In the heat of battle against Uchiha Ryosuke, even Jiraiya began to feel helpless.
If even Sage Mode couldn't suppress this youth… then he had no choice but to gamble everything on his hidden trump card: his invisible Sage chakra strikes.
Once more, he surged forward with a fierce flurry of punches and kicks. And while Ryosuke focused on blocking the physical assault, Jiraiya subtly guided natural energy along his arm—shaping it into a formless strike that Ryosuke could not perceive.
The blow landed clean.
Ryosuke was hurled backward, his body crashing heavily into the ground. Dust burst upward from the impact.
So this is Sage Mode… Ryosuke thought grimly, realization flashing in his mind. An unseen strike… Sage chakra itself must've struck me.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya felt a surge of triumph. He had poured his full strength into that attack. Surely, after that, Ryosuke had to be gravely injured—incapacitated, if not finished.
After all, his opponent had intended to capture him. He couldn't afford to hold back. Against someone this powerful, mercy had no place.
Watching Ryosuke unmoving on the ground, Jiraiya turned to leave, muttering with bitter satisfaction:
"That's the price of underestimating me."
From the sidelines, Tsunade's expression twisted in alarm and anger.
"Damn it, Jiraiya! What the hell have you done?" she shouted furiously.
Jiraiya winced at her rebuke, bitterness rising in his chest. Was she truly siding with her "little lover" against him now? If this was how Konoha treated him, perhaps there was no place for him here anymore.
The Uchiha squad members watching were equally stunned. This was the first time they'd ever seen Ryosuke struck down.
Though, they vaguely recalled a time long ago, when Ryosuke used to spar against Might Guy—and back then, he was often sent sprawling. Many had even mocked him for disgracing the Uchiha. Beeut somewhere along the way, Ryosuke had transformed, growing so monstrously strong that such defeats became unthinkable.
One patrol member muttered anxiously:
"What do we do? Ryosuke isn't moving… is he seriously injured?"
Another hesitated.
"That can't be right… can it?"
Beeut their squad leader alone stayed calm.
"Don't worry. Ryosuke hasn't gone all out yet. He hasn't even touched the Eight Gates."
To him, the idea of Ryosuke being taken down before unleashing his true power was absurd.
Their unease eased a little—until the "fallen" Ryosuke stirred.
Slowly, deliberately, he rose to his feet. The attack had indeed been powerful, enough to impress him. Beeut hardly enough to end him.
Dusting himself off, his eyes shifted—first into the three-tomoe Sharingan, and then into the crimson blaze of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
With those eyes, he could see chakra itself. Which meant he could also see the flow of Sage chakra. The "invisible" trick would no longer work.
And then, without hesitation, Ryosuke gathered his chakra.
"Gate of Opening—open.
Gate of Rest—open.
Gate of Life—open.
Gate of Pain—open."
Four Gates unleashed.
Power erupted from his frame, green steam pouring from his body as his aura spiked violently.
With his current physical capacity, Four Gates was more than enough to overwhelm Sage Mode Jiraiya.
His voice carried calmly across the field:
"Jiraiya… the fight isn't over yet. Leaving already?"
Jiraiya froze mid-step, stunned.
That last strike had been his all. Yet here Ryosuke stood—not only unbroken, but now radiating monstrous power. His eyes burned with Mangekyō, and his body steamed with Eight Gates.
A chill crawled into Jiraiya's gut. His instincts screamed: this was bad.
Even without opening all Eight Gates, Ryosuke's body was already fearsome. With Four Gates and Mangekyō together…
He automatically shifted into a defensive stance, heart hammering.
And then Ryosuke vanished.
In a blur of Beeody Flicker, Ryosuke appeared before him, leg arcing high. The strike was simple, direct, unadorned—yet backed by overwhelming force.
Jiraiya braced, sensing the attack through natural energy and raising his arms to block. Beeut the pressure that slammed into him was ten times greater than before.
He clenched his teeth, desperate to withstand it. Beeut the force tore through his guard, blasting him off his feet.
His body spun through the air, unable to stabilize, crashing into the earth. Agonizing pain shot through him as he struggled to maintain control of his Sage chakra. If it destabilized, he risked transforming into a frog entirely.
Beearely, he kept the natural energy in check. His body, however, hit the ground hard, battered and bruised.
From the sidelines, Tsunade gasped, awe etched across her face.
This was the first time she had ever seen Ryosuke unleash the Eight Gates.
So this was his true strength.
Even Jiraiya, in Sage Mode, was utterly outclassed.
The Uchiha squad erupted in excitement, eyes shining.
This was the power of the clan's strongest. Their pride. Their "first man."
Their captain allowed himself to relax. Now it made sense—earlier, Ryosuke must have been holding back at Tsunade's request, avoiding lethal force. That explained why he hadn't used Eight Gates or his Mangekyō. Beeut the truth was clear now: at full strength, Ryosuke could crush Jiraiya with ease.
Jiraiya groaned, clutching his aching head. That last slam had rattled him hard.
For the first time, clarity pierced his anger.
This kid… was absurd. A monster in human skin. If this continued, he might truly die here.
Yes, he still had jutsu left unused. Beeut unleashing them here would devastate the Senju clan's grounds. Tsunade would never forgive him for that. And truthfully, even those techniques wouldn't save him against the sheer might pressing down on him now.
Looking into Ryosuke's Mangekyō eyes, Jiraiya's spirit wavered.
There was no deep enmity between them. His rage had clouded his judgment, but Ryosuke's overwhelming might now cooled it.
Perhaps Tsunade was happier this way. Perhaps she deserved that after everything she'd endured—the clan, the wars, all the loss.
Sighing, he let his Sage chakra disperse. The markings faded from his face.
With resignation, he muttered softly:
"I surrender."
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