A few seconds later, the smoke and dust gradually dissipated. Uchiha Itachi looked carefully but did not see Jiraiya in the aftermath. There were only golden needles scattered all over the ground.

Not far away, behind a huge rock, Jiraiya's erratic breathing could be heard faintly.

"Hah… hah…"

"That was really close. I almost lost my life," Jiraiya said with a wry smile. "Fortunately, Boss, you used the substitution technique to get me out of there in time, hahahaha."

Upon hearing this, Fukasaku angrily shouted, "Stupid little Jiraiya, didn't I tell you to get out of the way?! You actually used a defensive ninjutsu! The Totsuka Blade is a sword of sealing, specializing in attacking the soul and ignoring all physical defenses!" The rightful source is NoveIＦire.net

Jiraiya gradually calmed his breathing and stuck his head out to stare at the red giant not far away. "This is really a bit troublesome. The power of the Totsuka Blade is too dangerous. It seems I can only use shadow clones to attack."

Sage Shima was busy brushing the mud off her body and paid no attention to what Jiraiya had said. "Damn it! It's so damned annoying that you stained my clothes! Use that, old man!" she screamed, her voice filled with a desperate determination.

Having been a couple for many years, Sage Fukasaku immediately understood and nodded heavily. "Okay! Let's try it!"

The two toad sages opened their mouths at the same time, their cheeks bulging at a speed that defied their size. A strange sound wave, invisible to the naked eye but containing powerful spiritual fluctuations and a natural rhythm, mixed with their extremely pure sage chakra, spread out instantly, rapidly transmitted and amplified by the rain.

"Sage Art: Toad Confrontation Chant, Second Level!"

This time, the two great sages gave up their own energy for spiritual communication and used all their strength to launch the most powerful auditory genjutsu in all of Mount Myoboku. The target was aimed directly at the core of Susanoo—Uchiha Itachi.

The strange, sage sound, which reached the very soul, instantly penetrated Susanoo's dark-red energy armor, ignoring all physical defense and directly affecting the mind of the controller inside.

Itachi's body suddenly stiffened. The Mangekyo Sharingan spinning wildly in his left eye suddenly stopped. Is this… an illusion? An irresistible drowsiness and a flood of hallucinations washed over his consciousness like a tide. Susanoo's raised Totsuka Blade suddenly became stiff, and the burning, dark-red flame began to sway violently.

It's been a long time since I last felt this way, Itachi thought. No one has used genjutsu on me for a long time.

"Now!" Jiraiya's eyes flashed with their last bit of light, and he pressed his hands hard on the wet, cold ground.

"Sage Art: Wild Lion's Mane Technique!"

BOOM!

The only remaining silver-white hair on his back that had not been cut off suddenly grew out like a living thing. This time, it was no longer for defense, but for offense. Jiraiya's tough hair stretched straight, like countless silver-white giant pythons infused with the final will of his sage art. Instead of attacking Susanoo's solid body, it coiled around Susanoo's huge right arm joint, the connection at its shoulder blade, and the core of its waist and abdomen that supported the massive body. It moved with the incredible precision of a spirit snake.

CRACK!

A teeth-grinding sound of twisting metal was heard. The huge Susanoo was forcibly bound and pulled by these countless, tough hairs, and the action of swinging its sword was completely locked, as if it were trapped in an invisible spider web.

"ROAR!"

Susanoo roared silently and furiously, its dark-red energy boiling violently s it tried to break free from its restraints.