Composite Ninjutsu

However, just as he reached for Namikaze Minato, a slightly smaller hand also darted toward the bell at his waist; the figure was none other than Namikaze Minato himself.

Uchiha Nagi and Uchiha Mikoto both witnessed this scene—the three figures playing out a classic scenario of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

Namikaze Minato had also used the Substitution Technique the moment he realized the situation to escape, but unlike Uchiha Nagi, he did not retreat; instead, he sought to seize this opportunity to snatch the bell.

Just as success seemed within reach, Jiraiya's figure once again dissolved into a puff of white smoke, leaving behind only a wooden log.

"What a pity. If your Substitution Technique were a bit more refined, you might have actually fooled me," Jiraiya's voice echoed in Namikaze Minato's ear.

Watching this, Uchiha Nagi cursed under his breath.

This is what happens when a Jonin fights Genin; they can run them in circles using nothing but the Substitution Technique.

When they tried to use the Substitution Technique, they couldn't be so casual; they had to seize the perfect timing to barely pull it off, and even then, without high proficiency, it wasn't guaranteed to deceive the opponent...

It could only be said that the Substitution Technique was truly a god-tier skill for bullying novices.

However, the corners of Uchiha Nagi's mouth curled up—how could Namikaze Minato be defeated so easily!

Namikaze Minato reacted in an instant, pinpointing Jiraiya's location the very first moment!

He did not respond to Jiraiya's mocking words, which carried a hint of playfulness and testing; he remained terrifyingly calm.

While leaping backward, his fingers reached into his ninja tool pouch, precisely pinching an Explosive Tag.

"Hah!"

With a light shout, Minato threw the Explosive Tag into the open space between himself and Jiraiya without hesitation.

The placement was calculated with extreme cunning, landing exactly on the path Jiraiya would have to take to pursue him.

The paper tag traced an arc through the air, its chakra instantly activated.

BOOM!

A violent explosion erupted, and the flames and thick smoke instantly swallowed the space between the two, forming a brief barrier.

A flash of astonishment crossed Jiraiya's face—could he actually react to his Substitution Technique?

He couldn't tell if his own technique had shown a flaw, or if the boy had truly been fooled but managed to react through sheer force of will.

"Tch!"

Jiraiya spat, his charge halted by the explosion.

Although an explosion of this magnitude couldn't cause him any real harm, it was enough to create an effective delay and obscure his vision.

In this precious moment of respite, Namikaze Minato didn't linger; using the recoil of the explosion, he dashed toward the location where Uchiha Nagi was hiding without a second thought!

However, Jiraiya was, after all, an experienced Jonin.

Before the smoke from the explosion had even fully cleared, his white-haired figure burst out from the edge of the haze!

His speed was even greater, and his gaze had turned significantly more serious.

"Trying to run? It won't be that easy!"

Jiraiya let out a low growl, chakra erupting beneath his feet as he instantly closed the distance between him and Minato.

A powerful sense of pressure descended upon Minato's back like a physical weight.

Minato could clearly feel that formidable presence rapidly closing in, and fine beads of sweat began to seep from his temples.

Based on speed alone, he clearly couldn't shake off Jiraiya's pursuit!

Just then, Uchiha Nagi, watching Namikaze Minato fleeing toward him with Jiraiya in hot pursuit, felt his lips curl upward.

He quickly calculated Namikaze Minato's speed and the optimal angle for throwing his shuriken.

Without a moment's hesitation, several shuriken left his hand.

From the side, it looked as if these shuriken were being fired directly at Namikaze Minato.

But Namikaze Minato had no intention of slowing down; he didn't even change his movement in the slightest.

The moment the shuriken overlapped with Namikaze Minato's position, they grazed his body and shot toward Jiraiya behind him.

"What?!"

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed sharply; from his perspective, he hadn't noticed these shuriken at all.

This was too reckless—at an angle like that, even the slightest error could have injured Namikaze Minato!

But...

Now, looking at the shuriken inches away, it was too late for Jiraiya to use the Substitution Technique, and he lacked the necessary leverage for a Body Flicker Technique.

In an instant, Jiraiya's messy white hair surged forward, forming a barrier that blocked the shuriken.

"Ninja Art: Needle Jizo!"

A look of admiration appeared in Jiraiya's eyes; the moment he was forced to use a ninjutsu other than the Three Basic Techniques, this test could be considered his loss.

Just then, Uchiha Mikoto, watching Jiraiya wrapped in his white hair, finished her hand seals.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

In an instant, a fireball the diameter of an adult shot toward Jiraiya, who was still enveloped in his long white hair.

Illuminated by the firelight, Jiraiya narrowed his eyes; it was a Fire Release of considerable power, worthy of the Uchiha Clan.

However, it was not over yet.

At that very moment, Uchiha Nagi also formed hand seals.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

An invisible gust of wind was compressed by Uchiha Nagi into a spherical shape and shot directly into the Great Fireball Technique.

In an instant, the Great Fireball Technique, which had originally been the size of an adult's diameter, expanded to that same length in radius!

The power had increased by more than double!

The wind lent strength to the fire, and that was all there was to it.

Uchiha Mikoto watched the massive Great Fireball Technique before her, a look of astonishment appearing in her eyes; it was the first time she had ever unleashed such a colossal Great Fireball Technique.

Is this a combined ninjutsu? Is their coordination really this good?

Cold sweat broke out on Jiraiya's forehead; he dared not underestimate such power.

After all, combined ninjutsu could not be performed so casually; it required precise coordination. If even a slight error occurred, while the power might still increase, it would never be amplified to this extent.

What he did not know was that Uchiha Nagi was equally familiar with the Great Fireball Technique, and the moment Uchiha Mikoto unleashed it, he had already calculated the exact power of the Wind Release he needed to use.

The fireball, now with a radius the size of a person, was the result of his efforts.

"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"

Although Water Release was the best way to counter Fire Release, Jiraiya happened not to be very proficient in it, so he had to settle for the next best thing and use Earth Style to defend.

Jiraiya slammed his hands onto the ground, and a thick, heavy earthen wall instantly rose from the earth, standing over three meters tall and blocking the path between him and the fireball.

The expanding fireball slammed violently into the earthen wall, emitting a deafening roar.

The wall shuddered violently, its surface rock rapidly cracking and peeling away under the intense heat and impact.

Large chunks of earth were blasted away, and smoke and dust mingled with flames, scattering in all directions.

A massive crater was blown into the center of the wall, its edges covered in spiderweb-like cracks, and more than two-thirds of the structure was severely damaged, leaving it teetering on the brink of collapse.

But in the end, the core of the remaining wall barely held its form, successfully blocking the subsequent fiery onslaught.