Jiraiya's blade cleaved through the Earth-Style: Wall, scattering debris everywhere. On the other side, the rabbit-masked Anbu saw a shuriken flying straight at him.
"Kid, why aren't you using ninjutsu?" the masked ninja roared, frustration evident in his voice.
He assumed Jiraiya resorted to a shuriken attack because his chakra reserves were running low. After all, any offensive ninjutsu would have been far more devastating than a single shuriken.
"Well, since you're so insistent..." Jiraiya's lips curled into a sly grin. "I'll grant your request. Shadow Shuriken Clone Jutsu!"
Jiraiya's hands moved in a blur, forming seals with practiced precision. The lone shuriken in mid-air suddenly multiplied into hundreds, filling the sky like a deadly storm.
In that instant, Jiraiya's intent to kill was unmistakable. He had suspected the intruder to be an Anbu, but since the man had not revealed his identity, even killing him wouldn't lead to consequences from Konoha's higher-ups.
This display wasn't just a tactic, it was a message. Jiraiya wanted to make it clear to Danzo—any attempts to manipulate him would come at a steep price.
The rabbit-masked ninja, about to deflect the lone shuriken, froze in disbelief as it split into countless copies. His pupils dilated in shock.
"A hundred? Impossible!"
As an Anbu member, he was well aware of the Shadow Shuriken Clone Jutsu—a powerful technique developed by the Third Hokage himself and passed down to his three students. He also knew Jiraiya had mastered it, but he had only ever seen Jiraiya create five clones at most during training.
Clearly, Jiraiya had been concealing his true abilities. The Anbu realized, too late, that he had underestimated his opponent.
Reacting swiftly, the rabbit-masked ninja formed seals, gripping his blade tightly. With a rapid spin, he unleashed a barrage of wind blades, slashing outward in all directions.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A cacophony of explosions echoed as wind blades collided with the shuriken clones, reducing most of them to harmless puffs of smoke. Despite his skillful defense, several shuriken pierced through, striking his shoulder, thigh, and abdomen.
"Agh!" he cried out in pain, staggering under the force of his injuries. Blood seeped through his uniform as he fought to remain standing.
The ninja clenched his teeth, forced down the pain, and activated the Body Flicker Technique to retreat toward the nearby forest. That was where his backup waited.
Jiraiya watched the man flee and sighed, recalling the shuriken back to his hand with a pull of chakra.
"Still not there yet," he muttered to himself. "The chakra infused in the clones isn't dense enough. If I'd perfected this, I could've pierced him clean through."
He wasn't satisfied. To truly master the Shadow Shuriken Clone Jutsu, he needed more training. For now, though, he gave chase, sprinting after the injured Anbu.
The rabbit-masked ninja knew he was outmatched. He cursed under his breath, fumbling for medical pills to treat his wounds.
'Damn it, I thought this mission was just some easy retrieval. Who knew it'd turn into a death trap?'
He finally reached the forest where his comrades were stationed. Their chakra signatures reassured him, and he slowed his frantic pace.
Jiraiya, on the other hand, came to an abrupt stop. His sharp senses picked up three powerful chakra signatures approaching rapidly.
"So, the cavalry's here," he mused, narrowing his eyes.
The rabbit-masked ninja's change in pace confirmed his suspicion. He wasn't slowing because of his injuries; he felt safe now, knowing reinforcements had arrived.
'They're all stronger than him,' Jiraiya thought, his brows furrowing. Engaging all three would be reckless. Even if they wouldn't kill him outright due to his status as the Hokage's student, they wouldn't hesitate to give him a harsh beating.
"Guess I'll let him go this time." Jiraiya turned on his heel, walking away from the scene.
'Letting him live isn't because I'm scared of those three. It's because Konoha's invested so much in training a Special Jōnin. Wasting all those resources... now, that'd be a shame,' Jiraiya muttered to himself, smirking faintly.
After all, he was too soft-hearted to do something like that.
The rabbit-masked ninja stumbled into the clearing, greeted by his comrades.
"what happened? You're a mess!" one of them exclaimed, frowning at his condition.
"Wasn't this supposed to be a simple intel retrieval? How did you end up like this?"
The rabbit-masked ninja gritted his teeth, suppressing his frustration. "Yeah, well, turns out... that 'simple mission' almost got me killed."
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