Chapter 289: Sage Art VS Pseudo-Sage Art!
[S-Rank Mission: Sage Jiraiya]
[Mission Content: Defeat/Kill Jiraiya]
[Mission Reward: S-Rank Secret Ninja Scroll]
'It's the same situation as with Pakura before!'
Nara Keisuke immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
'Even if a mission is within its cooldown period, as long as the target's power level has achieved a cross-rank increase, their higher-level mission can still be triggered.'
If Jiraiya's S-Rank mission hadn't been triggered today, even if he truly defeated the Sannin and obtained the Telescope Technique, Nara Keisuke would have felt that the trade was a loss.
After all, the Telescope Technique was only an A-Rank ninjutsu.
Jiraiya's S-Rank mission, however, was equivalent to an S-Rank ninjutsu.
By this back-and-forth, rounded off...
Hadn't Nara Keisuke just lost out on one S-Rank ninjutsu?
Fortunately, Sage Jiraiya did not disappoint Nara Keisuke.
'I must complete this S-Rank mission! And I must secure Sage Jiraiya's S-Rank Secret Scroll!'
Nara Keisuke cast aside all distractions and concentrated on dealing with the blazing sea of fire in front of him.
He had a very thorough grasp of the general intelligence on Jiraiya and Sage Mode.
Without the assistance of the two Sage Toads, Fukasaku and Shima, Jiraiya alone would absolutely be unable to maintain Sage Mode for an extended period.
According to Sage Fukasaku, Sage Mode could not be maintained for too long, lasting at most no more than five minutes.
The issue of Sage Mode's duration was irrelevant here.
Nara Keisuke knew that with the assistance of Sages Fukasaku and Shima, the current Jiraiya had completely overcome the "five-minute" drawback. The natural energy he could now channel was virtually inexhaustible!
Clashing ninjutsu with such an opponent, one who could leverage infinite natural energy…
Even if Nara Keisuke squeezed every last bit of chakra from himself, his Chakra Crystal, and his Yin Seal, he could not overpower the Sannin.
To break this disastrous "Sage Art: Fire Style: Toad Oil Flame Bullet," he had to find another way.
The monstrous sea of fire and the vast torrent of water continuously collided and canceled each other out. Milky-white steam billowed upwards.
However, supported by Sage Chakra, the destructive power of the Fire Style clearly surpassed the Water Style. The torrent's momentum weakened, and its area diminished.
Seeing that the Exploding Water Colliding Wave was about to be completely suppressed by the "Toad Oil Flame Bullet," Nara Keisuke's mind stirred. Without forming hand seals, he created a Shadow Clone.
Summoning Technique: Sword of Lightning Transformation!
The Shadow Clone took a Water Style Mask from the main body, resonating with and channeling the Water Style chakra within it, injecting it into the rapidly receding hot spring below.
A stream of warm water was manipulated by the Shadow Clone, slowly rising from below and undergoing extreme shape transformation to form an irresistible high-pressure water cannon.
Water Style: Water Severing Wave!
The Shadow Clone released all the chakra from the Water Style Mask into this stream of water.
A silvery-white ribbon of force suddenly sliced through the steam, blasting a bowl-sized hole directly through the formidable sea of fire. With unstoppable momentum, it shot toward Gamabunta, who was still spewing oil.
Sage Jiraiya was protected by the two Sage Toads.
In comparison, the massive and relatively clumsy Gamabunta was the better target for attack!
"Bunta! Look out!"
Sage Fukasaku, standing on Jiraiya's shoulder, keenly noticed the silvery-white ribbon streaking across the sky. While rapidly forming hand seals, he shouted a loud warning to Gamabunta below.
"Sage Art: Water Cutter!"
The instant the words fell, Sage Fukasaku converted his Sage Chakra to the Water Style nature and unleashed a thin, high-pressure water column to block the incoming Water Severing Wave.
Slap!
The two high-pressure water columns formed by the Water Severing Wave and the "Sage Art: Water Cutter" collided fiercely in mid-air, emitting a piercing, cracking sound, and scattering water everywhere.
But Sage Fukasaku's attack was a response. His "Sage Art: Water Cutter" only intercepted the main body of the Water Severing Wave, failing to completely grind away the high-pressure water stream at its very tip.
Puff—
Gamabunta's seemingly tough, coarse skin proved as fragile as white paper under the Water Severing Wave's attack. A tiny hole was directly punched through it, and blood spewed out from the wound, a frightening sight.
"Gwa!"
Gamabunta screamed once more, and its action of spitting oil came to an abrupt halt. The "Toad Oil Flame Bullet" lost its supply of toad oil, and its power immediately diminished greatly.
"Bunta!"
Jiraiya heard Gamabunta's cry of pain and also stopped casting his Senjutsu.
"Are you alright? Or… why don't you return to Mount Myōboku now?"
Jiraiya had only summoned Gamabunta earlier hoping that the battle-hardened Great Toad would buy him time to activate Sage Mode.
Now that Jiraiya was fully in Sage Mode, Gamabunta was no longer helpful in the battle.
Rather than leaving it to suffer abuse, it was better to let it return to Mount Myōboku to rest well and await the next summoning.
