Chapter 552: The Meeting of the Three Legendary Ninjas and the Ninja Master

Chapter 552: The Meeting of the Three Legendary Ninjas and the Ninja Master

"Katon: Fireball Jutsu!"

Unlike the previous two encounters, Jiraiya didn't wait for Nagato to make the first move this time. Instead, he directly performed hand seals to gather chakra and launched a ninjutsu attack.

Unlike the standard Fire Release techniques, the Fireball Jutsu involves first converting chakra into oil and holding it in the mouth. Then, in the instant of spitting out the oil, Jiraiya applied a Fire Nature Transformation to the gathered chakra, igniting the expelled oil and forming a scorching fireball.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Nagato created two shadow clones, and the original body took the lead, opening his Rinnegan to create an absorption shield.

The high-temperature flames didn't even get close to Nagato; they touched the shield he had erected and were instantly absorbed as if they had never existed.

"That ability to nullify ninjutsu—I can't quite figure out how it's done, but it's likely related to the Rinnegan." Jiraiya made a mental note.

If anyone else had displayed such a mysterious ability, Jiraiya would have guessed it to be a secret jutsu. But Nagato possessed the Rinnegan.

Such a powerful and enigmatic ability matched Jiraiya's expectations of the Rinnegan.

"Raiton: Dark Fake!"

One of Nagato's shadow clones performed hand seals and spat out a sharp lightning spear aimed at Jiraiya.

Whoosh!

Jiraiya, who had been closely watching Nagato's shadow clones, instantly dodged with a swift movement.

"Universal Pull!"

Nagato, with his exceptional sensing ability and the power of the Rinnegan, successfully captured Jiraiya's position as he dodged and pulled his arm back, creating a massive gravitational force toward Jiraiya.

At the same time, the other shadow clone Nagato had just created finished performing hand seals, preparing to attack Jiraiya as he was about to be pulled in.

However, to Nagato's surprise, he failed to pull Jiraiya toward him.

Jiraiya had transformed his hair, making it longer and harder, and then deeply embedded it into the ground. With this, he firmly withstood Nagato's pulling force.

"Suiton: Water Spear!"

Upon seeing this, the shadow clone immediately shot three water spears at Jiraiya.

As the Universal Pull ended, Jiraiya's long hair, embedded in the ground, swiftly withdrew and wrapped around his body, blocking the incoming water spears.

"Ninja Art: Hair Needle Jutsu!"

Swoosh! Swoosh!!

Under Jiraiya's control, his hardened hair transformed into sharp needles and rapidly shot toward Nagato and his two shadow clones.

Due to the speed of the attack, Nagato had no time to dodge and once again activated the power of the Rinnegan.

"Deva Path!"

A powerful repulsive force erupted, sending all the hair needles flying away.

"No wonder you gained such a reputation from that one match." Jiraiya was secretly astonished.

Nagato's abilities were almost invincible to an ordinary ninja.

The Asura Path could absorb attacks, the Deva Path could deflect them, and the Universal Pull could force the opponent to expose their weaknesses.

Coupled with the high-powered ninjutsu that Nagato himself mastered, he was indeed formidable in both offense and defense.

"Let's pause the battle for now, Nagato. I may not be able to give you any advice at this point." Jiraiya called for a halt to the fight.

Nagato's strength was overwhelming, and if they continued, the battle might get out of hand.

His primary purpose for coming to the Rain Country was to check on Nagato and the others, not to beat them up.

Jiraiya was confident he could defeat Nagato, but he saw no need to do so.

What was the point in winning against his own disciple? If there ever came a day when Nagato truly grew to a point where Jiraiya had to go all out and still struggled to win, he would feel proud of his student.

Nagato nodded and dismissed his shadow clones.

"Sensei Jiraiya, who would have thought that Nagato would become so strong that even you would find it difficult to defeat him?" Yahiko teased with a hint of pride in his voice.

He mainly said this to ease any potential awkwardness Jiraiya might feel, as it had been a long time since they last met.

