Chapter 70: The Duel and the Summons
Hearing the "pretty boy" agree, Jiraiya's spirits soared. He hadn't spent the last three years at Mount Myōboku lazing around and eating bugs; he had trained seriously. While Sage Art was profoundly difficult, he hadn't walked away empty-handed. Under the guidance of the Toad Sages, his proficiency in many ninjutsu had grown significantly.
When Tsunade heard Kato Dan agree, she looked at him with concern. As erratic as Jiraiya could be, his strength was genuine. He was a classic late bloomer. Otherwise, the Third Hokage would never have taken him as a disciple.
She worried Dan couldn't win. She knew his skills well; his refined Mind Body Switch Technique was deadly for assassination, but it was no tool for a friendly spar. Beyond that, his arsenal was solid but standard—the Rasengan and some Fire Release techniques, all taught by Akatsurugi over the past six months.
The problem was, Jiraiya also knew the Rasengan and Fire Release. In fact, Jiraiya's Fire Release was exceptionally powerful.
"Jiraiya..." Tsunade shot him a look that promised pain. If you dare get too rough with him later, humph, don't blame my iron fists.
Jiraiya felt the murderous intent and saw Tsunade's glare. His confidence wavered, and he felt a wave of injustice. Is this any way to treat a teammate?
But his focus quickly returned, his gaze burning into Kato Dan. It's all your fault, you pretty boy. You stole her while I was gone. How shameless.
Seeing the situation, Orochimaru silently cleared the area. Tsunade, with a final warning glance, did the same. Kato Dan merely offered a gentlemanly smile. "Whenever you're ready, Jiraiya."
The contrast in their demeanor was stark. The noble's composure made Jiraiya's rough-around-the-edges attitude seem uncouth by comparison.
Unseen by the combatants, Akatsurugi had appeared at the edge of the training ground. In his office, the Third Hokage, who had been watching through his crystal ball, dismissed the technique upon noticing Akatsurugi's presence. With the Blaze God overseeing the match, nothing serious would happen. It was just a scuffle between children.
"Fire Release: Flame Bullet!" Jiraiya roared, his hands flying through seals.
It was a new technique he'd developed at Myōboku, combining his fire nature with a stream of special toad oil, drastically increasing the jutsu's power and area of effect.
A massive fireball surged toward Dan, who was smart enough not to stand his ground. He evaded with a swift Body Flicker, forming hand seals mid-air.
"Fire Release: Fire Phoenix Technique!"
He launched several smaller, guided fireballs from different angles. Simultaneously, he flung a single shuriken into the air, his hands forming another familiar seal. "Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
This was a technique Dan had learned from Akatsurugi, who had in turn copied it from the Scroll of Seals. It was a signature move of the Third Hokage himself.
"The old man's technique?!" Jiraiya was momentarily stunned.
Now facing a hailstorm of shuriken and homing fireballs, Jiraiya felt a flash of panic. His Wild Lion's Mane technique could block projectiles, but not the fire. Dan's combination of ninjutsu and tactical thinking was sophisticated.
He slammed his palms onto the ground. "Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!"
Earthen walls erupted around him, blocking the onslaught. However, in that brief window of blindness, Kato Dan had closed the distance, a swirling sphere of blue chakra already roaring in his palm.
Rasengan!
The technique slammed into the earth wall, grinding through it. But Jiraiya was already gone. The moment the wall had risen, he had created a shadow clone as a decoy and sunk into the ground using Earth Style.
Dan's Rasengan struck the clone, which vanished in a puff of smoke.
"Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!"
Jiraiya emerged on the other side of the training ground, his palms pressed to the earth. The solid ground beneath Dan's feet instantly churned into a viscous, trapping swamp. Dan lost his footing, struggling to stay upright.
It had to be said that Dan's skills were good, but Jiraiya's battlefield experience and sheer ingenuity gave him the edge. Trapped in the swamp, Dan's options dwindled.
Jiraiya charged across the unstable terrain, his fist connecting squarely with Dan's jaw and sending him flying.
As Jiraiya moved in to press his advantage, Tsunade's voice cut through the air like a whip. "That's enough!"
Jiraiya awkwardly retracted his fist, but the satisfaction of landing a clean hit on the pretty boy had already improved his mood considerably.
Kato Dan got to his feet, wiping a trickle of blood from his lip with a wry smile. "It's alright."
He had been careless, underestimating Jiraiya's mastery of Earth Style. Once trapped, his only real counter would have been the Mind Body Switch, a technique far too dangerous to use on a comrade.
Oblivious to how close he'd come to a much worse fate, Jiraiya puffed out his chest. Tsunade rushed to Dan's side, checked that he was only lightly bruised, and shot one last fiery glare at Jiraiya before helping her boyfriend away.
Jiraiya opened his mouth to say something, but could only let out a long, defeated sigh.
"Heh." Akatsurugi chuckled softly from the sidelines. At that moment, an ANBU operative appeared before him.
"Lord Akatsurugi," the operative said respectfully. "The Third Hokage requests your presence immediately."
Akatsurugi nodded and vanished in a flicker. He had considered speaking to Jiraiya about Sage Art, but it would have to wait. The Hokage's summons took precedence.
When he arrived at the office, he found Sarutobi Hiruzen staring morosely at a mission scroll.
"You're here," Hiruzen said without looking up. "Sit."
Akatsurugi took the seat opposite the Hokage's desk.
"Take a look at this," Hiruzen said, finally meeting his gaze and sliding the scroll across the desk.