Free from the distraction of "feminine charms," Jiraiya could finally fight at his full potential, trading blows with Izuran as his kunai clashed against her trident.
Soon, Jiraiya, skilled in taijutsu, spotted an opening for a counterattack.
He leaped high into the air, throwing the kunai from his left hand while simultaneously forming hand seals with his feet in mid-air to release Wind Style: Wind Blade towards Izuran's left side. Meanwhile, he wielded another kunai to strike at her right.
It was a brilliant tactical move - attacking from three directions simultaneously made it impossible to determine which was a feint and which was the killing blow. Any retreat would put her at a disadvantage.
Izuran remained remarkably calm. Instead of dodging or backing away, she deflected the incoming kunai with her trident. However, she hadn't noticed that Jiraiya had attached a paper bomb to the kunai - and it was about to detonate!
Moving left would put her in the path of the Wind Blade, moving right would meet Jiraiya's kunai, and retreating was no longer an option.
With lightning speed, Izuran hurled her right-hand trident, striking the spinning kunai mid-air. But the paper bomb was already detonating, and she was still within its blast radius.
She quickly stepped left, executing a precise 90-degree turn to minimize her exposure to the blast while simultaneously thrusting her left-hand trident at Jiraiya's side.
"This kunoichi is remarkable! Such decisive judgment - willing to weather the paper bomb's blast rather than lose her offensive momentum!" Hiruzen Sarutobi exclaimed in admiration.
"Heh, Lord Hokage, it was arguably the best choice. Retreating would have left her vulnerable to Jiraiya's relentless attacks. Given his superior strength and stamina, backing down would have put her at a severe disadvantage," the Third Raikage said with a smile.
"Ninja Art: Needle Jizo!"
Jiraiya's hair suddenly lengthened, transforming into a spiky "armor" that covered his entire body. Izuran's trident struck it with a metallic clang.
Missing her strike, Izuran smoothly executed a back flip, landing seven or eight meters away.
With a sharp rip, she tore off her still-burning outer robe, revealing the form-fitting armor beneath. Her right shoulder showed clear burn marks from the paper bomb's blast.
The crowd whistled at Izuran's provocative appearance.
Izuran joined her right hand's fingers like a blade, channeling powerful Lightning Release chakra. She dashed forward, thrusting at Jiraiya through his hair "armor."
"Wow, I didn't expect Izuran to be this skilled - she even knows this technique!" Jinghang exclaimed in surprise. This jutsu was renowned as the ultimate armor-piercing technique, and when mastered to the Single Point Pierce level, it was said to be unstoppable.
"Heh, would I have let her compete without some real skills? Though she's only recently learned this technique, it's more than enough to deal with this kind of defense."
Sure enough, Izuran's Five-Point Pierce easily penetrated Jiraiya's seemingly iron-clad "armor," though no one could tell what condition Jiraiya was in beneath his protective hair.
"Ninja Art: Wild Lion's Mane!"
Suddenly, Jiraiya's hair "armor" dispersed and completely enveloped Izuran from head to toe. Only then did everyone see that he had trapped her piercing hand firmly under his arm - such precise judgment earned widespread admiration.
"Miss, you should surrender. I'd hate to harm such a beautiful flower!" Jiraiya said smugly.
His expression suddenly changed as he quickly retracted his hair and released Izuran's right hand, leaping back several steps. Jiraiya's hair now stood on end like a startled porcupine, wisps of white smoke rising from it.
"Heh, as expected of the legendary Jiraiya of the Sannin. Quick reflexes - half a second slower and you'd have been charred to a crisp," Izuran said with a graceful smile, rubbing her wrists where the Wild Lion's Mane had bound them.
Jiraiya was puzzled. Hair is primarily made of protein, and dry hair is normally an electrical insulator - so why had he felt like he'd been struck by lightning?
But Izuran wouldn't give him time to think. Her hands flew through seals, launching a new attack.
"Storm Release: Soul-Hunting Lightning Lasso!"
Several blue lightning bolts erupted from Izuran's hands. Unlike typical Lightning Release jutsu, these made no thunderous crackles - instead, they moved like slithering snakes straight toward Jiraiya.
"Incredible! This Izuran is actually a kekkei genkai user!" Jinghang exclaimed admiringly.
"Oh? Lord Kazekage seems very well-informed," the Third Raikage A said with surprise. Izuran's unique Storm Release bloodline limit jutsu had only recently been developed. For Jinghang to recognize it at a glance meant either vast knowledge or Hidden Sand spies in their village. He made a mental note to investigate thoroughly upon returning home.
Lightning Release jutsu were known for their destructive power, speed, and versatility, making them formidable techniques. However, they had one fatal flaw - they were difficult to control, resulting in poor accuracy. This was why many Lightning Release techniques were either close-range or wide-area attacks.
Storm Release solved this problem perfectly. By combining Lightning and Water nature chakra, the technique gained the fluidity of water, turning lightning into precisely controllable laser-like beams. While slightly sacrificing speed, this actually enhanced the lightning's attacking power.
Jiraiya rolled and dodged as the lightning approached, but the blue bolts seemed to have a mind of their own, continuing to pursue him.
"What the hell? These things can chase you?" Jiraiya complained, forced to keep jumping and rolling without pause, looking quite disheveled.
The spectators burst into laughter at Jiraiya's predicament, cheering for Izuran.
"Ninja Art: Needle Jizo!"
Unable to escape the pursuing lightning despite his acrobatics - no matter how fast he moved, lightning was faster - Jiraiya once again opted for his hair defense.
The Storm Release lightning struck his defensive barrier, creating a brilliant flash of light.
"That's quite a clever solution. The spiky protrusions of his hair defense create a natural lightning rod effect, maximizing protection for his body," Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded approvingly.
"Heh, I doubt it's that simple," the Third Raikage chuckled.
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