However, Yahiko had misjudged the situation this time. Nagato was the ninja in Jiraiya's eyes who had the highest likelihood of being the prophesied child, the one he believed could carry the same destiny as the Sage of Six Paths. Nagato's exceptional abilities only served to validate Jiraiya's speculation.

Moreover, Jiraiya himself was the type of person who rarely felt embarrassed.

"Well, it seems my teachings back then weren't in vain." Jiraiya laughed heartily.

Then, the group began their training, with Jiraiya observing from the sidelines.

After watching Nagato's training for an hour, Jiraiya finally identified his weakness.

Of course, this weakness was relative. Nagato's taijutsu was quite impressive for his age, but when compared to his ninjutsu and the power of the Rinnegan, it fell short.

Thus, Jiraiya began to guide Nagato in improving his taijutsu.

In terms of overall abilities, Jiraiya could be considered a well-rounded ninja.

He excelled in ninjutsu, taijutsu, secret techniques, and Divine Arts. The only area he lacked in was genjutsu.

However, due to this shortcoming, Jiraiya diligently trained himself to dispel genjutsu.

As a result, while he couldn't use genjutsu on his enemies, their genjutsu also had no effect on him.

During dinner that evening, Jiraiya spoke up, "How busy is Souyuukai usually? If he's not too occupied, I'd like to get to know him."

Although Yahiko and the others had spoken highly of Souyuukai, Jiraiya believed in seeing things for himself. He wouldn't be at ease until he met Souyuukai and interacted with him personally.

Yahiko, Nagato, and the others had expressed their utmost admiration for Souyuukai.

Jiraiya suspected that if Souyuukai decided to sell them out, Yahiko and the others would happily count the money for him.

For the safety and future of his disciples, Jiraiya felt it necessary to meet Souyuukai and assess what kind of person he was, even if he didn't have much time.

"As for Souyuukai-sensei, he seems to be doing alright recently. If you want to meet him, we can go and ask," Yahiko replied after some thought.

Yahiko didn't promise that he could definitely arrange a meeting with Souyuukai.

After all, Jiraiya had been brought to them by a Foundation ninja, which meant that Souyuukai was aware of his arrival.

Since Souyuukai hadn't directly met with Jiraiya, it was possible that he simply wasn't interested in him.

"Was Konoha really the one pulling the strings behind that incident?" Yahiko brought up the enigma that still divided opinions within the Foundation.

Back then, Iwagakure had facilitated peace talks between the Foundation and Amegakure. The rationale provided by Amegakure and Iwagakure was that Hanzo had been manipulated by Konoha's Danzo Shimura, which led to his attack on the Foundation.

At the time, due to the substantial evidence presented by Iwagakure and Amegakure, many Foundation ninjas grew hostile toward Konoha.

However, subsequent investigations by the Foundation failed to uncover further evidence implicating Konoha. Additionally, Kakuzu's analysis contributed to a divergent view within the Foundation.

Naturally, the opinions within this group were not unanimous.

Some believed that Amegakure was merely trying to clear its name and that Konoha had nothing to do with it. Others thought that Konoha was indeed involved, but Hanzo wasn't entirely blameless, and there were even those who suspected that all three—Iwagakure, Konoha, and Amegakure—were complicit.

So Yahiko also didn't know what Souyuukai truly thought of Konoha.

If Souyuukai believed that Konoha was one of the masterminds behind the incident, it would be reasonable for him to dislike Jiraiya as well, and Yahiko could understand that.

After all, that one incident almost led to the destruction of the Ninja Sect.

"I hope that's not the case. It would be terrible if we ended up on opposing sides with Teacher Jiraiya," Yahiko sighed inwardly.

Jiraiya, the mentor who guided him onto the path of a ninja, held a special place in Yahiko's heart.

However, if they truly ended up on opposing sides and faced each other on the battlefield, Yahiko would greet Jiraiya enthusiastically before the fight and then ask Nagato to hold nothing back during the battle.

He would have plenty of time to apologize to Jiraiya after his death.

As long as he lived, even if it meant going against his former teacher, Yahiko would never allow anyone to stand in the way of the peace established by the Ninja Sect.

