Wild Lion's Mane Technique!
This is Jiraiya's unique secret technique, which uses Chakra to transform his hair into whip-like shapes to attack the enemy.
The lethality of this move is extremely formidable, as even the summoned creatures of the Animal Path among the Six Paths of Pain could be brutally strangled by the power of the white hair.
Sora raised an eyebrow, knowing he couldn't complete this slash, or he would end up trading his life for Shisui's right then and there.
[Shunpo]
Immediately, the long whip formed by the wild lion's mane swept through the afterimage Sora left behind, failing to cause him any harm.
'So fast!'
'This is definitely no ordinary Body Flicker Technique!'
Jiraiya pressed his palms together, his gaze fixed intently on Sora as he flickered back.
Instantly killing Hizashi with one slash, then using a Body Flicker to try and kill Shisui... Since the fight began, Jiraiya hadn't seen his opponent perform any hand seals.
'A unique Kekkei Genkai?'
Jiraiya's expression was serious.
He could feel an astonishing cold emanating from his opponent. Combined with the means of injuring enemies with cold blades, it inevitably made Jiraiya think of a special Kekkei Genkai possessed only by Kirigakure's Yuki Clan and Ninjas from the Land of Snow… Ice Release!!!
'But...'
'Is Ice Release really this powerful?'
While Jiraiya was shocked and suspicious, his hands didn't stop moving. The instant he repelled Sora with the Wild Lion's Mane Technique, he had already closed the distance, directly pressing forward with brute force.
Swoosh!
What level of Ninja was Jiraiya? His Body Flicker Technique was so incredible it directly left afterimages in the air.
Boom!
The air cracked.
It was a perfectly executed strike, mixed with a burst of Chakra. Jiraiya threw a punch straight at Sora's face.
Facing Konoha's Sannin, Sora didn't back down either. He swung his blade backhand towards Jiraiya's throat, aiming to draw blood with a single cut.
However, Jiraiya was far stronger than Hizashi. Simple Shinigami's Zanjutsu couldn't achieve an instant kill against him.
Instead, it allowed the immensely experienced Jiraiya to duck under the Zanpakuto's slash and deliver an upward elbow strike aimed at Sora's abdomen.
At this moment, it was too late to swing the sword again.
Sora raised an eyebrow and countered with a knee strike pressed downwards.
Don't forget!
Sora's Hakuda-level was also standard Proficient Level. In close-quarters combat, he wasn't afraid of anyone!
Thump!
Great forces collided.
Knee pressed against elbow. As the force erupted, it actually caused both of them to be shaken back a step.
'Incredible strength!'
'This Kirigakure's Ninja…'
'Just who are you!??'
Jiraiya's eyes widened. Although his strength wasn't as terrifying as that monster girl Tsunade's, it wasn't something just anyone could casually block.
Not to boast, but in terms of pure strength, forget Fuguki from Kirigakure, even if the Third Mizukage came, he'd be sent flying by Jiraiya's brute force.
But...
This young man before him actually forcefully suppressed his iron elbow!??
As his mind raced, Jiraiya's offensive didn't cease. He pressed in with a continuous series of short, powerful strikes, closing the distance, trying to disrupt Sora's sword rhythm.
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
Dull impacts rang continuously.
Jiraiya's punches landed squarely, unleashing over a dozen short strikes in the blink of an eye, causing fierce winds to howl and dust to fly.
Simultaneously, Sora didn't back down either. He also refused to retreat half a step, meeting the enemy with Hakuda at close range, his fists and feet swiftly suppressing Jiraiya's offensive in return.
Bang bang bang!
Bang bang bang!
Iron elbows, knee strikes, straight punches, whip kicks, shoulder slams… both their Taijutsu skills were top-tier, every part of their bodies capable of becoming lethal weapons.
'So strong!'
Sora frowned slightly. His opponent's combat power exceeded expectations. One could only say, as expected of the legendary Sannin. His body was incredibly tough, almost inhuman. Every elbow strike felt like hitting a steel plate with a hammer, making his arms feel somewhat numb.
On the other side, Jiraiya was even more astonished.
He was already going all out in his normal state, yet he still couldn't subdue the Kirigakure's youth opposite him. This was simply unbelievable.
He knew that if he went all out against Konoha's genius youths like Kakashi, Guy, or Shisui, he could kill them within three moves.
But now, facing this mysterious Kirigakure's Ninja, he was unable to gain the upper hand despite prolonged attacks, making Jiraiya feel somewhat impatient.
Thump!
Another punch was thrown.
This time, Jiraiya had employed his not-yet-proficient strength technique, increasing the power of his fist by over thirty percent.
Boom!
The punch even directly caused a terrifying sonic boom.
Facing Jiraiya's attack, Sora deliberately didn't dodge. He shifted back lightly, using the blade of his Zanpakuto to block Jiraiya's powerful fist.
Bang!
Force erupted.
Sora's figure flickered directly backwards, retreating at high speed.
'Sly brat!'
Jiraiya cursed inwardly. His keen eyes had discerned early in the fight that Sora's swordsmanship was far more refined than his close-quarters Taijutsu, which was why he closed the distance to suppress him with short-range strikes.
He never expected that a moment of impatience would give Sora the opportunity to instantly create distance.
However,
Not every Konoha's Ninja possessed Jiraiya's seasoned perception.
Not far away.
"An opportunity!"
"He's open!"
Shisui, who had been waiting for a chance to act, saw Sora being 'punched' away by Jiraiya and immediately flickered forward.
Thinking he had seized some incredible opening, he prepared to deliver a heavy blow to this terrifying Kirigakure's Ninja.
"Uchiha Style - Blaze Sword!"
Amidst the flickering flames, Shisui also concentrated Wind Nature Chakra, pushing his speed to another level.
Extreme speed!
Fast to the extreme!
However-
By the time Shisui's flaming sword descended towards Sora's landing point, what met his eyes was Sora's mocking and disdainful smile.
'What?'
Just as Shisui was stunned, the flaming sword in his hand was directly kicked away.
Then-
His forward momentum halted, he was lifted into the air by Sora, who was gripping his neck.
"Uchiha Clan's Ninjas…"
"Are they always this reckless?"
Before the words faded, the Zanpakuto in Sora's hand directly pierced through Shisui's abdomen, creating a terrifying bloody hole.
Without the freezing cold to seal it, blood sprayed out wildly.
Gush!
Gush!
Warm blood splattered on the ground. Feeling the intense pain, Shisui tried to cry out, but his throat was tightly gripped by Sora. He couldn't make a sound.
At this moment-
Shisui's mind went blank. He hadn't seen Sora's movements at all, only feeling a dazed sensation before being severely wounded, stabbed clean through.