Sage arts were nothing special!

"What incredible speed!"

Jiraiya was startled, but as one of the battle-hardened Sannin, he reacted extremely quickly.

"Ninja Art: Hair Needle Senbon!"

His signature white hair instantly lengthened and hardened, shooting toward Ye Chuan in the air like steel needles! It covered every angle of evasion!

"Armament Haki!" Ye Chuan remained composed in the face of danger, and pitch-black Haki instantly covered his entire body!

Clang, clang, clang! Countless hardened hair needles struck his Armament Haki, producing a dense barrage of ringing sounds, but failed to penetrate it in the slightest!

"Cut!"

Ye Chuan forcibly twisted in midair, bringing Wado Ichimonji down with a whistle through the air. A concentrated blade wave cut through more than half the incoming hair needles.

At the same time, he used the force to adjust his posture and dove toward Jiraiya!

"I'm not finished yet! Ninja Art: Wild Lion's Mane Technique!"

Jiraiya formed hand seals, and his hardened white hair writhed like living pythons, coiling toward the diving Ye Chuan from every direction in an attempt to bind him!

[Kami-e]!

Like a weightless sheet of paper, Ye Chuan's body twisted impossibly through the gaps in the coiling white hair, avoiding its restraints.

At the same time, he activated [Soru] again and appeared before Jiraiya in an instant.

"Too fast!"

Jiraiya's pupils contracted. He immediately abandoned his Ninjutsu, lowered his center of gravity, and took a Frog Kata stance.

"Frog Strike!" He threw a punch that looked ordinary but carried an indescribably subtle force.

Ye Chuan's Observation Haki clearly detected that invisible attack. Not daring to be careless, he coated his blade in Armament Haki and held it across himself to block.

Thud! An enormous force surged through the blade, leaving Ye Chuan's arm slightly numb! So this was Frog Kata? It really was bizarre!

But instead of retreating, he used the force to spin. Wado Ichimonji traced an elusive, cunning arc, stabbing straight toward Jiraiya beneath his ribs!

With his wealth of combat experience, Jiraiya immediately twisted aside to evade. Meanwhile, a rapidly spinning blue ball of Chakra had already quietly formed in his other hand!

"Rasengan!"

The Rasengan came at him from point-blank range, carrying terrifying destructive power!

Ye Chuan's gaze sharpened.

Pitch-black Haki mingled with leaping blue arcs of electricity, instantly coating Wado Ichimonji!

He chose not to dodge, but to meet offense with offense!

Screeech-!!!

The blade collided head-on with the Rasengan!

Armament Haki forcibly held back the violently spinning Chakra, while Lightning Release Chakra continuously disrupted it.

In the end, the Rasengan burst apart, while Ye Chuan's Wado Ichimonji merely trembled slightly!

"He actually... cut straight through the Rasengan?!"

Jiraiya was utterly shocked. That power on his opponent's blade... was far too bizarre!

"Kid... just what kind of monster are you...?"

He shook out his numb arm, his mind filled with shock.

The strength Ye Chuan had displayed completely surpassed his understanding of what a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old boy could do!

This strength was definitely Kage Level! And he was an exceptionally powerful fighter even among those at Kage Level!

"The Sannin really do live up to their name," Ye Chuan also assessed inwardly.

Jiraiya's combat experience was far too extensive. He used all kinds of Ninjutsu and Taijutsu effortlessly, and his reactions were extremely fast. Several times, he had evaded Ye Chuan's killing blows.

This can't go on!

Jiraiya's gaze sharpened. He abruptly sprang back to put distance between them, his hands rapidly forming seals!

"Summoning Technique!"

Poof! Poof!

Two enormous clouds of white smoke burst forth! Two toads appeared on Jiraiya's shoulders-Sage Fukasaku and Sage Shima.

"Oh? Little Jiraiya, have you run into trouble? Who's your opponent?" Sage Fukasaku asked.

"A very strong Konoha brat! Croak!" Sage Shima had also sensed Ye Chuan's powerful presence.

"Sages, sorry for the trouble, but please lend me your strength!" Jiraiya said gravely. "I have to use that!"

"You're going to use Sage Mode? All right!"

The two toad sages immediately understood. Crouching on Jiraiya's shoulders, they began helping him absorb and blend Natural Energy!

Watching this, Ye Chuan's gaze also grew serious.

"You're going to use Sage Mode? Perfect. Let me see one of this world's highest forms of power!"

He did not step forward to interrupt.

For one thing, he had confidence in his current strength.

For another, he also wanted to see whether he could defeat Jiraiya head-on in Sage Mode.

Within moments, Jiraiya's aura began undergoing a tremendous transformation.

Markings appeared around his eyes, his nose grew larger, and his hands took on some webbed features.

Sage Mode! Complete!

"Boy, you can be proud of yourself for forcing me to use this!"

After entering Sage Mode, even Jiraiya's voice grew somewhat deeper.

"What comes next won't be on the same level as before!"

"I couldn't ask for more!" Ye Chuan tightened his grip on Wado Ichimonji, raising both his Observation Haki and Armament Haki to their limits!

"Sage Art: Frog Song!"

Jiraiya made the first move. Rather than attacking directly, he tried to disrupt Ye Chuan's perception.

However, Ye Chuan's Observation Haki was fundamentally derived from willpower. Though interference at this level caused him slight discomfort, it could not truly shake the core of his perception.

"Sage Art: Hair Needle Senbon!"

This time, the hair needles enhanced by Senjutsu Chakra were not only faster and harder, but even carried the corrosive effect of Natural Energy!

Armament Haki Hardening!

Ye Chuan concentrated his Haki on his blade and slashed horizontally!

Clang, clang, clang, clang! Most of the hair needles were deflected, but a few still grazed his body, sending a faint stinging sensation through his Haki-coated skin.

"The power really has increased!"

"Sage Art: Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan!"

Seizing the opportunity, Jiraiya formed an even more terrifying Rasengan in his hand and smashed it toward Ye Chuan like a small meteor.

Facing this world-shattering blow, Ye Chuan's gaze sharpened.

With repeated steps of [Geppo], he moved through the air at high speed, trying to put distance between them.

But Jiraiya's speed in Sage Mode was equally astonishing, and the Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan followed him like a shadow!

"Can't dodge it? Then... I'll cut it apart!"

Ye Chuan took a deep breath and poured his understanding of the principle of cutting into Wado Ichimonji without holding anything back.

Shing-!!!

A terrifying slash wreathed in pitch-black Haki and dazzling lightning rose from below to meet the enormous Rasengan!

Rumble-!!!!!!

An unimaginably violent explosion erupted in the center of the training ground!

A terrifying energy storm swept wildly outward! Even Tsunade in the distance had to use a Chakra defense to withstand the shock waves!

"Oh no!"

Jiraiya's expression changed drastically! The power of this blow made him feel a lethal threat!

"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"

Boom-!!!!

After cleaving through the Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan, the residual lightning blade wave crashed violently into the Water Formation Wall.

Steam filled the air! Dust flew everywhere!

When everything settled, Jiraiya's Sage Mode had already ended, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

He still wanted to fight, only to discover that a cold blade had already been laid silently against his neck.

At some point, Ye Chuan had appeared behind him.

The outcome was decided.