Yahiko instructed the Ninja Sect ninjas to notify them, and after receiving permission, the group headed towards the Ninja Sect headquarters.

By the time they arrived, the sun had completely set, and night had fallen.

As they entered the headquarters and made their way towards the guest hall, Jiraiya suddenly felt a chill.

"This weather... something's not right," Jiraiya thought, sensing that the temperature was unusual.

The next moment, Jiraiya felt a pair of eyes on him from behind.

He turned his head swiftly, realizing that he and Nagato were walking side by side, and there were no Ninja Sect ninjas nearby.

"Hehehe!"

Ghis stared at Jiraiya with its large eyes, letting out a strange laugh.

"What the heck is this thing?"

Jiraiya's instincts kicked in, and he quickly positioned Nagato and the others behind him while swiftly forming hand seals with both hands.

"It's not a ghost, it's Nagato's summoned creature," Yahiko explained.

Ghis had a peculiar body structure. Even in an open area, a natural gust of wind could blow its body away or scatter it, although it would eventually re-form. Nonetheless, it was still quite troublesome.

That's why Ghis usually stayed inside buildings or nearby, and Nagato wouldn't take it with him when he went out to train.

"Nagato, your summoned creature has a rather unique appearance," Jiraiya said diplomatically.

In his travels far and wide, Jiraiya had seen his fair share of strange things, but a summoned creature as eerie as Ghis was a first for him.

"Kek!"

Ghis floated behind Nagato, letting out a sound of acknowledgment directed at Jiraiya.

Indeed, it was the one and only Ghis, the most peculiar summoned creature in existence.

"First impressions can be like that," Nagato nodded.

Once you get used to it, it's not that unusual, and now, none of the Ninja Sect ninjas are startled by Ghis' appearance.

When Jiraiya entered the guest hall, he found that Souyuukai had already arrived and was waiting for them.

"Teacher Souyuukai," Yahiko, Nagato, and the others immediately greeted him respectfully, their faces filled with admiration.

Souyuukai smiled and nodded in response, then turned his gaze to Jiraiya, who was observing him.

"It's true what they say, meeting you in person is even more impressive. No wonder you're a renowned ninja teacher, your demeanor is extraordinary," Jiraiya said with a wide grin.

With a face resembling Aizen's, coupled with his white robe and the aura of a seasoned teacher, Souyuukai gave off the impression of a wise teacher skilled in reasoning.

"The feeling is mutual. The name of the Three Ninja Legends rings through the ninja world, and now I finally get to meet one of them," Souyuukai replied with a gentle smile.

Jiraiya's arrival was something Souyuukai had anticipated.

Not only was Nagato Jiraiya's disciple, but he was also the prophesied child in Jiraiya's eyes, destined to carry the will of the Sage of Six Paths.

It was only natural for Jiraiya to be curious and want to see for himself the so-called number one genius in the ninja world.

"I've heard that the Ninja Sect strives for peace in the ninja world. What are your thoughts on the current chaotic state of the ninja world, and do you think peace can be restored?" Jiraiya asked.

As he spoke, Jiraiya carefully observed Souyuukai's facial expressions.

Whether it was from what he had heard through the grapevine or from the stories shared by Yahiko and the others, Souyuukai seemed to be a man pursuing peace.

Therefore, Jiraiya believed that if Souyuukai wasn't putting up a front to deceive him, he should have some insights or opinions about the current state of the ninja world, even if those thoughts might not necessarily be accurate.

It must be said that Jiraiya had chosen a good topic, as even Yahiko and Nagato were curious about how Souyuukai would respond.

"That depends on your definition of peace. Is it absolute peace, relative peace, eternal peace, or peace for a certain period?" Souyuukai replied.

"If a major power were to produce a ninja god-like figure, the war might end quickly, and there would be a period of peace as long as that powerful figure lives."

"If not, the great war should conclude within about three years, ushering in a period of relative peace. In the following decade or so, there will likely be localized conflicts but nothing on a scale that engulfs the entire ninja world."

As the war rages on, the major ninja villages have gradually moved past the probing stage, and their intelligence on their target villages has become clearer. From here on out, the intensity of the war will only escalate until it reaches its peak.

