Jiraiya gave a heavy nod toward the two giant toads. Gamabunta immediately carried Jiraiya around the mountain of flesh, charging directly toward Simu.
"Gamabunta, let's do it again!"
Jiraiya stared at the giant eye above, his eyes flashing as if he had formed a plan. Gamabunta nodded back. Although it couldn't hear Jiraiya due to its sealed hearing, their years of synergy allowed it to understand his thoughts perfectly.
"Fire Style: Toad Flame Bomb!"
The surging toad oil combined with Jiraiya's fire once more, forming a towering sea of flames that blasted into the sky.
"The same move again?"
Simu lightly pressed his mask. This time, he did not let the Eye of Jashin continue using its tentacles, as Jiraiya's Fire Style did indeed possess a certain countering effect against them.
Following the shift in Simu's will, countless crystals surfaced on the Eye's body before crashing down like a rainstorm. The impact of the crystal rain caused Jiraiya and Gamabunta's combination technique to dissipate rapidly, revealing Gamabunta's massive silhouette. The toad spun its blade, intercepting all the incoming crystals as countless sparks erupted between the crystal shards and the blade's edge.
Jiraiya, I'm leaving the rest to you, Bunta thought silently, even though Jiraiya couldn't hear him.
With that, it poured all its strength into its arms and fiercely hurled its blade! The spinning sword sliced through the air with ease, cutting through all the incoming crystals with a chilling whistle as it flew straight for Simu.
Simu narrowed his eyes. A thick, dark-red Centipede Bikaku shot out from beneath his loose black cloak, slamming into the incoming blade and knocking it high into the sky. The force transmitted through the Bikaku left Simu's arm slightly numb.
As the blade soared into mid-air, it vanished with a poof in a cloud of smoke, and Jiraiya's figure instantly appeared in its place. He stared at Simu and completed his hand signs at maximum speed.
"Ninja Art: Needle Hell!"
His white hair elongated rapidly, cascading down like a waterfall. Seeing this, Simu manipulated his Bikaku to coil around his body, forming a protective shell. Jiraiya did not miss the opportunity, using his long hair to bind the enemy tightly.
"I've got you!"
He glared at the bound Simu. Jiraiya had infused these hair strands with a massive amount of chakra, making them tougher than steel wire. It was nearly impossible to break free through brute force alone. Even so, Jiraiya showed no intention of letting down his guard.
Until a ninja is certain the enemy is dead, they must never relax; this was the basic discipline of a shinobi.
Sure enough, beneath his feet where the hair couldn't reach, a pitch-black tide of insects surged out, heading straight for Jiraiya.
These are somewhat similar to the insects of the Aburame Clan.
This ability immediately reminded Jiraiya of the Leaf's Aburame Clan. Even though he didn't know what power these insects possessed, having seen those two previous specimens, Jiraiya wasn't naive enough to think these were ordinary bugs. He wove signs without hesitation and spat out a large sphere of fire, creating a scorching curtain of flame to block the swarm.
Naturally, Simu wouldn't attack from only one direction. As more insects swarmed from all sides, Jiraiya eventually had no choice but to retreat. Simu took this chance to merge into the Apostle beneath him, only to reappear right under Jiraiya's feet.
The crimson Rinkaku lunged out like lightning, piercing through Jiraiya's chest before his surprised eyes.
Unfortunately, it was merely a Shadow Clone. The real Jiraiya had already used the cover of the fire curtain to retreat to a safe distance.
"Your abilities really are quite bizarre."
Jiraiya looked at Simu, his eyes full of gravity. In terms of Genjutsu, Ninjutsu, summons, and battlefield intuition, this guy ranked among the top of all enemies Jiraiya had ever faced. Most importantly, this man's abilities were completely unheard of in the Shinobi World, causing Jiraiya great trouble as he couldn't design a targeted strategy.
"To have Lord Jiraiya use the word 'bizarre' as a compliment is truly an honor."
With that, Simu fully unleashed his Koukaku, Bikaku, Rinkaku, and Ukaku. He instantly entered Kakuja mode, charging directly at Jiraiya surrounded by countless Kagune.
"Finished with Ninjutsu? Ready to try Taijutsu with me?"
Jiraiya pulled out a kunai, seemingly understanding Simu's intent. In this battle, not only was he testing Simu's abilities and background, but Simu was also gauging him. The two collided at high speed, engaging in fierce combat.
Simu manipulated the black wings on his back to slash out like giant blades, while Jiraiya countered with his Needle Hell technique. One had to admit that Jiraiya's Taijutsu was equally formidable. Even with the help of numerous Kagune, Simu failed to gain any advantage.
While Simu was impressed, Jiraiya was equally surprised. It was one thing to be strong in Genjutsu and Ninjutsu, but he hadn't expected this guy to have such high attainments in Taijutsu as well. This added a layer of solemnity to Jiraiya's heart.
During the intense struggle, a faint voice suddenly drifted from beneath the tiger-patterned mask.
"Let's end the testing here, Lord Jiraiya."
As he spoke, Jiraiya noticed that several black insects had already crawled onto his white hair. In the next instant, these insects began to swell violently. A terrifying light erupted, and the resulting explosion's flames swallowed everything!
Simu re-emerged from the Apostle's body, calmly observing the battlefield. The smoke from the explosion slowly cleared, and Jiraiya's figure appeared once more. He no longer looked as majestic as he did when he first arrived; his clothes were charred black from the blast, and his face was covered in soot.
"I didn't expect to get played like that."
Even though he had used Needle Hell for defense, Jiraiya had still been left in a sorry state by the blast.
"If Tsunade saw me like this, she'd probably laugh her head off."
Jiraiya wiped his face and spoke seriously to Simu, "You win this round. We'll meet again if there's a chance."
In short: he had gathered enough intel, and continuing the fight might get ugly, so it was time to leave.
With that, the three giant toads pinning down the Apostle vanished in clouds of smoke. Jiraiya himself also disappeared using a Reverse Summoning Jutsu.
Watching Jiraiya vanish, Simu merely adjusted his mask.
"Fled to Mount Myoboku?"
"Fine by me."