The Gap in Strength, Instructions

The Great Forest Beyond Konoha.

Gamabunta consciously jumped over to Minato's side. He had already seen Minato and the others there. Instead of dispelling the summoning, he ran over to watch the battle together.

"Minato, what's going on? Why did they have to fight?"

Gamabunta spoke, Bunta rubbed his lower back, where he had been hit by the Water Gun Technique and was still very sore.

Minato and the others leaped onto Gamabunta's head, where they could see much better than from the treetops.

"The teacher is going on a dangerous mission, Taiichi is testing the teacher's abilities."

"That Taichi Matsushita, the last time I saw him was on the battlefield in Sunagakure. It hasn't been that long, and he's already so strong. He's practically a monster."

"Heh-heh!"

Minato and the others could only twitch their lips, unsure how to express themselves.

On the battlefield at this moment.

Taiichi landed on the ground and looked at Jiraiya in Sage Mode with great interest. It was the first time he had seen someone else in Sage Mode.

Well, in Taiichi's perception, Jiraiya's strength had indeed increased significantly, but his aura was very unnatural, which was probably the reason why the "Frogification" features appeared on his face.

"Taiichi, come on, let's have another match!"

Jiraiya now very confident, and his increased strength has given him even more confidence.

Before he could even finish speaking, and without waiting for Taiichi's response, Jiraiya Body Flicker teleported forward.

In the blink of an eye, Jiraiya traversed the 20-meter distance and closed in on Taiichi.

A fierce whip kick.

Taiichi crossed his arms to block.

A muffled "bang" was heard.

Taiichi maintained his blocking stance, but his feet left a 5-meter drag mark on the ground.

Its strength has increased significantly, almost more than double what it was before, and its speed has also doubled.

While this Sage Mode boost wasn't as powerful as his own Sage Mode, it still doubled Jiraiya's strength.

In a clash without the aid of Chakra Enhanced Strength, Taiichi was clearly at a disadvantage.

The situation on the scene was indeed like that; aside from a few attacks, Taiichi was basically just barely managing to defend himself.

Jiraiya grew increasingly smug as the fight progressed. He had been thoroughly humiliated before, losing all face, and now he finally had a chance to redeem himself.

"Your master is still your master." Jiraiya thought to himself with pride.

Taiichi clearly noticed the change in Jiraiya's expression, and after a quick thought, he roughly understood what Jiraiya was thinking.

"Sigh, it seems I still need to give the teacher a good talking-to, otherwise he might really get his life."

Taiichi made up his mind and took advantage of Jiraiya's attack to create distance.

His greatest skill isn't Taijutsu), but Ninjutsu.

Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire.

As his body flew backward, numerous Fireball formed around Taiichi. This C-rank Ninjutsu required no Hand Seals; it was created simply by chanting.

But don't underestimate these Phoenix Sage Fire; just look at their bright white flames and you'll know they're not to be touched.

Jiraiya's smug expression vanished instantly, and he stopped his pursuit, instead beginning to dodge the Fireball.

Taiichi, who had created some distance, was not idle either, quickly Hand Seals.

Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation Arrow.

A vast sea of fire surged toward Jiraiya expression changed drastically.

"My lords, we have no other choice but to use that method."

"Alright, Jiraiya, let's begin."

Jiraiya quickly Hand Seals, and the two sages simultaneously took a deep breath.

Sage Art: Goemon.

Fire, wind, and oil surged forth, combining in front of him to form a tangible wave of flames that collided with Taiichi's bright white Sea of Flames.

There was no deafening roar, only the mutual erosion of forces.

One is a surging wave of flames enhanced by Senjutsu Chakra.

One is a blazing white flame resulting from profound Nature Transformation.

The two Ninjutsu were locked in a stalemate in the center of the arena, fighting fiercely and evenly, which caused great distress to the surrounding forest.

The flames surged outwards from the impact, spreading in all directions. Neither the blazing white flames nor the sticky oil fire could withstand them, and swathes of forest were instantly ignited.

The scale of the battle had clearly exceeded initial expectations. After the two sides exchanged several more Ninjutsu, a massive Water Gun Technique descended from the sky and struck the sea of fire between them.

Gamabunta descended from the sky, and Minato shouted from above, "Jiraiya- sensei, Taiichi, stop! This sparring session ends here!"

As soon as Minato finished speaking, two figures flew in from the left and right, one from the left and one from the right. They were Taiichi and Jiraiya.

Taiichi remained relaxed and at ease, while Jiraiya was panting heavily, having even deactivated Sage Mode.