Soon, clashes between ninja forces numbering in the thousands will become commonplace, and only battles involving forces totaling in the tens of thousands will be considered major wars. It's even possible for there to be conflicts where the combined forces of both sides exceed ten thousand.

Although ten thousand isn't a large number in the era Souyuukai lived in his previous life,

Ten thousand ninjas and ten thousand ordinary people are two very different concepts.

Once a ninja reaches the level of a Chunin, they are almost like a different species compared to ordinary people. Even without ninjutsu, their speed and strength enhanced by chakra are extraordinary.

Moreover, during such large-scale conflicts, it's possible for high-level ninjas, or even the leaders of their villages, to join the fray.

So, when the ninja world war reaches its climax, even someone like Souyuukai will need to exercise extreme caution.

After all, there are those lurking in the shadows, watching him or, more specifically, watching his disciples.

"So, it's the same as it ever was?" Yahiko asked, confused.

They would have a major war, then rest for about ten years, with some smaller conflicts in between.

"Indeed, that's how it's been since the age of the ninja villages," Jiraiya sighed.

Although Souyuukai's words sounded like a historical analysis of the great ninja wars, Jiraiya had to admit that Souyuukai was spot on. The likelihood of the situation developing as he described was very high.

Jiraiya's impression of Souyuukai improved slightly. It was a skill in itself to apply historical lessons to the present.

"Even with a ninja god-like figure, only a brief period of peace can be achieved. So, how can we bring about long-lasting peace in the ninja world? Do we need the reincarnation of the Sage of the Six Paths?"

"Not even the reincarnation of the Sage of the Six Paths could accomplish that," Mu Yue corrected.

"The peace during the Sage of Six Paths' era was similar to the peace during Hashirama Senju's time. The only difference was that the Sage was stronger," Mu Yue continued.

The First Shinobi World War broke out after Hashirama Senju's death, just as war and chaos ensued after the Sage of Six Paths' demise, leading to the splintering of the Ninja Sect.

The Sage of Six Paths' era was simply too ancient, and over time, the figure had been deified, leading many to believe that the Sage could bring about true peace.

In reality, for the current state of the ninja world, the resurrection of Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju together would have a similar effect as the resurrection of the Sage of Six Paths.

Jiraiya stared at Mu Yue in astonishment. As a ninja force bearing the same name as the ancient Ninja Sect, the Sage of Six Paths was akin to a religious figure to non-sect ninjas; it was no wonder their headquarters was even named after him.

However, Jiraiya noticed that Mu Yue didn't seem to revere the Sage of Six Paths in the same way.

At that moment, Nagato looked at Jiraiya, recalling how Jiraiya had once speculated that he could be the reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths, capable of creating a world where people understood each other and peace reigned.

Sensing Nagato's gaze, Jiraiya scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed. After all, most of his knowledge about the Sage of Six Paths came from myths and legends, and Mu Yue clearly had a deeper understanding.

"No wonder they dared to call themselves the Ninja Sect. That so-called sect inheritance must be real," Jiraiya thought to himself.

He surmised that Mu Yue might have stumbled upon some ancient ruins or records of the Ninja Sect, detailing its history and accomplishments.

"I don't know how to achieve lasting peace in the ninja world," Mu Yue continued, "but aren't we striving to find the answer? That's the significance of nurturing the next generation. Even if we don't find it, we can pass the torch to them and let them continue the search."

Even in Mu Yue's previous world, true and lasting peace hadn't lasted long, and localized conflicts still persisted.

So, when asked about achieving enduring peace, Mu Yue didn't have a definitive answer.

In truth, Mu Yue did have an idea, but it sounded a bit far-fetched, and it was essentially a more powerful version of Hashirama Senju's approach.

It entailed having an exceptionally wise and virtuous person ascend to godhood, becoming a being greater than even the Otsutsuki clan.

With no external influences, absolute peace could be maintained for an extended period.

Listening to Mu Yue, Jiraiya was deeply moved, and he couldn't help but see a bit of himself in Mu Yue.

His journey across the ninja world to take on disciples was driven by a similar sentiment.

