Konoha cat breeder

Chapter 208: Healing

"That should be about enough."

A slightly weary voice broke the tense atmosphere, drawing the attention of the surrounding shinobi. Their gazes carried both respect and concern.

In midair, the two combatants abruptly halted.

The voice belonged to Jiraiya, one of the Three Legendary Sannin and the commander of Konoha's forces on this battlefield.

But his current condition was far from ideal.

A thick layer of bandages covered his chest, and fresh blood could be seen seeping through the fabric.

Jiraiya was seriously injured.

And this—without a doubt—was one of the main reasons behind Konoha's recent defeat.

After all, Jiraiya wasn't just any commander—he was the strongest fighter on this battlefield and the pillar of morale for Konoha's forces.

His defeat would have a devastating impact.

Minato flashed to Jiraiya's side. He was still catching his breath from his spar with Tonari, but he instinctively reached out to support his mentor.

But Jiraiya—one of the Legendary Sannin—would never allow himself to be supported.

Even if he were dying, he'd die standing.

He shook his head slightly at Minato, his expression firm.

Minato's worry deepened.

"Yo, pervy sage—why are you so beat up?"

Now that Minato had stepped away, Tonari had no opponent left and couldn't continue fighting. He closed the Fifth Gate, allowing his body to return to normal.

Frankly, Minato's Flying Thunder God was still not fully mastered, but even at this level, his speed was overwhelming.

Tonari had needed to open the Fourth Gate (Gate of Pain) just to keep up, and even then, it wasn't enough—forcing him to open the Fifth Gate (Gate of Limit) just to match Minato's speed.

As his wildly flaring hair settled and his flushed skin returned to normal, Tonari took a deep breath and smirked.

Jiraiya's injured state was serious, but that didn't mean Tonari would pass up a chance to tease him.

At his words, Jiraiya's eyebrows twitched.

Seeing Tonari's grinning face, his chest throbbed harder—from both his injury and pure irritation.

If he weren't half-dead, he would've smacked Tonari upside the head by now.

"Brat! I—"

"Tssss—!"

The moment he raised his hand, pain shot through his chest, and more blood seeped into the already soaked bandages.

Tonari's expression immediately changed. His smirk disappeared, replaced by a deep frown.

"...That bad?"

Minato's face darkened as well. He gave a serious nod.

"It was the Third Raikage and his son—two Kage-level opponents—plus a Storm Release user attacking from the shadows. Even Jiraiya-sensei couldn't hold out forever."

Hearing this, Tonari's eyes widened slightly as he turned to Jiraiya.

"The Third Raikage and his son?"

That meant he fought both the Third and Fourth Raikage at the same time—

And survived?!

That was... insane.

If it were Orochimaru, Tonari wouldn't be as surprised.

After all, Orochimaru was a master of survival techniques and had a near-indestructible body.

But Jiraiya?

Jiraiya was a brawler, someone who faced his opponents head-on.

Even so, he held his ground against the Third and Fourth Raikage simultaneously and lived to tell the tale?

That was beyond impressive.

Jiraiya glanced sideways and smirked.

His pride was obvious.

But Tonari's focus shifted.

This wasn't about Jiraiya's strength.

This was about Konoha's dire situation.

Suna's forces had been mostly contained in the Rain Country, with Orochimaru and Tonari holding the line.

But the Kumo battlefield?

It was a disaster waiting to happen.

The Third Raikage was at his peak—wielding both the "Strongest Spear" (Hell Stab) and "Strongest Shield" (Unrivaled Durability).

The Fourth Raikage, his son, was already an absolute powerhouse.

Then there was Killer B, the Jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails—who, based on intelligence reports, was likely a Perfect Jinchūriki.

On top of that, there was Dodai (a powerful Lava Release user) and multiple Storm Release users.

Meanwhile, what did Konoha have?

Jiraiya.

And Minato.

That was it.

Even Minato's sudden rise in strength couldn't completely offset the overwhelming difference in power.

Cloud's forces were stacked.

And Konoha was stretched too thin.

It was no wonder Jiraiya had to fight alone—there simply weren't enough top-level fighters to assist him.

And that's why Konoha had been forced to retreat from the Land of the Moon.

It also explained why the soldiers in the camp looked so defeated.

Their strongest warrior had been beaten.

But—there was one silver lining.

Their spirits had lifted slightly after watching the battle between Tonari and Minato.

And now that word had spread—

"The 'Blue Cat' of Konoha is here!"

Tonari had already become a legend on the Rain battlefield.

And Minato—Yellow Flash—was already feared across the entire war front.

Just knowing that they had both arrived as reinforcements was enough to spark hope in many shinobi.

Of course, Tonari knew that Jiraiya had planned this.

Even the timing of his arrival had been carefully orchestrated.

Jiraiya was a goofball, sure.

But when it came to strategy, he was one of the best.

Still—

This wasn't enough.

Morale needed a bigger boost.

Tonari glanced at the three Anbu members beside him.

"Go fetch a medical cot."

They immediately vanished.

Within seconds, a portable medical cot was set up in front of the command tent.

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow.

Minato looked at him questioningly.

Then they both saw it—

Tonari's subtle wink.

Jiraiya understood instantly.

He smirked, removed his coat, and lay down on the cot.

The moment his bandages were peeled away, a collective gasp spread through the crowd.

For the first time, they saw the true extent of Jiraiya's injuries.

His entire torso was covered in wounds—new and old.

Some still oozed blood, while others were burned black.

And in the center of his chest—

A deep, charred hole nearly exposed his ribs.

Tonari's expression hardened.

"That wound... Hell Stab—Four-Finger Piercing?"

Jiraiya exhaled sharply.

"Heh. Kid, you actually know about that? Not bad."

Tonari shook his head.

"Damn, old perv. You actually survived a direct hit from that?"

Jiraiya grinned weakly.

"I'm... kinda amazing, aren't I?"

Tonari didn't laugh.

He simply raised his hands—

And began weaving hand seals.

"Secret Technique—Creation Rebirth!"

Green chakra flooded from his hands, covering Jiraiya's chest.

The legendary healing technique of the Senju Clan—

And in that moment—

The real miracle began.

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