The two Iwagakure jōnin who had just bolted out of the bounty office froze in their tracks upon seeing their subordinates wiped out so swiftly. A bead of sweat rolled down their foreheads, and their backs felt drenched with cold perspiration.
"The enemy's power is overwhelming, and his speed is incredible. If we try to split up and run, we'll just get picked off one by one," muttered one of the jōnin, a man with a thin mustache. He wiped the sweat from his brow and addressed his companion.
"Our only chance is to face him together."
Jiraiya's overwhelming strength left no room for false hope. The idea of escaping alone was laughable. Even if one of them managed to slip away by some miracle, it wouldn't take long for Jiraiya to hunt them down again.
Separated, their individual strength was far from enough to hold him off. Their only hope lay in joining forces—fighting desperately, either to fatally wound or eliminate him. Otherwise, they'd end up as nothing but corpses on enemy soil.
They hadn't expected such a terrifying opponent to be so young. Yet here he was, another formidable talent from Konoha, a village that seemed to produce genius after genius.
"Fine," the second jōnin growled, nodding resolutely. "Even if it costs us our lives, we must take this brat down here and now. If he's this dangerous already, imagine what he'll become if we let him grow."
Without hesitation, he formed a string of hand seals. The earth beneath him roared as countless stone spikes erupted from the ground, flying toward Jiraiya like a barrage of projectiles.
However, just as the stone spears neared Jiraiya, the intense heat emanating from his ninjutsu melted them to harmless puddles.
"What kind of Fire Release technique is this? The heat is ridiculous!" the mustached jōnin exclaimed in alarm. "If he gets anywhere near us, we'll be roasted alive."
His partner narrowed his eyes. "This jutsu isn't as unstoppable as you think. When he killed Gento and the others, they weren't melted by heat. They were taken down with a weapon. His technique must have limits. Regardless, we can't let him close the distance."
The jōnin's analysis was far from the truth. Jiraiya's Flame Stream was a versatile defensive jutsu, capable of both shielding him and incinerating enemies. The reason the previous opponents weren't burned alive was simple—Jiraiya had controlled the intensity of the flames to lure the current jōnin into underestimating him. In combat, deception was often as crucial as raw power.
"Fire Release: Flaming Tiger Technique."
(T/N: the B-rank Fire Release: Flaming Tiger Technique "This technique requires ninja tools as a medium. It transforms them into flaming tigers that attack enemies, roaring and unleashing sonic waves to disrupt them," If anyone forgot, it was a reward from the system.)
Jiraiya threw the Lightning Flame Blade with precision. As it cut through the air, a ferocious roar echoed, and a massive flame tiger materialized, towering at three meters in height—several times larger than before. Its sheer size and power were enough to make the ground tremble as it pounced on the mustached jōnin, jaws open wide.
"Earth Release: Multiple Earth Walls!"
The mustached jōnin slammed his hands to the ground, summoning several layers of earthen walls to block the flaming beast. The tiger crashed through each wall with deafening force, reducing them to rubble.
"Earth Release: Earth Shore Return!"
The jōnin quickly followed up with another defensive technique, summoning a reinforced mudstone barrier that finally managed to hold back the blazing tiger's advance.
Meanwhile, the other jōnin had completed his own technique.
"Earth Release: Giant Boulder!"
Drawing chakra from the ground, he formed a massive earthen boulder and hurled it at Jiraiya with immense force.
Jiraiya leapt high into the air, delivering a devastating spin kick that shattered the boulder into fragments. His four months of training had honed his taijutsu to an impressive level. With his current physical condition, Jiraiya knew he could potentially unlock even the Seventh or Eighth Gate of the Eight Gates technique—if only he had the knowledge to train in it. For now, even his raw strength alone was frightening.
Without letting up, Jiraiya summoned the Lightning Flame Blade back into his hand with a flick of his wrist.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow River"
The mustached jōnin formed seals rapidly, causing the ground beneath Jiraiya to soften and transform into a rushing river of mud that surged toward him like a tidal wave.
"Fire Release: Great Fire!"
Jiraiya exhaled a massive wave of flames, engulfing the mud river. The intense heat evaporated the moisture in an instant, leaving only hardened, useless earth behind. Mud techniques were no match for a fire jutsu of this caliber.
The second jōnin saw an opening.
"Earth Release: Thousand Mud Senbon!"
Hundreds of needle-like projectiles formed from hardened mud shot toward Jiraiya in rapid succession. Each senbon carried immense chakra density, designed to pierce through flesh and bone with ease.
But Jiraiya didn't flinch. Gripping the Lightning Flame Blade, he moved forward, letting the senbon melt harmlessly against the searing heat of his jutsu. His target was clear—the mustached jōnin. The stronger of the two had to go first.
"Unbelievable," the jōnin muttered in despair as Jiraiya closed the distance. "Even maintaining such a powerful Fire Release jutsu, he doesn't seem to be losing chakra at all... How can he be this strong?"
Watching the intense battle from the shadows, a figure in a mask—Yūhi Mitsune—observed with wide, astonished eyes. Beneath her mask, her gaze was filled with admiration and shock.
"So strong... and so unyielding," she murmured. "What an incredible man."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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