The Battle Against Jiraiya

"Spread out!"

As soon as the graduation exam began, Tsuki Tree ordered everyone to scatter.

Kushina and Mikoto were no pushovers either. They scattered at once, hiding in the surrounding bushes and behind trees.

Now only Tsuki Tree and Jiraiya stood facing each other.

"Not bad."

Jiraiya remarked as Minato watched from the sidelines.

"What about you?"

Jiraiya looked at Tsuki Tree.

"Are you confident you can beat me head-on?"

Tsuki Tree placed a hand on the hilt of his Kusanagi Sword.

"There's only one way to find out."

"You have to try!"

"Quickdraw Slash!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, a flash of sword light shot toward Jiraiya.

A strand of white hair drifted down. Minato, standing nearby, was stunned.

Jiraiya dodged the strike by turning sideways, but no one had expected Tsuki Tree's attack to be so fierce.

That slash...

Jiraiya looked at Tsuki Tree, unable to hide his shock.

"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet."

Tsuki Tree had never been one to waste words. He made the most of every opening his opponents gave him.

Jiraiya's dodge had exposed an opening, and Tsuki Tree seized it.

A fire dragon burst from Tsuki Tree's pursed lips, scorching the air as it raced toward Jiraiya.

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

Kushina's voice rang out from the side.

No one had expected her to rush out and power up Tsuki Tree's ninjutsu at that moment.

The wind fanned the Fire Dragon Flame Bullet, making it blaze even hotter. Its power rose from a B-rank technique to something close to A-rank.

Jiraiya smiled.

These kids really were interesting.

Jiraiya didn't panic. He reached for the ninja tool pouch at his waist and pulled out a scroll.

"Sealing Technique: Fire Sealing Method."

Jiraiya yanked the scroll open, aiming its blank surface at the oncoming Fire Dragon Flame Bullet.

Unbelievably, the scroll acted like a vortex, sucking Tsuki Tree's Fire Dragon Flame Bullet right inside.

"Have it back!"

Jiraiya began forming hand seals again.

Whoosh.

Several shuriken flew in from the side, trying to interrupt him.

"Too naive."

Jiraiya glanced over, then leaped into the air while continuing his hand seals. The wooden sandals on his feet clacked together.

"Ninja Art: Needle Jizo."

Jiraiya's white hair instantly transformed into countless long needles, wrapping around his entire body.

The shuriken flew in and struck Jiraiya, but they had no effect.

Clang! The shuriken bounced away.

"Fire Sealing Method: Release!"

The Fire Dragon Flame Bullet burst out of the scroll again, but this time it was heading for Tsuki Tree, not Jiraiya.

"Barrier: Canopy Formation!"

A formation suddenly appeared beneath Jiraiya's feet. Everyone nearby felt as though they were being watched.

"Fire Style: Flame Bullet Barrage!"

Jiraiya didn't stop. He continued forming hand seals and spat several fireballs onto the ground.

Tsuki Tree hadn't seen Jiraiya make any move, yet Fire Dragon Flame Bullets were now all around him.

With a click of his tongue, Tsuki Tree leaped to the side and dodged them.

The Fire Dragon Flame Bullets struck the ground and exploded with a bang, sending a shock wave straight toward Tsuki Tree.

The force made Tsuki Tree stagger. In the corner of his eye, he saw Jiraiya grinning.

This is bad!

Tsuki Tree couldn't explain why, but he sensed danger.

"Watch your surroundings!" he shouted.

"Too late."

Boom! Boom!

Two explosions rang out. Before Tsuki Tree could react, the ground beneath his feet exploded too.

A fireball shot up from below.

Though he reacted in time, Tsuki Tree was still lightly burned.

The blast hurled him through the air and sent him flying to the side.

"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Jiraiya hurled a shuriken at Tsuki Tree.

It spun through the air, splitting into two, then four, until it gradually filled the sky.

A dense rain of shuriken flew toward Tsuki Tree, bearing down on him with overwhelming force.

"Tsuki Tree!"

Kushina and Mikoto had been struck by the fireballs and were sprawled on the ground, their faces smudged with soot. Seeing Tsuki Tree surrounded by shuriken, they couldn't help but worry.

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

The two girls forced themselves to their feet and quickly formed hand seals, determined to help Tsuki Tree.

Tsuki Tree naturally wasn't going to sit back and do nothing.

He gripped the Kusanagi Sword tightly as chakra slowly flowed into it.

A faint glow spread across the blade.

"Hah!"

With a loud shout, Tsuki Tree swung the Kusanagi Sword, sending a massive slash flying through the air.

At the same time, Kushina and Mikoto's combined ninjutsu surged forward.

The Phoenix Flowers exploded one after another, while the slash cut through the shuriken.

Amid a series of explosions, the three of them worked together to fend off the Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu.

"Wild Lion's Mane Jutsu!"

Before one attack had even ended, another was already on its way.

Ninja battles never involved waiting for the opponent to recover. Tsuki Tree hadn't caught his breath before Jiraiya attacked again.

Jiraiya's white hair surged forward all at once, aiming straight for Tsuki Tree.

The Wild Lion's Mane Jutsu was Jiraiya's signature attack. His hair might have looked soft, but it had enough power to twist an opponent apart.

As the white hair rushed toward him, Tsuki Tree immediately raised the Kusanagi Sword to block it.

Clang! The tremendous force knocked Tsuki Tree back once more.

His feet scraped across the ground as he slid backward, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Tsuki Tree flicked his blade, sweeping away the dust around him.

Jiraiya watched Tsuki Tree, preparing to form another hand seal.

Just then, two figures darted out from either side.

It was Kushina and Mikoto.

Each held a kunai in one hand and hurled shuriken at Jiraiya with the other.

Poof.

A cloud of smoke rose, and the Jiraiya struck by the shuriken turned into a log.

A Substitution Jutsu!

"Where is he?"

Kushina and Mikoto landed steadily, then immediately became alert.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu."

The three of them turned toward the sound.

Three Jiraiyas suddenly rushed out from behind a nearby tree.

Whoosh.

All three Jiraiyas threw shuriken.

They posed little threat to Tsuki Tree and the others, but the three Jiraiyas managed to close the distance.

Now it was time for hand-to-hand combat.

Tsuki Tree and the others engaged Jiraiya at close range. Tsuki Tree wasn't weak in taijutsu—in fact, it was one of his strengths.

But Kushina and Mikoto were another matter.

Kushina's taijutsu was decent, perhaps, but it was no match for one of the Sannin. Mikoto had it even worse; she was completely overwhelmed.

At one point, Jiraiya kicked Mikoto flying. Kushina was kicked away too after losing focus for an instant.

Tsuki Tree grew a little anxious. He swung the Kusanagi Sword, making Jiraiya disappear, then moved to help Jiraiya.

"Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!"

At that moment, the ground suddenly split open, and a pair of hands reached up to grab Tsuki Tree's feet.