Jiraiya was no stranger to the Uchiha clan's Sharingan.
If someone outside the Uchiha transplanted one, it would remain permanently active, constantly draining chakra. Kakashi was living proof of that.
But the way Senju Haruto activated his Sharingan was the normal, deliberate method.
In other words, the boy before him had not only perfectly inherited the Wood Release — a power said to belong solely to the First Hokage — but also the Uchiha clan's bloodline limit.
Did the Senju and Uchiha… intermarry?
Jiraiya swallowed hard, shock written plainly on his face.
No wonder Haruto had the confidence to make such a bold claim.
Wood Release chakra could suppress the Nine-Tails, while the Sharingan could invade a target's spiritual world.
Even so, after witnessing Haruto's powers firsthand, Jiraiya wasn't ready to simply agree to the boy's plan.
To become a perfect jinchūriki, they would have to undo the seal set by Minato Namikaze, releasing the Nine-Tails from its cage.
If they failed, the Nine-Tails would not only be set free — Naruto, as its host, would die on the spot.
Jiraiya, who saw Naruto as the orphaned son of his most gifted disciple, would never allow such an outcome.
But on the other hand… Haruto's idea wasn't mere fantasy.
"Then prove your strength to me," Jiraiya said, his voice low, expression deadly serious.
In his view, Haruto couldn't persuade him, and he couldn't convince Haruto to give up.
So instead of using brute force to crush the boy's resolve, Jiraiya would make him confront the overwhelming gap between himself and the Nine-Tails.
Possessing both Wood Release and the Sharingan alone wasn't enough to dominate the beast completely.
"Prove my strength?"
Haruto frowned slightly, then quickly understood.
Jiraiya had only just returned to the village. He'd heard about the Nine-Tails incident, but perhaps hadn't yet learned who had suppressed the rampaging beast.
Even after Haruto had shown him both Wood Release and Sharingan, Jiraiya still wasn't convinced he could keep the Nine-Tails in check.
Or perhaps… Jiraiya just wanted to show him the gulf in their abilities, forcing him to abandon the idea himself.
"So, if I can defeat you, you'll agree to take Naruto and me to Mount Myōboku?"
"Mm." Jiraiya didn't hesitate.
He wasn't called one of the Legendary Sannin just because he was Hiruzen Sarutobi's student — during the Second Great Ninja War, he'd fought the Salamander Hanzō head-on.
Shff!
The moment their agreement was made, both leapt back, creating space.
Even as he retreated, Jiraiya's hands blurred into seals.
Haruto's eyes tracked every movement.
Thanks to his mastery over all five basic nature transformations, any ninjutsu below A-rank could be learned instantly with a single glance.
Which meant no matter who his opponent was, Haruto could copy their jutsu on sight — and crush it with sheer chakra output.
"Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld!"
Jiraiya didn't intend to harm Haruto — after all, the boy was a Leaf shinobi.
So he opened with a capture-type jutsu.
Chakra surged into the ground beneath Haruto, transforming his landing point into a massive swamp. Once caught, the victim would sink until completely submerged.
Victory would be decided in an instant.
"Your genes may be exceptional," Jiraiya said in a gravelly tone, "but in a battle between ninja, experience and information are what matter most."
"Experience and information?" Haruto's lips curved into a faint smile. "I can't quite agree."
Slamming his palms together, Haruto invoked Wood Release beneath him.
Thick wooden beams erupted from either side of the swamp, twisting together to form a massive bridge.
He landed firmly atop it, the mire Jiraiya had created now lying harmlessly beneath.
"Chakra and adaptability — those are what truly matter," Haruto said with a smile.
"Not going to attack?"
Jiraiya frowned. Haruto had erased the Swamp of the Underworld's threat and could have counterattacked immediately — yet he stood there, arms crossed, calmly awaiting the next move.
"Haruto… you really are confident."
In that moment, Jiraiya understood: Haruto wasn't trying to win. He wanted Jiraiya to realize just how strong he was.
"So, you've figured it out, Jiraiya."
Their eyes locked. While the Sharingan's range of vision wasn't as wide as the Byakugan's, its perspective was strangely precise.
Haruto could read every subtle movement in Jiraiya's body — even lip-read the quiet words he muttered to himself.
"No matter how many jutsu you've mastered, I can break them all," Haruto said, voice low, radiating absolute confidence.
"Is that so?"
Jiraiya's feelings were complicated — part of him was glad the village had birthed another prodigy, yet part of him couldn't help thinking of Tsunade.
He wondered what she would feel, seeing this.
"But in that case… I'll have to get serious."
He drew in a deep breath, then exhaled sharply.
"Toad Oil Bullet!"
A wave of thick, yellow-brown oil surged toward Haruto, filling the air. Before it could reach him, Jiraiya chained his next move.
"Fire Style: Flame Bullet!"
Flames roared from his mouth, catching up to the oil midair — and in an instant, the sky-blotting spray became a blazing inferno.
The range was so overwhelming that Jiraiya doubted even Haruto could escape unscathed.
And unlike a single explosive burst, this was a technique that sustained damage over time.
With his sensory skills, Jiraiya was certain Haruto was right in front of him, making no effort to evade.
Still, the raging fire obscured Haruto from view.
"He didn't dodge?"
The flames burned for over thirty seconds before Jiraiya finally wiped his mouth.
As the blaze faded, the bridge's surface came into view.
A row of thick wooden pillars had grown from the bridge, arching to form a protective dome around Haruto.
Wood Release — yet it had withstood his Fire Style completely.
Haruto stood inside, utterly unharmed.
"Jiraiya," he called down, looking at him from above, "why don't we skip the warm-up? You should just show me your real power."
His tone was calm, almost casual — he had no intention of continuing a game of half-measures.
"You call yourself the Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku… so you can use Sage Mode, can't you?