Chapter 14: Sit Back and Enjoy—Terumi Mei's Unease
It made sense. None of the villages had entered the battle with the intention of a full-scale confrontation. This was more of a probing engagement, and outright war was not the goal.
But even in this restrained clash, Kazuya's gains were enormous. His recently acquired Lightning Release Chakra Mode had already been upgraded to level 3! Basic Jutsu like Great Fireball Jutsu, Water Formation Wall, and Wind Blade had all leveled up, and core techniques such as Leaf Hurricane and Body Flicker were now maxed out at level 5, the current highest skill level!
Kazuya had also amassed another 6000 Chakra points. The sheer quality of energy dropped from a battle between Kage-level ninjas was astonishing.
But what excited him the most was the Sage Mode.
Once Jiraiya had entered Sage Mode, Kazuya had finally unlocked a brand-new set of abilities: Sage proficiency and Sage energy!
Sage Mode.
This was the pinnacle of ninja techniques, a fusion of natural energy with one's own physical and spiritual energy to create immense power. Entering Sage Mode drastically enhanced a shinobi's taijutsu, ninjutsu, and genjutsu abilities. In the original series, even the power of the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki could be harmed by Sage techniques—a testament to its incredible strength.
Beneath his mask, Kazuya smiled broadly.
This was beyond satisfying!
The Raikage had delivered on all fronts, finally pushing Jiraiya to reveal his trump card. As far as Kazuya was concerned, the Fourth Raikage was the perfect tool for him today. He would give that man a medal if he could.
Kazuya's Sage proficiency was now at level 2, and his Sage energy had climbed to level 3 (1400/5000).
[Note: Your current Sage proficiency at level 2 only supports 10 minutes of Sage Mode. After 10 minutes, Sage Mode will automatically deactivate.]
[Increasing your Sage proficiency level will extend the duration of Sage Mode.]
[You have obtained the perfect version of Mount Myoboku's Sage Mode, which automatically generates Sage energy without the risk of transforming into a frog.]
"Wow…"
Kazuya's eyes widened with excitement.
Ten full minutes of Sage Mode! And it could automatically generate Sage energy? No risk of turning into a frog either? This was a goldmine!
The perfect version of Mount Myoboku's Sage Mode… Jiraiya delivered!
It was official. Jiraiya had just become his new favorite benefactor—a true fountain of riches.
With this newfound power, Kazuya's strength had surged once again. In Sage Mode, he might be able to take down a standard Kage-level ninja single-handedly!
On the battlefield, the Fourth Raikage was still going all out, but he was now locked in a fierce stalemate with Jiraiya, who was in Sage Mode.
"Damn you!"
"Heavy Stream Barrage!"
The Raikage's elbow strike sent Jiraiya flying back, the sound of their collisions echoing across the battlefield. Despite his overwhelming power, the Raikage could not gain the upper hand.
Both combatants were equally matched, each blow met with an equal force.
"Any longer…"
"I really might die here," thought the Raikage, feeling the pressure intensify.
With Jiraiya in front of him and a mysterious Anbu lurking in the shadows, he knew his life was in genuine danger if the fight continued.
Retreat.
The Raikage made his decision.
From the sky, a piercing whistle sounded.
Hearing it, the five elite Cloud shinobi exchanged grim looks.
"Retreat!"
"That's the signal from the Raikage!"
"Fall back!"
In an instant, several smoke bombs exploded across the battlefield, filling the air with thick, choking clouds of smoke.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Without hesitation, the five Cloud ninjas disappeared from the battlefield, vanishing into the smoke.
From afar, the Fourth Raikage managed to fend off Jiraiya long enough to glance back and shout, "Konoha's Anbu—I won't forget your face! Next time we meet, you'll die!"
Despite the bravado, he was already retreating at full speed. In seconds, the Raikage had bolted over a thousand meters away, his figure disappearing.
At that moment, the Raikage felt genuinely unnerved.
That damned Anbu—he was far too dangerous.
Jiraiya scoffed as he watched the Raikage flee. For someone who talked so big, the man sure could run fast.
At the edge of the battlefield, Terumi Mei had seen enough.
"This isn't good!"
She muttered under her breath as she activated her Hiding in Mist Jutsu, cloaking herself and her comrades in a thick, impenetrable fog.
"We need to retreat!"
"Now!"
But just as they began to flee, a shadow appeared in front of them.
Crack!
Without warning, one of the Mist ninjas was struck down in an instant, his neck snapping as he crumpled to the ground—dead before he even had a chance to react.
"Run!"
"It's that Konoha Anbu!"
Ao's voice was filled with panic.
The chakra emanating from that Anbu was immense—it was the same person who had nearly gotten the better of the Raikage!
In a desperate scramble, the remaining Mist ninja tried to flee, but Kazuya caught up to another one and swiftly dispatched him with a few decisive blows.
"Terumi Mei, right?"
"We'll meet again."
Kazuya's smile remained pure and innocent as he casually eliminated two Mist Jonin.
But that smile, to Terumi Mei, was nothing short of terrifying.
"He… knows my name?"
Fear welled up inside her, and without another thought, she quickened her pace, her heart pounding as she fled even faster.
As Kazuya watched Terumi Mei's retreating figure fade into the distance, he didn't feel the urge to pursue her. He had just taken down two Mist Jonin, and while they had yielded a few hundred points of Chakra, there were no special rewards.
"Sustainable growth is key, after all," Kazuya sighed with a touch of amusement.
Defeating enemies didn't seem to trigger any special bonuses. The better strategy was to play it safe, observe from the sidelines, and gather attribute points that way.
It was time to embrace a more relaxed approach.
"Still, a younger Terumi Mei… not bad," Kazuya chuckled softly to himself.
Between Yūhi Kurenai and Terumi Mei, the two represented different kinds of beauty. Kurenai was gentle, soft like flowing water, while Mei had a fiery, smoldering intensity that was hard to ignore.
In his past life, he had even collected a special, rare figurine of Terumi Mei—though now, he wondered what the real thing might be like. The thought made him smirk.