"If you can't handle it, call me anytime."
Sakumo Hatake nodded, gripping the White Fang short blade in his hand. He charged toward the Jonin from the Village Hidden in the Rain.
The White Fang short blade, infused with chakra by Sakumo, became brilliantly white, emitting a soft glow. Made from a special metal, the blade could easily channel chakra.
The Jonin from the Village Hidden in the Rain could tell that Sakumo was highly skilled in close combat. Not wanting to engage in a direct fight, he quickly retreated and began forming hand seals, preparing to use ninjutsu.
But Sakumo's speed was too much. Before the Jonin could complete his seals, Sakumo was already at his side, slashing downward with his blade.
With no choice, the Jonin stopped forming the seals and drew his katana to clash with the White Fang blade.
From this, it was clear just how crucial the speed of forming hand seals was.
Meanwhile, several elite Chunin scattered around, forming their seals and preparing to launch ninjutsu attacks on Sakumo.
They understood that Sakumo posed a much greater threat than Jiraiya and needed to be dealt with first.
Despite their combined efforts, Sakumo easily dodged their attacks, moving with incredible speed.
"His speed is terrifying. Our jutsu can't even touch him."
"Who cares about jutsu to restrain him? Hurry up and use one! If we can just hold him down for a moment, we can focus fire and take him out."
"Damn, it's easy for you to say. Even if we had a restraining jutsu, with his speed, there's no way we can trap him."
The elite Chunin all whispered nervously, clearly rattled by Sakumo's lightning-fast movements.
"Kid, you may have had the skill to kill those three useless fools, but coming to challenge me is incredibly foolish."
Ryūga sneered at Jiraiya.
"Your parting words are as dull as ever," Jiraiya responded with a light smile.
He activated the Body Flicker Technique, swinging his Lightning Fire Blade at Ryūga.
Yesterday's sign-in reward had been a basic sword technique. While Jiraiya's swordsmanship didn't compare to Sakumo's, it was far from lacking.
Ryūga drew his own katana, meeting Jiraiya's blade head-on.
Clang!
The sound of metal breaking rang out. Ryūga's katana was cleaved in two by the Lightning Fire Blade, and a small cut appeared on his cheek, blood dripping down.
Had Ryūga not moved his head so quickly, Jiraiya's strike would have cleanly taken half his head off.
'What a fast blade,' Ryūga muttered, wiping the blood from his face, his back breaking out in a cold sweat. If he had been just a moment slower, he would have been finished.
The reason for this outcome was simple. Ryūga didn't know the true nature of the Lightning Fire Blade. If he had, he wouldn't have tried to block it with a regular katana—unless he wanted to try something foolish like Danzo using kunai on a Susanoo.
'Not bad for a Jonin. Your reflexes are impressive,' Jiraiya thought to himself.
A normal Chunin wouldn't have been able to dodge that last strike.
Jiraiya infused more fire chakra into the Lightning Fire Blade, causing it to glow red like molten lava, radiating intense heat.
He moved in for another strike against Ryūga.
The searing heat was enough that a single hit would turn Ryūga's flesh to charcoal.
Without a weapon capable of withstanding the Lightning Fire Blade, and with Jiraiya's unpredictable swordplay, Ryūga found himself on the defensive, scrambling to dodge without a chance to retaliate.
As for trying to form hand seals and use jutsu, Ryūga couldn't manage it.
Jiraiya's attacks were so fast that Ryūga had no time to form seals.
"Didn't expect him to be so proficient with a blade," Sakumo remarked, glancing over at Jiraiya.
To his surprise, Jiraiya was holding his own against a Jonin, and even gaining the upper hand. This was beyond his expectations.
Someone had spread rumors that Jiraiya was the weak link—if only they could see this!
"Ah!" A pained scream echoed through the air as Ryūga's right shoulder was burned black, the stench of charred flesh filling the atmosphere.
Even the best defenses have their gaps. Jiraiya had exploited a weakness in Ryūga's guard, leaving a scar on his shoulder.
Ryūga's face twisted in agony.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
The intense pain seemed to awaken his full potential. Whether it was the threat of death or the pressure from Jiraiya, Ryūga's hand-seal speed had increased, and he managed to launch a fireball jutsu even in his wounded state.
Five fireballs, each the size of a basin, shot from his mouth.
Fire Style is the most common chakra nature transformation, and fire jutsu users are the most numerous.
Jiraiya swung his blade, cutting through the five fireballs and absorbing half of their chakra.
The fireballs disintegrated instantly.
Ryūga's fire jutsu was nothing more than a standard Fire Style technique. With half of its chakra drained, it quickly fizzled out.
Jiraiya's Lightning Fire Blade absorbed the chakra, becoming even hotter.
"What an incredible weapon."
Realizing that Jiraiya's sword could directly absorb chakra from jutsu, Ryūga's eyes burned with interest.
Such a powerful weapon was wasted on a Chunin. Only a Jonin like him deserved such a tool.
Ryūga formed another series of hand seals and unleashed another fire technique, this time creating large fireballs that flew toward Jiraiya from every direction.
The fireballs surrounded him, cutting off all escape routes.
This was Ryūga's strongest Fire Style jutsu, though it was still only a B-rank technique. Nevertheless, it was one of the most advanced in that category.
"Even knowing my sword can absorb Fire Style techniques, you still choose to attack me with fire?" Jiraiya scoffed. "I really don't know how you made Jonin."
"Dance of the Blade."
Jiraiya gripped the Lightning Fire Blade and began spinning rapidly in place.
The fireballs crashed down, but Jiraiya sliced through each one, scattering them into sparks that faded into the air.
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