Kakashi, as a skilled player, has already noticed something is wrong with such a ridiculous operation.
Kakashi finally looked away from his phone screen. Even without using the Sharingan, he could see beads of sweat forming on Jiraiya's forehead.
'Is he... sweating bullets?'
'So, all of Jiraiya-sama's previous moves were purely due to his inability to keep up with his own thoughts?'
After deducing this possibility, Kakashi was momentarily at a loss for words.
As for Naruto... due to Jiraiya's predictive abilities, he was still gritting his teeth and playing the game, showing none of the demeanor of a future hero of the Ninja World.
This made Kakashi have to admit that this really is an excellent matchmaking system. This master and disciple pair truly are a match made in heaven.
'But speaking of which...'
Kakashi suddenly thought of his own teacher.
'I wonder how Minato-sensei would fare in this game?'
He recalled that his teacher was a true polymath, excelling in everything, even mastering the forbidden technique Flying Thunder God Technique, a lost Jutsu that no one but the Second Hokage could learn.
'If he were to play this game, would he be like Naruto and Jiraiya?'
Kakashi was only slightly distracted, but when he refocused on the match, he noticed that the situation had changed significantly.
Naruto's usually proud good luck seemed to have failed him against Jiraiya. His predictive (or lucky) skill shots missed every time.
To other players, this might seem normal, but to Naruto, it felt completely unfair.
Thus, he kept muttering things like 'cheating' and 'unfair.'
Meanwhile, Jiraiya, despite being a severe case of clumsy fingers, preferred forming Rasengan and Ninjutsu, often fumbling with the screen.
But he still managed to seize opportunities with his flashy movements.
After substituting, a new piece of intel suddenly flashed in his mind.
Naruto (Kurama Link Mode) can quickly press the first skill after hitting with the second skill to execute a combo.
Jiraiya-sama saw that the conditions were so stringent, 'I had to press two skills in quick succession?'
Gritting his teeth, Jiraiya gave it a try.
Second skill followed by the first skill...
Almost at the last possible moment, Jiraiya barely managed to pull off the combo.
And Naruto...
Naruto watched as his game character was suddenly grabbed and hit with a point-blank Rasengan, completely stunned.
'Huh? What kind of move is that...? I had never seen it before?'
Jiraiya, having executed such a move, was overjoyed. "Haha! I am absolutely invincible! Admit defeat!"
Seeing this combo, Kakashi nodded silently. He hadn't known about this move, so he quietly activated his Sharingan to copy the technique.
Naruto, having taken a beating, was far from convinced. He quickly substituted and counterattacked, trying to prove himself.
But Naruto only had his first skill available, while Jiraiya still had his summoning and secret scroll ready. This was clearly not the best time to strike.
But Naruto doesn't consider these things, because if someone could consider these things... could he still be Naruto?
Kakashi wanted to warn him, but Naruto had already substituted and used his first skill, leaving himself wide open for a counter.
Kakashi couldn't help but facepalm, muttering, "This idiot... if the opponent summons a creature now, what will he do?"
But Jiraiya's response wasn't to summon a creature, even though his intel suggested he could.
Instead... there was a piece of intel that had been there since the start, waiting for the right moment.
This intel had led Jiraiya to change his initial lineup to what it was now.
And that was...
Jiraiya's Naruto [Kurama Link Mode] suddenly activated his ultimate.
[Let's go, Kurama!]
In the next moment, all three spectators and Naruto himself were stunned.
'What?'
'He actually activated his ultimate?'
'If my understanding is correct, Naruto [Kurama Link Mode]'s ultimate skill can't be followed up, right? The recovery time is just too long.'
Kakashi thought to himself, 'Although Jiraiya-sama might be clumsy with his hands, there's no way he would casually use his ultimate like this...'
'Unless he accidentally tapped the ultimate button.'
Kakashi couldn't figure out why Jiraiya would use his ultimate at this moment, so he could only assume it was a misclick.
With all these doubts in mind, everyone waited for Jiraiya's Naruto [Kurama Link Mode] to finish his ultimate.
The ultimate's damage is decent, but the recovery time is unusually long.
That's the impression most people have.
Jiraiya's Naruto [Kurama Link Mode] was no exception.
After activating the ultimate, Naruto [Kurama Link Mode] landed and swung his golden cloak. By then, the opponent's Ninja had already landed and was about to enter a protected state.
'Clearly, there was no way to follow up.'
Kakashi made his judgment. He had tested this in the training ground, and knew that even instant-use secret scrolls couldn't hit a downed opponent.
'Unless Naruto [Kurama Link Mode]'s recovery speed was faster than instant secret techniques like Sky-Slashing Wave, but how is that possible?'
So the answer was obvious: it was either a misclick by Jiraiya... or he was stalling for time.
Kakashi also noticed the secret scroll Jiraiya had equipped: Chakra.
With Chakra, some characters who can't follow up their ultimates with skills wouldn't feel as bad, as they could at least use the Chakra secret scroll to regain two Chakra bars.
'But if he was going to bring Chakra, why not use it on Naruto [Sage Mode]?'
Naruto [Sage Mode]'s first stage ultimate requires full chakra to activate. With Chakra equipped, even if both regular skills missed, it wouldn't matter.
Pressing Chakra to activate the first stage ultimate would directly reduce the cooldown.
Saying it reduces the cooldown is almost the same as saying it refreshes it.
Just as the three spectators thought Jiraiya's next move would be to use the Chakra secret scroll to recover Chakra.
Just as Naruto was about to control his Naruto [Kurama Link Mode] to counterattack after getting up…
They saw Jiraiya... from the moment the ultimate was activated, his finger was firmly pressed on the second skill button, refusing to let go.
And then, a miracle happened.
Jiraiya's Naruto [Kurama Link Mode]... at the exact moment the ultimate recovery ended, sent the almost-risen opponent flying with a hit.
Then, following up with the first skill, another combo!
Naruto, who was about to get up and counterattack, was stunned, his mind blank, unable to process what had just happened.
But soon...
Naruto suddenly threw his phone, placed his hands on the counter of Ichiraku Ramen, and kicked his feet, causing the stool he was sitting on to slide backward.
Naruto's body curled up like a shrimp, and he shouted in disbelief, "What the... how is this even possible?"
But after the brief shock, Naruto quickly picked up his phone. The substitution cooldown was almost up, 'There was still time, there was still a chance...'
The moment the substitution cooldown ended, Naruto quickly pressed it, but what awaited him was...
Jiraiya pressing the Chakra secret technique and activating his ultimate again!
[Let's go, Kurama!]