The moment Ryuga murmured Froze Drive, Shisui noticed something change in his chakra. Through the Sharingan, he saw the faint flicker of icy-blue energy coursing through Ryuga's body. It wasn't as wild as Lightning Release, nor as raw as pure speed enhancement, but it carried an eerie stillness—an unnatural chill in the air.
Then, Ryuga moved.
Faster!
Shisui's eyes widened in shock as Ryuga closed the gap between them in an instant. He barely had time to raise his arms before the first strike connected. Ryuga's fist slammed against his forearm, and a sharp chill spread from the impact point.
His speed just increased drastically... but that's not all.
Shisui parried another blow, but something felt off. His movements felt sluggish, like his body was growing heavier. His Sharingan caught the faint traces of frost clinging to his skin where Ryuga had struck him.
A freezing effect? So, this is different from the Raikage's Lightning Chakra Mode. Ryuga's technique doesn't just enhance his speed—it slows his opponent down with every hit!
Shisui leaped back to create distance, but Ryuga was already on him. A spinning kick barely missed his face, but even the displaced air carried an unnatural chill. Shisui exhaled, noticing his breath becoming visible.
He's changing the entire battlefield's temperature.
Even as Shisui analyzed the situation, Ryuga kept pressing forward. The attacks were relentless—fists, elbows, knees—a continuous flow of strikes that pushed Shisui onto the defensive. Each successful hit left behind patches of ice, further hindering his movement.
He's getting faster the longer this goes on… No, I'm getting slower.
Shisui smirked. "This is bad news, huh?"
Ryuga didn't answer—his focus was absolute. He had entered a state of pure combat instinct.
Suddenly, Ryuga jumped back, inhaling deeply. His chakra surged violently, the surrounding air plummeting in temperature. Shisui's Sharingan caught the telltale signs of Ice Release forming in his lungs.
He's about to use something big!
Then, Ryuga roared.
"Ice Release: Ice Dragon's Roar!" (Hyōryū no Hōkō!)
A massive, spiraling torrent of ice and frost exploded from Ryuga's mouth, tearing across the training ground like a frozen tempest. The force of the attack was overwhelming, covering the entire area in an instant.
Shisui's instincts screamed at him. There was no dodging this—not at his current slowed state. He had no choice.
His Mangekyō Sharingan spun to life.
A translucent ribcage of green energy manifested around him, followed by an arm that he immediately raised in defense.
Susanoo!
The icy dragon's breath slammed against the spectral construct, sending shards of frozen energy scattering in all directions. Shisui gritted his teeth as the sheer force of the attack threatened to overwhelm even his Susanoo's defense.
For a few seconds, the battlefield was consumed in an icy storm.
Then, silence.
The frost slowly settled, revealing Shisui standing unharmed within his partially-formed Susanoo. He exhaled, watching his breath turn into mist.
Ryuga, meanwhile, had dropped to his knees. His chakra reserves were spent, his body trembling from exhaustion. His breath came in ragged gasps as he struggled to stay upright.
"… I overdid it," Ryuga muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.
Shisui dismissed his Susanoo and walked over. "Yeah, I'd say so." He smirked before offering Ryuga a hand. "Still, that was an impressive display. You're growing stronger at an incredible rate."
Ryuga took the offered hand, allowing Shisui to pull him up. "Sorry… I got too serious."
Shisui chuckled. "Don't worry about it. I'm still one of Konoha's strongest Jōnin, remember?"
They both sat down to recover, the frozen battlefield around them slowly thawing in the afternoon sun.
Meanwhile, in Another Part of the Forest…
Naruto wiped sweat from his forehead, panting heavily as he glared at the summoning scroll in front of him. "Come on! I need to get this right!"
Jiraiya, sitting nearby, slurped up the last of his ramen. "Patience, kid. Mastering the Summoning Technique takes time."
Just as he finished speaking, a sudden explosion of ice erupted in the distance. The air shifted, and a biting cold swept over their training ground.
Jiraiya's chopsticks slipped from his fingers as he stared in shock at the blast of frozen energy spiraling into the sky. "What the hell was that?!"
The attack had nearly grazed their location before shooting into the sky. For a moment, Jiraiya genuinely thought he had been caught in the blast.
Naruto, however, just laughed at his dumbfounded expression. "Pfft! You should've seen your face, Pervy Sage!"
Jiraiya shot him a glare before turning back toward the fading ice storm. "… That's some serious power."
Naruto grinned. "Looks like Ryuga-nii is training hard."
Jiraiya glanced at Naruto. "You seem pretty calm about it."
Naruto crossed his arms, still grinning. "Of course! That's just Ryuga-nii for ya! He's always been strong, but that… that was way stronger than when he used it back at the Land of Waves."
Jiraiya furrowed his brow. So he's been this strong for a while…
He looked back at Naruto, who was still smiling proudly. "You realize that means you have to work even harder, right? If your adopted brother is that strong, you can't afford to slack off."
Naruto's grin didn't falter. Instead, his eyes burned with determination. "Heh. I was gonna train hard anyway! I'll get even stronger, just you watch!"
Jiraiya smirked. "Good. Then let's pick up the pace."
Naruto's training resumed, but this time, there was a new fire in his eyes—a challenge.
Jiraiya stared in the direction of Ryuga's training ground, his expression unreadable.
Minato, you've got some scary kids…