Chapter 147: Jiraiya—Why Does Your Sage Mode Take So Long to Prepare?

Back and forth they went.

With every move Uchiha Akira made, his prowess as a Kage-level shinobi was evident—effortless and commanding. Whether it was dealing with Naruto's Shadow Clone Jutsu, his Rasengan, or even his taijutsu, Akira's three-tomoe Sharingan allowed him to see it all clearly, responding with ease.

As the saying goes, "An expert's skill is apparent at first glance."

Although it seemed neither of them had yet unleashed their full power, the details in their exchanges revealed a lot to the onlookers.

"This kid... Seven years have passed, and his strength has indeed grown. With what he's showing now, he's at least as strong as we are," Jiraiya commented, his tone full of awe.

He recalled how they had once assessed the power levels of Kage-level shinobi, estimating the strength of the Legendary Sannin to be around 30,000 to 40,000 units. Now, the abilities Akira displayed didn't fall short of that at all. And to think he was only fourteen years old!

"Indeed, it's impressive. Truly a remarkable improvement, especially considering he spent these seven years in his dragon transformation, without any actual training," Orochimaru agreed, his eyes fixed intently on Akira.

So this is what a snake's evolution into a dragon looks like? The overall enhancement in his speed, strength, reaction time, and defense... everything has drastically improved!

"And Akira hasn't even used the Eight Gates yet!" Might Guy added, chiming in with his own observation.

"So what? Naruto hasn't tapped into the Nine-Tails' chakra yet!" Jiraiya, while impressed by Akira's strength, couldn't help but root for Naruto. After all, Naruto was his student, and Jiraiya had money riding on him!

Meanwhile, the others continued to quietly discuss the battle. After exchanging blows for a while, Akira and Naruto both launched a powerful punch at each other.

There were no fancy tricks, just a raw clash of strength. Akira's fist collided with Naruto's, and the impact sent Naruto flying backward as if he had been hit by a freight train. He soared over ten meters before flipping midair to land on his feet, though the force still dragged his legs through the dirt, carving deep trenches into the ground.

"What incredible strength!" Naruto thought to himself as he shook off the numbness in his arm, silently marveling at Akira's power.

"Impressive... So this is the strength of a body transformed into a dragon? It's even stronger than the Uzumaki Clan's physique!" Orochimaru was inwardly ecstatic, watching as Akira's raw physical power clearly outmatched Naruto's.

The chakra of the Uzumaki Clan was legendary for its power throughout the shinobi world. And where does chakra come from? It's a fusion of mental and physical energy. If the Uchiha Clan represented the peak of mental power, then the Uzumaki Clan was the pinnacle of physical strength. Yet today, an Uchiha had surpassed an Uzumaki in a contest of raw physical power. This was the power of a dragon!

"Such terrifying physical strength!" Even Might Guy couldn't help but voice his amazement. "I always called myself the Blue Beast of Konoha, but Akira's physique is more like that of a true beast!"

"A beast? You should call it the physique of the king of beasts—a dragon!" Orochimaru glanced at Might Guy, internally scoffing at his lack of imagination.

"Akira, I'm going to get serious now!" Naruto announced after several rounds of exchanges where his taijutsu, shadow clones, and even Giant Rasengan had all proven ineffective.

As he spoke, a malevolent red chakra began to emanate from Naruto's body, filled with an ominous and evil presence. The chakra quickly formed a cloak around him, taking on the shape of a fox, complete with two blood-red tails.

"So, he's tapping into the Nine-Tails' chakra now?" Akira noted calmly as he observed Naruto's transformation.

"Only two tails? Didn't you say you could handle four? Are you underestimating me?" Akira's expression remained indifferent, seemingly unfazed by the sinister chakra before him.

"Let's start slow," Naruto replied, his tone relaxed as he stood cloaked in the Tailed Beast's chakra.

"Looks like he's really underestimating me. Well then, I'll show him just how vast the difference between us really is!" Akira thought, feeling slightly insulted by Naruto's caution.

Naruto wasn't going all out, obviously trying to avoid hurting Akira. But it still felt like he was being underestimated. Taking a deep breath, Akira decided to activate Sage Mode.

