Jiraiya's hands flashed through seals with practiced ease.
"Katon: Endan."
He exhaled sharply.
A massive torrent of fire erupted from his mouth, rolling forward like a living wall of flame. The heat hit Naruto before the fire itself—searing, oppressive, stealing the air from his lungs as the ground blackened beneath the inferno.
Naruto reacted instantly.
He leapt high, chakra exploding through his legs as the flames roared beneath him. Heat licked at his boots, scorching the soles, but he twisted midair and came down hard—
An axe kick aimed straight for Jiraiya's skull.
Jiraiya crossed his arms just in time.
THUD.
The impact sent a shockwave through the ground, cracks spider-webbing outward from Jiraiya's feet. He slid back half a meter, boots digging trenches, then shoved upward with brute strength.
Naruto was launched back.
He flipped cleanly through the air, landed on one hand, twisted—and burst forward again without missing a beat.
Jiraiya's expression sharpened.
His hair suddenly stiffened, chakra flooding into it as it hardened into spear-like strands. With a sharp motion of his head, the white mane shot forward like a living weapon.
Naruto ducked.
A hair spike whistled past his face.
He twisted left, then right, feet barely touching the ground as the hardened hair slammed into the dirt behind him, punching holes into the earth with each missed strike.
'Fast,' Naruto thought. 'But not fast enough.'
He slipped inside Jiraiya's guard, a kunai already spinning in his hand. With a sharp flick of his wrist, he drove it forward—
CLANG.
The blade stopped dead.
Jiraiya's hair snapped back instantly, coiling around the kunai and hardening until it reinforced the weapon like steel wire. The impact rang sharply through the air, vibrating up Naruto's arm.
Naruto didn't hesitate.
He released the kunai and leapt backward, boots skidding across the dirt as he widened the distance between them. Jiraiya's hair retracted smoothly, settling back around his shoulders like nothing had happened.
Naruto exhaled, eyes narrowing as he reset his stance.
'…This is gonna take time, isn't it?' he thought.
Jiraiya straightened, expression shifting from amused to focused.
"…Alright," he said quietly. " Since you want to learn my Sage Mode so much. Let me show you"
He slammed his foot into the ground and bit down on his thumb, blood beading instantly. With a sharp motion, he wiped it across his palm and brought his hands together, chakra surging outward.
"Summoning Jutsu."
POOF.
Twin bursts of smoke erupted, and two small figures appeared—one perched on each of Jiraiya's shoulders.
"Yo, Pa! …and Ma," Jiraiya greeted awkwardly.
Both toads turned slowly to look at him.
"…You called us for this?" Pa asked flatly, eyes already shifting past Jiraiya toward the battlefield. "Gamabunta said you were fighting the boy."
"Yes," Ma added, peering closely at Naruto. "Is that the child?"
Jiraiya sighed deeply. "Yes. And yes. Now could you two stop asking questions?"
Pa smacked Jiraiya lightly on the head with his staff. "Don't raise your voice, boy. But we'll help you—looks like you need it."
"I don't need it," Jiraiya shot back quickly. "I just want to prove a point."
Ma tilted her head. "And what point would that be?"
The three immediately fell into bickering—Pa lecturing, Ma teasing, Jiraiya protesting—like the fight hadn't paused at all.
Naruto stood there, blinking once.
'…Those toads. Ma and Pa,' he thought. 'Cool. Sadly he only used this technique once. '
Interesting.
Finally, the banter stopped.
Jiraiya exhaled slowly and closed his eyes.
His chakra changed.
It no longer flared outward aggressively. Instead, it settled—deep, heavy, spreading like roots through the ground. The air around him grew unnaturally still, leaves freezing mid-rustle as if the world itself was listening.
"Alright, Ma. Pa," Jiraiya muttered. "Let's do this."
The two toads pressed their hands firmly against his shoulders.
Natural energy poured in.
It wasn't violent—but it was immense.
