With Richard's superhuman reaction time and speed, he could easily have avoided Jiraiya's attack. But that wasn't his intention. Despite Jiraiya having mastered the Rasengan far longer than he had, Richard was confident that his version of the technique matched the Sannin's in power.
In an instant, Jiraiya closed the distance between them, thrusting the spiraling chakra sphere in his right hand toward Richard's chest. Seeing his target, Richard raised his own right hand, meeting Jiraiya's Rasengan with his own.
BOOM!
The two Rasengans collided violently, erupting in a massive shockwave that sent currents of air blasting outward. Neither Richard's nor Jiraiya's technique collapsed upon impact—both maintained their perfect spherical form, spinning wildly against each other in a struggle for dominance.
Though the Rasengans remained unchanged, Jiraiya's expression grew increasingly solemn. He recognized that Richard's control of the Rasengan matched his own, and the chakra infused into it was no less potent.
Who is he? Why have I never heard of his existence before? Is he some Kage's secret successor? Or perhaps an Akatsuki member?
Several possibilities flashed through Jiraiya's mind. The shinobi world wasn't particularly large—at least not for S-rank ninja like himself. He had visited every country multiple times and knew the landscape of powerful shinobi thoroughly. Logic dictated that someone of Richard's caliber—whose strength approached Kage level—should have been renowned throughout the ninja world long ago. Yet Konoha had only learned of his existence when Kakashi returned with information from the Land of Waves.
Unlike Jiraiya with his racing thoughts, Richard focused on just two questions: whether Jiraiya would eventually activate Sage Mode, and whether he would summon Gamabunta.
Time ticked away. Nearly ten seconds had passed in their deadlock.
Realizing his Rasengan couldn't overpower Richard's, Jiraiya decisively abandoned the contest. Without hesitation, he leaped backward twenty meters, dispelling his Rasengan. His hands immediately formed a sequence of signs.
"Fire Style: Giant Flame Bomb!"
Completing the hand seals, Jiraiya inhaled deeply and expelled an enormous orange-yellow fireball that rocketed toward Richard like a cannonball.
Though Richard had never personally witnessed Jiraiya perform this jutsu, he recognized it instantly. Among Jiraiya's fire-style techniques, only two produced orange-yellow flames of this magnitude: Flame Bomb and Giant Flame Bomb—the latter being ten times more powerful.
Despite their difference in scale, both techniques operated on the same principle: chakra converted to oil, held in the lungs, then ignited with fire-nature chakra upon release to create an explosive blast.
Seeing Jiraiya's Giant Flame Bomb approaching, Richard dispelled his own Rasengan and activated his magical power.
"Blizzaga! Ice Mirror!"
Rather than dodging or countering with another jutsu, Richard conjured the same ice mirror that had previously blocked the Three-Tails' water bomb. Though only a few millimeters thick, its defensive capabilities were unquestionable—as the Three-Tails had learned firsthand.
The crystalline barrier materialized instantly, shielding Richard like a gleaming wall.
CRASH!
The massive fireball collided with the ice mirror, creating a deafening explosion as it burst apart like a spectacular display of fireworks.
Though only a B-rank jutsu, the Giant Flame Bomb's power was considerable. In the author's setting book, it was described: "The strange giant fire bomb burned the world and left no place to escape!" While somewhat hyperbolic, such exaggeration wasn't uncommon in jutsu descriptions—the phrase "absolute defense" alone had been applied to several different techniques.
When the flames finally dissipated, Jiraiya's expression soured. The ice mirror hadn't merely withstood the Giant Flame Bomb—it showed not even a hairline crack.
What kind of jutsu is this?
Though Jiraiya didn't aspire to master every technique in existence like Orochimaru, he was familiar with all notable jutsu. Even those he hadn't personally witnessed, he knew by reputation. Yet this mirror-like ice shield floating before Richard was completely unfamiliar—he had neither seen nor heard of anything like it.
Had he possessed the Sharingan, Byakugan, or Rinnegan, he would have instantly recognized that Richard wasn't performing ninjutsu at all. If the ice mirror were chakra-based, the flow of energy would be visible within it.
Though lacking such visual prowess, Jiraiya recalled the Third Hokage's words: "Richard has mastered special abilities similar to ninjutsu, but not ninjutsu. He used large-scale wind attacks before Kakashi, but Kakashi detected no chakra in those wind blades."
Is this ice mirror another such ability?
Jiraiya frowned, studying the barrier intently. Before he could investigate further, Richard dismissed the ice mirror and addressed him.
"You used Fire Style, so I'll return the favor." With that, Richard's hands formed signs in rapid succession.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
A three-meter-diameter orange-red sphere of flame shot toward Jiraiya at high velocity.
Unlike the ice mirror created through Richard's Blizzaga, Jiraiya instantly recognized the Uchiha clan's signature Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu. Though he didn't know the technique himself, he had witnessed countless Uchiha perform it before the clan's massacre.
Without difficulty, Jiraiya evaded the massive fireball. Though fast, it posed little challenge to a shinobi of his caliber.
"Did you learn that from Sasuke Uchiha?" Jiraiya inquired.
"No," Richard replied casually. "I've taught him some things, but I haven't learned anything from him."
This was true—for now. After the Chunin Exam concluded, Richard planned to use his enhanced vision and perfect memory to learn Chidori from Sasuke.
Hearing Richard's answer, Jiraiya spoke thoughtfully. "You're formidable indeed. Ordinary jutsu can hardly threaten you." His eyes narrowed. "In that case, let's try this."
