Retreat

[Your Sage Skill Talent has been upgraded to lv2 (0/1000)]

[Your Sage Energy Level has increased, currently it is lv3 (500/5000)]

[You picked up 200 points of Chakra]

[You picked up 100 points of Sage Energy]

[You picked up 100 points of Body Flicker Technique skill experience]

[You picked up 200 points of Lightning Style Chakra Mode skill experience]

Another burst of golden light engulfed Kazuya, his senses tingling with newfound power. The battlefield was chaotic, with Jōnin from both sides holding back, hesitant to engage fully. This was expected; neither Konoha, Cloud Shinobi, nor Mist Shinobi intended for an all-out war at this stage. The strategic intent was to test each other's strength, not to annihilate.

Kazuya's harvest was substantial despite the tentative skirmishes. His Lightning Style Chakra Mode had advanced to level 3, and basic ninjutsu techniques like Big Flame Bullet, Water Barrier, and Wind Cut Technique had each risen a level. Moreover, his proficiency in skills like the Great Fireball Technique, Konoha Fluid Technique, and Body Flicker Technique had maxed out at level 5, the current highest skill level.

He had amassed another 6000 points of Chakra, the quality of gains in a Kage-level battle proving to be incredibly high. But the most significant reward was the boost to his Sage Talent. After Jiraiya had activated Sage Mode, Kazuya had managed to pick up the corresponding talent and Sage Energy.

Sage Energy – the ultimate power derived from natural energy, combined with physical and spiritual energy. Activating Sage Mode would immensely enhance his physical, ninjutsu, and illusion abilities. In the original plot, this power was potent enough to injure even the Ten Tails Jinchūriki. Kazuya could hardly contain his excitement.

Under his mask, a smile crept across Kazuya's face. Finally, he had obtained Sage Energy and upgraded his Sage Talent to level 2. His Sage Energy had even reached level 3 (1400/5000).

[Reminder: The current Sage Skill Talent lv2 can only support the Sage Mode state for 10 minutes, and the Sage Mode will be automatically released after 10 minutes.]

[Improve the talent level of Sage Skill to increase the duration of Sage Mode.]

[This Sage Talent is the perfect version of Mount Myōboku, capable of automatically generating Sage Energy. The upper limit does not exceed the current Sage Energy value, and there is no risk of turning into a frog.]

Ten minutes of Sage Mode, with automatic generation of Sage Energy and no risk of transformation – this was beyond ideal. It was the perfect version of Mount Myōboku Senjutsu.

On the battlefield, Jiraiya and Fourth Raikage continued their ferocious clash. Raikage's powerful elbow strike forced Jiraiya back, but neither could gain a decisive advantage.

"Damn it! Heavy Storm!" Fourth Raikage bellowed, his attacks intensifying. The two combatants exchanged blows, each creating shockwaves with their sheer power. It was evident that this battle was evenly matched – a stalemate with no quick resolution.

"If this continues... I might actually die here!" Fourth Raikage thought, feeling the mounting pressure. With Jiraiya in front and a formidable Anbu lurking in the shadows, his life was genuinely at risk. He needed to retreat.

A sharp whistle pierced the air, signaling the Cloud Shinobi's retreat. The five Elite Jōnin of Cloud Shinobi Village recognized the command instantly.

"Retreat! This is the boss's signal to retreat!" one of them shouted. Smoke bombs exploded, filling the area with thick, obscuring smoke. Without hesitation, the Cloud Shinobi vanished from the battlefield.

Farther away, Fourth Raikage managed to push Jiraiya back momentarily. "Anbu of Konoha, I remember your face. Next time we meet, it will be your death day!" he snarled before retreating at breakneck speed.

Jiraiya snorted disdainfully. "Typical Cloud Shinobi – all talk, but quick to run."

Meanwhile, Terumi Mei, observing the situation from a distance, activated the Mist Shinobi Technique, enveloping the area in a dense mist. "Withdraw!" she commanded her team.

Suddenly, a figure darted through the mist with lethal precision. One Mist Shinobi Jōnin didn't even have time to react before his neck was snapped.

"Go! It's that Konoha Anbu!" the others shouted, panic evident in their voices. They fled frantically, but Kazuya caught up with another Jōnin, dispatching him swiftly.

"Terumi Mei, right? We'll meet again soon!" Kazuya's voice, deceptively innocent, carried an underlying threat. Terumi Mei's fear propelled her to escape even faster.

Kazuya, watching her retreating form, didn't pursue. The rewards from killing two Mist Shinobi Jōnin were meager – a few hundred points of Chakra with no special drops.

"It's better to keep the battles sustainable," he mused. The quality of the golden light he picked up was higher when he wasn't outright killing but instead engaging in prolonged fights.

He sighed contentedly. "The young Terumi Mei... not bad." Kurenai and Terumi Mei were both stunning beauties in the Hokage world, each with distinct allure. One was gentle and soothing, the other fiery and captivating. In his past life, he had even bought a Terumi Mei figurine. Now, he wondered if he would get the chance to experience the real version in this life.

A little anticipation stirred within him as he chuckled softly.