Sasuke VS Jiraiya!

Jiraiya washed his face by the river, then casually returned to Sasuke's side and struck up a conversation.

"Come to think of it, aren't the Chunin Exams going on lately? Have you already been eliminated?"

"Not yet. We're in the second round now, a five-day trial in the Forest of Death. My comrades and I completed it on the third day. We still have to wait until everyone finishes the exam before moving on to the next stage."

"So that's why you had time to wander around yesterday and today," Jiraiya cut in. "Finishing it ahead of schedule means you've got some skill!"

"Yes."

Sasuke did not want to say much, so he merely gave a brief reply.

"You said yesterday that your dream was to bring peace to the ninja world, didn't you?" Jiraiya asked.

"Yes." Sasuke forced himself to answer.

"Do you really think that?"

"Not entirely." Sasuke thought for a moment before deciding to tell the truth.

"For a long time before this, all I could think about was avenging my clan. I never considered what would come after."

"But some things that happened in the Forest of Death changed the way I see things. Perhaps bringing peace to the ninja world is one possible solution. To be honest, I'm not sure yet."

"Excellent! Then let your teacher accompany you as you explore that path in the future!" Jiraiya declared energetically.

"But before that, the one thing I know for certain is that I have to kill Uchiha Itachi. It's a mission I have no choice but to bear!"

"..."

What a pain.

Jiraiya thought to himself.

Given his temperament, he would never normally take in a child burdened by hatred as a disciple.

No other reason—he had simply seen too many disciples die.

And Sasuke's target for revenge was someone that troublesome.

"What if I kill him for you?" Jiraiya gritted his teeth and asked.

"No! This is something I have to do with my own hands!" Sasuke answered almost without hesitation.

Right. After all, it was the lives of his entire clan.

Jiraiya had a headache.

At that moment, several beautiful women in swimsuits came laughing toward the riverbank.

Jiraiya was immediately drawn to them and quietly followed after them on tiptoe.

Seeing that another whole morning was about to go to waste, Sasuke finally snapped and shouted, "Hey! Didn't you just say you'd explore this path with me?"

Those words put immense pressure on Jiraiya.

After hesitating for a long while, he finally trudged back, saying unwillingly, "Fine, then. Follow me!"

With a face full of regret, Jiraiya led Sasuke to an open clearing.

"Now, treat me as Uchiha Itachi and attack," Jiraiya said, turning to face Sasuke.

"What?"

Sasuke did not understand.

"What? Didn't they teach you ninjutsu at the academy?" Jiraiya's expression was stern, without the slightest hint of a joke.

Sasuke quickly understood. Class was about to begin!

"Yes!"

Unable to hide his excitement, Sasuke clenched his fists and charged at his teacher.

Jiraiya effortlessly dodged Sasuke's storm of punches and kicks. With his hands behind his back, he did not even let Sasuke touch a hair on him.

Sasuke soon realized the gap between them in Taijutsu. He threw a Shuriken, but Jiraiya casually sidestepped it again.

Then Sasuke leaped into the air like a swallow skimming the water, putting all his strength into a kick aimed at Jiraiya's face.

"That won't do. Are you jealous of your teacher's handsome face?"

Jiraiya turned and raised a hand, blocking the attack.

It was the first time Sasuke had managed to touch his teacher, but that was not his true goal.

He planted both feet against Jiraiya's armored forearm and kicked off hard, using the force to flip backward into the air.

At the same time, he rapidly formed hand seals, then cast his jutsu the instant he landed.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

Jiraiya's expression did not change as he immediately responded.

"Water Style: Water Bullet Technique!"

His reaction speed and hand seal speed were astonishing.

A massive shockwave collided between them. Violent winds scattered in all directions, and the clash of water and fire produced an enormous cloud of steam, accompanied by a fierce hissing sound.

"Sharingan, activate!"

Within the billowing white vapor, Sasuke clearly caught Jiraiya's blurry silhouette. He threw three kunai in succession, using the Sharingan's predictions to seal off every possible route of escape.

Jiraiya responded by throwing Shuriken of his own. The ninja tools collided in midair, nullifying the attack.

At the same time, Sasuke used the Body Flicker Technique behind the kunai and instantly appeared at Jiraiya's back.

Kunai in hand, elbow bent, body turned sideways, knees lowered, he viciously thrust toward Jiraiya's heart from behind.

"Ninja Art: Needle Jizo!"

Jiraiya shouted.

His silver hair immediately hardened strand by strand, swiftly wrapping around his back. The sharp kunai struck it as though it had hit solid rock, ringing with a metallic clang.

Then, as if controlling an arm, Jiraiya violently lifted the mass of hair and slammed it into Sasuke's chest.

Sasuke barely blocked it, but the tremendous impact forced him several meters back.

Sasuke desperately steadied his footing, using every ounce of strength just to keep from falling.

"Was that supposed to be Fire Style?"

Jiraiya mocked him.

"Fire Style: Flame Bullet!"

Unlike the blazing flames familiar to the Uchiha, the Flame Bullet Jiraiya expelled from his mouth seemed almost tangible—condensed, precise, and incredibly fast as it smashed toward Sasuke's position.

Sasuke was shocked. He desperately dodged to the side, yet the enormous shockwave still slammed him violently to the ground.

Looking at the huge crater where he had stood, Sasuke felt a lingering chill. If he had not dodged, he would probably have been finished.

"It's not over yet!"

Jiraiya rapidly formed hand seals: Ram—Horse—Snake—Dragon—Rat—Ox—Tiger.

"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"

Flames burst from Jiraiya's mouth, twisting through the air like a raging dragon. The fire dragon split into three directions—front, left, and right—and attacked Sasuke at once.

The fire dragons were controlled by Chakra, constantly adjusting their pursuit as Sasuke evaded.

In his desperation, Sasuke turned and plunged headfirst into the nearby pond. The fire dragons followed him into the water, and enormous splashes mixed with rising heat to fill the entire area.

Their terrifying power evaporated every drop of water in the pond.

"It's over," Jiraiya said in a low voice.

As the heat gradually dispersed, Jiraiya walked to the pond's edge, only to find the muddy bottom completely empty.

"Damn!" Jiraiya jolted in surprise.

"Leaf Whirlwind!"

Sasuke, who had long been lying in wait, attacked Jiraiya with the move Lee had used to defeat him before.

Caught off guard, Jiraiya flickered aside to avoid the powerful sweeping kick. Sasuke used the momentum to turn and lower himself, immediately following with a leg sweep! Turning Upper Kick!

Jiraiya was kicked into the air, and Sasuke sprang up after him.

The rest is my own creation!

Sasuke braced a hand against Jiraiya's waist and slammed a foot into his chest.

Jiraiya raised a hand to block it, but Sasuke used the force to spin around and smash a fist into Jiraiya's neck. The two rapidly fell. Then Sasuke flipped again in midair and drove a heavy kick into Jiraiya's abdomen.

"Lion Combo!"

The two crashed to the ground.

Sasuke rose, panting heavily, only to hear a "Poof!" as Jiraiya vanished.

??

"Not bad! You actually defeated my Shadow Clone."

Jiraiya slowly emerged from the direction of the riverbank where the beauties were frolicking. With a sigh, he said, "Looks like Konoha really did teach you quite a lot."