Hearing that Jiraiya wanted to challenge Fox, Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned and said:
"Jiraiya, Fox has just returned from the Land of Wind, having cultivated an important spy for Konoha and resolved a major issue.
What you should be doing is completing tasks that can alter the course of the war for Konoha, just like Fox, not engaging in petty fights here.
Challenges, duels... do you think you're still in the Ninja Academy?"
Seeing Jiraiya's confident demeanor, Yōkō said:
"Lord Hokage, I am very interested in the legacy of Mount Myōboku. This is a good opportunity to test whether the Great Toads of Myōboku or Wood Release is more powerful."
Orochimaru also said, "Lord Hiruzen, let Jiraiya try. Let him accept defeat."
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Tsunade.
Tsunade glanced at Fox, then gave Jiraiya a disdainful look, saying nothing.
Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed.
Why do my three disciples still have so many problems at their age?
Look at Hatake Sakumo's disciple, Namikaze Minato. He's practically the perfect ideal disciple. If only Minato were my disciple or grand-disciple.
Namikaze Minato's strength grows rapidly, and he's even learned the forbidden technique, Flying Thunder God.
Fox said Minato has a talent for space-time ninjutsu. Following the principle of orderly forbidden technique inheritance, the Hokage Building was informed, and the Flying Thunder God was passed to Minato.
Once Namikaze Minato masters the Flying Thunder God, it's hard to say how far he'll grow.
In several mission debriefings, I personally assessed Namikaze Minato. His mindset is nearly perfect, always putting Konoha first.
Several figures vanished with Body Flicker Techniques, leaving Konoha.
Whether it was Jiraiya's Great Toads or Fox's Wood Release, there wasn't enough space to display their full power within the village.
Shinobi from the Barrier Corps detected several people leaving Konoha and hurriedly reported to their chief, Yamanaka Inson.
Yamanaka Inson had just left the Barrier Corps, intending to head to the Hokage Building, when he encountered Anbu Squad Leader Black Ant.
"Clan Head Inson, those who left the village are the Hokage, the Sannin, and Department Head Fox. The Hokage instructed me to inform you, please do not be alarmed."
Hearing this, Yamanaka Inson sighed. These powerful individuals were too reckless.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's group arrived at a valley outside the village.
This was the area where the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki had undergone special training; deep pits were scattered everywhere on the ground.
Jiraiya scanned the area, unsure what had transpired here before.
He paid it no mind, forming hand seals before slapping his palms on the ground.
POOF!
After the white smoke cleared, Gamabunta, pipe in mouth,appeared in the valley.
Gamabunta glanced down, spotting Sarutobi Hiruzen, Tsunade, and Orochimaru.
"Yo! Haven't seen you folks in a long time. What's going on?" Gamabunta exhaled a cloud of thick smoke and said,
"Hokage, are you giving Jiraiya a re-education? He's over thirty. Isn't that a bit late?"
Jiraiya's geta sandals clicked sharply on Gamabunta's head.
"Bunta! Your enemy is that Anbu member across from us! Not the others!"
Gamabunta turned to look at the Anbu member opposite, thought for a moment, and said:
"I've seen this Anbu before. When you were training those three orphans in the Land of Rain, it was interrupted by Konoha's Anbu. Those Anbu were led by this Fox, weren't they?"
Jiraiya's expression turned serious. "Bunta, this isn't ordinary training or sparing. It concerns a knot in my heart."
Jiraiya glanced back at Tsunade, only to see her crossing her arms over her chest, not the least bit worried about Fox.
"Go all out, Bunta!"
Gamabunta moved with incredible speed, drawing the forty-meter-long short sword from its back. Leaping up, it brought the blade down in a fierce slash.
However, two wooden hands erupted from the ground!
CLAP!
The wooden hands caught the blade barehanded, slapping together to hold Bunta's short sword.
"Huh?"
Bunta's voice rumbled like thunder.
"This kind of power... Is this the legendary Wood Release of the First Hokage?"
Jiraiya had been away too long; Bunta had never seen Fox's Wood Release.
Bunta hurriedly yanked its short sword back, leaping away. Mid-air, Bunta used a ninjutsu.
"Water Release: Water Gun Technique!"
A water sphere the size of a small mountain hurtled towards Fox.
Yōkō murmured, "Let me think, what counters Water Release... Oh, Earth Release.
Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
A massive earth wall, dozens of meters high, appeared before Yōkō.
The tapered wall blocked the Water Release: Water Gun Technique.
In the distance, Orochimaru narrowed his eyes.
Fox's Earth-Style Wall was special. It was shaped like a dam, with five buttress-like pillars behind it.
Was it these clever structural designs that strengthened the wall's durability?
Orochimaru immediately shook his head. No, that's not it.
The shape was certainly a factor, but stronger still was Fox's chakra. Using a basic Earth Release technique, he blocked Gamabunta's Water Gun Technique.
Gamabunta landed with a heavy thud, flattening trees across dozens of meters.
"Jiraiya, he's strong. He's too strong."
"I know he's strong. So buy me some time."
"Huh? Don't tell me you're going to—?"
Jiraiya jumped down from Gamabunta's head, clasped his hands together, and sat on a tree trunk.
Gamabunta extended its tongue, tasting the air around it.
"Natural energy is restless... Jiraiya, you're going to use Sage Mode just for a spar with a Konoha Anbu? What exactly did that Anbu do to you?"
Gamabunta leaped again, aiming for the Konoha Anbu. However, what greeted it was a Wood Dragon.
The Wood Dragon burst from the earth, coiling around Gamabunta's midsection. Gamabunta's chakra rapidly drained away.
"Crap! Forgot the legends said Wood Release could absorb chakra too!"
Yōkō said to Gamabunta, "Be quiet! Don't disturb Jiraiya gathering natural energy!"
Gamabunta was taken aback.
So it really was just a spar? The Konoha Anbu actually complained that he was being noisy, disturbing Jiraiya.
Everyone waited for Jiraiya.
Gamabunta sat crouched on one side of the valley, occasionally puffing on its pipe and exhaling thick smoke.
In a real life-or-death battle, who would give Jiraiya such a long preparation time?
Half an hour later, Jiraiya's aura underwent a dramatic transformation!
A puff of white smoke, and Jiraiya slowly walked out from within it.
More voices, chattering.
"Jiraiya-chan! What are you doing?! I just started stewing the beetles! Their shells take forever to soften!"
"Dear, don't be impatient. Jiraiya-chan might have encountered a troublesome enemy."
Emerging from the smoke, Sage Fukasaku first saw his son, Bunta, and then spotted Sarutobi Hiruzen beside him.
"What's going on? Is Hiruzen testing Jiraiya-chan's training progress over these years?"
Sage Shima said impatiently, "You summoned both of us just to test his strength? How childish!"
Jiraiya said solemnly, "Honored Sages, it's not Lord Hiruzen's test, but a kind of verification..."
"Verification of what?"
"Verification..." Jiraiya said,
"I suspect the Child of Prophecy has already appeared. His strength is so immense, I suspect he already possesses the power to change the shinobi world."
***
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(End of Chapter)