So far, Akihara Kagura's battle record is quite impressive.
Jiraiya held a certain confidence in his heart, but he wouldn't arrogantly think he could toy with this little fellow as if amusing a child.
"Really no need for restrictions?"
Akihara Kagura inquired again of Jiraiya, and specially reminded this teacher: "I've learned quite a few powerful Jutsu during this time..."
"Then let this teacher have a look!"
Jiraiya put away the string of bells, forming an Opposing Seal hand gesture, but saw a hint of surprise in his disciple's eyes.
"Before a battle, we have to form this kind of Jutsu, right?"
Akihara Kagura mimicked Jiraiya's gesture, forming the same hand seal.
"Not bad."
"This is the Opposing Seal, symbolizing the start of a battle."
"When the battle ends, the two competing ninjas need to form the Seal of Reconciliation, signifying the end of conflict between them."
After teaching Akihara Kagura these basic pieces of knowledge, Jiraiya suddenly charged toward Akihara Kagura, kicking toward his chest!
"Taijutsu, huh?"
Akihara Kagura raised his arm, effortlessly blocking the blow!
Since he was still in Sage Mode, the natural energy in the whole area was providing him with sensory information, allowing him to easily predict the opponent's moves, and even harness the natural energy through Sage Mode to make moves beyond prediction!
Akihara Kagura twisted his palm, grabbing Jiraiya's ankle, and with a swing, pulled Jiraiya's body downward!
Jiraiya immediately noticed the immense strength of Akihara Kagura!
Unable to escape, the tall man, for the first time, encountered in terms of strength someone comparable to his old friend, and had to swiftly form hand seals to attempt a Substitution Jutsu to break free!
"Locked on!"
Jiraiya immediately recalled some uses of Sage Mode: "In Sage Mode, one can control the natural energy of an area, making it impossible to use the Substitution Jutsu..."
"My Taijutsu isn't actually strong, just some basic Taijutsu from the village."
Akihara Kagura slammed his teacher to the ground with one hand, speaking as he did so: "But I've been training continuously in the village for months, with the enhancements of Sage Mode..."
"Earth Release: Swamp of the Netherworld!"
In the instant Jiraiya was slammed down, he completed a hand seal and placed his hand on the ground, turning it into a swamp!
Akihara Kagura's body instantly sank into the swamp!
Taking advantage of Akihara Kagura's brief distraction, Jiraiya kicked Akihara Kagura's chest, using the force to free his hand from Akihara Kagura's grasp, simultaneously causing his disciple to sink deeper!
Understandably so.
Both Jiraiya and Akihara Kagura knew that the swamp on the ground couldn't really cause much trouble, as a vine quickly grew from the swamp, lifting Akihara Kagura's body from it.
"So dealing with Sage Mode is this troublesome..."
Jiraiya swiftly jumped back a few steps, his body immediately disappearing from view.
The tall man hid under a tree, feeling disadvantaged in his disciple's hands, yet with a trace of a smile on his lips: "In hindsight, I should have entered Sage Mode too before declaring the battle start; facing Sage Mode up close is too much of a disadvantage."
"This little guy..."
"His Taijutsu isn't that bad either..."
"Hmm?"
"Why is there no sound anymore?"
Jiraiya, hiding behind the tree, frowned: "Could that little brat not understand the rules? Does he always think I would fight him head-on?"
Just when Jiraiya considered whether he should go out and say something, a white light suddenly pierced through the tree trunk!
The white light, unstoppable, continued to pierce through countless trees, with each pierced spot turning into nothingness until the final area exploded!
"Is this... Dust Release?"
Jiraiya stared aghast at the white light.
Although Jiraiya had never seen this application of Dust Release, the way the white light destroyed trees, turning the trunks into nothingness, was undeniable!
This is Dust Release!
The Dust Release of the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki!
Isn't this little brat's bloodline limit Wood Release?
Just as Jiraiya recalled the kidnapping incident involving Akihara Kagura and the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, a figure slowly descended from the sky: "This was learned while kidnapping the Third Tsuchikage Onoki. Although its power isn't as great as the Wood Release within me, it nonetheless has considerable power..."