Both Jiraiya and Gamaken were not the real bodies but shadow clones.
At that moment, the bisected Gamaken, its body still gushing blood, suddenly exploded into a thick cloud of smoke, quickly dissipating into the air. At the same time, the once turbulent sea, with its rolling waves, gradually calmed.
At this time, Naruto had already located Jiraiya's true position.
Naruto stared at the sea beneath him. The previously calm surface suddenly bulged, swelling like a balloon.
'It's coming!'
As time passed, the bulge in the sea grew higher, as if some immense force was pushing it from below. A massive trident shot out of the water like lightning, slicing through the air with a sharp whistle, heading straight for Naruto.
This time, Naruto didn't dodge. He raised his right hand, and an enormous sword, as if descended from the heavens, materialized before him!
Then, with the momentum of divine retribution, the sword descended like a streak of light toward the incoming trident.
The colossal sword, carrying an overwhelming force, pressed down on the trident, rendering it immobile. The two collided mid-air with a deafening crash, sparks flying like colliding meteors. Finally, the sword pushed the trident aside and continued its descent into the sea, creating towering waves.
After a while, the sea was dyed red with blood.
Naruto held a small, planet-like black sphere in his hand, two transparent rings pulsating around it. He casually tossed the sphere into the air.
The Uchiha, who had been watching the battle, quickly retreated. Even the stunned Ao was dragged away by Kakashi.
As the sphere fell freely into the sea, it triggered an earth-shattering explosion. The sea erupted into massive waves, as if a furious beast was roaring.
The energy and shockwave from the explosion caused the air to tremble, forming a powerful blast. In an instant, a hemispherical vacuum appeared on the sea's surface, revealing a giant toad. At this time, its eyes rolled back, seeming on the brink of death.
Bang!
Another cloud of smoke erupted as Gamaken's summoning was dispelled, revealing Jiraiya, who had been hiding inside his body.
The tattered white hair that had been wrapped around him slowly retracted, revealing his now bloated figure. His face had drastically changed. The patterns on his face had become more intricate, his nose swollen and covered in tiny bumps, and his eyes had turned frog-like, slightly bulging from their sockets.
He looked utterly inhuman.
On his shoulders sat two green-skinned toads, though they seemed to be arguing.
"This power is truly grotesque, Jiraiya. In this form, you seem more like the one who has fallen."
Naruto's face showed clear disdain. This was why he had tasked Orochimaru with researching Sage Mode. He felt this form didn't even count as human anymore.
'The Land of Waves needed its own Sage Mode.'
Naruto's voice caused Fukasaku and Shima, the two Great Sage Toads, to stop their bickering and turn their attention to Naruto, who is now enveloped in a Tailed Beast Cloak.
Fukasaku, perched on Jiraiya's right shoulder, spoke. "Jiraiya-chan, is this the enemy?"
"Such a terrifying amount of Chakra."
Shima, on the other shoulder, also expressed her awe.
"Yes, he's Minato's child and the Child of Destruction foretold by the Great Toad Sage." Jiraiya's expression was grave.
"Since he's the Child of Destruction, then we must eliminate him." Fukasaku narrowed his eyes.
"We need to finish this quickly. Gamaken's injuries are too severe. I need to get back and tend to him!"
Hearing this, Shima's expression turned serious. She was eager to check on Gamaken. "Jiraiya-chan, you handle the oil. Husband, prepare the Wind Release!"
"Got it!"
Standing in the still-unfilled crater, the trio clapped their hands together, producing a crisp sound. Then, they leaned back simultaneously, their cheeks puffing up as they gathered their energy.
"Sage Art: Goemon!"
Jiraiya spat out oil transformed from Chakra, Fukasaku unleashed a fierce wind, and Shima spewed flames. The wind fanned the flames, and the flames fed on the oil. The three elements merged in mid-air, creating a terrifying inferno of heat and destruction.
The temperature was high enough to melt metal, evaporate water, and even destroy rock. Anything tangible that came into contact with this sea of fire would be instantly consumed, reduced to ash.
"Not a bad attack!"
The overwhelming attack was indeed difficult to dodge, but Naruto didn't need to.
Naruto raised his arm, his palm facing Jiraiya. The tips of his four tails also pointed toward his palm. Dark and blue Chakra swirled and intertwined like a vortex, condensing into a single point.
It was the Tailed Beast Ball!
'For large-scale ninjutsu clashes, the Tailed Beast Ball was indeed the way to go.'
A terrifying surge of Chakra erupted from Naruto's hand, like a volcanic eruption, transforming into a blindingly bright Chakra Beam. It collided head-on with Jiraiya's Sage Art: Goemon.
The two forces clashed in the most violent manner. The sky seemed to tear apart as the Chakra Beam and the sea of fire intertwined, creating a breathtaking spectacle. The blinding light and deafening roar shook the sky, and even the surrounding space trembled.
The seawater, which had been converging like a collapsing mountain, was once again pushed outward.
In the end, Naruto's Tailed Beast Ball, which is powered by his four tails and his own Chakra, proved superior. The overwhelming Chakra Beam pressed forward, causing Jiraiya's frog-like eyes to tremble. In his hands, a massive Chakra Sphere formed.
"Sage Art: Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan!"
The blue Chakra Sphere collided with the Tailed Beast Ball, creating another blinding flash. Fortunately, the Tailed Beast Ball had been weakened by Jiraiya's Goemon, and the defensive boost from Sage Mode allowed Jiraiya to survive the blast.
At this time, Jiraiya no longer used Chakra to stand on the water's surface. Instead, he dove into the sea, using the water to cushion the impact of the Tailed Beast Ball.