage Lands all absorb natural energy, but their methods differ. Each of the three has its own emphasis in the application of Sage chakra.
I had always held expectations and fantasies about Sage arts. However, Mount Myōboku's Sage arts have ultimately disappointed me."
***
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(End of Chapter)