Testing the Waters

Uchiha Compound

When Jiraiya arrived, the gates of the Uchiha compound were already open. Yamaki stood at the entrance, smiling.

"Ah, Lord Jiraiya, you're here. I've been expecting you."

Jiraiya felt a cold chill run down his spine. Were you expecting him? Was Yamaki deliberately provoking him?

Jiraiya squinted his eyes. "Uchiha Yamaki, you knew I would come?"

Yamaki nodded. "I was worried you wouldn't show up, so I had to make sure the flyers drew you here."

Jiraiya no longer underestimated Yamaki. He spoke in a low voice, "Why are you targeting me?"

Yamaki waved dismissively. "Oh, don't say 'targeting.' Everything I said was true."

"You!" Jiraiya was about to speak when Yamaki's expression turned serious.

"Can't take it? What we've endured over the years is not even one percent of this."

"You were out on a mission during the Nine-Tails' attack, and you didn't come back. The Uchiha helped evacuate villagers, yet we were resented. Why did you get off scot-free when you returned?"

"Isn't it because you had the Third Hokage as your teacher? Otherwise, why didn't anyone say you, Jiraiya, deliberately stayed away during the Nine-Tails' attack?"

Jiraiya let out a sigh, then laughed helplessly. "You hold a grudge against me for that? Are you out of your mind?"

Yamaki rolled his eyes. "You're overthinking it. I just wanted to tell you that the Uchiha moved out of Konoha because we don't want any more entanglements with you."

"No matter what we do, whether right or wrong, we get blamed. The Uchiha are tired of it and don't want to be involved anymore."

"We've returned all authority to Konoha. We have no interest in the Hokage position, so please stop probing us."

Jiraiya hadn't expected Yamaki to be so blunt. He scratched his head. "Why didn't you just say so instead of targeting me?"

Yamaki spread his hands. "I didn't set a trap. You were caught because you were peeping. How can you blame me?"

Jiraiya's face turned red and then white before he let out a heavy snort.

He decided to complete the task given by the Third Hokage. "I've heard that the Uchiha's Susanoo is formidable. Would you like to spar?"

Yamaki didn't decline or refuse.

"I've also heard of the Toad Sage's prowess. I'd like to experience it today."

"Let's go to the training ground."

Yamaki led the way to the training ground, knowing a fight with Jiraiya was inevitable.

He had already cleared the compound of other Uchiha members.

With no one around, Yamaki and Jiraiya stood facing each other. Yamaki raised his finger and formed a sign of confrontation.

Jiraiya's expression changed, and he also formed a sign of confrontation.

Yamaki was the first to act, raising his hand to form seals and unleashing a Great Fireball.

As the flames roared forward, Yamaki followed.

Jiraiya clasped his hands together.

"Ninja Art: Needle Jizō!"

Jiraiya's white hair lengthened and coiled around him, blocking the flames.

He then changed his hand signs, using the Wild Lion's Mane Technique to extend his hair, sweeping it towards Yamaki.

Yamaki drew a kunai to deflect the hair, producing a metallic clanging sound.

He threw the kunai, which Jiraiya kicked away, closing in to clash with Yamaki.

"Boom!"

Jiraiya's arm blocked a powerful kick. He slid back, raising his arm.

Yamaki took the opportunity to throw shuriken while in mid-air.

The shuriken collided, creating a net of projectiles that limited Jiraiya's movement.

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed. The Uchiha throwing technique...

"Summoning Jutsu!"

"Boom!"

A purple toad, Gamatatsu, appeared, raising a shield to cover himself and Jiraiya.

Yamaki threw the shuriken and formed hand seals.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire!"

The shuriken was enveloped in flames, flying towards Gamatatsu like a shower of fiery petals.

Gamatatsu leapt and spun his shield, barely blocking the flaming shuriken.

Jiraiya emerged from behind Gamatatsu, a blue chakra ball in hand.

"Rasengan!"

Yamaki ducked low, charging at Jiraiya, but was blocked by Jiraiya's hair.

