Sanin Conflict

The entire swamp was divided into two battlefields: Konoha's Anbu versus the renegades on one side, and Jiraiya versus Orochimaru on the other. The fierce fighting continued relentlessly. In ten minutes, both sides had clashed fiercely. 

Orochimaru's followers, mostly wandering ninjas from the Land of Fire, were far less skilled than the elite Anbu. Casualties mounted quickly. Bloodshed only fueled the intensity of the battle, making the attacks more brutal.

Shuriken littered the swamp. Explosions from detonating symbols and the screams and roars of ninjas echoed around them. 

Kurenai remained uninjured. As a Jōnin, she was formidable, and the Anbu around her intentionally helped, ensuring she faced no life-threatening danger. These Anbu were under Kazuya's command and knew about his connection with Kurenai. Helping her was not just duty but also strategic, as it might benefit their own futures.

Meanwhile, the battle between Jiraiya and Orochimaru had escalated to a fierce stage.

"Orochi Transformation Technique!" Orochimaru hissed. A massive brown snake, over ten meters long, materialized behind him, lunging at Jiraiya.

"Needle Jizō!" Jiraiya's eyes flashed, and his long white hair instantly hardened into a protective armor.

The giant snake bit into Jiraiya, lifting him high before smashing him into the ground with a resounding crash. A deep crater formed in the swamp, the impact drawing the attention of nearby ninjas.

"Master Jiraiya!" 

"Could it be..."

"Impossible!"

"Don't worry, with the captain here, Master Jiraiya will be fine. Captain Kazuya can hold his own against the Fourth Raikage!"

The Anbu from Konoha felt a moment of panic but quickly regained their composure, reassured by Kazuya's presence.

Suddenly, an explosion rocked the battlefield. Jiraiya emerged from the crater, dirty but unharmed. He moved quickly, turning into a blur before leaping high toward Orochimaru.

"Orochimaru, witness this earth-shattering ninjutsu!" Jiraiya shouted.

"Hero... Rasengan!!!"

A brilliant sphere of swirling chakra formed in Jiraiya's hand, growing larger and more powerful. The sphere, more than two meters in diameter, surged toward Orochimaru.

"Hero Rasengan!!!" Jiraiya roared.

Orochimaru's expression shifted. "White Snake Technique!" he countered.

A white snake appeared, biting at the Rasengan. The collision resulted in an earth-shattering explosion, a shockwave that blew away many of the battling ninjas.

"Is this what Kage-level ninjas are capable of?" 

"Terrifying!"

"If I faced them, I'd be dead in seconds!"

The ninjas watched in awe, realizing the vast difference in power between Kage-level and Jōnin.

Kazuya, however, remained unaffected. His coat flapped in the wind, but he stood firm, unmoving.

"This... This is what Kage-level should be," Kazuya muttered. "Unlike that fake Hokage."

Golden lights flew towards Kazuya.

**[You picked up 300 Chakra points]** 

**[You picked up 300 Chakra points]** 

**[You picked up 100 points of illusion talent]** 

**[You picked up 100 points of illusion talent]** 

**[Your illusion talent has been upgraded, currently at lv3 (0/1000)]** 

**[You picked up 100 points of Lightning Style talent]** 

**[Your Lightning Style talent has increased in level, currently: lv5 (20/1000)]** 

**[Your Water Style talent has been upgraded...]** 

**[Your Earth Style talent has been upgraded...]**

Continuous golden light, especially dazzling, indicated his gains. Kazuya's Lightning Style, Water Style, and Earth Style talents had fully upgraded. Now his stats were:

**Water Style talent lv4 (50/1000)** 

**Lightning Style talent lv5 (300/1000)** 

**Earth Style talent lv4 (100/1000)**

**Fire Style talent upgraded to full level lv5, rewarding special passive: Fire Style ninjutsu damage increased by 100%.**

Kazuya felt exhilarated. His Fire Style talent was maxed out, doubling his ninjutsu damage. If his other elemental talents reached full potential, his power would be unparalleled. 

He could see a future where his strength might even surpass Uchiha Madara's.

Kazuya also picked up 8000 chakra points. His chakra attributes now were:

**[Chakra: lv4 (79500/100,000)]**

Nearly 80,000 points. In this battle, Kazuya had accumulated nearly 20,000 chakra points, skyrocketing his strength.

He felt he could now suppress Orochimaru himself. 

"Keep it up, warriors. Don't let me down."

Orochimaru, hit by the Hero Rasengan, was bloodied and severely injured. His expression turned colder, eyes flicking toward Kazuya. If Jiraiya wasn't enough, the presence of Kazuya made his escape doubtful.

"Orochimaru, surrender!" Jiraiya demanded. "Return to the village and atone for your sins!"

"Atonement?" Orochimaru sneered. "You will never understand the meaning of life, Jiraiya."

Orochimaru fell to the ground, his eyes cold. "Array of Ten Thousand Snakes!!!"

Countless brown snakes erupted from his mouth, indicating that Orochimaru was ready to fight to the bitter end.