Gamabunta covered its belly with its hands, temporarily stemming the blood gushing out like a spring, and glared angrily at Nara Keisuke.
"Jiraiya! If you lose this fight, don't you dare call me again!"
Poof!
With this final instruction, Gamabunta's massive body exploded into a cloud of smoke, returning directly to Mount Myōboku.
The logic Jiraiya understood, Gamabunta certainly understood as well.
Although it had been repeatedly injured by Nara Keisuke without finding any chance to retaliate, continuing the fight would only worsen its injuries.
To avoid further beatings, Gamabunta chose a strategic retreat.
Losing Gamabunta's support, Jiraiya and the two Sages on his shoulders descended to the ground.
Simultaneously, the vast torrent of water and the monstrous sea of fire from before vanished from the battlefield, transforming into billowing steam that ascended into the sky, merging into the clouds.
Rumble—
The lead-gray clouds rubbed against each other, emitting a dull rumble of thunder.
"Be careful, Jiraiya."
Sage Shima looked up at the sky with some vigilance, watching the dark clouds that flashed with arcs of electricity.
"The natural energy in the atmosphere is becoming restless."
"Understood, Sage Shima."
The facial markings on Jiraiya's face became more and more scarlet, the blood-colored markings nearly covering half his face.
"I won't be careless!"
"Speaking of which, Jiraiya, you said that little fellow across from us is also a Konoha shinobi, correct?"
Sage Fukasaku only briefly glanced at the thunderclouds above before shifting his attention to Nara Keisuke in the distance.
"There are also traces of natural energy flowing on his body, but they are very faint…"
"There are traces of natural energy flowing on his body?"
Jiraiya froze slightly, feeling somewhat surprised by this information.
He hadn't known that Nara Keisuke had also mastered Senjutsu—
No! Wait!
Sage Fukasaku said that there were faint traces of natural energy flowing on Nara Keisuke's body.
So…
Is this the real reason why he is so obsessed with Mount Myōboku's Senjutsu inheritance?
Because he came into contact with the existence of natural energy, he wants to understand a higher level of power?
It looks like Nara Keisuke is a similar type of guy to Orochimaru…
All kinds of thoughts flashed through Jiraiya's mind, only to be quickly set aside.
This was because another warning reached his ears.
"Jiraiya, to the left."
Sage Shima grabbed Jiraiya's ear.
"The fellow over there—whether it's the main body or a clone—is raising his hand towards us!"
Jiraiya followed the sound and saw the Shadow Clone that hadn't dispersed earlier raising its right hand toward the position of him and the two Sages, unleashing a series of black bullets.
"Be careful! Two Sages!"
Jiraiya channeled Sage Chakra to his limbs, boosting his movement speed as much as possible.
"This is the Nara Clan's Yin Release secret technique, a very unusual and troublesome shadow ninjutsu. Don't let these projectiles touch you!"
Augmented by Sage Mode, Jiraiya's movement speed increased drastically, and he deftly avoided the Shadow Clone's final assault.
The Shadow Clone, which had little chakra remaining, finally ran out of chakra after this last round of attacks and exploded into a puff of smoke.
"Now's the time!"
Jiraiya's eyes lit up. He found a patch of level ground and immediately crouched down like a toad. The silver-white long hair behind his head bristled up as if electrified.
"Sage Art: Hair Needle Senbon!"
The continuously streaming silvery-white hair transformed into countless sharp, fine steel needles, shooting densely toward the position of Nara Keisuke and his Shadow Clone.
'So it is this technique…'
Nara Keisuke's eyes narrowed slightly, recognizing the Sage Art: Hair Needle Senbon.
He had initially intended to use Earth Style or Water Style to create a defensive wall to block the rapid attack of the Sage Art: Hair Needle Senbon.
But the attack speed of the Sage Art: Hair Needle Senbon was simply too fast. The flight speed of the silver needles was nearly comparable to his own shadow bullet ninjutsu, like the Spiraling Shadow Piercing Bullet.
Unable to form hand seals in time, Nara Keisuke could only dispatch the Shadow Clone beside him.
Shadow Armor Technique!
A hexagonal, pitch-black shield materialized in front of Nara Keisuke, intercepting the Sage Art: Hair Needle Senbon unleashed by Jiraiya.
"Now's the time!"
Jiraiya's eyes flashed.
His opponent had once again used a defensive ninjutsu that obstructed vision.
This was the perfect moment to intensify the attack!
Jiraiya, coordinating with the two Sages, prepared to unleash a brand-new Senjutsu toward Nara Keisuke's position.
"Sage Art: Goemon!"
But at that moment.
Nara Keisuke also looked up at the sky.
He had originally planned to have a true, close-quarters duel with Jiraiya.
He hadn't expected the Sannin to insist on a ninjutsu clash.
'Fine, let's go!'
Nara Keisuke raised his single hand toward the sky, channeling the lightning within the clouds.
"Kirin!"
Would you like to move on to the next chapter, or would you like to know the contents of the S-Rank Secret Ninja Scroll Nara Keisuke received for the Swift Release mission?
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