Jiraiya's Test!

Uchiha Shingen grumbled, then his gaze instantly turned serious:

"But there was a saying that was right!"

"Working yourself to the bone now is so you can lie flat and slack off later without worrying about unexpected danger!"

"Only by becoming strong enough to handle every crisis would you have the confidence to take it easy!"

Bang!

A crisp explosion rang through the air.

The stone slab beneath Uchiha Shingen's feet shattered, and he shot forward in the next instant.

The three crimson tomoe in his eyes spun rapidly.

Facing Jiraiya, Uchiha Shingen did not hesitate in the slightest and immediately unleashed his full strength.

After all, the man before him was perhaps one of Konoha's strongest ninja of this era, second only to the Third Hokage.

Perhaps there was no "one of" about it.

If he held back against someone like this, he might not even survive a single exchange.

Thoughts raced through his mind, but Uchiha Shingen's hand seals did not slow in the slightest. After taking a few steps, he had already completed the seals for the Great Fireball:

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

Whoosh—!

The Great Fireball swelled with the wind, expanding in an instant into a massive sphere nearly ten meters across, swallowing everything it touched!

Before the fireball even arrived, its violent heat wave had already tossed Jiraiya's silver hair into the air. His expression remained calm as he gave a slight nod.

"Your use of the Great Fireball is quite skillful, and your mastery of Fire Release has reached a respectable level. But if this is all you've got..."

"Hmm?!"

Jiraiya suddenly noticed that something seemed to be hidden within that enormous fireball.

His first thought was of the desperate tactic Uchiha Shingen had used in his battle against Shisui, hiding himself inside a Great Fireball before seizing an opportunity to defeat Shisui in an instant.

But Jiraiya dismissed that possibility the very next moment.

That was because the massive Great Fireball suddenly shattered, bursting like a bubble as the resulting gust blasted away all the surrounding grass and trees!

Yet what shot forth from the Great Fireball was not Uchiha Shingen.

It was a dense, overwhelming barrage of flame-wreathed shuriken!

"This is the Uchiha clan's signature Fire Release ninjutsu, Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson?!"

"No, that number... This brat knows the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique too!"

A flicker of surprise flashed through Jiraiya's eyes.

"This is... a combined ninjutsu?!"

If Jiraiya had originally only thought that this newly accepted disciple of his resembled the Nara clan in personality,

then now he was beginning to wonder whether Uchiha Shingen carried Uchiha blood in his veins or Nara blood.

This brat knew I had watched his battle with Shisui, and knew I had seen the tactic where he hid inside a Great Fireball and seized the opportunity to instantly crush Shisui.

And he used that intelligence as the core to set up this trap specifically for me?!

If I mistook him for hiding inside it and prepared for close-quarters combat, I would be facing this sky-filling barrage of shuriken!

"Brat!"

"You're sneaky enough, aren't you!"

Jiraiya laughed and cursed as he formed hand seals, then slammed both hands onto the ground.

"Earth Release: Earth Wall!"

A stone wall a meter thick instantly rose before Jiraiya, blocking every one of the densely packed kunai!

The high temperature scorched the air, and even Jiraiya felt a measure of heat.

He was just about to counterattack when he suddenly realized that his target had vanished from sight.

Clearly, Uchiha Shingen had taken advantage of that brief opening to completely conceal himself.

This use of tactics raised Jiraiya's assessment of Uchiha Shingen by several more notches.

"After his attack failed, he took the opportunity to hide his presence and secretly prepare the next wave of offense."

"He could advance to attack or retreat to defend."

"From a tactical perspective, I can give this series of attacks a score above nine."

"Among the ninja I've seen, there aren't many your age who can reach your level."

"However."

"Your frontal assault has been blocked, and I can defend against your Fire Release attacks as well. The strategy you intend to use next is probably..."

"Above!"

Jiraiya abruptly looked up and met Uchiha Shingen's scarlet Sharingan. At the same time, he heard the faintly smug voice from Uchiha Shingen's mouth.

"Got you!"

"Sharingan genjutsu?!"

Jiraiya's whole body stiffened, and a look of realization appeared on his face.

As he retraced the entire battle, he realized that everything Uchiha Shingen had done before this had likely been for this single killing blow!

By the time he understood that, Jiraiya's body could no longer move.

He could only watch as the kunai in Uchiha Shingen's hand sliced across his shoulder.

Yet, to Uchiha Shingen's surprise, he did not feel the sensation of a blade cutting into flesh. Instead, a wave of weakness washed over him.

Bang!

Jiraiya immediately burst apart, turning into white mist that spread through the surroundings and obscured Uchiha Shingen's vision.

"A Shadow Clone?!"

Uchiha Shingen's gaze sharpened.

As the most unusual of all clone techniques, the Shadow Clone created a physical duplicate. Neither the Uchiha's Sharingan nor the Hyuga's Byakugan could see through it.

After a moment of surprise, Uchiha Shingen abruptly realized what had happened.

But it was already too late.

Jiraiya's hand suddenly thrust out from underground and seized Uchiha Shingen's wrist, while his other hand grabbed Uchiha Shingen's shoulder and pinned him against the stone wall.

"Checkmate!"

Along with Jiraiya's voice,

the battle was declared over in that instant.

"I lost!"

"In both tactics and combat!"

Uchiha Shingen slumped to the ground. Though he had been mentally prepared, he could not help feeling somewhat frustrated.

He had devised so many tactics, yet in the end, he had only defeated one of Jiraiya's Shadow Clones.

No!

That Shadow Clone was probably bait Jiraiya had left behind!

Realizing this, Uchiha Shingen could not help cursing inwardly.

"What a scheming bastard!"

Unbeknownst to him, Jiraiya was even more shocked.

In terms of tactical thinking, this brat was probably the most... and his fighting style was the most devious... among all the disciples I have taught.

Oh.

Minato's Flying Thunder God-Rasengan combo let him come and go as he pleased. He could hit others, but no one could hit him.

Nagato's Rinnegan was even more outrageously powerful. He was born proficient in all five Chakra nature transformations, and he had all kinds of unknown abilities besides.

Never mind, then.

No...

Why were these three more underhanded than the last?!

Shingen was one thing, but I taught Nagato and Minato myself. How did they turn out like this too?!

Could it be that I am that kind of person?!

Impossible!

Absolutely impossible!

Jiraiya cast aside the mess of thoughts in his mind. Recalling the battle just now, he began reviewing it with Uchiha Shingen.

"Whether it was your reactions in battle or your tactical planning, you could be called outstanding."

"But you also made one fatal mistake."

"Besides jutsu, Chakra, and the use of the environment, there is another factor in a ninja's battle that can determine victory or defeat."

"That is intelligence!"