Standing on the back of Gamabunta, Jiraiya wore a face he'd been avoiding for a long time.
Most of those who knew him were familiar with the super-pervert image he'd carefully cultivated, that of the boozing womanizer, peeping tom, and author of a long running porn series. Far fewer recalled he was Konoha's leading Seal Master. Only those who were very close to the old man were familiar with his persona as Konoha's spymaster as well. But all three of those layers, carefully detailed and certainly genuine, concealed a face he had not worn for a very long time indeed.
It was the face of a Sannin At War.
As the horde troops broke and many started to run in their direction (partly to screw over the Alliance forces by getting them involved, partly because Gamabunta was the biggest living thing on the horizon other than the Kyubi itself, and the horde were just mindlessly seeking shelter, but some few who saw the figure standing on its back mistook the Toad Sage for an orc he'd gone so green and warty in sage mode, and ran his direction in hopes of rescue), Jiraiya, keenly aware of his legless godson still being healed just inches behind him, spoke only two words, "Gamabunta? Oil."
It was a heartless order, but one the giant toad was in full agreement with as he opened his mouth to spew a flood of flammable liquid over the onrushing horde troops, washing them back in the direction of Kyubi at the same time as nearly drowning them in the heavy, cloying mess.
Jiraiya spoke not a word as he lit that all on fire.
Hundreds died, either immolated by the blaze or driven back by the flood into the clutches of Kyubi, but the sannin's face showed no emotion whatsoever. They might have been merely enemies when they'd attacked him in Darkwood forest, but they'd lost all rights they had to mercy when they'd cruelly hacked off his godson's limbs.
Revenge was called for, and the easiest time to kick an enemy was when he was down, already deep in the throes of a losing battle on another front.
It was cruel, it was heartless, and yet an inescapable fact of a ninja at war. Only the results mattered, and these orcs had committed an offense against his godson that simply demanded they die.
Around him, the Alliance began to sober up, as hordies had all but vanished from the map and it became clear this tremendous killing force of demonic power was only just warming up.
Gobbling down Thrall, the orc warchief for the third time (first had been munching down his mangled body from the ruins of his own throne room turned shrapnel, second had been the remains left after a Beast Ball, but the soul had escaped) and finally devouring the orc king's soul along with the mortal remains of him, and having annihilated the last of the horde's current resistance, Kyubi snatched up a few stragglers then began to look for his next target of destruction.
Eyes wider across than some peasant cottages met across the field of battle as Kyubi saw a familiar giant toad, with a determined Konoha ninja perched on top of its head, and the Kyubi's jailer cradled in its arms - it's prison still gaping wide open, a maw that had already consumed it once.
There came a tense moment of silence before the Kyubi ducked over a ridge and disappeared beyond, bravely assaulted a troll village in the opposite direction.
A stern dwarven warrior who'd come with drawn weapon to stand beside the Toad Sage let out a tense breath and relaxed. "It's heading south, away from Alliance territory."
Jiraiya just nodded, relaxing his hands from the first handseal he'd have to form to summon the Death God. "Then so long as it stays on enemy territory, we'll let it be."
Besides he hadn't really wanted to sacrifice himself to that jutsu anyway. Now they had a little time, he could hopefully find a non-fatal way to force that fox back into its prison.
A nearby warlock grinned. "I have no problem sending along that message."
Some excited chatter broke out around him about someone who'd been tracking some numbers, or something, had found the beast had been affected, not particularly vulnerable, but affected by Holy energy. When so many blasts of fire and ice or shadow had been ignored, it was something, and spurred tremendous conversations off around him about Priests and DPS and something about Paladins.
Frankly, he gave himself a moment where he just didn't care.
Two days and a lot of wine and good news later (the Kyubi was staying on its side of the line, mostly around the ruins of Durotar, his godson was fully healed, and once again beginning to interact with the world, and nobody here had a problem with him publishing quality literature) Jiraiya looked over the notes he'd taken. Apparently it was possible, not likely, to be able to train in the local methods of doing things. Doing so, he'd be able to fit in more. Doing so also meant he'd be able to get some potentially useful skills to bring back.
The question was: which of these 'classes' had the most appeal. Once done, everyone agreed that it was DONE and couldn't be changed. Apparently appeals to the gods could occasionally allow one to change one's race - and there were rumors about some curse that altered individuals to draenei or blood elf. (Denied at least by the draenei.) One couldn't change one's 'class' though.
See other episodes by Sapphire Cat
(Posted Sat, 25 May 2013 07:57)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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