Jiraiya's body was once again dragged backward by an uncontrollable force.
Danzo formed hand seals, took a deep breath, and unleashed a massive, highly compressed wind orb from his mouth.
Due to the summoning beast's immense suction, the speed and power of Danzo's Vacuum Great Sphere far exceeded what it had been before.
Danzo's summoned beast was one he had personally cultivated, greatly enhancing the power of his Wind Style techniques.
The Lightning Flame Blade in Jiraiya's hand surged with electric energy. With a single slash, streaks of lightning burst forward, shattering the wind orb. Several arcs of lightning continued toward Danzo.
Danzo extended a vine from his right arm, smashing the lightning streams before they could reach him.
Although Danzo's mastery of Wood Style could not compare to Hashirama Senju's, its power still far surpassed ordinary ninjutsu.
"Lightning Style: Four Pillar Bind!"
Despite being pulled by fierce winds, Jiraiya's hands moved rapidly to form seals. Giant blue pillars materialized around Danzo's summoned beast, releasing torrents of lightning that struck its body.
The beast roared in agony, and the intense pull vanished.
Jiraiya immediately used the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu, creating three clones that charged toward Danzo.
He had just recently mastered the jutsu and could only manage three clones. In comparison, the "prince" from the original story could create thousands in an instant—a testament to his incredible talent.
Moreover, the prince's clones had strong independent wills and could even argue with the original.
Jiraiya didn't envy that one bit.
He had no interest in highly independent clones. For him, shadow clones should simply follow orders. If they were too independent—and as perverted as he was—they might get him into trouble.
Though a shadow clone's experiences would return to the original when dispelled, few people could tolerate such scenarios. Jiraiya certainly couldn't.
For now, his clones could think on their own but weren't particularly independent and would follow his orders without question. If a day ever came when his clones resisted his commands, he would immediately find a way to strip away their autonomy.
Jiraiya planned to use the clones to stall Danzo so he could take down the summoned beast. Defeating Danzo would be nearly impossible without neutralizing the beast first.
The strength of his clones was nowhere near that of the clones produced by Shun-Goku Shadow Assassination Formation. Still, they could buy him some time.
The three clones rushed at Danzo, each using different ninjutsu.
"Ninja Art: Lion's Mane Technique!"
One clone's hair extended wildly, aiming to bind Danzo.
"Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!"
"Fire Style: Great Flame Bullet!"
The remaining two clones used Earth and Fire techniques. Danzo, however, easily countered all of them with his Wind Style.
Though the clones weren't as strong as Jiraiya himself, they could still keep Danzo occupied for a while.
Danzo quickly realized Jiraiya's plan: to eliminate his summoned beast. Yet, despite his efforts, he couldn't defeat the three clones fast enough to stop Jiraiya.
Danzo knew his beast was doomed.
"Earth Style: Mud Fall!"
Jiraiya formed hand seals as he watched the beast slam into the blue pillars. Massive amounts of red mud rained down, burying the beast.
"Earth Style: Falling Earth Cover!"
Layers of heavy soil crashed down, causing the ground to tremble. The clay splattered everywhere, mingled with blood.
Danzo's summoned beast was defeated.
Danzo's beast had never been especially strong—it was something he had raised himself.
Jiraiya turned toward Danzo, seeing that his three clones had been bound by Danzo's Wood Style.
Danzo's brow furrowed slightly at the loss of his beast, but he didn't seem bothered. To him, all tools—whether subordinates or summoned beasts—were just pieces to be sacrificed. Their deaths were never worth mourning.
"Summoning Jutsu: Edo Tensei!"
Danzo slammed his hand on the ground, and a summoning circle appeared. A coffin, brown with the color of earth, emerged from the center.
The lid slid open, revealing a corpse dressed in Kumogakure ninja gear.
Jiraiya was surprised to see Danzo using Edo Tensei, but it also made sense.
Danzo had access to forbidden techniques, and there was no way someone like him wouldn't have practiced such a powerful jutsu once he understood its potential.
The resurrected shinobi wore a Kumogakure headband, marking him as a Jonin from the Land of Lightning.
Danzo inserted a tag into the shinobi's forehead, and its eyes snapped open.
This corpse was one of the powerful Jonin Danzo had secretly collected during the First Great Ninja War.
Many elite Jonin from both Kumogakure and Konohagakure had perished during that war, and Danzo had made sure to gather some of their bodies.
However, he had never used Edo Tensei to summon anyone of truly high rank because his strength and understanding of the jutsu weren't sufficient.
The version of Edo Tensei Danzo had learned was the one developed by the Second Hokage, long before Orochimaru had perfected it. As such, the jutsu was still full of flaws.
The summoned ninja's strength was far from what it had been at its peak. The only advantage was that they couldn't be killed—only sealed or dispelled.
Jiraiya remained calm as the Kumogakure Jonin emerged. He was confident that Danzo's version of the jutsu was incomplete, and his sealing techniques would make quick work of it.
If Danzo had fully mastered the jutsu, he would have used it in his battle against Sasuke in the original story. The fact that he hadn't meant the summoned ninja wouldn't have been a game-changer.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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