As Akira entered Sage Mode, Jiraiya immediately sensed the immense natural energy gathering around him, focusing on Akira.

"Sage Mode? He's finally going to use it?" Jiraiya's eyes widened as he felt the shift in natural energy.

In just a few breaths, Akira's body was surrounded by a blue chakra that flickered like flames. His entire form glowed with a blue aura, and the sheer magnitude of his chakra now surpassed even Naruto's.

"This is Sage Mode from Ryūchi Cave!?" Orochimaru and the others couldn't take their eyes off Akira's transformation.

Meanwhile, Akira's body moved like lightning, so fast that even the experienced shinobi watching had trouble keeping up. In an instant, Naruto was sent flying again, this time hurtling over a hundred meters through the air. The impact was so powerful it nearly tore his Tailed Beast cloak apart.

Kakashi silently pushed up his forehead protector, revealing his Sharingan. Similarly, Akira's grandfather and Keiko activated their three-tomoe Sharingan as well.

Under Sage Mode, Akira's power had skyrocketed, and they could barely track his movements.

After sending Naruto flying, Akira pursued him without hesitation. One punch, two punches, three punches, ten punches…

With the power of Sage Mode, Akira felt his strength elevate across the board. Naruto, on the other hand, had become little more than a punching bag, unable to keep up. Even his movements were slower than the speed at which Akira was sending him flying.

This was the very definition of a one-sided beating.

In this lopsided battle, with Naruto, the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, being treated like a mere training dummy, everyone watching was struck by the overwhelming power Akira now wielded.

Even though Akira was holding back to avoid seriously injuring Naruto, the barrage of attacks still left Naruto feeling battered and bruised. As the fight continued, the chakra inside Naruto surged, drawing out more of the Nine-Tails' power, and a third tail emerged.

But it didn't matter. Even with three tails, Naruto was still being pummeled. Soon, a fourth tail appeared, representing the peak of the power he could currently control from the Nine-Tails.

Boom!

As Naruto was sent flying once again, he managed to manipulate the Nine-Tails' chakra to form a massive arm, as large as a truck, which he hurled at Akira with all his might.

Bam!

Akira raised his fist, meeting the giant chakra-formed arm head-on. Despite the vast difference in size, Akira didn't budge an inch, stopping the colossal attack dead in its tracks. It was as if a normal human had halted an oncoming truck with just their hand.

But Akira wasn't done. After blocking the attack, he disappeared in a blur, reappearing right in front of Naruto, and unleashed another punch.

Naruto desperately used the Nine-Tails' chakra to form a shield, trying to defend himself, but Akira's punch shattered the shield like glass. It was as if he was tearing apart a cloak, stripping away the Tailed Beast's chakra that had enveloped Naruto.

The force of the punch landed squarely on Naruto's chest, sending him tumbling across the ground. When he finally came to a stop, he struggled for a long moment, but couldn't get back on his feet.

"Tsunade, I think Akira's strength might be even greater than your superhuman strength!" Jiraiya commented as he observed the sheer power Akira had displayed.

"Jiraiya, why does your Sage Mode take so long to prepare, when Akira can do it so quickly?" Tsunade retorted, casting a sharp glance at him.

Jiraiya was left speechless.

There was nothing he could say to that. How could he explain it? That Akira's Sage Mode was just more refined, more advanced than his own?

"The fight's over. Looks like I'm going to win a little something here!" Orochimaru said, ignoring his bickering companions and smiling at his impending victory.

"Hahaha!" Tsunade burst out laughing, unable to contain her joy. She had actually won a bet? That was an outcome she had almost never experienced, and she couldn't be happier!

"Cough, cough… I haven't lost yet!" Naruto interrupted, clutching his chest as he forced himself to stand.

This was just a sparring match, but Naruto had no intention of conceding so easily.

"I've still got one last move!" Naruto announced, determination burning in his eyes. "I've been secretly practicing this technique even longer than the Rasengan!"

"Akira, let's settle this with one final attack!"

With those words, Naruto formed a hand seal, and with a loud bang, a cloud of smoke erupted around him…

************

<Next 3000 goal is power stones>

Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 197 at patreon.com/Emik01.

*********