Sensing Minato's ruthless intent to finish the exchange, Jiraiya's first instinct was to recoil. But he realized instantly that if he shrank back, those Shuriken from the previous volley would catch him square in the face.
This brat is way too devious! Jiraiya cursed inwardly. He threw himself into a desperate side-dive, successfully dodging the projectile and the crotch-kick, though he had to take a sharp blow to the thigh to manage it.
"Puhahahaha!!"
Not far away, Tsunade doubled over, laughing at the sheer absurdity of the sight. Beside her, Orochimaru's mouth twitched, and Nawaki's jaw hung open in disbelief. "Jiraiya-big brother... that was so lame," Nawaki muttered.
"Shut up! I was just being careless!" Jiraiya's face flushed a deep crimson. He forced Minato back with a wide sweep-kick and, finally utilizing his physical advantage as an adult, began to pressure the boy using the Strong Fist Style.
Tsunade snorted coldly. "Despicable! You're actually using your reach and weight against a child!"
"I'm holding back a lot here!" Jiraiya grumbled. With his level of Taijutsu, fighting Minato shouldn't have been a challenge. The real difficulty lay in matching Minato's speed and strength perfectly so he could win without causing injury. If Minato had been a real enemy, Jiraiya would have countered that first lunge with a world-class strike to the solar plexus long before the Shuriken were even drawn.
After blocking several more of Minato's rapid-fire attacks, Jiraiya felt he had finally mapped the boy's rhythm. He grinned. "Is that all? If this is your limit, it's time to end this!"
As his voice fell, Minato silently raised his leg. Jiraiya habitually crossed his arms to brace for the impact, only to see Minato's calf suddenly burst with a blinding, dazzling light the moment he kicked!
Not good! Jiraiya sensed the danger too late. A massive, concentrated force surged into his forearms. In the next second, he was sent hurtling backward like a cannonball fired from a ship!
Such incredible power! No... it's the speed, Jiraiya thought, shocked. He twisted in mid-air, his feet hitting the dirt and sliding back over 20 meters before he could stand firm.
"As I suspected, it's a Bloodline Limit," Orochimaru murmured, deep in thought. "A power I've never seen before."
Tsunade's gaze was solemn. She hadn't taken the Light Release seriously at first, but she just noticed something terrifying: Minato's kick hadn't triggered a single Chakra fluctuation.
Normally, Chakra is refined from physical and spiritual energy. One can use physical strength without Chakra, but any Bloodline Limit or Ninjutsu usually requires the conversion of that energy into Chakra first. Minato's ability, however, seemed to bypass the conversion step entirely. It was launched directly from his physical stamina, meaning there was zero energy loss from poor Chakra control.
Is this really a Bloodline Limit? Or something else?
"Phew... that was close!" Jiraiya exaggeratedly wiped sweat from his forehead. "I didn't expect you to be hiding a trick like that, kid. You really gave me a start!"
Minato rubbed his leg, not rushing back in. That kick had utilized the Pika Pika no Mi to force his body to its absolute mechanical limit. Because it was his first time using it in combat, the lack of perfect control had put a significant strain on his muscles.
"Oh? It seems that Move puts a heavy burden on your body," Jiraiya noted with a lecherous-looking grin. He unhurriedly began to form Hand Seals. "In that case, let's see how you handle some Ninjutsu~"
Before Jiraiya could finish his sequence, Minato raised a single hand and extended his index finger. A pinpoint of brilliant light bloomed at the tip.
Again? Jiraiya's face darkened. He abandoned his seals and lunged to the side.
The moment he moved, a brilliant beam of light hissed through the space where his chest had been. A thunderous explosion followed instantly. Jiraiya looked back to see a pillar of fire erupting behind him. Over a dozen ancient trees had been carbonized, leaving nothing but a charred, smoking crater in their wake.
"Hey, hey... what on earth is this?" Jiraiya's eyes were wide with genuine shock. Nearby, Tsunade and Nawaki were speechless, and even Orochimaru's pupils trembled.
"That kind of power... and it's instantaneous?" Tsunade's voice was dry.
The power of an A-rank Ninjutsu, activated without seals, and an attack speed too fast to track... Orochimaru shook his head slightly. "No, there was a brief charge time... but that's likely just due to his lack of familiarity."
"Phew..." Minato exhaled softly. That Laser had drained a significant portion of his stamina. With his current child-sized gas tank, he could only fire it about seven or eight times. Even with the Power of All Creation aiding his recovery, the physical limits of a five-year-old were an unavoidable bottleneck.
Seeing Jiraiya's dazed expression, Minato quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, Senior Jiraiya. I didn't realize it would be that strong. This was my first time actually firing it."
To be honest, it had felt as natural as breathing. There was no complex development required; simply condensing and releasing the energy resulted in devastating power. Before today, Minato's Cultivation had focused on Ninjutsu, while his Devil Fruit development had been purely functional—like Yata no Kagami.
In theory, the Pika Pika no Mi was simply too high-spec. In Taijutsu, it provided a massive speed boost and light-based weapons. For crowd control, it offered automated light clones. For long-range, it provided high-penetration lasers and Yasakani no Magatama to clear the map. It wasn't about flashy mechanics; it was pure, overwhelming stats.
"This ability is a bit too dangerous for sparring," Minato said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Maybe we should stop here?" He knew how fast that laser was. A hit to a limb was one thing, but a hit to the vitals followed by an explosion would be a death sentence.
"No! Don't you dare hold back!"
Two figures blurred instantly as Tsunade and Orochimaru appeared flanking Jiraiya. Tsunade crossed her arms, her eyes burning with intensity. "Orochimaru and I will support from the sidelines. Minato, I want you to give us everything you've got!"
They realized the gravity of the situation. Initially, they thought Minato was just a genius on the level of a high-tier Genin. His Taijutsu was excellent but had openings; his Shuriken work was clever but grounded. But that explosion changed everything. Minato already possessed the power to threaten their lives.
As Orochimaru stood there, he felt a silent bitterness regarding the disparity of the world. A powerful jutsu that most geniuses would spend years perfecting was just a casual finger-point for this five-year-old boy.
Meanwhile, Nawaki remained completely frozen in the background. What the hell just blew up? That was Minato's move? I actually tried to fight a guy like that?