Battle with Jiraiya

The atmosphere between the two grew increasingly oppressive, mist churning between them as if to separate them.

"Is that so..."

Jiraiya sighed with a hint of disappointment. He looked at Kou, a wry smile playing on his lips, and said:

"You, at least, could have told me a lie to appease me."

Kou smiled, a knowing look in his eyes, and said:

"I don't think I could have fooled you on this matter, Teacher Jiraiya."

Jiraiya gazed intently at Kou, the light in his eyes turning serious:

"If that's the case, then you should also understand what I'm about to do, shouldn't you?"

"...Force me back to Konoha?"

Kou responded with a touch of emotion, a complex glint flashing in his dark eyes:

"I truly am being underestimated."

If it were just a few days ago, before he had awakened the Mangekyou, he would have had no confidence to challenge Jiraiya.

Although his strength had reached the "Kage" level even before awakening the Mangekyou, and he possessed the power to fight Orochimaru.

Facing a serious Jiraiya, he still wouldn't have been confident.

Unlike Orochimaru, whose soul had been damaged from changing bodies and whose resistance to genjutsu had gradually weakened, Jiraiya, at his peak, was a true all-rounder.

Excluding those two toads from Mount Myoboku, Jiraiya was undoubtedly superior to him in every aspect except speed, swordsmanship, and genjutsu.

If he hadn't awakened the Mangekyou, his first instinct upon encountering Jiraiya would have been to leverage his speed advantage and make a swift escape!

But now, things were different.

With the awakening of the Mangekyou Sharingan, he had gained not just two top-tier ocular abilities, but a comprehensive and significant enhancement across the board!

His perception, chakra reserves, physical strength, and even reaction speed had all seen remarkable improvements under the Mangekyou's amplification.

Now, he possessed the strength to fight Jiraiya!

This was absolutely not due to the Uchiha's arrogant "I'm the second strongest" mentality after awakening the Mangekyou, but a reflection of objective reality! (Confirmed)

Kou looked confidently at Jiraiya, his eyes devoid of any fear.

A roguish smile lingered on his lips, a smile that held both provocation and anticipation.

Jiraiya looked at Kou, who was brimming with confidence, a hint of undisguised surprise in his eyes.

When did this kid become so overconfident? Didn't he always despise those bad habits of the Uchiha clan?

Could it be... he really has the strength to fight me now? Is it true? It's only been five years...

He became wary, the light in his cloudy eyes sharpening.

But outwardly, he maintained his confident demeanor, his tone laced with a hint of teasing:

"You've got quite the big mouth, kid.

You don't actually think you're a match for this Sage, do you?"

Kou offered no explanation. He simply gazed at Jiraiya, the corners of his lips curling into a knowing smile:

"I'll say this now, Teacher Jiraiya."

"You're the challenger!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Kou vanished from his spot.

There was no afterimage, no sound of wind, only an extremely faint hiss, like a current of electricity passing through the air.

The sound was fleeting in the mist, leaving behind only a shallow scorch mark on the ground, proof that someone had stood there moments before.

Jiraiya stood there, watching the fading blue arc of light, a flicker of surprise in his cloudy eyes.

His gaze fell upon the scorched mark, observing the tiny, still-dancing arcs of electricity.

"This is... Swift Thunder."

Jiraiya recognized the jutsu, an A-rank lightning release ninjutsu that Kou had developed single-handedly during the Third Great Ninja War.

And now, he saw it again.

The one who wielded it was no longer the green youth of yesteryear.

His senses spread out, capturing the retreating figure.

The speed was astonishing, so fast that his senses could barely keep up.

Jiraiya's eyes widened slightly, his rugged face filled with undisguised amazement:

"This speed... has he truly grown to this extent?!"

A solemn expression flashed in his eyes.

With the speed Kou had displayed, he could have attacked him at any moment just now.

Given the distance between them just moments ago, he absolutely would not have been able to react in time.

If not for his concern for the surrounding crowd, the battle would likely have ended before it even began.

"That kid is... very strong now."

He muttered in his heart, the light in his murky eyes turning serious.

He raised his hand and slowly formed a seal, his chakra beginning to surge:

"It seems... I must get serious."

Jiraiya's perception pierced through the mist, through the bustling pedestrians, and through the blurred outlines of the buildings, landing on the figure that was moving further away.

In those eyes, there was fighting spirit and anticipation, but more than that, there was resolve:

"Kou, I will definitely bring you back, I promise."

Jiraiya whispered in his heart, his figure instantly vanishing from where he stood.

The direction he headed was exactly the path Kou had taken in his perception.

A remote mountain dozens of kilometers away, far from any human habitation.

High upon the distant mountain, the mist was thin.

This place was dozens of kilometers from Mist Harbor, a stretch of desolate mountains on the border of the Land of Water that few ever set foot in.

The mountain was not tall, covered in dense vegetation, with birds occasionally taking flight from the woods, letting out crisp cries.

The air was fresh, carrying the scent of grass and damp earth, a stark contrast to the salty tang of the harbor.

At the summit lay a relatively flat clearing, looking like a naturally formed platform.

Kou stood in the center of the clearing, two long swords now held in his previously empty hands.

The blades were slender, shimmering with a cold, eerie luster under the sunlight, and the wrappings on the hilts were worn smooth and shiny, clearly from frequent use.

He had already removed his sunglasses, and his black eyes appeared exceptionally bright in the sunlight.

A rogue smirk still hung on the corners of his mouth; the wind blew through the mountains, ruffling the bangs on his forehead and the hem of the Black Cloak with Red Clouds he had changed into.

Kou looked up, gazing into the distance.

There, a powerful aura was approaching at high speed.

"So, you've come..."

His voice was very soft, so soft it was like he was talking to himself.

He pulled his fingers from his trouser pockets and slowly flexed them.

Chakra surged within his body, flowing through his meridians and dancing in every single cell.

Deep within those black eyes, something was slowly emerging.

It was an ancient, bewitching light from the depths of his bloodline.

Kou did not look again at Jiraiya, who was speeding toward him, but instead cast a glance from the corner of his eye toward another direction at his side.

There, a pair of purple eyes was silently watching them from behind his back.

Those eyes had no pupils, only concentric circular patterns, cold and profound...