Without further preamble, Jiraiya bit his right thumb, formed a sequence of hand signs, and slammed his palm against the ground. A spider web-like seal pattern spread instantly.
BOOM!
An explosion of smoke erupted, accompanied by a thunderous sound. When it cleared, a massive red toad stood before Richard.
The moment Richard had seen Jiraiya drawing blood, he'd anticipated the summoning. Now, as Jiraiya stood atop Gamabunta's head looking down at him, Richard smiled.
"Summoning Jutsu, is it? I can do that too."
Richard's hands formed signs in rapid succession. Unlike Jiraiya, he neither bit his finger nor drew blood. When he had established his contract with the Three-Tails, he had marked it with his chakra rather than blood—a modified summoning contract specifically tailored for Tailed Beasts.
BOOM!
Just as with Jiraiya's summoning, Richard's form was enveloped in suddenly manifesting smoke.
As it dissipated, both Jiraiya and Gamabunta's expressions registered shock.
The Three-Tails? Wasn't it sealed inside the Fourth Mizukage? How could it be his summoning beast?
Staring at the Three-Tails beneath Richard's feet, Jiraiya's mind raced. When a Tailed Beast was extracted from its Jinchūriki—whether forcibly removed or released through a broken seal—the host inevitably died. Only through specialized techniques like Reanimation Jutsu or by returning the Tailed Beast to the host's body could a Jinchūriki survive such separation.
Though uncertain how the Three-Tails had become Richard's summoning beast, Jiraiya immediately understood the implications for the Fourth Mizukage. Has Kirigakure changed leadership? Who's the new Mizukage?
Observing how the Three-Tails remained docile beneath Richard's feet despite clearly being controlled, Jiraiya briefly wondered if Richard himself might be the new Mizukage. He quickly dismissed the thought—if Richard held such a position, he would never risk entering Konoha personally, regardless of his confidence in his abilities. The Mizukage wasn't merely Kirigakure's strongest shinobi but its supreme administrator.
"I must admit, I underestimated you," Jiraiya acknowledged, his tone serious. "Even the Three-Tails has become your summoning beast. Your strength far surpasses the average elite jōnin. In Konoha, with power like yours, you'd qualify as a Hokage candidate—if you were a Leaf shinobi."
"Becoming Hokage requires more than just strength," Richard replied. "Otherwise, Orochimaru would have been a stronger candidate than Minato." He shrugged. "But enough talk—let's continue."
"Agreed!" Jiraiya responded immediately.
Ten minutes later, the once-dense forest lay in ruins. Jiraiya stood atop Gamabunta's head, regarding Richard—who remained positioned on the Three-Tails—with grave seriousness.
He had deployed nearly every offensive and restraining jutsu in his arsenal, short of Sage Mode. Yet Richard remained completely unharmed. Even the Three-Tails showed minimal damage.
Gamabunta, by contrast, was in a sorry state. His clothing hung in tatters, and he bore several wounds visible to the naked eye. Compared to the Three-Tails' armored shell, Gamabunta's skin was significantly more vulnerable.
Should I use Sage Mode? Jiraiya deliberated. He was reluctant—activating it would mean revealing all his trump cards. Though Sage Mode would substantially enhance his combat effectiveness, he doubted it would be enough to defeat Richard.
As Jiraiya weighed his options, Richard's voice cut through his thoughts.
"That's enough for today," he called out.
Though Jiraiya and Gamabunta's attacks posed no real threat to Richard, the Three-Tails was growing increasingly difficult to restrain. Had Richard not specifically prohibited it from using a Tailed Beast Bomb, it would have unleashed the devastating technique on Jiraiya and Gamabunta long ago.
"Very well. We'll continue this another time," Jiraiya agreed without hesitation. He promptly released his summoning jutsu, allowing Gamabunta to return to Mount Myoboku.
As Jiraiya dismissed his summon, Richard did likewise, permitting the Three-Tails to return to its watery domain.
"I'm increasingly curious about which village you're from," Jiraiya remarked, approaching Richard.
"I don't belong to any village or clan," Richard answered straightforwardly.
Though his statement was true, Jiraiya clearly didn't accept it.
"If you prefer not to say, that's fine," the Sannin relented. "By the way, I hear you frequent the red-light district. If you have time, perhaps we could go together."
"Are you inviting me?" Richard asked with amusement.
"If you're paying, I wouldn't mind inviting you," Jiraiya replied quickly. "But I'm broke at the moment. As a ninja who hasn't taken a mission in some time, I don't have much to spare."
"You're not poor—you're just extravagant," Richard countered. "The royalties from Make-Out Paradise and Make-Out Violence alone should make you wealthier than most shinobi."
Make-Out Paradise was an adult novel Jiraiya had published at age forty-two—coincidentally the same book Kakashi had received as an eighteenth birthday gift. Its sales had been so impressive that Jiraiya released the sequel, Make-Out Violence, at age fifty.
Kakashi's enduring appreciation for Make-Out Paradise spoke volumes about its quality. Now twenty-six, he still regularly revisited the book he'd enjoyed for eight years.
Richard had purchased both novels recently and had appreciated certain aspects. He had to admit, Kakashi's literary taste was impeccable.
"You've read Make-Out Paradise and Make-Out Violence?" Jiraiya asked, visibly surprised.
"Finished them not long ago," Richard confirmed.
"What did you think? Aren't they magnificent?" Jiraiya's face brightened with pride. "Would you like me to sign your copies?"
"No need for autographs—I'm not the star-chasing type," Richard replied with a smile.