Chapter 95 – A Spar with Jiraiya
Land of Fire
In a clearing within the forest not far from Jiraiya's camp—
Kazane, freshly discharged from the hospital, felt that after lying in bed for so long, his body had practically rusted.
So, he found Jiraiya—who also seemed eager to stretch his muscles—and proposed they have a friendly spar to get moving again.
Jiraiya had long been curious about Kazane's true strength, so when the invitation came, the two agreed without hesitation.
Jiraiya quickly called over Nara Shikaku and, without a shred of guilt, dumped all the camp's responsibilities onto him. Then, he followed Kazane into the clearing.
Word of this soon reached Tsunade. While muttering angrily about how Kazane and Jiraiya never gave her peace of mind, she still couldn't help but follow after them, worried.
In truth, injuries were nothing new for shinobi—it was a high-risk profession. Tsunade understood their desire to spar.
After spending some time around Kazane, Tsunade came to realize how he had gained such strength at such a young age.
Talent was one factor. But effort… that was another. And Kazane possessed both. His natural gifts were far beyond ordinary, and his determination even more so.
Even when he had just barely regained mobility in the hospital, he was eager to train.
Thanks to her "loving iron fists," Tsunade barely managed to stop him from acting on that thought—only to catch him secretly working out during her surprise night rounds.
Every time she caught him, Kazane would solemnly promise not to do it again—only to go right back to it the next day.
And he'd even argue, "Have you ever seen a wild beast that keeps promises?"
Faced with such antics, Tsunade became far less gentle now that Kazane could move freely.
If she hadn't punched him once during recovery and caused him to cough up blood—triggering her hemophobia—Kazane's discharge date would've likely been delayed by another half a month.
Tsunade's biggest concern was that if this were a spar between two normal people, they'd at least know when to hold back.
But these two? Far from normal. So she felt it was absolutely necessary to keep a close eye on them.
Having fought alongside Jiraiya for more than a decade, Tsunade knew his strength well. She was also curious to see how Kazane measured up.
After all, if Orochimaru hadn't swooped in all those years ago, Kazane would've likely been her student by now.
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"Oi, brat! I'm about to make my move, so don't go easy on me, got it?!"
Jiraiya's voice echoed through the clearing, loud and brash as ever. He rolled his shoulders, dropping into a loose, battle-ready stance as he faced off against the silent youth across from him.
Despite the casual air, a flicker of concern hid behind Jiraiya's grin. Kazane was respectful to his elders—perhaps too respectful sometimes. Jiraiya didn't want the kid holding back just because of age or reputation.
But Kazane, ever the picture of quiet confidence, didn't bother replying. With an expression as unreadable as still water, he simply gave a thumbs-up—calm and nonchalant—clearly imitating Might Duy's trademark pose.
Jiraiya's brow twitched.
"…Annoying little brat," he muttered under his breath, his good humor beginning to fade.
Fire Style: Big Flame Bullet!
Without further warning, Jiraiya inhaled deeply and then released a massive stream of chakra-infused oil from his mouth. It ignited mid-air into a giant, searing fireball that surged forward like a blazing meteor, trailing embers and smoke.
He crouched in his distinctive frog-like posture, grinning shamelessly.
Watching him in motion, it wasn't hard to understand why this man—despite his strength—had never settled down. With that grin and stance, he radiated "perpetually single."
But Kazane didn't flinch.
Ittō-Ryū: Basic Slash.
The moment the fireball neared, Kazane raised his blade—Kawadō Ichimonji—with calm precision. A single horizontal swing. One stroke.
A massive flying slash of compressed air tore through the inferno like a blade through mist. The flames split cleanly in two before dissipating altogether.
The sword wave didn't stop.
It kept going—slicing through the air—heading straight for Jiraiya.
"Uncle Jiraiya," Kazane called out with a faint smirk, "Mind using your real strength? These little tricks aren't doing much."
Jiraiya clicked his tongue.
"Tch. You've got a sharp mouth for someone your age. Alright then—don't say I didn't warn you!"
The teasing in his voice faded, replaced by something more serious.
Shadow Clone Jutsu!
Poof!
Several clones burst into existence with puffs of smoke. They spread out instantly—some rushing from the front, others flanking from the sides, and a few hanging back, hurling shuriken in tight, rapid volleys.
It was a textbook multi-directional assault—confuse, surround, overwhelm.
But Kazane didn't move.
With Observation Haki, he didn't need to.
He had already located the real Jiraiya the moment the clones formed.
He exhaled softly, loosening his stance.
Then he moved.
His blade flashed.
One, two, five, ten slashes—each elegant, each precise. The air itself seemed to shimmer as blades of compressed pressure howled through the clearing. The clones were reduced to smoke within seconds, shredded by a barrage of invisible slashes.
In the end, only Kazane and a stunned Tsunade remained in the clearing.
Jiraiya was gone.
Kazane tilted his head slightly, gaze lowering to the grass near his foot. A lone shuriken lay there, still spinning slightly from impact.
"Uncle Jiraiya…" he said aloud. "I can see your little toad tail."
The transformed shuriken twitched.
Jiraiya clicked his tongue and returned to normal form with a sudden poof of chakra. He landed a short distance away and, in the same motion, activated his next technique.
Ninja Art: Needle Jizō!
His long, white hair shot out in every direction, coiling and hardening into sharp steel-like threads. They rushed toward Kazane, intending to trap and impale in one fluid motion.
Kazane met the attack with his sword arm still relaxed at his side.
Ittō-Ryū: Basic Slash.
With another single swing of Kawadō Ichimonji, the hair—sharpened and hardened as it was—was sliced clean through.
The arc of the slash didn't stop at Jiraiya's attack.
It followed through.
Right toward Jiraiya's dumbstruck face.
POOF!
It wasn't him.
The body split into chunks of wood—Substitution Technique.
From behind Kazane, the real Jiraiya emerged in a burst of speed.
His right hand whirled with energy—a concentrated sphere of violently rotating chakra.
Rasengan!
He lunged.
At this range, there was no time to draw a sword, let alone dodge.
But Kazane didn't need to.
His left hand—empty—moved with unnatural calm.
He reached out.
Tsunade, watching from the sidelines, suddenly shot to her feet.
"Kazane—don't!!"
She had seen what Rasengan could do. She had watched Minato level boulders with it—watched the jutsu carve craters into the earth. It shredded anything it touched.
Even Jiraiya panicked. Why isn't he dodging? He thought. Why the hell is he grabbing it?!
But it was too late to stop.
The Rasengan hit—
—and stopped.
Kazane's left hand had caught it.
The jutsu continued to whirl and spin violently against his palm. The force howled. But the blackened skin of his hand—hardened and fortified with Armament Haki—held firm.
The Rasengan sputtered.
It resisted.
And then, defeated, it fizzled into harmless chakra and vanished.
Jiraiya stood frozen.
Tsunade's jaw dropped.
Kazane… simply looked at his palm.
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