Want to read ahead? Join my Patreon for just $7 to get early access to upcoming chapters!
> > Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations <<
----------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 68: The Clash of Sages and Cherry Blossoms
The converging torrent of Senbonzakura rushed toward Jiraiya.
Watching Yuichi's attack, Jiraiya instantly wove signs.
"Sage Art: Hair Needle Senbon!"
Jiraiya's hair hardened instantly and shot out at high speed, aiming directly at the wave of Senbonzakura. The hair, behaving like slender silver needles, gathered into a counter-torrent.
On the duel arena, two streams of light—one pink, one white—clashed violently like rushing water meeting a dam.
Boom!
An astonishing roar echoed. The silver hair needles hammered against Yuichi's blades. The torrents of different colors ground against each other, bursting with the symphonic screech of metal on metal.
Shockwaves rippled outward. Yuichi's Senbonzakura was blocked.
Jiraiya slowly stood up straight. His gaze seemed to convey a message: Now, I am no longer afraid of your attack!
Do you think you are a sure winner just because you turned on Sage Mode? Yuichi sneered internally.
His eyes sharpened. The Senbonzakura that had rolled up behind him turned into three streamers of light, interlacing as they swept toward Jiraiya again.
In the blink of an eye, the blades reached Jiraiya.
Jiraiya turned slightly, letting the stream of Senbonzakura gallop past him by a hair's breadth.
In the next second, another torrent swept under his feet. Countless blade fragments slashed toward his legs. He jumped up, dodging the attack again.
The Senbonzakura adjusted in the air, locking onto him head-on.
But in the next second, Jiraiya raised his right hand, majestic Senjutsu Chakra gathering in his palm.
"Sage Art: Massive Rasengan!"
Boom!!
He slammed the sphere of energy into the Senbonzakura in front of him. Ding, ding, ding! The blade fragments were frantically bounced off.
Landing, Jiraiya took a step and accelerated toward Yuichi.
Yuichi's eyes locked onto Jiraiya's figure. With a thought, countless blade fragments chased Jiraiya from behind.
Boom!!
A hole was punched into the ground where Jiraiya had just been, but his figure had vanished just before impact.
Shua!
In a sudden burst of speed, Jiraiya closed the distance. He spanned ten meters in an instant, holding the Massive Rasengan fueled by Senjutsu Chakra, heading straight for Yuichi.
Hands up! Yuichi crossed his arms, commanding Senbonzakura to intercept.
The torrent rolled up from both sides like a massive wave, attempting to strangle Jiraiya in a pincer movement. The flood of blades nearly blocked Jiraiya's path completely.
"Sage Art: Wind Style!"
Boom!!
A sudden burst of wind from Fukasaku's mouth broke through the wave of Senbonzakura. The force of the storm nearly blew Yuichi away. Fortunately, Yuichi condensed a large number of blades in front of him just in time to withstand the impact.
Through the gap in the blades, Yuichi saw Fukasaku on Jiraiya's back. The storm spewed by the old toad was incredibly powerful.
Jiraiya's performance stunned everyone. He continuously evaded the strangulation of Senbonzakura, his speed completely different from before.
"This guy's getting faster!"
"Not only has his speed increased, he seems to be able to sense Yuichi's attacks! He makes evasive moves in advance every time!"
People in the One Piece World found it incredible. This guy just summoned two talking toads, yet his combat power had skyrocketed. How did two small toads grant such strength?
The ninjas watched Jiraiya, Rasengan in hand, dodging yet another attack and rushing to within ten meters of Yuichi.
"Is this Sage Mode? So strong!"
"What exactly is Sage Mode?"
Although the Konoha Shinobi present knew the term, they couldn't explain the mechanics clearly, as the technique was legendary and rare.
Fourth Raikage Ay frowned. "Sage Mode! The power from Mount Myōboku! It's truly powerful, turning a ninja's strength upside down in an instant. Is the power of natural energy so terrifying?"
In Konoha Village, seeing Jiraiya display such prowess made Kakashi and the others smile.
"Is this Master Jiraiya's Sage Mode? What a powerful force. As expected of the Toad Sage!"
The eyes of the people from the Ninja World shone with hope.
Conversely, the people of the Pirate World began to worry. Just when it looked like Yuichi was about to eliminate the Sannin consecutively and secure victory, the opponent activated a stronger power. It was hard to accept that victory might slip away at the last moment.
Bang! Bang!!
Senbonzakura rushed to intercept Jiraiya just five meters from Yuichi.
This time, Jiraiya didn't completely avoid the attack. However, under the protection of the Senjutsu Chakra cloak, the Senbonzakura shards hit Jiraiya's body without causing significant damage.
In Sage Mode, the user's attack and defense were drastically enhanced, not just their ninjutsu output.
Realizing the blades were causing less damage, Jiraiya accelerated, completely ignoring the fragments scraping across his body. In the final few meters, he burst forward.
In an instant, the Senbonzakura spreading from under Yuichi's feet rose up, forming a spherical shape that enveloped Yuichi completely—identical to the defense he used against Orochimaru's assault earlier.
Seeing this trick again, Orochimaru, who had returned to the Konoha spectator area, laughed. "This is the last line of defense..."
At this moment, Jiraiya seemed to hear Orochimaru's voice. Wielding the Rasengan, he smashed hard into the defensive barrier formed by Senbonzakura.
BOOM!!!
An ear-piercing roar erupted, accompanied by a blinding flash.
Everyone leaned forward, squinting to see through the glare.
Crack... The defenses were breached. The huge spherical shield exploded outward.
Yuichi stood exposed as Jiraiya broke through the Senbonzakura and stepped into the Hurtless Area.
Waving the Rasengan, Jiraiya brought it down toward Yuichi.
The light of the Rasengan engulfed Yuichi's figure completely.
Then came the explosion.
Dazzling white light burst out, consuming the screen. The people in the Pirate World lowered their heads powerlessly, sighing in disappointment.
.....
Support this fanfict by leaving a Review, Comments, and Power Stones.
For Advance Chapters:
> Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations