"Does entering Sage Mode really have to be this troublesome?"
Hatake Kakashi couldn't help but sigh.
He had been considering Sage Mode himself. Now that he had stepped into the Kage Level, the question of how to advance further had become the biggest challenge before him.
If he wanted to move from Kage Level to Strong Kage Level, Sage Mode seemed to be the most viable path.
But from what he could see now, while Sage Mode was powerful, it required a significant amount of preparation time.
Still, it wasn't without solutions. If he had allies to buy him time, that could work.
What truly intrigued him, however, was just how strong one would become after entering that state.
"So it's this complicated?" Tsunade frowned slightly.
She vaguely remembered seeing her grandfather, Senju Hashirama, use Sage Mode when she was young.
Though her memory was hazy, it definitely hadn't seemed this difficult. It felt like he could enter the state almost instantly.
Was it because the Sage Modes of Shikkotsu Forest and Mount Myoboku were different?
In the video, Jiraiya was being relentlessly pursued, forced to flee through Amegakure's pipelines without ever being able to free his hands.
Even though he kept defeating the ferocious beasts summoned by the Animal Path, more kept coming without end.
He had no chance to complete the process.
At that moment, Jiraiya recalled just how exceptional Nagato had been.
Not only had he mastered every jutsu Jiraiya taught him, he could use almost all nature transformations.
Before encountering Namikaze Minato, Nagato had been the most well-rounded shinobi Jiraiya had ever known.
That kind of talent was incredibly rare.
Most shinobi only possessed one chakra nature. Having two was already considered exceptional.
In fact, most only developed a second nature after reaching jonin level, and it was often seen as a prerequisite for reaching that rank.
Nagato, however, had been born with all five.
Even without the Rinnegan, his talent alone would have made him a top-tier genius.
He had excelled in all types of jutsu.
And yet now, he was only using summoning techniques.
Something about that felt off.
Only Jiraiya outside the video understood the reason.
Each of those bodies likely embodied a specific aspect of Nagato's abilities. This one, the Animal Path, probably specialized solely in summoning.
After a long chase, Jiraiya finally reappeared.
This time, everything about him had changed.
He had entered Sage Mode.
Even through the video, everyone could sense it—the difference in his presence, the strange, almost overwhelming energy surrounding him.
Subtle toad-like features had begun to appear across his body.
Aside from Jiraiya himself and Minato, no one present truly understood Sage Mode.
Tsunade's memory of it was too faint, and since Hashirama's death, no one in the Senju Clan had been able to use it.
Just like Wood Release, it had vanished with him.
For Tsunade, this was the first time she had truly witnessed Sage Mode in its complete form.
"So this is Sensei's Sage Mode…"
Minato compared it to his own and came to a quiet conclusion.
His talent in this area surpassed Jiraiya's.
Not only could he enter Sage Mode faster, but he exhibited far fewer toad-like features.
According to the sages, the fewer such traits, the more refined the Sage Mode.
It was a matter of innate talent.
No matter how long one trained, that wouldn't fundamentally change.
Jiraiya's Sage Mode would remain like this even ten years from now.
Minato, however, had already surpassed him after only a short time.
That was simply the difference in aptitude.
In the shinobi world, very few were qualified to learn Sage Mode, and even fewer could master it.
Even among the Legendary Sannin, the other two had failed to do so. Orochimaru's Cursed Seal was, in essence, a compromise born from his inability to achieve Sage Mode.
Watching Jiraiya constantly forced into dangerous situations, Minato couldn't help but feel uneasy.
He had always believed in his teacher's ability to survive.
But Kaede Kitahara had already foretold Jiraiya's death.
That meant any misstep could lead to that outcome.
And so, tension coiled in his chest.
Hidden in the darkness, the invisible Animal Path continued to move, along with the massive chameleon concealing it.
But Jiraiya, now in Sage Mode, radiated confidence.
He felt as if he could do anything.
"Kid, why do you always summon us in places this noisy? No wonder Gamabunta gets mad."
"Well, Jiraiya had his reasons, didn't he?"
"Stop making excuses for him, honestly."
A bickering exchange echoed.
"Sorry to trouble you after so long, Boss, Big Sis," Jiraiya said apologetically.
"But kid, weren't you worried this form wouldn't appeal to women?" one of them teased.
"This isn't the time to worry about that. My opponent has the Rinnegan," Jiraiya replied, his tone serious.
"The eyes of the Six Paths…?"
"So they really exist. Looks like things are pretty dire."
As their voices continued, two small toads appeared on Jiraiya's shoulders.
They wore human-like attire.
Fukasaku and Shima had arrived.
Jiraiya now bore more pronounced toad-like features—his eyes, his nose.
Aside from Minato, who was quite familiar with the two sages, only Tsunade recognized them vaguely.
Others found it unusual, but not entirely surprising.
After all, Jiraiya was known to be a disciple of Mount Myoboku.
Only Uchiha Sasuke found it strange that someone as old as Jiraiya was being called "Kid."
Just how old were these two?
"You should've learned to enter Sage Mode on your own by now, Jiraiya," Fukasaku grumbled.
"Compared to you two, I'm still just a baby. I'll be counting on you for now," Jiraiya said without a trace of pride.
He knew exactly how important they were.
From his earliest training at Mount Myoboku, they had guided him.
No matter how far he had come, he would always lower himself in their presence.
"Alright then, let's go."
Jiraiya leapt down.
The ground trembled beneath him, the impact comparable to a mid-level Earth Release technique.
Everyone could feel it.
In Sage Mode, Jiraiya had reached an entirely different level.
No one understood that better than Tsunade.
The three of them had grown up together, fought side by side, competed with one another.
Among them, Jiraiya had always been the least remarkable.
Orochimaru was a once-in-a-generation genius, and Tsunade herself came from a prestigious lineage with exceptional talent.
They had always been the most promising.
And yet, decades later, both she and Orochimaru had remained at ordinary Kage Level.
She herself might even be considered a weaker Kage Level fighter.
If Kaede Kitahara's terminology of "gatekeepers" applied, she would barely qualify.
Orochimaru, meanwhile, had been completely suppressed by Uchiha Itachi, unable to fully display his strength.
And yet Jiraiya—the one who had once lagged behind—had reached Strong Kage Level.
He had stepped into a realm they could not touch.
Life truly was unpredictable.
Who could have imagined that the underdog among them would be the one to surpass the others?
Tsunade didn't consider it unfair that Jiraiya had relied on Sage Mode to reach that level.
For a shinobi, any means of gaining strength was valid.
Just as her own Yin Seal extended her endurance in battle.
She even found herself wondering whether she should visit Shikkotsu Forest and ask Katsuyu if she could learn Sage Mode.
It had never crossed her mind before.
"So after all that effort, this is what you summoned? Just those two toads?"
The Animal Path observed calmly.
"No… Sensei himself has changed. Hmph. Whether it's Orochimaru or Jiraiya, the Sannin all possess unique powers."
"Then where is that Six Paths eye hiding?"
Fukasaku narrowed his gaze, unable to see the concealed enemy.
"Getting old, huh? Your eyesight's gone," Shima snapped.
"No. He's hiding inside a transparent summoned creature," Jiraiya said, his voice steady.