Chapter 85: Jiraiya's Shock
"Jiraiya, you really haven't learned your lesson, have you."
As Tsunade saw Kiyoshi make his move, she relaxed her fist, which had been ready to strike.
She looked at Jiraiya, who was trembling slightly, his arms numbed from the impact of Kiyoshi's powerful punch, and smirked.
"What?"
Karin stared in disbelief at the tall, disheveled figure before her.
"Is he really Jiraiya, the one who's known as one of the Sannin alongside Lady Tsunade?"
As Tsunade's disciple, Karin had, of course, heard of the legendary feats of the "Sannin," but seeing Jiraiya in person was far from what she'd imagined.
"Lord Jiraiya, I never thought it'd be you." Shizune, who had also recognized him, glanced at the caught in the act Jiraiya and said with a sly smile.
"But spying on girls while they're bathing isn't exactly honorable behavior, is it?"
"Wait, Tsunade," Jiraiya started, but before he could finish, Kiyoshi had already dashed toward him without hesitation.
"You can explain yourself after you're down."
Kiyoshi moved with astonishing speed, which left Jiraiya both startled and unsettled.
"Boom!"
Stones scattered everywhere as a small building collapsed violently into rubble, dust swirling into the air.
"So, this is Tsunade's disciple? Impressive." Jiraiya, who barely managed to dodge the blow, was drenched in cold sweat as he looked at the scene.
This monstrous strength was nearly identical to Tsunade's, it was clear this young man was her student.
"Wait."
Realizing that Tsunade had no intention of stopping the fight, Jiraiya understood she wanted him to test Kiyoshi's abilities.
Jiraiya couldn't help but feel a spark of curiosity about Kiyoshi's strength.
He quickly called out to the youth charging toward him, "If we fight here in the city, it'll cause too much commotion. Let's take this outside."
Without waiting for a response, Jiraiya turned and dashed toward the city outskirts.
"Fine."
Kiyoshi responded, determined to teach Jiraiya a memorable lesson but also reluctant to cause unnecessary destruction to the town. He ceased his attacks and chased after him.
"Tsunade-sama." Shizune looked at Tsunade, feeling that Jiraiya was likely in for a tough time. He might even end up bedridden for days.
"Let's go and watch," Tsunade chuckled, clearly pleased to let Kiyoshi discipline Jiraiya.
After all, Jiraiya used to boast endlessly about his excellent student, and now it was her turn to show him up.
"Hmph, who's looking down on whom now? Don't forget, I have my own talented student too."
"I've never seen Kiyoshi go all out before." Karin's eyes sparkled with excitement.
The legendary Toad Sage, who was famed across the shinobi world and was Tsunade's equal, might finally give Kiyoshi a reason to get serious.
After all, Karin understood Tsunade's talents well.
Though a mighty Sannin and a medical sage, her true expertise lay in her medical jutsu rather than battle skills.
But Jiraiya, another of the Sannin, was known for his combat prowess and was likely very powerful.
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Outside the City
In an open area, far enough from the town, Jiraiya stopped and turned around, facing the slight but determined figure pursuing him.
"Ishikawa Kiyoshi, I've heard about you." Jiraiya looked at the boy in front of him.
Crossing his arms, he said with a smile, "Two years ago, Tsunade returned to the village and took you as her disciple. I never expected that in just over two years, you'd have mastered even her monstrous strength."
Though Jiraiya hadn't been back to Konoha, he'd encountered Konoha ninjas on his travels who occasionally chatted about Tsunade's return to the village and her new student.
Jiraiya had been curious about this 'young medical prodigy,' Ishikawa Kiyoshi, whom many praised.
"Don't act so familiar," Kiyoshi's expression remained cold as he looked at Jiraiya's feigned aloofness.
"You should be grateful I caught you just now. Otherwise, you'd be dead by now, and even the Third Hokage couldn't save you."
"You're young, but you sure talk big," Jiraiya's face turned red as he defended himself loudly.
"You don't understand. I was simply gathering material."
"Then gather it in hell," Kiyoshi, not interested in wasting words, raised his right hand with an indifferent look.
"Wood Style: Cutting Jutsu."
In an instant, Kiyoshi's right hand sprouted a barrage of wooden spikes that shot through the air like arrows, hurtling toward Jiraiya with merciless precision.
"What?"
Expecting Kiyoshi to come at him with brute force, Jiraiya's face shifted in shock at the sight of the attack. "Is this…Wood Release?"
He was completely taken aback.
"Earth Style: Mud Wall."
Goosebumps rose on Jiraiya's skin as he quickly formed hand seals and slammed his hands onto the ground. With a rumbling sound, a thick wall of earth rose up before him.
Boom! Boom!
Rocks flew as the wooden spikes ruthlessly penetrated the earth wall, each one embedding deeply and intimidatingly, making one's scalp tingle with dread.
"Zzz…Zzz."
Each spike embedded in the wall rapidly sprouted thorny vines, bursting through the relatively thin wall with ease, leaving Jiraiya breathless.
If one of those spikes had hit him, even if he survived, he'd likely be heavily injured.
He hadn't made the earth wall thick enough, underestimating both Kiyoshi and the power of Wood Release.
"You…you actually can use Wood Release?" Jiraiya leapt onto the top of the wall, staring in disbelief at Kiyoshi, who hadn't charged forward.
"Don't misunderstand, Jiraiya. He's no experiment."
At this moment, Tsunade arrived from the city with Shizune, Karin, and Tonton.
Folding her arms, she said calmly, "Kiyoshi is a descendant of the Senju. Like the First Hokage, he possesses the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai."
With Kiyoshi's current power, there was no need for secrecy. Even if Konoha's higher-ups knew that he wielded Hashirama's Wood Release, there was little to fear.
"A descendant of the Senju?" Jiraiya's eyes shrank as realization dawned on him.
"So that's why you suddenly returned to the village and took him as your student?"
It made sense. Tsunade despised the Third Hokage and other high-ranking officials. Without a compelling reason, she would never willingly return to the village.
"Although it's a bit of a mismatch, I really want to see what kind of power Wood Release had when the First Hokage used it to bring peace to the world."
For a moment, Jiraiya's gaze burned as he looked at Kiyoshi, eager to see him unleash his full strength.
"Bring it on, Ishikawa Kiyoshi!"
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