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My Journey as Fourth Kazekage 187
🕑 Added 2025-05-27 16:00:07 +0000 UTCChapter 187: Rasa VS Jiraiya (Part 1)
Why did Jiraiya insist on starting a battle with Rasa here?
The reason was simple: intelligence.
Before arriving, he had already received information from the ANBU back in the village. He learned that Orochimaru had used the Edo Tensei to resurrect the First Hokage, Second Hokage, and the Fourth Kazekage. However, the Kazekage had somehow broken free from the jutsu’s control on his own, severing Orochimaru’s influence.
Though Jiraiya wasn’t a forbidden jutsu enthusiast like Orochimaru, he knew very well what the Edo Tensei entailed—it was a forbidden technique that resurrected the dead.
Which meant the Fourth Kazekage should also be a dead man.
And yet, just look at the man standing in front of him. He didn’t resemble a reanimated corpse in the slightest.
More than that, there was the mysterious ability to absorb chakra, and that strange chakra cluster that looked like a fruit. What was that?
Jiraiya had far too many unanswered questions.
If he allowed this man to return to Sunagakure, he might never get the answers. So naturally, he wasn’t about to pass up this chance. And Jiraiya was very confident in his own strength.
Rasa accepted the challenge because his reasons were simpler. He simply wanted to see what kind of power Jiraiya, one of the strongest shinobi of this generation, truly possessed.
With Orochimaru’s hands now sealed and the Third Hokage dead, Jiraiya was, without question, among the top-tier powerhouses in the current shinobi world.
Following the orders from Rasa and Jiraiya, both sides’ shinobi retreated without hesitation.
When they had fallen back about ten kilometers, Kakashi didn’t even look back as he spoke.
“Sasuke, Naruto, watch this fight carefully. This level of battle defines the strongest in the shinobi world—the strength of a Kage.”
Sasuke and Naruto were taken aback at first, then their expressions turned serious.
One sought revenge against his brother to avenge his clan, the other wanted to become Hokage and earn everyone’s recognition.
At that moment, Sakura could clearly feel herself drifting farther away from her two teammates.
Asuma patted Shikamaru on the shoulder with a look that conveyed encouragement without words.
As for Shino, mature beyond his years, he was already focusing intently on the battle even without his father’s guidance.
On the other side, Kankurō nervously carried his unconscious younger brother Gaara, while Temari stood by looking deeply worried. Baki’s brows were furrowed, his silence representing the mood of Sunagakure’s side.
Perhaps this was why the protagonists became protagonists… while the supporting cast remained just that.
But in the future, everything would change.
Whoosh!
A soft breeze swept through the forest canopy.
Rasa stood upon his cloud of gold dust, facing off against Jiraiya atop the giant Gamabunta.
Since he was seeking information, Jiraiya naturally took the initiative to speak.
“Come to think of it, I’ve fought plenty of skilled Sunagakure shinobi before. I’ve experienced the Iron Sand technique of the Third Kazekage firsthand. I wonder—which is stronger, the Gold Dust technique of the Fourth or the Iron Sand of the Third?”
The first thing Jiraiya needed to confirm was whether the man before him was truly the Fourth Kazekage.
Ninjas could easily disguise themselves, but their techniques, especially something as unique as Sunagakure’s Magnet Release, were far harder to fake.
Kumogakure also possessed a version of Magnet Release, but theirs was a combination of wind and lightning nature transformation. In contrast, Sunagakure’s Magnet Release combined wind and earth.
That created a fundamental difference: Kumogakure’s focused on magnetic force, while Sunagakure’s excelled at manipulating metal.
Of course, Rasa understood what Jiraiya was getting at, and he was more than willing to play along.
“Is that so? In that case, let me show you, Sage of the Toads.”
As he spoke, Rasa brought his hands together in a seal.
“Sage Art: Limit Release—Magnet Release: Quicksand Waterfall!”
Boom!
In an instant, the entire forest began to quake. Even the Konoha and Sunagakure shinobi who had retreated ten kilometers away could feel the earth shaking like a natural disaster had descended. Cracks split across the ground, forming jagged fault lines.
Before they could even comprehend what was happening, the sky darkened. Massive waves of sand, glinting with golden flecks, surged forth like a tide from the distance, hurtling toward Jiraiya to engulf him.
!!!
At that moment, the Konoha genin’s pupils dilated in shock.
When they’d seen Shukaku in its complete form earlier, their entire understanding of the shinobi world’s power had already been shattered. But now—this… this was something else entirely. The full-body Shukaku had only been about fifty meters tall. Yet this sandstorm, laced with gold, towered nearly a hundred meters high, blotting out the sky.
Unlike the Konoha nin, the shinobi of Sunagakure were practically ecstatic.
“So… so powerful!”
“This is the power of the Kazekage?!”
“This kind of power… it must be divine!”
“All hail the Kazekage-sama!”
Even Rasa’s own children, Temari and Kankurō, stood frozen, mouths agape at the overwhelming display of golden sand. Only Baki’s expression remained deeply troubled.
He could confirm this was indeed the Kazekage—no one else could wield Gold Dust—but having grown up under Rasa’s command, Baki knew… the Kazekage had never possessed this level of power before.
And that’s when Kakashi, watching with his Sharingan, suddenly shouted in disbelief.
“Impossible…”
“What is it, Kakashi?” Guy asked, alarmed.
Kakashi’s face was grim, the three tomoe in his left eye spinning rapidly.
“Chakra. I can’t see any chakra from this Kazekage at all!”
“What?!”
At Kakashi’s words, Sasuke, who had also activated his two-tomoe Sharingan, looked toward the swirling storm of gold.
Sure enough, he saw no trace of chakra within the sand.
“What the hell is going on...?”
And of course, Jiraiya, facing Rasa directly, sensed something too.
Staring at the massive tidal wave of golden sand blotting out the sky, Jiraiya’s brows furrowed. He spoke to the toad beneath him.
“Bunta, you feel it too, right?”
“Yeah, Jiraiya-sama. But it’s strange. It’s not chakra, and it’s not natural energy either…”
“Could this be the secret to his resurrection? Never mind, first let’s stop this move. Combination technique!”
“Got it!”
Jiraiya instantly wove hand seals.
“Ninjutsu: Toad Oil Flame Bullet!”
Flames erupted from Jiraiya’s mouth in a blazing torrent. Gamabunta, from atop the battlefield, spewed the special oil of Mount Myōboku, rich in natural energy. The combination of the oil and Jiraiya’s Fire Style burst forth in a wave of fire like a tsunami, painting the entire sky a blazing red.
Even from over ten kilometers away, both Konoha and Sunagakure shinobi could feel the searing heat.
“So… strong!”
Naruto was speechless.
He had always known the Pervy Sage was strong, but until now, he had never truly understood how strong. As he watched the sky ignite in flames, he finally grasped it—and became utterly fired up.
Beside him, Sasuke Uchiha’s face darkened.
Because he knew Jiraiya was Naruto’s teacher. With a mentor like this, Naruto would undoubtedly surpass him soon. Sasuke couldn’t stand it. He clenched his fists in frustration.
But the battle wasn’t going to wait for the musings of young protagonists.
The golden wave of sand and the crimson blaze of fire collided with a thunderous roar.
