Hanzo was confused.
Truly confused.
Moments ago, he had been firmly suppressing Jiraiya—controlling the rhythm of the battle, forcing him onto the defensive with ease.
And yet now…
With a single punch, Jiraiya had sent him flying.
Not only that—the blow had injured him seriously enough that blood now stained the corner of his mouth.
The difference was so sudden, so extreme, that Hanzo's mind struggled to accept it.
Impossible.
Had he been caught in a genjutsu?
That was his first instinct.
But no—Hanzo immediately dismissed the idea.
With his level of strength and perception, it was impossible for him to fall into a genjutsu without noticing. His chakra flow was stable, his mind clear, his senses sharp.
There was no illusion.
Which made the situation even more unsettling.
Hanzo steadied his breathing and wiped the blood from his lips with the back of his hand. The shock in his eyes faded, replaced by cold composure.
After all—
He was Hanzo of the Salamander.
The so-called Demigod of the ninja world.
He would not lose control just because the situation had exceeded his expectations.
His gaze fixed on Jiraiya's face, on the strange red markings that had appeared across his cheeks and temples.
"…So that's it," Hanzo said slowly.
"Jiraiya, I didn't expect you to possess such a secret technique—one capable of enhancing your strength to this degree."
Jiraiya did not respond.
Hanzo's eyes narrowed.
"But how long can you maintain this state?"
That single sentence cut straight to the truth.
Hanzo might not understand Sage Mode, but decades of battlefield experience told him one thing clearly—this kind of power did not come without a cost.
Jiraiya could not maintain it indefinitely.
And once that state ended…
The advantage would vanish.
Jiraiya understood Hanzo's thoughts immediately.
He was right.
Sage Mode did allow Jiraiya to surpass Hanzo in raw power—for now.
But his Sage Mode was imperfect.
Unstable.
Recently mastered.
And worst of all—
Time-limited.
At most, he had one minute left.
One minute to decide everything.
If Hanzo chose to stall, retreat, or drag the battle out—
Jiraiya would lose.
That realization made tension coil in Jiraiya's chest.
At that moment, a calm voice spoke beside him.
"Lord Jiraiya," Qingshui said quietly,
"I have a way to deal with Hanzo."
Jiraiya's eyes lit up.
He trusted Qingshui completely.
There was no time to ask for details.
The moment the words left Qingshui's mouth, Jiraiya moved.
But not toward Hanzo.
Instead, he turned and charged toward Ibuse, the giant salamander currently locked in battle with Gamabunta.
Ibuse was already in a bad state.
Its poison mist was on cooldown, and without that advantage, it was being steadily overwhelmed by Gamabunta.
After all, Mount Myōboku was one of the Three Great Sage Lands, with a lineage that included true senjutsu inheritance.
Gamabunta was no ordinary summon.
Against tailed beasts, it could fight evenly.
Against Ibuse?
It held the clear advantage.
Boom!
Jiraiya appeared above Ibuse's head in an instant.
Sage chakra surged into his fist.
He brought it down with brutal force.
The impact echoed like thunder.
Ibuse let out a pained, earth-shaking roar as it was smashed into the ground.
At that moment, Jiraiya truly resembled Tsunade—pure, overwhelming physical dominance.
Gamabunta did not waste the opening.
With a roar of his own, he swung his massive blade.
A pillar of blood erupted tens of meters into the air.
Severely wounded, Ibuse could no longer sustain its summoning.
With a furious, unwilling roar, it vanished in a cloud of smoke.
The battlefield fell silent for a fraction of a second.
Hanzo watched the scene unfold.
His expression darkened further.
Yet he did not retreat.
The pride of a Demigod would not allow him to flee—especially not before a man he had once defeated.
This was not yet the broken, paranoid Hanzo of the future.
This was Hanzo at the height of his pride and power.
"I'd like to see what other tricks you have," Hanzo said coldly.
Under his gaze, Qingshui and Jiraiya landed atop Gamabunta's head.
"Gamabunta," Jiraiya said quickly,
"I'm going to use the last of my Sage Chakra. I need your oil."
There was no time for explanation.
Gamabunta did not question him.
He simply opened his mouth.
Oil poured forth like a river.
At the same time—
Qingshui and Jiraiya moved together.
Wind chakra surged.
Fire chakra ignited.
The three techniques combined into one.
A technique born from senjutsu.
Sage Art: Goemon.
A sea of flames exploded outward.
The heat was so intense that the endless rain pouring from the sky stopped.
Water evaporated instantly.
The battlefield turned white with steam.
Because Qingshui could not use senjutsu, the technique was weaker than its true form.
But even weakened—
It was still senjutsu.
Hanzo roared and responded with everything he had.
His strongest Water Release surged forward—a tidal wave of unbelievable scale.
Water should suppress fire.
That was an unchanging rule.
Yet—
The tidal wave evaporated.
Instantly.
"Impossible—!"
Hanzo's roar echoed in disbelief.
His Water Release—the pride of the strongest Water Style user in the world—was being suppressed by Fire Release?
What Hanzo did not understand was simple.
This was no ordinary ninjutsu.
This was senjutsu.
A power that transcended elemental hierarchy.
Even weakened senjutsu remained senjutsu.
The sea of flames tore through the evaporating wave and engulfed Hanzo completely.
When the flames faded—
Hanzo lay on the ground.
Barely breathing.
Alive—but defeated.
If any Rain ninja had witnessed this moment, the impact would have shaken the entire ninja world.
The invincible Demigod had fallen.
Defeated by Jiraiya—his former subordinate.
Bang.
Gamabunta dispelled his summoning and returned to Mount Myōboku.
Sage Mode faded.
Jiraiya collapsed instantly.
Blood poured from his wounds.
His face turned deathly pale from blood loss.
Qingshui did not hesitate.
He rushed forward and began treatment immediately.
Fortunately, with Qingshui's current medical ability, such injuries were manageable.
Moments later, Jiraiya's breathing steadied.
Color slowly returned to his face.
A system notification echoed in Qingshui's mind.
[Successfully treated Jiraiya — rewarded with one colored orb.]
[Congratulations: Natural Energy Perception acquired.]
Qingshui's body trembled slightly.
For the first time—
He could feel it.
Natural energy.
Everywhere.
Flowing through the world.
Chakra, he knew, was formed from physical and spiritual energy.
Add natural energy—maintaining a perfect 1:1:1 balance—and Sage Chakra was born.
The theory was simple.
The practice was nearly impossible.
Most ninjas couldn't even perceive natural energy.
But now—
Qingshui could.
This reward was extraordinary.
Afterward, Qingshui treated Mikoto.
[Successfully treated Uchiha Mikoto — rewarded with one golden orb.]
[Congratulations: Fire Release – Great Fire Annihilation acquired.]
Then Jiraiya spoke weakly.
"Qingshui… treat Hanzo as well."
Jiraiya remembered.
During the Second Great Ninja War, Hanzo had spared him.
Now was the time to repay that debt.
Qingshui nodded.
Another opportunity.
Another colored orb.
[Successfully treated Hanzo of the Salamander — rewarded with one colored orb.]
[Congratulations: Top-tier Water Release Talent acquired.]
Two colored orbs.
In one battle.
Qingshui exhaled slowly.
This battle—
Had changed everything.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)