Yamaki thrust his kunai towards Jiraiya's chin.

If Jiraiya hit him with the Rasengan, the kunai would stab his chin.

Jiraiya retracted his torso and kicked Yamaki, sending him flying.

The shuriken damaged Gamatatsu's shield and fork.

"I'm too foolish," Gamatatsu said before vanishing with a "poof."

As Yamaki was kicked away, Jiraiya's cheeks puffed out.

"Fire Style: Flame Bullet!"

A torrent of fire engulfed Yamaki.

"Poof!"

Cawing erupted as Yamaki became a flock of crows, dispersing into the air.

The crows flew at Jiraiya, who formed hand seals.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

"Boom!"

A green toad wielding dual swords charged out of the smoke, slicing through the crows, which vanished into smoke.

Yamaki emerged from the smoke.

"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"

A stream of intense flames erupted from Yamaki's mouth.

As Yamaki landed, he felt the ground soften beneath him.

The real Jiraiya, having used Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld, appeared behind him.

Yamaki's Mangekyō Sharingan spun.

"Susanoo!"

"Boom!" The first form of Susanoo burst forth.

Yamaki broke free from the swamp, emerging from the ground.

Oil splattered onto Susanoo.

"Fire Style: Giant Flame Bomb!" Flames ignited the oil on Susanoo.

Yamaki instantly dismissed Susanoo, slipping out of the gaps.

He retreated, forming a hand sign.

"I surrender."

Yamaki looked fatigued, having used a significant amount of chakra.

Jiraiya dispersed his Rasengan, looking somewhat dissatisfied. "Isn't your Susanoo supposed to be bigger?"

Yamaki unceremoniously plopped onto the ground. "I don't have enough chakra for that."

Yamaki had used several techniques, with the crow clone and Dragon Flame Jutsu consuming the most chakra.

Using Susanoo also drained both chakra and eye power.

Jiraiya calculated that Yamaki had held back and hadn't used Sage Mode either. If they both went all out, he believed he could win.

Susanoo required a large amount of chakra, and in a full-blown fight, it couldn't be sustained for long.

Jiraiya pondered this as he approached Yamaki.

Yamaki stood up and made a sign of reconciliation, which Jiraiya returned.

Then Yamaki lay back down on the ground, relaxed.

"If you can stop peeping into women's bathhouses, maybe we can be friends."

Yamaki lay back, hands behind his head.

He observed Jiraiya, who still seemed immature and irresponsible, lacking focus and a sense of duty.

If Jiraiya seriously pursued Orochimaru, he wouldn't have escaped so quickly, let alone build a base of operations.

Today's spar was also a test for Yamaki, different from fighting Shisui and others in his dreams.

Jiraiya's attacks were straightforward, often leading to ninjutsu clashes, unlike the precise techniques of the Uchiha.

Yamaki realised his combat skills were not as refined.

His chakra reserves were also a weakness. He'd run out of energy quickly in high-level battles, mainly since Susanoo consumed so much chakra.

Jiraiya hadn't even used Sage Mode or summoned the two toad sages.

In a real fight, Yamaki would immediately use the second or higher forms of Susanoo.

Even without awakening his eye techniques, Susanoo could still be effective.

However, his limited chakra significantly hindered prolonged fights against opponents with large reserves.

After the fight, Jiraiya sensed that Yamaki's combat style and attitude didn't reflect that of an ambitious schemer.

He didn't harbour a particular dislike for Yamaki.

Feeling fatigued, Jiraiya sat cross-legged on the ground.

"What do you think of Konoha Village?"

Yamaki shook his head. "It's none of my business. Whether Konoha is good or bad doesn't concern me. Don't ask me such questions."

"As long as no one provokes the Uchiha, we just want to develop our commerce and ensure a good life for our clan members. We still have many civilians among us."

Having rested enough, Yamaki stood and walked towards the compound. "I have things to do. See you."

Jiraiya watched Yamaki's retreating figure, frowning, deep in thought.