"Good lad, I didn't expect your Ninjutsu to be so powerful."

Jiraiya supported Minato with one hand, while praising Taiichi.

On his shoulder, two immortals were also looking at Taiichi with great curiosity, as if they were looking at rare animals, and occasionally making "croaking" Frog Song.

Faced with Jiraiya's heartfelt praise, Taiichi simply nodded slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips, "It's also thanks to the foundation that Jiraiya- sensei laid for me in the past."

His tone was calm, showing both respect for his Senior and the composure of a strong person.

Minato stood atop Gamabunta's broad head, his brows slightly furrowed as he looked down.

What was originally a forest for friendly sparring has now become a raging inferno, and the fire is spreading.

In particular, the Toad Oil left behind by Jiraiya's Goemon Sage Art: Goemon was like a bone-deep infection, forming thick, burning "oil lakes" in the sea of fire. It would take a while for the fire to extinguish itself naturally.

"We must put out the fire as soon as possible!" Minato's voice was grave. "If we let it get out of control, the fire could spread even further."

His gaze swept over everyone present, finally settling on Taiichi.

Feeling the focus of everyone's attention, Taiichi's confident smile deepened. "Leave it to me."

Before he finished speaking, Taiichi had already stepped to the edge above Gamabunta's head, looking down at the raging fire dragon below, and quickly Hand Seals.

Water Style · Water Style: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!

As the last hand seal was completed, Taiichi deep breath, his chest bulging, and then exhaled violently towards the sea of fire below!

"Boom!!!"

It wasn't a trickle, but rather like a celestial river hanging upside down! An unimaginable torrent of water appeared out of nowhere, like a flood bursting its banks, crashing down on the burning sea of fire with overwhelming force!

Laugh!!!

The moment water and fire collided, a deafening roar and billowing white steam erupted!

The seemingly fierce flames appeared so fragile in the face of the overwhelming volume of water and the violent impact.

The viscous, burning Toad Oil lake was the first to be submerged and dispersed by the surging waves, losing its foundation for combustion.

Where the water flowed, the charred and twisted tree trunks were washed wet and wisps of smoke rose from them, leaving only a mess of mud and water-soaked charcoal.

The scorching air cooled down rapidly, replaced by moist vapor and the scent of ashes.

Gamabunta stood firmly in the flowing water, feeling the surging power beneath his feet. His horizontal eyes were filled with astonishment. "Good lad! This water volume—it's even more exaggerated than the Toad of our Mount Myoboku! Your Water Style isn't much weaker than your Fire Style just now!"

Taiichi stood atop Gamabunta, watching the fire below being quickly extinguished, and withdrew his Chakra. He turned and smiled at Gamabunta, not answering directly, but simply saying, "Water and fire are merciless, but life is ever-present. When the Harusame nourish next year, this place will be green again."

After the fight was over, the two immortals, Fukasaku and Shima, nodded to Jiraiya and Minato before disappearing into white smoke with a "poof".

Gamabunta shook his enormous head. "Alright, the show's over, I'm going back too. Jiraiya, next time we summon, let's not have such an exciting sparring match!"

Having said that, the enormous Toad figure returned to Mount Myoboku in a puff of smoke.

Only Minato, Taiichi, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Kushina remained at the scene. Minato extended his hand. "Let's go, we'll talk in detail when we get back." The group joined hands again, activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, distorted space, and instantly returned to Minato's house.

Naruto seemed startled by the sudden appearance of the group, whimpering softly in his crib before falling back into a deep sleep. Kushina immediately went over and gently patted him. Minato gestured for everyone to sit down.

The sofas and chairs in the Reception Hall had been rearranged. Jiraiya sat alone in an armchair on one side, while Minato, Taiichi, Tsunade sat side by side on the sofa opposite him. Kushina held Naruto in her arms on a single sofa a little further away, her gaze concerned.

This setup has a bit of a "joint trial" feel to it, except that the person being interrogated is Jiraiya, who is about to embark on a long journey, and the content is the key to survival.

"Alright, Taiichi." Minato looked at the young man beside him, his expression serious. "Tell Jiraiya in detail everything you know about the two key figures in Akatsuki, especially the dangers that need to be noted."

Taiichi sat up straight, his gaze sharp as he stared directly at Jiraiya, and began a clear and calm analysis. "First, there's that guy wearing the orange Spiral Mask who calls himself 'Madara Uchiha.'" Taiichi's tone carried a clear denial, "I believe he's a fake."

"Fake?" Jiraiya raised an eyebrow; this differed from the information he had heard before.

