Uchiha Ryōsuke slowly walked out the door, watching Jiraiya, who had collapsed in the distance. Ryōsuke was in no hurry to strike. With his current strength, he possessed the confidence that as long as he intended to capture Jiraiya, the man had no chance of escape.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya slowly pushed himself up from the ground, his expression looking rather grim. He frowned at the distant Uchiha Ryōsuke.
'This guy is really overconfident. He actually didn't take the opportunity to finish me off. Is he so confident in his own power that he disdains a sneak attack? Or is he simply looking down on me?'
Based on their brief exchange just now, if he didn't bring out his true skills, he might actually be taken down in an instant. Though there was an element of his own carelessness earlier, Ryōsuke's Taijutsu was undeniably far superior to his own.
It seemed he had to use that move. That is, Sage Mode. The only drawback of this technique was the long time required to gather Senjutsu chakra, but this person's arrogance would provide the time he needed.
His hands formed signs. "Sage Mode."
Over the course of a minute, red markings appeared on his face, looking as if he had put on a mask. Suddenly, Jiraiya felt his surroundings become much clearer. This was the enhancement of his perception. At the same time, his body was no longer filled with ordinary chakra, but with Senjutsu chakra, which flooded through him. It made his body feel much lighter. Even the injury from the previous kick had eased significantly.
Seeing Jiraiya in this state, Tsunade's face was filled with surprise.
'Why does this move look so much like the Senjutsu my grandfather used? Has this guy, Jiraiya, actually reached that level too?'
Senjutsu involved using natural energy to create Senjutsu chakra, allowing one's Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu to reach leapfrog levels of power. Simultaneously, with the help of natural energy, one could enhance attack and defense, expand the range of Taijutsu, and sharpen perception.
Tsunade had once envied such Senjutsu and begged her grandfather to teach it to her, but she simply couldn't learn it. Moreover, both the training and the execution of this technique were extremely dangerous. A single slip-up could cause a catastrophe for the user. That was the reason she eventually gave up. She wondered if Ryōsuke could deal with a Jiraiya like this.
'But there shouldn't be any problem. The current Jiraiya is indeed strong, but Ryōsuke is unlikely to be defeated.'
The members of the Uchiha squad also stepped out of the doorway, watching Jiraiya's transformation with surprise. They didn't know exactly what was happening, but they could tell it was a powerful technique. However, no matter how powerful it was, they didn't believe it could pose a threat to Ryōsuke. To them, Ryōsuke had always been peerlessly strong.
At this moment, Jiraiya looked at the young man before him. The other party was as calm as ever, and he couldn't help but feel a bit smug. Arrogance leads to failure; in the end, the boy was still too young.
"Kid, you really are arrogant! To think you actually let me successfully enter Sage Mode. Just wait and regret it."
Ryōsuke was certain he wouldn't feel any regret. He spoke with interest, "Let me see just how strong your Sage Mode really is."
He knew that the later appearances of the Ten-Tails and the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki could only be dealt with using Taijutsu and Sage Mode. Senjutsu chakra was undoubtedly of a higher quality than regular chakra. Faced with such powerful energy, Ryōsuke was naturally interested, but he also knew this Senjutsu was very dangerous.
Relying on his body's immense defensive power and recovery ability, he could train in the Eight Inner Gates without injury. But if he were to practice Senjutsu, it might be risky. He wasn't sure if his body could handle it. Or rather, it wasn't a matter of whether he could endure it. Senjutsu chakra was a fusion of physical energy, spiritual energy, and natural energy, which had to be kept in a perfect 1:1:1 ratio. If he lost control, his body might turn into another substance entirely. If that happened, he didn't know if his body could revert to its original state.
Jiraiya's expression stiffened upon hearing Ryōsuke's words.
'This guy wants to witness my Sage Mode? Is he really treating me like a sideshow act?'
Suddenly, Ryōsuke initiated the attack. He repeated his opening move, using the Body Flicker Technique to appear instantly in front of Jiraiya, swinging a powerful kick toward him.
While the Body Flicker Technique was called a teleportation-like move, it was actually just a high-speed burst of movement. This time, Jiraiya responded with perfect timing. He lifted his leg directly to counter Ryōsuke. Although Uchiha Ryōsuke's speed was fast, Jiraiya could sense the natural energy around him, allowing him to easily perceive the opponent's movements.
In this collision, Jiraiya could still feel the pressure coming from the leg, but he could hold his ground. He felt a sense of relief in his heart.
Ryōsuke was slightly surprised that Jiraiya had defended against his strike. After entering Sage Mode, it seemed the man's Taijutsu had indeed grown stronger. But he wasn't finished. He continued his assault. This time, he used both fists and feet.
Jiraiya blocked all of Ryōsuke's attacks. The strikes were heavy and fast, but after entering Sage Mode, the pressure he felt was much smaller. Jiraiya even managed to find openings to counterattack, though Ryōsuke parried all of them. The two engaged in a fierce exchange for several minutes.
Tsunade, watching from the side, was now completely shocked. After using Senjutsu, Jiraiya's physical capabilities had received an immense boost. In this state, she might not even be able to gain an advantage over him, let alone suppress him. After all, this was the same kind of Senjutsu her grandfather used.
Yet Ryōsuke was contending with him using nothing but his physical body. Why was Ryōsuke's body so powerful? Was this strength something a normal person could possess? More importantly, Ryōsuke was only sixteen or seventeen years old. She could only sigh inwardly. Could this be called anything other than monstrous talent?
The members of the Uchiha patrol squad were also watching. They hadn't expected Jiraiya to be able to fight Ryōsuke for so long. Their eyes showed surprise.
"Is this the strength of Jiraiya of the Sannin? He really is strong."
"He feels way more powerful than Danzō or the Third Hokage."
They had never seen anyone who could fight Ryōsuke for this long. Among them, only the squad leader remained calm.
Was he impressive? His strength was indeed excellent. If it were them, they probably wouldn't have been able to even touch Jiraiya. The gap in Taijutsu was too vast. Fortunately, Jiraiya hadn't fought them earlier; otherwise, they would have been the ones losing face.
However, Ryōsuke hadn't even used the Eight Inner Gates yet. He felt that the truly terrifying one was Ryōsuke. The clan had truly produced a monster in Taijutsu. With such a person around, how could the clan not prosper?