Naruto and Jiraiya's fight continued.
They crashed into each other again, fists and kicks colliding in rapid succession. The clearing echoed with sharp impacts as their movements blurred, each exchange faster and heavier than the last.
Dirt burst from the ground where feet slammed down, and the air itself seemed to ripple under the pressure of their chakra.
Naruto pressed forward relentlessly.
A low sweep forced Jiraiya to hop back, only for Naruto to follow instantly, spinning into a sharp back kick aimed at his ribs. Jiraiya crossed his arms just in time
thud!
The force still sending him sliding several meters across the ground.
Jiraiya laughed as his heels dug in. "Heh… not bad at all."
He surged forward again, taller frame looming as he unleashed a flurry of strikes meant to overwhelm. Naruto weaved through them, ducking under a hook, twisting past a straight punch, countering with short, compact blows that snapped against Jiraiya's guard.
Their styles clashed clearly.
Jiraiya fought with experience—economical movements, traps hidden inside every motion. Naruto fought with instinct refined by battle, chaining attacks together with surprising discipline rather than reckless force.
From the sidelines, Tsunade's expression shifted from casual interest to focused attention.
'He's keeping up,' she realized. 'No—he's matching him.'
Jiraiya feinted high, then drove a knee toward Naruto's midsection. Naruto caught it, muscles tensing, and for a brief moment the two locked in place—strength against strength.
The ground cracked beneath their feet.
Naruto growled and shoved Jiraiya back, spinning and following up with a palm strike infused with chakra. Jiraiya barely avoided it, the shockwave tearing a shallow trench through the dirt where he'd been standing.
Jiraiya landed lightly a short distance away, eyes gleaming.
"…So that's where you are now," he murmured.
Naruto rolled his shoulders, breathing steady, eyes burning with focus.
"Since you said no holding back," Jiraiya called out, hands already flashing through seals, "don't complain!"
His voice sharpened.
"Doton: Yomi Numa!"
The earth beneath Naruto suddenly gave way.
What had been solid ground moments ago softened like wet clay, then sank, pulling at his boots with terrifying speed. Mud surged upward, swallowing his ankles, then his calves.
Naruto clicked his tongue and jumped—but it was too late.
The swamp clutched him like a living thing, dragging him down until he was stuck waist-deep, chakra struggling against the weight and suction of the jutsu.
Jiraiya laughed loudly, hands on his hips. "That's game, Naruto!"
Naruto didn't even look at him.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu."
Poof.
Two clones burst into existence beside him without a hint of panic. They grabbed him under the arms, muscles straining as they ripped him free from the swamp with a wet, tearing sound.
Before Jiraiya could react, one clone spun Naruto around—
—and hurled him like a missile.
Naruto twisted midair, chakra already spiraling in his palm.
"Rasengan."
A familiar roar filled the clearing.
Jiraiya's smile sharpened instead of fading. He raised his own hand, blue chakra condensing rapidly as he formed a Rasengan of his own.
"Too obvious—"
He never finished.
From his blind side, the other clone appeared—low and fast—and drove a brutal kick straight into Jiraiya's ribs.
BAM!
The impact echoed through the training grounds.
Jiraiya was sent flying, body skipping violently across the grass before crashing into the dirt and carving a shallow groove as he slid to a stop.
Naruto landed lightly a moment later, the Rasengan in his hand dispersing into harmless wisps of chakra.
He straightened, grinning.
"Good one, bro."
He reached out and bumped fists with the clone.
"No problem," the clone replied smugly. "You need backup again?"
Naruto glanced down at himself. His pants were coated in thick, sticky mud from the swamp jutsu.
"…Nah," he said. "But I do need those pants."
The clone sighed deeply, already knowing where this was going.
A second later, Naruto was standing there in clean, dry pants as the clone dispersed in a small puff of smoke.
Poof.
Across the clearing, Jiraiya pushed himself up, rolling his shoulders as he laughed, clearly unbothered despite the hit.
"Heh… clever," he admitted, brushing dirt from his clothes. "Real clever."
His eyes gleamed with approval.
"And that timing," he added. "You're starting to fight like a shinobi who thinks ahead." The air shifted. The fight was far from over.
Jiraiya wiped the grin from his face and bit down on his thumb.
Blood welled instantly.
He slammed his hand onto the ground, chakra surging outward as a complex seal spread beneath his palm, glowing faintly in the darkness.
"No holding back, right?" he asked, eyes sharp now—no trace of humor left.
Naruto's stance tightened. "Yeah."
POOOF.
A massive cloud of smoke erupted, swallowing Jiraiya completely. The ground trembled under the sudden release of chakra, wind blasting outward and fluttering Naruto's jacket violently.
Naruto didn't panic.
He exhaled slowly, drawing chakra through his body, letting it pool deliberately in his arms and feet. Muscles tightened. Balance shifted. Every sense sharpened.
'Dammit…' he thought, eyes locked forward as the smoke began to thin.
A colossal shadow emerged.
Then—
A massive, warty foot slammed into the earth with a thunderous BOOM, cracking the ground beneath it.
Naruto looked up.
Way up.
Towering over him was a giant toad—easily twenty feet tall—its massive pipe resting against one shoulder, eyes half-lidded but sharp beneath heavy brows.
"…Tch," Naruto muttered. "Figures."
From atop the toad's head, Jiraiya stood proudly.
"You good, Gamabunta?" he called out.
Gamabunta yawned loudly, smoke drifting from his mouth as he adjusted his grip on the pipe. "I was sleeping," he rumbled, voice deep and gravelly. "But this looks… interesting."
His gaze dropped.
And then widened slightly.
"…Huh?" A grin spread across his wide mouth. "Naruto?"
Naruto looked up and smiled. "Chief. How've you been?"
Gamabunta laughed. "Heh. Been good, kid. You should see Gamakichi and Gamatatsu—those brats grew like weeds."
"Seriously?" Naruto chuckled. "That's good to hear. I'll come visit soon."
Jiraiya's eyebrow twitched.
"Hey," he snapped, stomping his foot. "He's the enemy. Attack!"
Gamabunta snorted. "Oi, don't be stupid. That's Naruto. I'm not fighting him."
Naruto spread his hands casually. "Relax, Chief. It's just a spar."
Gamabunta eyed him for a moment, then smirked. "Hah. You humans are weird."
From the sidelines, Tsunade sighed and shook her head.
She bit her thumb and placed her hand on the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu."
A soft glow spread—gentle, controlled.
In a swirl of mist rather than smoke, a massive slug appeared beside her, pale and smooth, its presence calm but unmistakably powerful.
"Katsuyu," Tsunade said evenly. "Stay alert."
The slug's gentle voice echoed softly. "Of course. What's happening?"
"Just a precaution," Tsunade replied, eyes never leaving the battlefield.
Between a legendary Sannin, a toad chief, and a Naruto.
The night had officially escalated.
TO BE CONTINUED