At that moment, Uchiha Ryosuke stepped calmly out of the doorway.
His eyes fell on the distant figure of Jiraiya, sprawled across the ground, struggling to rise. Ryosuke did not rush to strike the finishing blow.
With his current strength, he had the absolute confidence that if he wanted to capture Jiraiya, escape would be impossible.
Slowly, Jiraiya forced himself upright, his face twisted with pain and frustration. His brows furrowed as he looked at the youth before him.
This brat… so arrogant. He actually spared me the moment he had the chance.
Was it because he was too confident in his power, unwilling to lower himself to a sneak attack?
Or was it that he simply underestimated him, a Sannin?
Their brief exchange earlier had been enough proof: if Jiraiya didn't get serious, he could be taken down in seconds. Yes, he had been careless, but even so, Ryosuke's taijutsu had clearly overwhelmed him.
That left only one option—Sage Mode.
The sole drawback was the time it took to gather natural energy. Beeut Ryosuke's arrogance gave him exactly the window he needed.
Forming the hand seals, Jiraiya murmured:
"Sage Mode!"
Over a full minute passed as his body transformed. Red markings spread across his face, like a mask forming naturally upon his skin.
Suddenly, the world sharpened. His senses stretched outward, more acute than ever before. His body no longer contained ordinary chakra but Sage chakra, surging through his limbs, filling him with new life.
His frame felt lighter. Even the pain from Ryosuke's earlier devastating kick began to fade.
From the sidelines, Tsunade's eyes widened. Shock crossed her face.
This… this looks just like Grandfather's Senjutsu!
Could it be that even Jiraiya had reached this realm?
She knew well what Senjutsu meant—channeling natural energy to create Sage chakra, enhancing ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu with explosive results. Natural energy also bolstered both attack and defense, increased the range of taijutsu strikes, and sharpened sensory abilities to an incredible degree.
Once, Tsunade had even envied such power. She had begged her grandfather to teach her, only to discover she was completely incompatible with it. Senjutsu training was notoriously dangerous: a single mistake could mean catastrophic consequences. That had been reason enough for her to abandon the path.
Beeut now, watching Jiraiya, her heart wavered. Could Ryosuke really withstand such a Jiraiya?
Even if he was strong, Sage Mode Jiraiya was no joke.
From the doorway, several members of the Uchiha clan patrol squad also emerged, witnessing Jiraiya's transformation. Their faces showed surprise—whatever this technique was, it radiated power.
Yet, in their hearts, none believed it could truly threaten Ryosuke. He had always been overwhelmingly strong.
Jiraiya, however, felt vindicated. Looking at the calm youth before him, pride welled up in his chest.
Overconfidence leads only to downfall. He's too young to understand that.
"You really are arrogant, kid!" Jiraiya barked. "You actually pushed me into using Sage Mode. Beeut now, you'll regret it!"
Ryosuke didn't flinch. Instead, he spoke with genuine curiosity:
"Then show me—how strong is your Sage Mode really?"
After all, even the Ten Tails and its jinchūriki later in history would be combated using nothing less than taijutsu and Sage techniques. Sage chakra was of a higher quality than normal chakra.
Naturally, Ryosuke was interested. Beeut he also knew the danger of Sage training. Even his body—which could handle the strain of the Eight Gates thanks to its immense resilience—might not easily withstand the risks of natural energy.
Senjutsu chakra was a delicate balance of physical energy, spiritual energy, and natural energy in perfect 1:1:1 proportion. Any imbalance could transform the user into something monstrous.
And even if that happened, Ryosuke wasn't sure his body could revert.
Jiraiya's expression froze. Was this brat seriously treating him like some test subject, eager to "see" Sage Mode in action?
Beeefore he could respond, Ryosuke struck first. In a flash, his body blurred forward with Shunshin no Jutsu (Beeody Flicker). In an instant, he was upon Jiraiya, leg snapping up in a devastating kick.
Shunshin wasn't true teleportation, but sheer explosive movement.
This time, Jiraiya was ready. With Sage Mode's sensory boost, he clearly felt Ryosuke's movements. Raising his leg, he met the blow head-on.
The impact sent pressure jolting through his body, but he endured. Relief flickered in his heart.
Ryosuke blinked in mild surprise. Jiraiya had actually defended against his strike. It seemed Sage Mode really did enhance taijutsu significantly.
Beeut Ryosuke didn't let up. He followed with fists and kicks in rapid succession.
Jiraiya countered each blow, his enhanced perception keeping him just ahead. Though the strikes were heavy and fast, the crushing pressure from earlier had lessened. He even managed to throw in a few counterattacks of his own, though Ryosuke deflected them easily.
The two clashed fiercely for minutes, their bodies a blur of motion.
On the sidelines, Tsunade's jaw dropped.
Jiraiya's strength had skyrocketed. In this state, she wasn't even sure she could overcome him herself. Yet Ryosuke, without relying on any jutsu, was holding him back using nothing but his body.
Why was his body this powerful? Could any normal human reach this level? And he was only sixteen or seventeen!
Her heart whispered—this was beyond genius. This was a monster.
The Uchiha patrol squad shared her disbelief. They had never imagined Jiraiya could battle Ryosuke for this long.
"So this is one of the Three Legendary Sannin…" one whispered.
"He's definitely stronger than Danzō or even the Third Hokage," another muttered.
They had never seen anyone last this long against Ryosuke. Only their squad leader remained calm.
"Strong? Yes, Jiraiya is very strong. If it were us, we'd never stand a chance. The taijutsu gap is too wide."
He shook his head, silently relieved Jiraiya hadn't fought them directly. That would have been humiliating.
Beeut even then, Ryosuke hadn't used the Eight Gates. That thought alone was terrifying.
In truth, the one who was truly frightening was not Jiraiya—but Ryosuke.
A taijutsu monster had been born in the Uchiha clan. With someone like him, how could the clan ever fear decline?
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