Boom!
A massive explosion of water erupted, obscuring the battlefield in a dense spray.
Yamanaka Shinno was sent flying backward across the water's surface from the force of the countershock. Twisting his waist and swinging an elbow back, he struck a toad that had tried to take advantage of the moment, sending it crashing back into the water. Using the recoil to flip himself upright, his feet skidded across the water, leaving long trails in his wake. Before his body even fully stabilized, he slammed his palms together and activated another jutsu.
Water Release: Hidden Mist Jutsu!
Thick mist surged upward in an instant, shrouding the battlefield.
Shinno took a sharp breath and bit down on his gums, intending to smear his blood to summon his contracted beast, the Giant Clam. He wanted to give Jiraiya a taste of an actual mirage-based assault. But then—his hands froze mid-motion.
Wait a second—hadn't he said yesterday that he wouldn't use genjutsu?
Damn it!
He had just wasted a perfectly good mouthful of gum blood!
Shaking off his frustration, his hands formed seals at high speed.
Shinno switched tactics, opting instead for the technique he had just learned last night from the Senju clan's scrolls.
Water Release: Wave Riding Strike!
His lack of mastery over the jutsu meant he couldn't yet forgo hand seals, but his red-tier ability [Zero Frame Startup], which granted unparalleled chakra control, and his purple-tier trait [Water Release Mastery], which deepened his understanding of water techniques, still allowed him to cast faster than most high-level jonin.
As the technique activated, Shinno moved like a fish slipping effortlessly into the depths.
At the same time, Hydrification Technique kicked in, rendering his body imperceptible to the watchful eyes of the few remaining Myoboku toads lurking underwater.
[...]
"Man, kids these days really don't have any respect for their elders!"
Jiraiya wiped the sweat from his forehead as the armored toad beneath his feet shifted constantly, staying alert for any sudden attacks.
From the very start of the battle, he had been on the defensive. Every attempt at counterattack had failed miserably.
Even after summoning eight Myoboku toads to assist him, the tide of the fight hadn't changed. He was still gradually being pushed back.
And this was with Shinno refraining from using genjutsu.
If the kid had gone all out…
"Gwah! Gwah! Gwah!"
"To the water! He's gone!"
"No sign of him! Gwah!"
The urgent croaks of the toads echoed through the thick mist.
Jiraiya's heart tightened. Kicking off the toad's back, he leaped into the air, hands flashing through a rapid sequence of seals.
In this current situation, Hidden Mist Jutsu was a major problem for him. Shinno's sensory abilities weren't hindered at all, but Jiraiya's vision was completely compromised.
Trying to dispel the mist would only put him at a greater disadvantage. Whether by using Wind Release to blow it away or Fire Release to evaporate it, the chakra cost would be several times that of maintaining the mist itself. And there was no way Shinno would just stand by and let him clear the battlefield.
So, the only choice was—
Barrie Formation!
Boom! Boom!
Just as Jiraiya's sensory barrier expanded outward, the armored toad on the water slammed its powerful limbs down, creating a violent surge.
A towering water dragon exploded from the surface, colliding with the toad in mid-air. The sheer force created a massive crater-like indentation in the lake!
The impact was beyond the toad's limits—it instantly vanished in a puff of chakra smoke, returning to Myoboku.
However, the force of the collision also disrupted Shinno's underwater assault, forcing him to pause.
Giving Jiraiya a precious moment to breathe!
"Nice work!"
Jiraiya felt a surge of relief. He was just about to launch a counterattack when his sensory barrier sent a warning signal—his eye twitched.
Overhead, two crows circled ominously.
And at the edges of the mist, four small humanoid puppets, each no taller than half a man, had silently positioned themselves around him, sealing off his escape routes.
Meanwhile, Shinno himself had already emerged from the water, standing calmly atop the lake's surface, watching him.
There was no way out—no escape above, no retreat below.
Jiraiya knew without a doubt—whatever move he made next, he would immediately be overwhelmed by a storm of attacks.
"I surrender! I surrender! Stop! Stop!"
Jiraiya shouted at the top of his lungs, completely abandoning his pride.
He had no choice. If he hesitated for even a second, this ruthless little bastard might hit him with Mind Body Disturbance Technique, forcing him to do something… humiliating.
If it were a bunch of kunoichi dancing in 'Pure Land Paradise,' he wouldn't mind watching.
But if he had to dance…
Nope. Not going there. Not even thinking about it!
[...]
Shinno exhaled deeply and dispelled the mist with a flick of his fingers.
The two crows circling above let out final squawks before dispersing into chakra smoke, returning to their roost.
The four small puppets, controlled by Mind Clone Switch Technique, smoothly retreated to his side. He retrieved a storage scroll from the inside of his jonin vest and sealed them away once more.
Then, he simply sat cross-legged on the water's surface, contemplating the flaws that had surfaced in his performance.
First, jutsu proficiency.
The techniques he had learned from the Senju scroll were powerful, but he needed more practice.
At the very least, he should be able to execute them with a simple clap instead of going through an entire sequence of seals. Otherwise, he wasn't making full use of [Zero Frame Startup].
Then, taijutsu.
His Hydrification-enhanced strikes, combined with moves stored in his Memory Palace, had generated even greater force than he expected.
His last attack had amplified by Water Release techniques, turning his attacks into something so powerful it outright obliterated the armored toad.
If he could master the Stacked Wave Combat Technique he saw in the scrolls last night, he might even be able to match the Third Raikage in brute force.
And finally—the most important factor—battle habits.
His sparring match with Jiraiya had been a rehearsal for his eventual confrontation with Uchiha Madara.
That's why he had deliberately avoided genjutsu—because against Madara, it would likely be useless.
Even though Madara had transplanted his Rinnegan into Nagato, his remaining visual prowess still rivaled an Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
If he wanted to fight Madara properly, he needed to break the habit of relying on illusions.
Oh, and one last thing—
Flying Thunder God Jutsu.
He still had to spar with Minato next. He needed to adapt to high-intensity Flying Thunder God Chain Flashes so he could fully maximize [Zero Frame Startup].
Once he handled all that…
A grin stretched across Shinno's face.
"Madara… since Hashirama isn't around, how about I bring you a stronger version of Tobirama to dance with? Kekekeke—"
Jiraiya plopped down beside him, shaking his head in amusement.
"You really are a monster, kid."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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