Chapter 95: Testing Each Other
The autumn wind blew briskly.
Outside the small town, in a barren field, two figures stood about ten meters apart, silently staring at each other.
After a long standoff, the silence was broken. Jiraiya spoke first, his voice carrying a light tone of amusement.
"Kid, I have to admit—you've got patience."
Seeing that Jiraiya didn't immediately resort to violence, Baishi relaxed a little. With a curious expression, he replied, "What brings someone like Jiraiya-sama out here instead of sitting comfortably in Konoha?"
Jiraiya didn't seem surprised that Baishi recognized him; it was as though he had anticipated it.
With a serious tone, he replied, "And why can't I be here looking for you?"
Baishi froze at the unexpected response. "Looking for me? That's unlikely."
But as he thought more carefully about Jiraiya's words, something clicked.
'Wait, he said "looking for me," not "waiting for me." That means he didn't know I'd be here beforehand. This encounter really is just a coincidence.'
'Could it be that Jiraiya's real destination is Moonlit Island, and he's just using this place as a departure point?'
Moonlit Island and Baishi's name had already spread among the upper echelons of various ninja villages, thanks to information leaked by captured ninja. It wasn't surprising that Konoha might send someone to investigate.
As for why Jiraiya started from the Land of Waves—it wasn't hard to deduce.
The Third Shinobi War had only recently ended, and tensions were still high. A ninja of Jiraiya's caliber moving through foreign territories could easily raise alarms. The Land of Waves, being a small, neutral nation without a ninja village, made for an ideal and discreet starting point for any sea journey.
With his thoughts running quickly, Baishi realized that Jiraiya's claim might hold some truth.
'Should I play along and try to infiltrate Konoha under his guidance?'
After considering the idea for a moment, Baishi shook his head.
"Forget it. I prefer the freedom I have now."
Hearing this, Jiraiya fell silent.
While he didn't know the exact origins of Baishi's Wood Release, he could imagine it hadn't been easy. Knowing Konoha's history of trying to replicate Wood Release, he assumed Baishi must have endured unimaginable trials, possibly facing death multiple times.
Under such circumstances, how could he ask Baishi to return to Konoha?
But Jiraiya still had a mission to complete. With a serious expression, he asked, "Then, tell me—what's your relationship with Orochimaru? Why do the two of you meet so often?"
Baishi's eyes narrowed slightly as his mind raced.
'How did they figure out I've been meeting with Orochimaru? Every time, I used Flying Thunder God to come and go without leaving any trace.'
'Wait—perhaps it's the lack of traces that gave me away.'
Given Konoha's intelligence network, anything suspiciously out of place could be a clue. The absence of any detectable activity might be a strong indicator of Flying Thunder God. Combine that with the known location of the transactions, and it wouldn't be hard to deduce that I was the one meeting with Orochimaru.'
'Their ability to gather and analyze information is impressive, as expected of Konoha.'
Baishi sighed inwardly but quickly dismissed his concerns. 'No matter. I've already taken almost everything I need from Orochimaru. His fate isn't my concern.'
The painful memories of being an experiment subject still lingered in Baishi's mind. If given a chance, he wouldn't hesitate to settle the score with Orochimaru.
With this thought, Baishi decisively sold Orochimaru out.
"I have no real relationship with Orochimaru. We meet strictly for business."
"Business? What kind of business?"
Jiraiya pressed further.
"That, I can't tell you." Baishi shook his head. "But it has nothing to do with Konoha, so you don't need to worry."
Jiraiya fell into thought, seemingly weighing Baishi's words.
Seizing the moment, Baishi smiled faintly and added, "I've long heard of Jiraiya-sama's reputation as a great sage. Would you honor me with a demonstration of your legendary powers?"
Baishi had been stalling this entire time, wanting to observe Jiraiya's Sage Mode in action.
If he had truly wanted to avoid this confrontation, his enhanced senses would have allowed him to detect and evade Jiraiya long before they met.
But Baishi had chosen to stay, hoping to gain insight into the mysterious power of nature energy.
In the ninja world, the pinnacle of power came down to two paths: Kekkei Tota (Bloodline Selection) and Sage Mode.
Baishi was confident in his ability to achieve Kekkei Tota with the system's help. By enhancing his chakra affinities and spending time mastering their fusion, he believed it was only a matter of effort.
Sage Mode, however, was a different challenge. To learn it, he needed to sense and absorb natural energy—a concept he currently had no understanding of.
If he could get even a glimpse of Sage Mode's secrets, he could use his system to enhance his perception and eventually figure out the rest on his own.
Initially, he had considered turning to Orochimaru for this, but now that Jiraiya was here, there was no need to wait.
Hearing Baishi's request, Jiraiya laughed heartily and declined.
"The sages of Mount Myoboku avoid showing themselves to just anyone. I'm afraid I can't grant your wish."
"Is that so?"
Baishi's tone was thoughtful, but the next moment, his figure blurred into motion.
With lightning speed, he lunged toward Jiraiya, leaving a faint afterimage in his wake.
"What speed!"
Jiraiya exclaimed, his experience instantly kicking in. He stomped the ground hard, launching himself backward. At the same time, the force of his movement kicked up a cloud of dirt to obscure Baishi's vision.
This maneuver both widened the distance and disrupted Baishi's line of sight—a tactic that highlighted Jiraiya's battle-hardened instincts.
But Baishi wasn't deterred.
Closing his eyes, he relied on his enhanced senses to lock onto Jiraiya's position, effortlessly bypassing the dirt cloud.
Seeing Baishi close the gap without hesitation, Jiraiya's expression turned serious.
'Fire Style: Flame Bullet!'
While retreating, Jiraiya completed his seals and launched a fireball at Baishi.
Feeling the heat from the oncoming flames, Baishi quickly assessed his High-Temperature Resistance and determined he could withstand the attack.
Without breaking stride, he charged straight through the fireball.
Boom!
The flames struck Baishi, but aside from slightly slowing him down, they caused no damage whatsoever.
Thanks to his Energy-Absorbing Skin, even his clothes were untouched.
"What?!"
Jiraiya was stunned. He could have accepted it if Baishi had countered or deflected the Flame Bullet. But to take it head-on without a scratch—and without even scorching his clothes—was incomprehensible.
For a moment, Jiraiya doubted whether he had even cast a real Flame Bullet.
But there was no time for hesitation. The battle was far from over.
(End of Chapter)
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