(A.N: A huge thanks to Arthur Knudsen Basso🌟🌟🌟 for joining the family, Thanks for the support buddy)
Till the end of the week, Jiraiya continued teaching them while only giving them the necessary rest. At the end of the week, three ninjas were once again standing in front of Jiraiya, sparks visible in their eyes.
"This is your final test. We are once again going to play tag, but this time, you guys have to use everything you can because if you lose again, I'm going to cancel this mission. We're not taking so much risk if you guys can't even achieve this much," Jiraiya said.
But there was no reply, just burning gazes fixed on him. Everyone was waiting for Jiraiya to say the word. Understanding that, a smirk appeared on his face.
"Start," Jiraiya said and vanished from his position. In the next second, the spot where he had been standing was shrouded by tens of earth bullets released by Kaida and Kabuto. Neither of them expected this to work; it was just a move to force Jiraiya toward a more favorable location, away from the woods where he could hide easily and defend from many attacks.
Jiraiya reappeared a good distance away from the onslaught of earth bullets, landing lightly on a nearby boulder. His eyes gleamed with a mix of amusement and pride as he observed the well-coordinated assault.
"Not bad," he muttered, weaving hand signs effortlessly. "But let's see how you handle this!"
With a rapid exhale, Jiraiya launched Fire Release: Flame Bullet, a blazing stream of fire that scorched the ground as it advanced toward the group.
Neither Kaida nor Kabuto made a move to dodge it, because they knew Itachi had already prepared for such a move. He countered immediately with his Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique, a simple C-rank jutsu, but in Itachi's hands, it became an impenetrable shield. Multiple fireballs spiraled toward Jiraiya's attack, accurately timed. The clash of flames caused a massive explosion, creating a brief smokescreen.
'Perfect,' Itachi thought, his Sharingan spinning. 'Now's the chance.'
Kaida, enhanced by his Mitotic Regeneration Seal, used the smoke as cover. By now, he had already created a shadow clone which transformed into a giant hammer. With his strength amplified, he hefted the 120 kg hammer with ease, positioning himself just outside the radius of the fire clash. Timing was everything, and Kaida knew it.
Kabuto was already on the move, using the explosion's distraction to meld into the ground with Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique. His role was to disrupt Jiraiya's footing, leaving him vulnerable to Kaida's strike.
But they knew Jiraiya could easily sense his approach. Approaching a ninja who knows earth jutsu from underground is deadly, but Kabuto took this risk. If Jiraiya attempted to attack him, Kaida and Itachi would seize that opportunity to strike, as they were attacking from opposite directions, making it difficult for Jiraiya to handle everything at once.
"Now!" Itachi's voice echoed in Kaida's head—a very profound use of genjutsu where, with the caster's permission, the user could enter their mind's outer layer for untraceable communication.
Kaida leaped from his position with all the power his enhanced strength could muster, hammer aimed directly at Jiraiya. At the same moment, Kabuto erupted from the ground beneath Jiraiya with spiraling water fangs, leaving Jiraiya with limited options to move.
"Not bad at all," Jiraiya muttered, his lips curling into a grin. With a series of rapid hand signs, he activated Earth Release: Mud Wall, pouring thrice the normal amount of chakra into the jutsu, making the wall larger and sturdier. A thick wall of earth rose between him and Kaida's hammer. The force of Kaida's blow shattered the wall, sending debris flying in every direction, but the momentary defense gave Jiraiya the split second he needed.
Sending a kunai toward Kabuto's hand, he forced Kabuto to release his grip and dodge the attack. Jiraiya flickered once again, reappearing high in the air.
But this time, Itachi was ready. Using Jiraiya's lapse in concentration, Itachi placed him in a subtle genjutsu, making it seem as though his Sharingan hadn't been activated. When Jiraiya looked at Itachi to see what he was doing, Itachi cast the strongest genjutsu he could muster, knowing Jiraiya would quickly realize he was in an illusion. It was better to go full force from the start. Jiraiya's vision blurred, causing him to instinctively evade Kaida's wind blade.
"Now!" Itachi called out, activating the second layer of his genjutsu—a subtle yet effective illusion that made it seem as though Jiraiya's landing spot was solid ground.
Instead, Jiraiya landed directly into Kabuto's trap. The moment his feet touched the ground, Kabuto's Earth Release: Bottomless Swamp activated, causing the earth to become unstable and sink beneath him. Jiraiya stumbled slightly, his feet momentarily stuck, and that was all Kaida needed.
Kaida, still wielding the massive hammer, dashed forward with determination. This time, Jiraiya had no time to escape, but he was still able to deflect the hammer with a combination of Earth Release: Iron Skin Jutsu and chakra-enhanced strength. With a thunderous crash, Kaida's hammer slammed into the ground just beside Jiraiya, sending a shockwave that made the ground tremble. The force of the blow dislodged Jiraiya from the swamp, throwing him off balance.
Itachi took the opportunity to release a barrage of Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu, multiplying the weapons tenfold as they surrounded Jiraiya from all sides.
Jiraiya grunted, deflecting most of the shuriken with his enhanced physical abilities, but the constant assault was effective against him. "Alright, they've improved," he admitted under his breath, pride swelling in his chest despite being under heavy attack.
Just as Jiraiya prepared to counterattack, a kunai flew past him, grazing his arm. He looked down and noticed a paper tag attached to it—an explosive tag. He had only a split second to react.
*Boom!*
The explosion wasn't large enough to cause significant damage, but it was a distraction—one that Itachi had planned meticulously. In the brief moment Jiraiya was forced to defend, Kaida, Kabuto, and Itachi converged from all sides. Kaida aimed a chakra-enhanced punch, Kabuto prepared a Chakra Scalpel, and Itachi readied a finishing move.
Before any of them could land their attacks, Jiraiya raised both hands in surrender, a wide grin on his face. "Alright, alright! You win!" he laughed, completely unfazed by the danger he had been in just moments before. "That teamwork was on point, boys. I'm impressed."
The trio halted, panting heavily but with smiles of triumph on their faces. Jiraiya wiped the sweat from his brow, clearly proud of their progress.
"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Jiraiya said, clapping his hands together. "That was some top-tier teamwork. You used your strengths to cover each other's weaknesses, and you coordinated your attacks perfectly. You've all come a long way in just a week."
Kaida, Kabuto, and Itachi exchanged glances, each one feeling a sense of accomplishment.
"As promised," Jiraiya said, grinning, "I'll treat you all to some dango. You earned it."
"Thanks, Sensei," all three of them said. Each knew Jiraiya hadn't used his full strength—especially Kaida, who realized Jiraiya had neither used any A-rank or higher jutsu, nor his Sage Mode, his ultimate technique. One could say he had only used 30% of his power, but even defeating him while he used that much was impressive.
"Let's go then. After that, you guys are free for the day. Enjoy it, because tomorrow we're moving out for the mission," Jiraiya said.