Chapter 10: Showers of Golden Light! Think You’re Done Fighting? Not If I Have a Say!

Twenty Jonin.

Two Kage-level warriors.

A battle of this magnitude was something that hadn't been seen since the Great Ninja War.

Jonin wasn't just a dime a dozen. In smaller ninja villages, they might not even have ten Jonin in total.

And now, here they were—locked in a fierce battle.

Kunai and Shuriken clashed with rapid, metallic pings.

Fire Style!

Lightning Style!

Wind Style!

Water Style!

Jutsu after jutsu lit up the battlefield with explosions and flashes of power.

Every combatant was an elite with years of experience, and they displayed all kinds of advanced techniques and clever tricks.

As for Jiraiya and the Fourth Raikage, their close-quarters clash was turning into an all-out slugfest.

Crack! Crack!

The Fourth Raikage roared as he ripped through the strands of Jiraiya's hardened hair, but the tendrils still managed to wrap around his Lightning Release Armor, causing it to spark and strain under the pressure.

It was no joke. In the original story, Jiraiya used the Wild Lion's Mane Jutsu to crush giant summoning beasts. Its power was formidable, even for most Kage-level opponents.

Only the Raikage could hold his own against it.

A weaker Kage-level opponent would have lost half their strength just from that last exchange.

"Lightning Oppression Horizontal!"

The Fourth Raikage roared, swinging his lightning-charged arm in a brutal chop aimed at Jiraiya.

"Swamp of the Underworld!"

Jiraiya countered immediately.

The ground beneath them suddenly turned into a vast, churning mire, swallowing everything in its path.

Trees, boulders, and even the landscape itself began to sink into the swamp.

The dense forest began to collapse into a muddy pit.

Even the advancing Fourth Raikage found himself losing his footing, nearly stumbling into the quagmire.

"Damn you, Jiraiya!"

The Raikage's frustration boiled over, and he pulled back, using his speed to retreat.

If he got trapped in that swamp, even he might not escape unscathed.

"Jiraiya's gotten even stronger than before—I can't underestimate him," the Raikage thought, fury blazing within him.

For a berserker like the Raikage, fighting a versatile, resilient opponent like Jiraiya was beyond frustrating.

Meanwhile, Kazuya, watching from the shadows, felt his excitement grow.

[You have collected 500 Chakra points.]

[You have collected 500 Chakra points.]

[You have collected 300 Chakra points.]

[You have collected 200 combat experience points.]

[You have collected 100 Fire Release talent points.]

[You have collected 100 Lightning Release talent points.]

[You have collected 100 Wind Release talent points.]

[You have collected 100 Taijutsu talent points.]

[You have collected 200 Body Flicker Jutsu experience points.]

[You have collected 200 Substitution Jutsu experience points.]

…

One golden orb after another flew toward Kazuya.

The air was filled with golden light, shining brilliantly.

The sight was mesmerizing.

After all, these weren't just any drops—this was the loot from a battle involving over twenty Jonin and two Kage-level warriors!

The quality was insanely high.

In just this one battle, Kazuya had collected nearly 20,000 Chakra points!

Now, his stats looked like this:

[Chakra: lv4 (33,500/100,000)]

Kazuya's Chakra reserves had surpassed 30,000 points. He was now solidly in the mid-range of Kage-level power.

And the golden orbs kept coming.

[You have collected Nintaijutsu: Lightning Release Chakra Mode.]

[You have collected 1,000 points of Lightning Release Chakra Mode experience.]

The energy crackling through the air felt almost tangible, and Kazuya couldn't help but feel a thrill run through him.

[Your Lightning Release Chakra Mode has leveled up. Current level: lv2 (0/1000).]

Kazuya now had access to the Hidden Cloud's secret Nintaijutsu, along with a wealth of new talents and jutsu. His skills were growing at a rapid pace.

[Your Fire Release talent has leveled up. Current level: Fire Release Talent: lv5 (200/1000).]

[Your Lightning Release talent has leveled up. Current level: Lightning Release Talent: lv4 (300/1000).]

[Your Water Release talent…]

His talents surged, leveling up one after another.

Water Release Talent: lv3 (100/1000)!

Earth Release Talent: lv3 (100/1000)!

Wind Release Talent: lv3 (900/1000)!

With the exception of Wind Release, all his elemental talents had jumped a level, marking a significant power boost.

In an instant, Kazuya's combat power had nearly doubled.

Just as expected, he thought, the quality of the drops from real combat is far superior to everyday training in the Anbu.

He was now at a solid mid-Kage level. Within the Anbu, he stood head and shoulders above the rest—even other division captains or Uchiha Shisui wouldn't be able to match him easily.

"Though, Shisui might be a different story…" Kazuya mused, frowning slightly.

The Mangekyo Sharingan, Kotoamatsukami…

Such a troublesome Uchiha ability.

Unfortunately, there hadn't been any illusion specialists among the Jonin in this fight, so he hadn't been able to pick up many Genjutsu talents.

Behind his mask, Kazuya's gaze drifted to Kurenai.

She was destined to become one of Konoha's strongest Genjutsu users in the future, a true master in the art.

She… might have a lot of potential to unlock!

Still, while he hadn't gotten much in terms of Genjutsu, Kazuya had maxed out his Taijutsu talent.

[Your Taijutsu talent has reached the maximum level: lv5. You've gained a special talent: Enhanced Reflexes.]

[Enhanced Reflexes: Increases the strength of your neural pathways and greatly enhances your reaction speed.]

"Oh?" Kazuya murmured to himself.

Enhanced Reflexes—this was a significant boost for any ninja.

It was this kind of reflex speed that had made Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, a legend. Without such reaction times, even the Flying Thunder God technique wouldn't have made him nearly as formidable.

This is impressive.

It seemed that reaching the maximum level for a talent came with unique rewards.

I wonder… Will maxing out my elemental talents also unlock special abilities?

The thought filled Kazuya with anticipation.

Meanwhile, the vast Swamp of the Underworld technique had transformed over a hundred meters of forest into a sinking quagmire, forcing the battling ninjas from both sides to pause and reposition themselves.

In the Hidden Mist ranks, a Jonin named Ao—bearing the Byakugan—stood next to a young kunoichi with striking green eyes and auburn curls that fell over one side of her face, obscuring her right eye. Despite the partial cover, she radiated an undeniable charm.

"This isn't working," she muttered with a frown. "Our cover is blown. If we drag this out any longer, we'll be surrounded by the Leaf's reinforcements."

She glanced into the shadows among the distant trees.

There, another squad of ninja remained hidden, watching and waiting for the right moment to strike.

This…

Even the younger version of Mei Terumi couldn't help but feel a chill in her chest.

They're like predators—waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

The arrival of the Swamp of the Underworld brought a temporary halt to the combat, with both sides entering a tense standoff. The battlefield was filled with minor injuries, but no fatalities—so far.

It was clear that, despite the fighting, both sides were holding back. No one was going all out.

Jiraiya and the Fourth Raikage were present. With neither gaining a decisive edge, the outcome of the lower-ranking ninjas mattered little in the grand scheme.

"Hah!" Behind his mask, Kazuya let out a derisive snort.

Stop fighting?

That won't do!

If they stop, what happens to all my precious drops?!

Time to take matters into his own hands. His gaze settled firmly on the Fourth Raikage.