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My Journey as Fourth Kazekage Chapter 28
🕑 Added 2025-01-19 10:37:03 +0000 UTCChapter 28: Rasa VS Jiraiya (Part 3)
Rasa was determined not to let Jiraiya enter Sage Mode, and the reason was simple—if Jiraiya activated it, Rasa would be completely outmatched and swiftly defeated.
Despite Rasa's position as Kazekage and his formidable power as a Kage-level ninja, along with the enhancements provided by the [Kāma Seal] that absorbed Shukaku’s chakra and Star Chakra, pushing him beyond the average Kage level… Jiraiya was already at the peak of Kage-level strength without needing to rely on Sage Mode.
But if Jiraiya did activate it? That would push him far beyond Kage's level into a realm of power that was simply unreachable for Rasa. At that point, Rasa would have no chance of victory.
As it stood, Rasa was already being outclassed by Jiraiya in nearly every aspect, aside from the genjutsu he had yet to unleash. In some areas, he was vastly inferior—particularly when it came to Summoning Jutsu.
So, despite the risk, Rasa had to act first. He needed to take the initiative.
Jiraiya noticed this move and grinned.
“Oh? Is he actually closing the distance?”
To be honest, Jiraiya wasn’t confident in his mastery of Sage Mode. Activating it required substantial time to gather natural chakra. Moreover, he usually had to summon the elder toads to help maintain it. But after witnessing Gamaken’s sealing earlier, Jiraiya was reluctant to rely too much on the toads.
So, when Rasa charged in for a close-quarters fight, Jiraiya felt a wave of relief.
“This guy… don’t tell me he actually understands Sage Mode?!”
BAM!
As soon as the two clashed in close combat, Jiraiya instantly confirmed his suspicions.
Rasa was terrible at taijutsu. He wasn’t even remotely close to Tsunade’s level.
Which meant… Jiraiya didn’t need Sage Mode at all.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Their battle shifted from explosive ninjutsu to a brutal melee exchange. In the thick forest, they traded punches and kicks, with Rasa struggling to keep up.
The disparity in skill was glaring. While Jiraiya moved with speed, fluidity, and power, Rasa was barely able to react, constantly on the defensive just to stay in the fight.
Inevitably, Rasa began to fall behind.
“Kid, your taijutsu is pathetic!”
Jiraiya taunted, finding an opening. With a smirk, he landed a powerful kick square into Rasa’s abdomen. Unlike Tsunade’s immense strength, Jiraiya’s raw power was still far beyond most shinobi.
Rasa was blasted backward like a ragdoll, crashing through the trees. But Jiraiya quickly noticed something strange.
“Hm?”
As Rasa hit the ground and regained his footing, he was completely unharmed. Instead of showing signs of injury, cracks formed along his body, from which golden sand began to seep out.
Jiraiya’s eyes narrowed in realization.
“A sand armor, huh? Damn, you’re just like a damn turtle!”
He smirked.
“But how long can you keep this up?”
Without hesitation, Jiraiya charged forward again. By now, he had a solid understanding of Rasa’s taijutsu skills. And now that he knew Rasa’s weaknesses, there was no reason to hold back.
After all, Jiraiya was a taijutsu master in his own right!
His speed was astonishing, so fast that the human eye could barely follow him. In the blink of an eye, Jiraiya closed the gap and was right in front of Rasa, his fist speeding toward his face.
But just before the punch landed, a sudden, ominous surge of chakra erupted from Rasa’s body.
Jiraiya’s instincts flared, and he immediately recognized that something was wrong.
"What!"
In that instant, Rasa vanished from right in front of him.
Jiraiya’s reflexes were razor-sharp, and he quickly spun around, already preparing to block the strike coming from behind.
Boom!
Rasa, now enveloped in Star Chakra, landed a crushing kick to Jiraiya’s arm. The immense force caught Jiraiya off guard, leaving him momentarily stunned.
Bang!
Jiraiya was sent flying over a hundred meters, struggling to dissipate the force in his arm. He regained his footing and looked up, seeing that Rasa had entered a peculiar new form. His body was now wrapped in a dense layer of chakra armor.
"What happened to his taijutsu? Why is it suddenly so much stronger? Was he pretending to be weak this whole time? No, wait... this is?"
Jiraiya’s mind raced as he recalled an opponent from the past—the Third Raikage of Kumogakure, who used the Lightning Chakra Mode. In an instant, Jiraiya realized the source of Rasa’s newfound strength.
"Chakra activation? This is troublesome!"
Though Jiraiya had encountered similar power boosts before, the surge of power from Rasa was unlike anything he had faced in a while.
Still, Rasa also suppressed his excitement. He knew that while the Star Chakra Mode provided a temporary increase in strength, it came at a cost. It was fine for short bursts, but prolonged use could seriously damage his body.
With no time to waste, Rasa didn’t hesitate.
Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, his figure disappeared from its previous spot. Now, in terms of speed, Rasa was on par with Jiraiya’s earlier movements.
"So fast!"
Jiraiya muttered under his breath, surprised. He immediately prepared to counter.
Thankfully, Jiraiya was no stranger to Tsunade’s relentless beatings. So, although Rasa’s enhanced physical abilities, thanks to the chakra mode, were now comparable to his own, Jiraiya managed to stay calm and focused.
But the situation was becoming increasingly complicated.
Jutsu didn’t seem to have much effect on Rasa, and now his taijutsu was closing the gap. Jiraiya wasn’t particularly skilled in genjutsu, and as for chakra, neither of them showed any signs of exhaustion after such a lengthy fight. When it came to summoning beasts, Jiraiya couldn’t afford to rely on them either.
So the question remained: If Jiraiya attempted to use Sage Mode, would Rasa give him the chance to do so?
"This is troublesome!"
At this point, Jiraiya could only hope that Rasa’s chakra mode wouldn’t last much longer.
---
Meanwhile, back at the Konoha camp, the situation was rapidly worsening.
From the moment the Sunagakure ninja launched their surprise attack, the Konohagakure forces had been on the defensive.
First, Rasa’s Sand Shuriken unleashed widespread destruction, especially impacting the lower-ranked ninjas like Chunins and Genins. While the higher-ranking ninja could dodge the assault, those of lower ranks weren’t so fortunate.
After Rasa’s initial barrage, the Sunagakure ninja kept up their relentless offensive, plunging Konoha’s forces into chaos.
Minato immediately sprang into action, ready to counterattack, but before he could make his move, a blinding fireball shot toward him.
It was Pakura, the Scorch Release user from Sunagakure.
Normally, Minato would be in his element when facing a close-combat ninja like Pakura. However, her Scorch Release was the perfect counter for someone who preferred close-quarters combat. It had the terrifying ability to evaporate the moisture in a ninja’s body upon contact, turning it into a dry, lifeless husk.
Minato hadn’t yet mastered the Nine-Tails' chakra form or Sage Mode, so he couldn’t afford to take her Scorch Release lightly.
Moreover, Minato sensed that Pakura was highly familiar with his techniques. His Flying Thunder God Technique was useless against her, and using Rasengan to finish her off was no longer an option.
Feeling a sense of helplessness, Minato had no idea that Pakura was more nervous than he was at that moment.
Pakura now understood why Rasa held the blonde-haired ninja in such high regard. The Flying Thunder God Technique was a space-time ninjutsu, and it was far more terrifying than she had anticipated. The sheer speed of Minato’s near-instantaneous space jumps made him a deadly opponent. Had it not been for Rasa’s intel, she would have been killed multiple times over by now. At this point, Pakura was pouring all of her energy into facing Minato.
"I can’t let this go on!"
As a proud shinobi of Sunagakure, she refused to let herself fail.
If, before today, she had felt overwhelmed by Minato’s skills, now she had found a way to overcome him. She had Rasa to thank for giving her the power and the Peacock Mystic Art the day before.
Suddenly, a remark Rasa had made to her and Michikawa earlier flashed in her mind.
“The future of the village…?! In that case, I’ll go all in!”
With resolve in her heart, she formed a series of hand seals.
"Scorch Release Chakra Mode!"
