Tick!
In the silent underground chamber, Jiraiya slowly lowered his head.
A bitter smile tugged at his pale, bloodless lips.
This… is Wood Style…
It's been lying in ambush beneath my feet all along!
A wooden spear tore upward, piercing through his body.
Blood spilled, tracing down the jagged grain of the wood.
"I'm just the distraction," said the Wood Style clone before him, smiling faintly. "The real killer is Wood Style itself."
Behind the clone, a strip of wood extended from Yuichi's palm deep into the earth.
Crack!
Jiraiya snapped the wood that protruded from his back, gasping for breath.
"When you realized I was trying to stall for time… you used Wood Style to slowly creep toward me underground, didn't you?"
Yuichi nodded calmly. "Yes. Since you gave me the opening, I wasn't going to waste it."
"Of course… Wood Style clones aren't like Shadow Clones. They're more like extensions of your own cells. So you don't even need hand seals to create them."
Well said.
While Jiraiya tried to buy time, Yuichi had quietly split off a Wood Style clone. That clone then used Earth Style to burrow underground, inching closer with every second.
When both the clone and the Wood Style strike were in position, Yuichi's plan began.
The clone emerged with a Rasengan in hand, charging at Jiraiya.
If it had been anything else, Jiraiya wouldn't have hesitated—he would have simply dodged. But a Rasengan… a single heartbeat of hesitation in battle is all it takes to decide life and death.
Unable to evade cleanly, Jiraiya was forced to confront the attack head-on.
And the moment he committed to that clash, the Wood Style waiting beneath his feet struck with a fatal surprise.
That was why Yuichi never attacked directly.
First, Jiraiya's power surged drastically in Sage Mode. Even without it, his attention would remain locked on Yuichi—the obvious threat.
For an ambush to succeed, Jiraiya needed to be focused far away, not near.
But even then—
Yuichi let out a small sigh.
"As expected of one of the Sannin."
"In just an instant, you shifted your stance by a mere few centimeters. That small movement spared your heart from being pierced. Incredible."
Hearing Yuichi's words, Jiraiya felt no pride.
The true monster here was Yuichi.
Raw strength alone—this boy could already rival him in a direct clash. And yet he still had the clarity to weave every advantage into a trap, leaving no opening unused.
So young.
So calm.
So ruthlessly precise.
Terrifying.
Truly terrifying.
Jiraiya's voice was weak. "Konoha's academy… has raised you well."
"Thank you," Yuichi replied with a faint smile. "But the conversation ends here. I think it's about time."
The calculation had finished faster than he'd expected.
Gritting his teeth, Jiraiya forced himself upright despite the searing pain. His gaze fixed on the faint silhouette ahead, outlined by flickering firelight in the shadows.
"So… the final blow is coming."
"That's right." Yuichi's smile deepened.
Jiraiya cast a glance at the Wood Style clone behind him. "You won't let your clone handle it, kid?"
"Of course not. You're already badly injured. Even with Sage Mode, your strength hasn't improved much."
"For the finishing blow, I'll face you myself."
Yuichi chuckled lightly. "One of Konoha's Sannin, defeated by my own hand… how could I leave something like that to a clone?"
Jiraiya sneered. "Then come."
The moment his words fell—
Whirrrr!
A shrill sound of spiraling water echoed.
Yuichi raised his right arm. Without warning, a torrent of water spun into existence, spiraling violently around his arm before bursting outward.
It condensed into a massive drill-shaped torrent, howling like a blade of water.
The air split with a savage shriek.
Jiraiya's eyes narrowed sharply. "What… what kind of ninjutsu is that?"
"Water Style: Hard Vortex Water Blade."
He had never heard of it.
Was it self-created?
The sheer chakra behind it screamed of an S-rank technique. And without hand seals…
Could this be another ninjutsu he developed on his own—just like Rasengan?
The thought filled Jiraiya with regret.
Such talent. Such brilliance. And yet this boy had already chosen a dark path.
"Sage Art: Giant Rasengan!"
Nature energy surged through Jiraiya's body, swirling into his palm. An enormous Rasengan spun to life, its winds howling wildly through the underground cavern.
The gusts whipped Yuichi's hair and clothes, scattering dust and grit.
Yuichi stepped forward.
Jiraiya did the same.
Both stomped down, shattering the ground beneath them, and hurled themselves forward like crashing waves.
The Rasengan in Jiraiya's hand grew ever larger, radiating blinding light that filled the cavern.
Yuichi raised his arm as they closed in, barely two meters apart—then hurled the Hard Vortex Water Blade like a javelin.
Whoosh!
The spiraling torrent of water carved a storm into the air, stabbing straight for Jiraiya.
At the same time, Jiraiya thrust his Giant Rasengan forward.
The two collided.
BOOOOM!!!
The underground space quaked with a deafening roar.
Chakra tore wildly, currents crashing against each other.
On the sidelines, water exploded outward in a massive surge, waves splashing against the cavern walls.
At the very moment their techniques clashed—
Two Wood Style clones pressed their palms to the earth, sneering.
"Earth Style: Mountain Technique."
Hearing the words, Jiraiya gave a bitter smile.
He never misses a chance…
Rumble!!!
On either side of Jiraiya, two massive rock walls erupted from the ground, curving inward like jaws. They slammed toward him from both sides—