"Tailed Beast Ball!"
Naruto no longer had any tolerance for Jiraiya's repeated foolish acts.
The Tailed Beast Ball burst forth with dazzling light, shooting out like a cannonball!
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
Jiraiya quickly completed his hand seals, and the earth trembled as a giant mud dragon burst out of the ground, opening its mouth to catch the incoming Tailed Beast Ball and soaring into the sky.
With a loud explosion, a dazzling light erupted in the sky.
"Is this the difference in combat experience...?"
Naruto looked up at the direction of the explosion, deep in thought.
The Earth Dragon Bullet was merely a B-rank Ninjutsu. Although the Tailed Beast Ball just released wasn't large, the difference in Chakra volume between the two was at least twenty times, yet the direction of the technique was easily redirected.
If it were him, he would never have thought of such a Chakra-saving solution; he would only think about how to clash directly.
"Don't be impulsive, Naruto, everything can be talked about!"
Seeing that Naruto didn't press the attack, Jiraiya quickly appeased him: "I just made a suggestion, calm down first, everything is negotiable!"
"Forget it, I've had enough of your stupidity."
Naruto shook his head: "Do you remember what I just said, Jiraiya? You are trash, pure trash. I don't even need much contact to know what category you fall into..."
"You clearly understand nothing, yet you always pretend to understand others, spouting grand theories, self-righteously instilling naive ideas into people, hoping someone will fulfill your ideals."
"But in reality? You turn a blind eye to darkness, you avoid talking about human nature, and you yourself wander the world like a stray dog, escaping reality..."
"Always wanting to entrust your ideals to others, forever living in the beautiful dream you've woven, truthfully... a guy like you will only bring misfortune to those around you, because if they believe your nonsense today, they'll pay the price tomorrow."
Hearing Naruto's words, Jiraiya's expression changed. In a trance, familiar faces seemed to flash through his mind.
Yahiko, Nagato, Konan...
As if a raw nerve had been struck, Jiraiya's face gradually turned pale.
Inside the sealed space, the Nine-Tailed clapped its paws in amazement: "Kid, that's brilliant, you're killing people without a knife..."
Naruto shook his head slightly: "I merely popped his daydream. After all... lies don't hurt people, the truth is a swift blade."
Naruto had mixed feelings of admiration and disgust for Jiraiya.
He admired the fatherly care and emotional investment Jiraiya showed towards his disciples.
But at the same time, he strongly disliked Jiraiya's idealistic, even fantastical, concept of peace—that people should understand each other.
In Naruto's view, Jiraiya's idea wasn't necessarily wrong, but it was too one-sided and powerless, which led to the kind of stupidity he found so annoying.
People in this world are always like this; they always strive for perfection, and peace is no different.
Yet, they don't know that wanting everything means getting nothing. Those who can't let go will end up grasping nothing at all.
Unfortunately, they didn't have ancient philosophers who specialized in philosophy to teach them the wisdom of giving and taking.
The main reason for this conflict was that Jiraiya imposed his taken-for-granted theories on Naruto.
In modern terms: a self-righteous do-gooder attitude.
Those who truly understand the pain of others never easily speak the word 'understanding,' because what they think of first is how to soothe the other's wounds.
"Your face is very pale, Jiraiya..."
Naruto chuckled and spread his hands: "Did you remember something happy?"
"Enough, Naruto..."
Jiraiya looked at Naruto, his spirit seeming a bit weary: "I'm sorry, I failed to consider your feelings."
"Meaningless nonsense."
Naruto formed hand seals: "Wood Clone Jutsu."
Creak, creak...
The ear-grating sound of growing trees emerged, and four Wood Clones flew out from behind Naruto. As soon as they landed, their figures instantly vanished.
"East, South, West, North, all four directions of Konoha have my Flying Thunder God Mark. Anbu are almost here now, and if anyone attacks me, I will consider it a declaration of war. The result... you should understand, right?"
"Next, prepare for an all-out war, Jiraiya. You were the one who provoked it first..."
Saying that, Naruto formed hand seals again.
Compared to Jiraiya's dazzling hand seal speed, Naruto's hand seal speed was definitely not fast.
But fortunately, with the improvement of his Chakra control, he now only needed to form one seal—a clap of his hands.
"Wood Release: Wood Golem Jutsu!"
Boom—
The earth shook violently again. Beneath Naruto's feet, a dozens-of-meters-tall Wood Release giant burst out of the ground, rising up!
Naruto's hand movements didn't stop: "Wood Release: Wood Dragon Jutsu!"
Naruto suddenly raised his palm, and a Wood Dragon flew out. Faintly, a dragon's roar seemed to echo.
The Wood Dragon was nearly a hundred meters long, coiling around the Wood Golem.
Unlike Senju Hashirama's Wood Dragon with its Squidward-like nose, his Wood Dragon was carved lifelike, even having four claws, looking majestic.
"This is... the First Hokage's Jutsu. You really think highly of me."
Jiraiya gave a bitter laugh and formed a summoning seal. Immediately, a toad emerged from his mouth...
It was a strange toad with crossed arms and a long scroll on its belly. The way it emerged from Jiraiya's mouth was truly not a pretty sight.
"Gamatora, give him the key..."
Jiraiya sighed and waved at Naruto: "Come down, Naruto, let's stop here."
Seeing this, Naruto snorted coldly and leaped down from the top of the Wood Golem's head, not worrying about Jiraiya ambushing him.
Unless he was instantly killed, all sealing and genjutsu methods would be ineffective against him.
I'm even trying to freeload the Rinne Sharingan, and you think a little bit of Chakra can affect me?
What a joke...
Naruto looked at the toad: "How do I open the seal?"
"Uh..."
Gamatora, who was suddenly summoned, looked bewildered. He looked at Jiraiya, then at Naruto, feeling that the atmosphere seemed a bit strange.
Realizing the complexity of the situation, Gamatora wisely remained silent.
He was responsible for guarding the Nine-Tailed's sealing key. Since Jiraiya had agreed, he naturally had no reason to object.
With a swish, Gamatora unfurled the scroll on his belly and crossed his arms: "Record your Chakra on it, then open your mouth wide and let me go into your stomach."
Chakra flowed to his fingertips, and Naruto raised his hand to leave his Chakra on the scroll.
Then he looked at Gamatora with disgust: "Can you use Transformation Jutsu?"
"Alright, you don't seem to have such a big mouth..."
Gamatora formed a hand seal, transformed into a tiny speck, and zipped into Naruto's mouth.
Naruto's face twitched. Remembering that this thing had just been spat out by Jiraiya, he felt a wave of nausea.
However... at least he got the key!