Naruto: A Century as an Arrancar, Starting Off by Killing the Demi-God

Jiraiya was far too persistent.

To call him stubborn or rigid wouldn't be an exaggeration.

Once he set his mind on something, he'd see it through to the end no matter the cost.

In the original timeline...

Jiraiya had infiltrated the Hidden Rain Village to gather intel.

But due to his lack of understanding about the enemy's abilities, he was ultimately killed by the Six Paths of Pain in a brutal fashion.

Truthfully, with his skills, he could have escaped.

But he chose not to.

He sacrificed himself for the chance to uncover the truth.

Lucas Moore deeply respected and admired that kind of resolve.

But right now...

As his enemy, Jiraiya's tenacity only ignited his fury.

If you refuse to back down, then go ahead and die!

...

...

As the spiritual pressure rained down from the sky...

The tear-streak markings on Lucas's face darkened.

His bone-white mask completed itself, and two curved horns burst from his crown.

With a sudden gust, massive black wings stretched out behind him, blotting out the sky.

His sword vanished from his hand, yet his aura surged his power now more than ten times greater than before.

As previously mentioned...

The Resurrección of a Hollow is similar to a Soul Reaper's Bankai, but fundamentally, they are entirely different.

The Zanpakutō is an extension of a Soul Reaper's soul.

Through training and resonance with their blade, a Soul Reaper unlocks its full form Bankai.

But for a Hollow...

Once they become an Arrancar, they seal their Hollow core into a weapon resembling a Zanpakutō.

So in truth...

Lucas's base form was a self-restrained state.

His Resurrección was the complete release of his true, overwhelming Hollow power.

The mechanics differ and so does the scale of enhancement.

Typically...

A Soul Reaper's Bankai increases power by about five to ten times compared to the base state.

A Hollow's Resurrección, on the other hand, boosts strength by at least tenfold.

With that kind of surge...

Lucas had already far surpassed the level of a Super-Kage.

Right now...

Even if Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju were resurrected, Lucas wouldn't fear them in the slightest.

As this overwhelming transformation took form...

Not far away, Orochimaru and Kabuto stood frozen.

The younger Kabuto trembled. "Lord Orochimaru... how can someone this powerful even exist in the ninja world? Are there... more like him?"

"It's not unusual for this world to have powerful people," Orochimaru said grimly, "but freaks like him are few and far between."

"When Konoha was first founded, the legends say Hashirama and Madara stood at the peak of all shinobi. At most, they would have been Lucas's equals. But now... they're long gone."

"In today's world, only Lucas stands at that height."

Well then...

So he had been toying with Orochimaru earlier.

That thought stung, but there was nothing the Snake Sage could do about it.

...

...

"Jiraiya, retreat now!"

Taking advantage of Lucas's transformation time, Fukasaku's expression shifted in alarm.

"This is not someone you can take on! Let go of Orochimaru already!"

Though Fukasaku and Shima still didn't understand how their genjutsu had failed...

This was no time to dwell on such things.

Gritting his teeth, Jiraiya turned and bolted away.

Lucas watched him calmly.

"You've seen this form," he said softly. "You think I'll let you escape?"

In his hand, a long spear of blue-green light formed.

With a flick of his wrist, he hurled it toward Jiraiya.

Fwoosh!!

The speed was blinding. In the blink of an eye, it closed in.

"So fast... I can't even cast a substitution jutsu in time! Is this how that so-called 'Demi-God' was killed too?!" Jiraiya's eyes were wide with fear.

The spear was too fast.

He had no time to form seals.

Bitterness welled up in him.

"So this is how my story ends...? I never married Tsunade... never had a fat baby boy with her... what a shame..."

With a sigh in his heart, Jiraiya willingly deactivated Sage Mode.

He chose not to struggle anymore.

Then 

A raspy voice echoed across the battlefield.

"Summoning Jutsu: Triple Rashomon!"

Three towering demonic gates burst from the earth and rose before Jiraiya.

Boom!! Boom!!

The crash that followed shook the forest.

But the gates were like paper. One by one, they shattered under the force of the spear.

Still, they nudged its trajectory slightly off course.

Instead of striking his heart, the spear pierced Jiraiya's upper arm, blowing open a bloody hole.

Jiraiya's face turned pale. He turned in disbelief.

"Orochimaru... you... helped me?"

Yes.

It was him.

Orochimaru had stepped in.

Lucas raised an eyebrow.

"Why?" he asked coldly. "Are you still clinging to your old bond with Jiraiya?"

He would've expected anyone else to intervene. But Orochimaru?

That was truly unexpected.

This was a man who had long cast aside sentiment, a scientist obsessed with eternal life and nothing more.

And he was saving someone?

What a joke.

"There's no special reason," Orochimaru replied hoarsely.

"I'm not moved by nostalgia. I simply value life."

"Neither Jiraiya nor I could see clearly. We had no idea your power rivaled the legends Hashirama, the so-called God of Shinobi."

"A person like you stands above the world. You see all."

"Every remarkable shinobi might catch your attention."

"You said you admire Minato and Jiraiya. If you kill them now... wouldn't that be a waste?"

Lucas's expression remained unreadable.

"But someone has to pay for my fury," he said.

"Are you offering to die in his place? That works too."

"Uh..."

Orochimaru's words caught in his throat.

Die in Jiraiya's place?

Not a chance.

But just as he began to wonder how to defuse Lucas's wrath 

Lucas unexpectedly relaxed and waved him off.

"Never mind. Jiraiya, go."

"But next time we meet, if you're still this stubborn, I won't spare you again."

Orochimaru: "???"

Jiraiya: "???"

What just happened?!

Why did he suddenly change his mind?

Though baffled, Jiraiya didn't dare question it. He turned and fled without hesitation.

Watching him leave, Orochimaru walked over, full of curiosity.

"Lucas... why did you let him go?"

"Why should I tell you?"

Lucas snorted and said coolly,

"We're heading back. I'll need your brain for planning next. Don't be useless."

Why did he let Jiraiya go?

Simple.

Just moments earlier, the system had issued a reward for completing a side mission: defeating Jiraiya.

And the rewards were insane.

So much so that his anger melted away.

With his mood restored, there was no need to kill Jiraiya anymore.

Ding~ Congratulations, host. Side mission complete!

[Side Mission]: Defeat one of the Legendary Sannin – Jiraiya!

[Reward – Unclaimed]: Spiritual Pressure EXP +1400, Skill – Realm Tear (Awarded for defeating seven Kage-level or above enemies cumulatively)

The first reward wasn't all that significant.

But the second...

That skill was priceless.

Realm Tear – a unique ability of Arrancars.

It allowed the user to use their spiritual pressure to rip open space itself, creating a temporary black rift for short-range teleportation.

In a way...

It rivaled Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's Kekkei Mōra Yomotsu Hirasaka, the Gate to the Underworld.