"Yes." Taiichi nodded firmly, his eyes sharp. "I've encountered the real Madara Uchiha twice. On one occasion, I even fought him directly. That Masked Man, in terms of demeanor, fighting style, and even the logic in his words, was far inferior to the real Madara Uchiha!"

He paused, then emphasized, "The core of what that Masked Man relies on is an extremely special space-time Dōjutsu born from his Mangekyō Sharingan! You've seen this ability before; although it's troublesome, but—"

Taiichi changed the subject, "Aside from this unpredictable intangibility Intangibility, his other abilities, whether Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, or Genjutsu, only seem to me to be at the level of an average Jonin," at least within the scope of what he has shown me. He relies heavily on the abilities of those eyes.

Therefore, Jiraiya- sensei, if you encounter him, the key is to be wary of his Intangibility and spatial attacks. Look for the moment he materializes to attack, or use wide-range, sustained Ninjutsu to suppress and probe him. His abilities are not as invincible as they seem.

Jiraiya listened intently, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the armrest, etching every word Taiichi said into his mind. This information about the authenticity of "Madara" was priceless!

"Then, the real Madara—" Jiraiya pressed.

Taiichi's expression grew even more solemn, even carrying a hint of uncertain gloom. "Based on my brief exchange with him and some clues, I speculate that he is likely already dead, or in some extremely weak, near-extinction state."

He recalled that powerful yet decaying aura he felt towards the other person. "But what if—I mean, what if—you really do encounter a 'living' Madara Uchiha— "

Taiichi's voice lowered, "Don't hesitate, don't have any thoughts of testing the waters, escape as quickly as possible, at all costs! Escape as far as you can!"

If he truly did not die and appeared, his purpose was probably not benevolent; he likely wanted to drag someone of sufficient importance down with him in his final moments.

Even when a being of that level is completely exhausted, its final counterattack is something you, in Sage Mode, could never withstand.

The atmosphere in the Reception Hall seemed to freeze at Taiichi's words. Tsunade clenched her fists instinctively, and Minato and Kushina's expressions were also unusually grim. Jiraiya took a deep breath, nodded heavily, and there was no longer any hope in his eyes. "I understand."

"If you encounter a real spotted person, run for your life!"

"Next, we'll face the even more crucial, and almost inevitable, Rinnegan user." Taiichi's expression grew even more focused. "I fought three Puppet in the Land of Hot Water. Their abilities were bizarre and powerful, and many were instantaneous."

He explained all the information he knew to Jiraiya, one by one, and added his own suggestions.

Finally, Taiichi emphasized in an extremely solemn tone. "This is very important, Jiraiya- sensei, you must remember this! The eyes of these Puppet are likely connected! The perspective of any Puppet you see in battle is equivalent to all the Puppet seeing it at the same time!"

This means that any action, Hand Seals, or tactical intention you make, once exposed to one Puppet, is equivalent to being exposed to all Puppet!

Ambushes and Feint will become extremely difficult! During combat, you must be aware that your opponent can attack from any angle and in any way, because they can see!

Jiraiya's expression grew increasingly serious as Taiichi recounted the story, and fine beads of sweat even appeared on his forehead.

"Facing Pain with the Rinnegan," Taiichi concluded decisively, "Jiraiya- sensei, I can say with certainty: in your normal state, your chances of winning are extremely slim, practically nonexistent. Your only advantage is Sage Mode!"

He looked into Jiraiya's eyes without any tact. "However, even if you enter Sage Mode, you must not let your guard down, and you must not linger in battle!"

You must aim for a swift victory! Pain's power combination is too bizarre and comprehensive. He has three Puppet, but there are definitely more than three. If the battle drags on, or if you discover that the enemy has more Puppet than expected, retreat immediately! Surviving and bringing back more detailed intelligence is more valuable than pointless sacrifices.

Jiraiya remained silent, processing the advice and information provided by Taiichi.

The cynicism on his face had vanished, replaced by solemnity and focus.

He nodded slowly and forcefully, his voice low and firm. "I've got it. I won't be reckless. If things don't work out, I'll get out of there immediately."

Sunlight streamed through the windows, casting long, slanted shadows on the floor, gradually tinged with a golden-red hue. The tactical analysis meeting in the Reception Hall was also drawing to a close.

Taiichi meticulously Jiraiya on every detail and strategy he could think of regarding the Masked Man and Pain.

It was late, and everyone dispersed to go home. Jiraiya would also set off tomorrow to investigate Akatsuki's secrets.