Jiraiya's chakra swelled as it blended with the surrounding energy, becoming denser, older. Dark orange patterns spread across his face, stretching from his eyes down his cheeks. His features subtly warped—nose broadening, skin roughening as small warts appeared, his presence becoming unmistakably inhuman.
Naruto felt it immediately. The pressure. His instincts screamed.
'…So this is Sage Mode,' he thought, eyes narrowing. 'The imperfect version. Honestly… still terrifying.'
Jiraiya opened his eyes.
They were calm. Ancient. Dangerous.
Power rolled off him in steady, crushing waves as he cracked his neck once.
"Now," the Pervy Sage said evenly, "let's see how long you can last."
The ground beneath his feet fractured with a quiet crunch.
Naruto swallowed.
This wasn't just another level.
This was a completely different league.
Jiraiya looked straight at him, Sage Mode chakra rolling off his body in steady, crushing waves.
"So, Naruto," he said, a sharp grin forming beneath the orange markings, "are you ready?"
Naruto didn't answer right away.
He inhaled—slow, controlled—and then exhaled.
Resolve hardened in his eyes.
Four puffs of smoke burst around him as he formed shadow clones, each one settling into a stance identical to his own. Their chakra was tight, refined—speed, strength, and control sharpened to their limit.
"Yeah," Naruto said simply.
"Good!" Jiraiya replied.
He vanished. The ground cracked where he'd been standing. Naruto barely had time to register it before danger screamed through his instincts.
"Split!" he shouted.
The clones scattered in different directions just as Jiraiya reappeared in their midst, his palm slamming into the earth.
BOOOOM!
A shockwave rippled outward, flipping chunks of stone and dirt into the air. One clone was erased instantly, bursting into smoke before it could even react.
Naruto came in from the left, fist loaded with chakra. Jiraiya turned—calm, precise—and caught the punch with two fingers.
Naruto's eyes widened.
Jiraiya twisted his wrist.
The redirected force sent Naruto spinning sideways, barely landing on his feet before a knee drove toward his ribs. Naruto blocked with his forearm—but the impact still sent him skidding back, boots carving trenches through the ground.
Two clones attacked simultaneously from behind.
Jiraiya didn't look.
His hair snapped outward, hardened strands lashing like whips.
POOF—POOF!
Both clones vanished before their strikes could land.
Naruto sprinted as he leaped, above Jiraiya, dropping fast with a downward heel kick.
Jiraiya stepped into the attack.
His shoulder slammed upward.
THUD.
The collision echoed like a drumbeat. Naruto was knocked skyward, flipping once—twice—before he twisted midair and hurled a clone downward like a projectile.
The clone formed a Rasengan mid-flight.
Jiraiya raised a hand. Natural energy surged. With a casual flick, he struck the Rasengan sideways, destabilizing it. The clone exploded into smoke midair, chakra dispersing harmlessly.
Naruto landed hard, immediately rushing forward again—too fast, too relentless.
Jiraiya smiled.
"This is good," he said, genuinely pleased.
Naruto ducked under a palm strike, slipped inside Jiraiya's guard, and drove an elbow toward his chest—
Only for Jiraiya to vanish. Naruto froze. A hand pressed gently—but firmly—against his back.
"Too predictable."
BAM!
Natural energy detonated.
Naruto was launched forward, slamming into the ground and bouncing once before rolling to a stop. He coughed, grit scraping against his palms as he pushed himself up.
The last clone grabbed Jiraiya from behind. For half a second— It worked.
Jiraiya's chakra flared.
The clone was crushed by an invisible pressure and erased without a sound.
Naruto stared, chest heaving.
'…This is Sage Mode,' he realized grimly. 'He's reading everything.'
Jiraiya rolled his shoulders, standing relaxed despite the chaos around him.
"You're doing great," he said calmly. "But you're still fighting me."
Naruto wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and grinned.
"I'm not done yet."
Chakra surged through his body—tight, refined, screaming along his coils without spilling over.
'Good thing I mastered my wind nature,' he thought.
TO BE CONTINUED