Jiraiya and the others had heard similar words before. When they first met Hiruzen Sarutobi, he had given them a test: the three of them had to snatch the bells on his person. There were only two bells, and whoever failed to get one would be tied to a wooden post.
Back then, the three had only just left the Ninja Academy. Aside from the three basic techniques and some common knowledge about being a ninja, they knew nothing. Now, however, they had spent many days studying under Hiruzen Sarutobi, begun mastering chakra nature transformation, and gained some experience in ninja combat.
But, in keeping with the purpose of this training, they were no longer facing the familiar Hiruzen Sarutobi. Instead, their opponent was Kazemori Masaki, whom they had never encountered before.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was exceptionally gifted. Not only had he mastered all five chakra nature transformations, but he had also become proficient in each. Even Tobirama, who could likewise use other chakra natures, was no more skilled than Hiruzen Sarutobi in anything except Water Release. Hiruzen Sarutobi was also highly skilled in Taijutsu, but he preferred Composite Ninja Art, which combined multiple elemental techniques, using Taijutsu as a supporting tool.
Kazemori Masaki's fighting style was entirely different from Hiruzen Sarutobi's. If Hiruzen Sarutobi had a vast repertoire of tactics, Kazemori Masaki's approach was exceedingly simple—his moves always emphasized three things: speed, ruthlessness, and precision. He dispensed with unnecessary movements and went straight for the kill.
Naturally, fighting such an opponent required a different approach from fighting Hiruzen Sarutobi. Yet Jiraiya and the other two clearly lacked the experience to recognize that, so they employed their usual tactics, following the same routine they used in their tests against Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Kazemori Masaki had expected this. In fact, it was exactly