At this point, Jiraiya felt like he had gained some insight into the man known as Souyuukai. A sense of relief washed over him, knowing that Nagato and the others were in good hands.

Following Mu Yue was not only beneficial but also a stroke of good fortune for Nagato and his friends.

...

Konoha, Southern Forest.

Obito arrived early at their usual training spot, eagerly awaiting Mu Yue's arrival.

Today was a special day for Obito.

It was the day Mu Yue had promised to teach him and Itachi the ultimate fire jutsu.

"I wonder what kind of fire jutsu it is? Will it burn space itself and leave the opponent nowhere to escape?" Obito's imagination ran wild.

If it was such a fire jutsu, it would be more than just a jutsu—it would be a divine power! Everything else, including the Golden Horizon, would pale in comparison.

"Still sleepy?" Kakashi asked, seeing Obito standing there, lost in thought and wearing a silly grin.

"You're the one who's still asleep," Obito retorted, subconsciously triggering his rebound jutsu.

"Hehe," Kakashi chuckled, not bothering to respond to Obito. Instead, he began his training with his Leon Buzz.

Leon Buzz was now a crucial asset to Kakashi, and through their training together, Kakashi's overall strength had improved significantly.

"Just you wait. Once I master this new fire jutsu, I'll defeat you decisively in front of Rin," Obito said to Kakashi, unable to contain his excitement.

He had already bested Kakashi in the tournament, and if he could learn this new fire jutsu, he was confident he could beat Kakashi in the next Konoha Civil War.

In the face of overwhelming victory, Kakashi's words would ring hollow.

"What a spirited morning! Everyone's up and training early," Might Guy greeted his students enthusiastically as he arrived for his rehabilitation training.

"Riolu, it's a shame we can't train together until we're both exhausted. But I'll be cheering you on!" Might Guy encouraged Riolu, who was training by his side.

In the past, Might Guy had trained tirelessly with his companion, Might Dai, by his side, cheering him on.

"Riolu!"

Sensing Might Guy's emotions, Riolu waved its claws energetically, full of fighting spirit.

"Akai may be stronger than Kakashi, but his Pokemon hasn't evolved yet. Once I master this new fire jutsu, there's no way he and his Charmeleon can beat me," Obito thought to himself as he assessed the strength of his fellow disciples.

Suddenly, he realized that the timing of the next Konoha Civil War was less than ideal.

The war was held twice a year, and with the tournament serving as one of the battles, the next war would be in six months.

By then, Itachi's and Might Guy's Pokemon would likely have evolved, negating Charmeleon's evolutionary advantage. Unless, of course, Charmeleon evolved again within that time.

Obito couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. If the war had been in the next two months, he might have had a chance to claim the title of the strongest disciple.

After all, Itachi, who was learning fire jutsu with him, hadn't evolved his Pokemon yet, and the same was true for Might Guy's strongest Pokemon.

As for Sakura's Minun, while it could both fight and heal, Sakura herself was a liability.

Among them all, only Kakashi posed a real threat. Not only did he share the evolutionary advantage with Obito, but he was also a formidable opponent in his own right.

As soon as Mu Yue appeared, Obito eagerly rushed forward to greet him, and the other disciples followed suit, offering their morning salutations.

"Good morning to all of you," Mu Yue replied with a smile.

"Obito, Itachi, come with me," Mu Yue said, calling out to the two boys. He then created a shadow clone to instruct the rest of the group in their training.

Teaching the Blue Flame technique was challenging, and Mu Yue would need to provide both guidance and enlightenment to maximize their learning efficiency.

"The fire jutsu I will teach you is called Blue Flame, also known as the Azure Flame," Mu Yue explained briefly.

Obito listened intently to every word Mu Yue spoke, hanging on to each syllable.

He swore he had never been this focused before. The pressure of being outdone by the Golden Horizon, coupled with Kakashi's mastery of the No Thought, One Sword technique, fueled Obito's determination to acquire an equally powerful attack.

PS: Today's chapter is 6k words. Going forward, I'll try to maintain this length, and if possible, I'll aim for even longer chapters.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end