Hanzō of the Salamander was the strongest ninja in Amegakure. In a land where rain was constant, it would be more surprising if he wasn't proficient in Water Release.
With a thunderous roar, dark clouds churned above Hanzō's head. Torrents of water cascaded down, forming an immense tidal wave that surged toward Jiraiya with crushing force.
The flood engulfed the battlefield, a deluge that seemed capable of swallowing the world whole. In Jiraiya's eyes, it was as if he had been cast adrift in an endless ocean, a lone leaf on the verge of being swallowed by the raging waters.
A flood of this magnitude... it truly felt like the heavens themselves had unleashed it.
"Incredible Water Release... as expected of the so-called 'Demi-God of the Shinobi World.'"
From a distance, Isamu observed the spectacle with admiration. As a skilled Water Release user himself, he understood just how difficult it was to unleash a jutsu of this scale.
Even with his strength as an elite jōnin, Isamu knew that casting a technique of this caliber was beyond his reach.
"Water Release means nothing against Jiraiya-sama. He's undefeated! Not even Hanzō, the so-called Demi-God, stands a chance against him!"
A Konoha shinobi shouted with conviction. Many of the Fire Country's shinobi had come to see Jiraiya as an almost divine figure, believing that no one in the world could best him.
"A technique of this scale... only our lord could achieve such mastery. Many claim that the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, was the greatest Water Release user in history. That's nonsense! That title belongs to our lord!"
"No one surpasses him in Water Release!"
"Tobirama? He never truly mastered it. Water is deep, and only our lord can navigate its depths."
Amegakure's shinobi spoke with fervent excitement, as if Jiraiya's defeat was already a foregone conclusion.
"Not bad. At least you didn't disappoint me."
Jiraiya gazed at the oncoming torrents with an indifferent expression. Now this—this was the kind of jutsu one would expect from a true Kage-level opponent.
"Storm Rasengan."
With those words, he raised his right hand, forming a Rasengan infused with howling winds. Instead of striking Hanzō, Jiraiya tossed it above his head.
The spiraling orb of wind spun furiously, generating a powerful updraft. As the massive waves approached, they were pulled into the vortex, spiraling around the Rasengan instead of crashing down.
Without hesitation, Jiraiya conjured several more Storm Rasengan and scattered them around himself. Each one absorbed a portion of the flood, diverting the surging waters away from him.
Hanzō's eyes narrowed slightly in surprise. He hadn't expected his technique to be neutralized so effortlessly. In an instant, his figure vanished, reappearing behind Jiraiya, a scythe in one hand and an axe in the other, both aiming for Jiraiya's neck and waist.
"You're fast... but your attack is too slow."
Jiraiya swiftly unsheathed the Lightning Flame Blade, slashing twice in quick succession. Sparks flew as the scythe and axe were cleaved apart.
Hanzō's speed was impressive—even with his heightened perception, Jiraiya had lost track of him for a full second. Without his enhanced vision, he wouldn't have been able to react in time, and those weapons would have carved into his flesh.
"Jiraiya... given time, you could surpass even Hashirama and become the new God of Shinobi. But you lack patience. You shine too brightly, too soon. Like a comet, your brilliance will be short-lived."
Hanzō's voice carried an unusual sense of regret as he praised his opponent. His respect was genuine.
Senju Hashirama, the God of Shinobi, was a legendary figure. Any shinobi who knew of him dreamed of reaching his heights. Even Hanzō himself had once aspired to be like him.
But that dream was impossible. No matter how powerful he had become, Hanzō was still only a "Demi-God." The gap between him and Hashirama was insurmountable, and he had long accepted that he would never reach those heights.
Yet, in Jiraiya, he saw potential. Given time, Jiraiya could truly become a second Hashirama. There was no doubt in Hanzō's mind.
"A true genius has no need to hide his brilliance."
Jiraiya's response was resolute. His muscles tensed, his body radiating raw power.
"Eight Gates... ! Third Gate: Gate of Life—Open!"
With a mighty roar, blue steam erupted from Jiraiya's body. His blood surged, and an overwhelming pressure radiated from him, shaking the battlefield.
The Eight Gates were the pinnacle of taijutsu. He had received this technique as a reward from the system, and he had since mastered it.
With his current physique, he could even open the Eighth Gate—the Gate of Death.
But against Hanzō, there was no need to go that far. The Third Gate, combined with his other abilities, was more than enough.
In a blur, Jiraiya vanished.
"So fast!"
Hanzō's pupils shrank as he barely registered Jiraiya's movement.
Without giving Hanzō time to react, Jiraiya raised his leg high and brought it down with devastating force. In that instant, he was like a falling mountain, ready to crush everything beneath him.
The Eight Gates didn't grant specific techniques—each user forged their own path. Might Guy had developed techniques like the Evening Elephant and Daytime Tiger, but they weren't part of the original Eight Gates doctrine.
The shinobi who created the Eight Gates had never mastered all eight, so they had never devised specific techniques for each gate. Instead, every user had to innovate their own way of harnessing its power.
And now, Jiraiya was doing just that.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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