"Sign in."
Early the next morning, after eating a military ration pill, Jiraiya spoke to the system.
Today marked his second bi-monthly sign-in opportunity.
He was eager to see what reward he would receive this time.
[Ding! Sign-in successful. You have obtained an S-rank Ninjutsu Mastery Card.]
The system notification rang in his ears.
"System, what does this do?" Jiraiya asked.
[If you encounter a difficult-to-learn S-rank ninjutsu or senjutsu, you can use the Mastery Card to instantly grasp it, regardless of its complexity.]
Jiraiya's face lit up with excitement.
This system was truly considerate.
Just yesterday, he had been wondering if the system could help him solve the pronunciation difficulties of Toad Confrontation Chant.
And now, he had received a Mastery Card.
"How do I use it?"
After retrieving the card, Jiraiya found it to be a deep purple, palm-sized piece of parchment.
[Simply write the training method of the ninjutsu or senjutsu you wish to learn onto the card, and you will instantly master it.]
"That's convenient."
Without hesitation, Jiraiya wrote down the training method for Toad Confrontation Chant.
As soon as he finished writing, the card shimmered and dissolved into countless specks of light, which merged into his forehead.
A flood of new knowledge instantly appeared in his mind—he had mastered Toad Confrontation Chant.
Without wasting time, Jiraiya clapped his hands together, drawing in the natural energy around him. Within seconds, the markings of Sage Mode appeared on his face, and his chakra transformed into senjutsu chakra.
He swiftly formed hand seals, channeling senjutsu chakra into his abdomen.
A deep, resonant sound burst from within him, rippling outward in a powerful sonic wave—Toad Confrontation Chant.
"It worked!"
Jiraiya's expression brightened. The Mastery Card was truly remarkable, allowing him to instantly grasp this formidable genjutsu.
With senjutsu chakra, he could now replicate musical notes and sound waves with ease.
Since there were no enemies present to test the full power of the technique, he deactivated Sage Mode.
However, he quickly noticed a drawback—Toad Confrontation Chant consumed senjutsu chakra at an alarming rate and significantly drained his mental energy.
Even though he had only maintained it for a short while, he already felt a hint of fatigue.
"A high-level genjutsu like this must be used decisively. If I can't finish off my enemy quickly, the chakra consumption could put me at risk."
Jiraiya furrowed his brows. Though immensely powerful, Toad Confrontation Chant came at a steep cost.
If he were to use it alone, dragging an opponent into the genjutsu barrier would require an immense amount of mental energy.
However, with Fukasaku and Shima assisting him, they could greatly reduce the burden.
Turning his attention elsewhere, Jiraiya began studying the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu.
This jutsu wasn't just useful for combat—it could also create a large number of clones to accelerate training. Once dispelled, all the accumulated experience would return to the user.
In the original timeline, Naruto had used this technique to an extreme degree, summoning an army of clones with ease.
"I hope I can get the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai someday."
Jiraiya couldn't help but think to himself.
When it came to clones, nothing could compare to Hashirama Senju's Wood Clone Jutsu.
Durable, powerful, and possessing immense chakra reserves—it was on another level entirely.
Even Madara Uchiha, after integrating Hashirama's cells, was able to use Wood Clones, each one capable of donning a Susanoo and overwhelming the Five Kage with ease.
By comparison, Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu paled in comparison.
While Jiraiya was engrossed in his studies, a group of shinobi quietly infiltrated the waterways connecting the Fire Country.
Eight figures in total—three jōnin and five elite chūnin—a force formidable enough to sustain a small ninja village.
This squad was one of Amegakure's elite units.
Modeled after Konoha's ANBU, these shinobi were the best of the best, directly under Hanzō's command.
Their mission: infiltrate the Fire Country undetected and sabotage its fortress construction.
Hanzō was well aware that Amegakure lacked the resources to outright stop Konoha from building strongholds along their borders.
The best they could do was delay the process.
Amegakure itself was in the midst of constructing fortresses along critical border points.
However, with Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Konohagakure all preparing to invade, a three-front war was imminent.
Their only hope lay in fortifications. If they could erect enough strongholds, they might stand a chance at fending off the invading forces.
But time was not on their side.
If Konoha completed its fortresses first and stockpiled enough war supplies, it wouldn't be long before they launched a full-scale invasion of Amegakure.
Thus, disrupting Konoha's construction efforts was of utmost importance.
Every day they could stall the enemy was another day gained for Amegakure's defenses.
If they failed to build enough fortresses in time, the war would inevitably spill into Amegakure's heartland.
And that would spell disaster for the entire nation.
Even with Hanzō's legendary strength—enough to earn him the title of "Demi-God of the Shinobi World"—he could not single-handedly fend off three great ninja villages.
"We're about to enter Fire Country waters. Stay sharp. Make no unnecessary movements. We can't afford to be discovered."
Shinden Ichirō, the squad leader, spoke in a hushed but firm tone.
The Amegakure shinobi moved as one, their bodies enveloped in flowing water that masked their presence, allowing them to blend seamlessly with the currents.
Not a ripple betrayed their passage.
The other shinobi nodded silently, their faces grim.
They knew full well the dangers of this mission—success meant survival, failure meant certain death.
If they were discovered, Konoha's forces would descend upon them in an instant.
A single mistake, and they would be wiped out without a trace.
Yet none of them hesitated.
They were shinobi.
Their duty was to protect their nation and their village, no matter the cost.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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