Battling against Ryōsuke, Jiraiya began to feel a sense of helplessness. Even in Sage Mode, he found himself unable to do anything to this man. He realized he had no choice but to resort to his secret technique—an invisible attack.
He launched another assault, a fierce barrage of punches and kicks. While Ryōsuke was busy parrying the physical strikes, Jiraiya simultaneously manipulated the nature energy surrounding his arms to strike at his opponent.
Ryōsuke failed to notice this invisible blow. He was struck directly and sent flying, crashing heavily onto the ground.
'As expected of Sage Mode,' Ryōsuke thought to himself, feeling the impact. 'That invisible attack... it must be the senjutsu chakra Jiraiya is controlling.'
At that moment, Jiraiya was feeling a surge of excitement. He had put his full strength into that last move. Given the state Ryōsuke was in, he had to be severely injured at the very least. Since the other man had intended to capture him, Jiraiya felt no need to hold back. Besides, against such a powerful opponent, he didn't have the luxury of restraint.
Seeing his opponent unable to move, Jiraiya decided it was time to make his exit. Before leaving, he couldn't resist a parting shot to vent his frustration.
"That is what happens when you underestimate me."
Tsunade looked at the fallen Ryōsuke, her face filled with deep concern. She couldn't believe that idiot Jiraiya had actually done something so reckless.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, you bastard?" she barked.
Hearing Tsunade's angry reprimand, Jiraiya felt a wave of dissatisfaction. To think she was scolding him for the sake of her young lover. This village really wasn't worth staying in anymore.
The members of the Uchiha team were equally stunned. This was the first time they had ever seen Ryōsuke knocked down. However, they recalled seeing similar scenes long ago—specifically when he used to spar with Might Guy. Back then, they thought Ryōsuke was a disgrace to the Uchiha clan. But since some unknown turning point, Ryōsuke had become incomparably strong and had never suffered such a setback again.
"What should we do?" one member asked worriedly. "Ryōsuke doesn't look like he's getting up. Is he seriously hurt?"
"That shouldn't be possible, right?" another hesitated.
Only the team captain remained relatively calm. "Don't worry. Ryōsuke hasn't even used his full strength yet. At the very least, he hasn't even activated the Eight Inner Gates."
He felt that there was no way Ryōsuke would be defeated before even utilizing his own signature techniques. It just didn't make sense. Hearing his words, the others began to relax. They had simply been shocked because they had never seen him in such a position before.
It was then that Ryōsuke slowly stood up. Jiraiya's move had indeed been impressive. Dusting himself off, he directly activated the three-tomoe Sharingan, followed immediately by the Mangekyō Sharingan. The Mangekyō Sharingan could see a ninja's chakra; therefore, it should also be able to perceive senjutsu chakra. This way, he wouldn't have to worry about the opponent landing another invisible attack out of nowhere.
At the same time, he began to refine his chakra rapidly.
"Gate of Opening, Open! Gate of Healing, Open! Gate of Life, Open! Gate of Pain, Open!"
He opened the first four gates instantly. A powerful aura erupted from his body, accompanied by the discharge of green steam. With his current physical attributes, opening four gates was more than enough to handle Jiraiya.
"Jiraiya, the battle isn't over yet. Are you in such a hurry to leave?"
Jiraiya, who was just about to turn away, saw Ryōsuke in this new form and froze. His previous strike had been a full-power blow. How could the man be completely fine after taking such a hit? He had even transformed into this state in the blink of an eye.
With the Eight Inner Gates active, Ryōsuke's taijutsu capabilities would undoubtedly reach an incredible level. Jiraiya felt a shiver of dread. He had barely been able to compete before; now, things were going to get difficult. His body instinctively dropped into a defensive stance, sensing that the upcoming offensive would be overwhelming.
Just as he predicted, Ryōsuke used the Body Flicker Technique in his four-gate state, appearing instantly in front of Jiraiya. He lashed out with a devastating kick. He chose such a simple, unadorned move because when strength is absolute, there is no need for complex techniques.
This time, Jiraiya was on high alert. Although his eyes could barely track the movement, he could sense Ryōsuke's path through nature energy. Even so, the speed was too high. He could only cross his arms in front of his chest to block the kick.
However, the pressure transmitting through his arms was many times greater than before. He tried to grit his teeth and hold his ground, determined not to be sent flying again. But it was useless. He couldn't stop the momentum at all and was launched backward once more.
He didn't even have time to control his body for a safe landing. His priority was managing the senjutsu chakra within him to prevent it from going haywire. If he lost control now, he would turn into a stone frog.
With great effort, he stabilized the energy just as his body slammed heavily into the ground. The pain was intense.
Tsunade was stunned. This was the first time she had seen Ryōsuke use the Eight Inner Gates. Was this his true strength? It was terrifying. Even Jiraiya in Sage Mode was clearly no match for him.
The Uchiha team members were ecstatic. This was the true power of the Uchiha's number one shinobi. The team captain also breathed a sigh of relief. He figured Ryōsuke had probably promised Tsunade not to kill Jiraiya, which was why he had held back initially and hadn't used the Eight Inner Gates or the Mangekyō Sharingan. It also proved that, in his base state, Ryōsuke couldn't quite suppress Jiraiya, but at full power, handling him was a simple task.
Jiraiya felt like his head was spinning from the impact. But as he regained his clarity, he realized this guy was freakishly strong. Was he really going to lose here? Although he still had many techniques he hadn't used, those moves were destructive. This was the Senju clan compound; if he destroyed this place, Tsunade would definitely kill him.
Besides, Ryōsuke had used the exact same move, and Jiraiya felt he already couldn't block it. Not to mention, those eyes—which looked somewhat sinister—hadn't even been utilized yet.
His spirit wavered. He probably really couldn't win. Furthermore, he didn't actually have a blood feud with the man. These few exchanges had knocked some sense into him, and his anger had largely dissipated. If Tsunade wanted to be with someone, let her. It was none of his business anyway. Perhaps this Tsunade, who looked happy, was better than the one who used to walk around with a frown every day. She had suffered so much, and now she was the only one left in her clan.
Jiraiya directly deactivated Sage Mode. The markings on his face faded as he spoke with a sigh of resignation.
"I admit defeat."