Once entering Sage Mode, a shinobi's strength, defense, reflexes, and speed all increase dramatically.
But Sage Mode also has a glaring weakness.
To enter it, one must gather natural chakra — which requires the user to remain perfectly still, merging their body with nature itself.
The time needed to gather this natural chakra is long, and once Sage Mode is active, it can only be maintained for a limited duration.
When Jiraiya fought against the Six Paths of Pain, he extended his Sage Mode time by summoning the elder toads, Fukasaku and Shima, to fuse with him. While they aided him in battle, they also gathered natural chakra on his behalf.
Now, however, Jiraiya was fighting alone. The natural chakra stored in his body was already limited.
Couple that with the rapid chakra drain from using senjutsu, and the fact that the wooden dragon could devour chakra, and it was no surprise — the moment it coiled around him, Jiraiya's Sage Mode unraveled in short order.
"How… could this be…?"
Jiraiya could feel the natural chakra inside him vanish at an unprecedented speed. The toad-like markings around his eyes faded just as quickly.
Without Sage Mode, he couldn't even break free from the wooden dragon's constriction. The crushing pressure made his breathing ragged and shallow.
"Fire Style: Flame Bullet!"
Desperate, Jiraiya unleashed a fire-style jutsu, hoping to burn the wooden dragon to ash.
But the massive, sinewy creature showed no fear of fire. Carrying Jiraiya in its coils, it dove straight toward the ground.
BOOM!
With an earth-shaking crash, the wooden dragon's body exploded apart, and Jiraiya went tumbling across the ground, rolling several times before skidding to a stop.
"Even Jiraiya…"
Sarutobi Hiruzen could hardly believe his eyes.
If Senju Haruto had defeated Jiraiya with a Wood Golem or the Tree World Emergence, it wouldn't have shocked him so much.
But the truth before him was undeniable — Haruto had created nothing more than a single wooden dragon… and that alone had brought Jiraiya down.
How terrifying was that?
"In terms of battle experience, almost no one can compare to Jiraiya. Sage Mode elevates all of his abilities to an extraordinary level…"
"For Jiraiya to lose to Haruto is one thing, but to be utterly overpowered like this…"
Hiruzen drew in a sharp breath. He had always thought himself familiar with Haruto's capabilities.
But now, he realized — even he could not grasp the true depth of Haruto's strength.
In fact, it might be fair to say that Haruto was now the strongest shinobi in the Hidden Leaf.
He had perfectly inherited the First Hokage's power.
The ANBU behind Hiruzen were equally stunned.
To them, Jiraiya was nothing short of a legend, and his sage techniques felt like a higher dimension of power.
When Jiraiya unleashed the Giant Sage Art: Big Ball Rasengan, the overwhelming chakra it radiated was unlike anything they had ever witnessed.
In that instant, they were certain — even a genius like Haruto would be beaten down and taught a harsh lesson.
But Haruto's performance shattered every expectation.
Even when confronted with Jiraiya's unprecedented pressure, Haruto remained calm, unmoving. Without so much as taking a step, he created a single wooden dragon — and completely suppressed Jiraiya.
Especially after declaring: "Master a thousand jutsu if you like — I need only one to break them all."
At first, they had thought him arrogant.
But he truly had defeated Jiraiya with a single move.
Most astounding of all — Haruto was only twelve or thirteen years old.
He hadn't even reached his physical prime yet.
And the amount of chakra he possessed… was simply beyond belief.
Hiruzen couldn't help recalling the night before — when facing the Nine-Tails, Haruto had unleashed a wave of chakra to create a Wood Golem even larger than the beast itself.
In terms of chakra reserves alone, comparing his own to Haruto's was like pouring a single cup of water into the ocean.
And Hiruzen wasn't the only one who felt this way.
Even Jiraiya, lying battered on the ground, was beginning to question everything.
For a shinobi, chakra capacity is an innate gift.
As one of the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya's own chakra reserves were already prodigious.
Sage Mode, after all, was the art of blending one's own chakra with natural energy in precise proportions — increasing chakra quality to unleash more powerful jutsu.
By that logic, the jutsu he cast in Sage Mode should have been able to overpower Haruto's Wood Release.
"Was it sheer quantity… triggering a qualitative change?"
Jiraiya swallowed hard, staring at Haruto in disbelief.
If he didn't already know the Nine-Tails was sealed within Naruto, he might have suspected Haruto had one inside him instead.
Even after chaining together multiple high-level Wood Release techniques, Haruto still stood calmly on the bridge, showing no hint of fatigue.
It was as if that last wooden dragon had consumed only a sliver of his chakra.
"This guy's chakra… it's even more absurd than the Nine-Tails…"
Jiraiya took several deep breaths before managing to sit up.
Only then did he recall a small but telling detail — when the wooden dragon had been diving toward the ground at full speed, it had shielded him at the last moment.
That was why the dragon had been destroyed upon impact, yet he had emerged without serious injuries.
Still…
While his body was mostly unharmed, his chakra reserves were completely depleted.
At this point, continuing to fight Haruto was impossible — he didn't even have the strength to flee.
"For someone this young to wield such unfathomable power… if he continues to grow, surpassing all previous Hokage is only a matter of time…"
"No… in terms of raw ability, Haruto may already have surpassed them."
Jiraiya inhaled sharply, his mind swirling with awe and disbelief.
If only Tsunade could witness this moment — the once-declining Senju clan had finally produced someone who inherited the First Hokage's bloodline limit.
"Jiraiya."
Seeing that Jiraiya had clearly recognized Haruto's power, Hiruzen finally strolled forward at an unhurried pace.
Haruto leapt down from the wooden bridge, coming to stand beside them.
"Well? Now you should believe Haruto is capable of helping Naruto control the Nine-Tails' power, right?" Hiruzen's lips curved into a faint smile.
"This…" Jiraiya's expression grew complicated.
"Jiraiya, do you know who stopped the Nine-Tails yesterday?" Hiruzen asked again.
At that, Jiraiya froze — then realization struck. He turned to Haruto, eyes wide with shock.
He had assumed it was his old master, Hiruzen, leading the Leaf's shinobi to halt Naruto's rampage and save the village.
But now, the truth was dawning on him.
"It was Haruto. He subdued the Nine-Tails with Wood Release — all by himself!"
Even though he had already suspected as much, hearing the words from Hiruzen's mouth still rocked Jiraiya to his core.
Most of all, Hiruzen had made it clear — all by himself…
Haruto had subdued the Nine-Tails.
**********************************************************************************************
Hey everyone! Want to read ahead and unlock up to 100 early-access chapters? 📖Plus, enjoy even more exclusive novels! Join my Patreon now and dive into the adventure!
patreon.com/Rawink00