Looking at the explosion in the distance, which resembled fireworks, Sasuke, wearing his cloak, turned around. In front of him stood Nadare Rouga.
Nadare Rouga’s expression was somewhat grim. Although his gaze remained fixed on Sasuke, he couldn’t help but glance at Jiraiya on the other side from time to time.
It was this unremarkable old man who had instantly knocked out the seven Snow Ninjas, leaving only Nadare Rouga standing. From the aura around them, it was clear those Snow Ninjas were dead.
The chakra armor on the Snow Ninjas was just low-grade gear made from scrap material. Even so, it had the ability to block Genjutsu and Ninjutsu. And yet, this old man managed to take down seven ninjas in a single instant with Taijutsu.
Nadare Rouga’s mood darkened. This guy was nothing like he seemed on the outside. This old man absolutely had the power to defeat him, and probably even to take on Lord Goutou as well.
Weren’t the three legendary ninjas supposed to be so old that they couldn’t even use the power of a Jonin anymore? Why was this guy’s power far beyond any Jonin he’d ever met?
Was this really reasonable?
Nadare Rouga felt like running away right then, but clearly, his opponents wouldn’t give him that chance. Sasuke stood in front, Jiraiya at the side. If he tried to run, both of them would stop him. If they both attacked together, he wouldn’t even have a chance to escape.
Damn it, I miscalculated.
Sasuke squinted his eyes, and a lightning aura appeared on his left hand. He charged straight at Nadare Rouga and said, "You dare space out while fighting me?"
Nadare Rouga’s eyes narrowed. He formed hand seals, and a wall of ice and snow appeared in front of him. Sasuke didn’t slow down at all, slamming his Chidori directly into the ice wall. In barely an instant, the ice wall shattered completely.
Nadare Rouga gritted his teeth as he watched. The power of Chidori was indeed more than he had expected. Unable to avoid it, he decided to face it head-on.
To avoid being caught off guard by Jiraiya, he didn’t dare use too many Ninjutsu. Instead, he reached into his Ninja Tools pouch and pulled out a Kunai, preparing to fight Sasuke.
No matter how arrogant this guy was, he was still a Jonin. The Taijutsu exchange lasted no more than half a minute before Nadare Rouga found a flaw in Sasuke’s defense, kicking him back.
"Ice Release: Ice Dragon Fierce Tiger!"
Seeing Sasuke fly back, Nadare Rouga knew he couldn’t miss this opportunity. Without hesitation, he formed hand seals, and ice and snow gathered in front of him, forming into a massive tiger that roared and charged at Sasuke.
Sasuke steadied himself midair, and the cursed seal activated under his control, covering his body in black markings almost instantly. The second stage of the cursed seal took a little time to fully activate.
Sasuke twisted his body, and his Sharingan reflected Nadare Rouga’s movements. He quickly formed hand seals, completing his Ninjutsu just before the giant tiger reached him: "Fire Release: Fireball Jutsu!"
The intense heat of the flames clashed with the cold of the ice, creating a cloud of smoke that obscured their vision. Nadare Rouga stood still, still wary of Jiraiya.
Sasuke landed on the ground, the shattered ice mixed with flames, hissing as it hit the snow.
The cursed seal markings deepened, and dark wings spread out from his back. Sasuke squinted at Nadare Rouga and asked, "Are you worried that the perverted sage might attack you?"
Nadare Rouga didn’t respond, but from his expression, Sasuke knew the answer. He chuckled lightly, "If the perverted sage wanted to attack you, you wouldn’t last even a round. So don’t worry, he won’t make a move. Your opponent right now is me. Once you defeat me, even if you leave, the perverted sage won’t stop you."
Of course, if Nadare Rouga really went for the kill, Jiraiya wouldn’t just stand by and watch.
Nadare Rouga frowned, seemingly tempted. "How can you prove what you’re saying?"
"Heh." Sasuke sneered, "I’m really curious how long you guys in the Land of Snow have been living in isolation, to say such stupid things. Anyone with a brain can tell that now, your only option is to defeat me. Unless, of course, you want to die at the hands of the perverted Sage."
It had to be said, that was indeed a foolish thing to say.
Nadare Rouga knew it too, but he couldn’t stop himself from asking. He didn’t want to die, and especially not at the hands of a mere genin.
Thinking this, he turned to look at Jiraiya, a murderous intent rising in his eyes. Then he shifted his gaze back to Sasuke and released the full pressure of a jonin’s aura. "If that’s the case, you better be ready to be killed by me."
"I’ve been ready," Sasuke said.
As soon as he finished speaking, Sasuke’s figure suddenly vanished from his spot. The power granted by the cursed seal and chakra allowed his Taijutsu and Ninjutsu to reach their peak. Now wasn’t the time to hold back.
"Lightning Release · Chidori!"
The sound of a thousand birds chirping echoed through the snow. This Chidori was far more violent than before, but the sound was quieter than before. Sasuke’s Chidori was now almost on the level of Raikiri.
"Ice Style · Thorn Forest!" (Original)
Nadare Rouga stomped on the snow, and with the sound of the ground cracking, countless ice spikes erupted from the ground. More spikes branched off from them, creating a dense, thorny forest that surrounded Sasuke completely.
Sasuke looked at this calmly, his face unchanged.
As the ice thorns rushed at him, he thrust his Chidori directly at them. The sound of ice shattering filled the air as the entire thorny forest was destroyed in an instant.
Nadare Rouga watched this scene, a mocking smile appearing on his cold face. He didn’t avoid the Chidori. Instead, like last time, he extended his right hand, holding a kunai in his left hand, and placed his right hand directly in front of the Chidori.
This guy is trying to block Ninjutsu with his chakra armor again!
Sasuke quickly understood, but there was no time to think further. His Chidori collided with the wall of chakra armor.
In an instant, lightning erupted, like a thunderbolt striking the snow. Countless snowflakes flew into the air, and the powerful force almost evaporated the ice and snow!
But... I won! Nadare Rouga grinned cruelly. He watched the light of the Chidori fade before his eyes, and without hesitation, reached out to grab Sasuke. His kunai aimed straight at Sasuke’s neck.
The crystals on his chakra armor seemed to crack, but on closer inspection, they were completely unharmed.
Sasuke’s face grew a bit more serious. With the enemy holding him, even a substitution technique wouldn’t work. Seeing the kunai about to strike him, Sasuke swung his wings from behind him, using them as a shield to protect himself.
The kunai pierced into his wing, and Sasuke gritted his teeth, enduring the pain. His Sharingan spun, and with a powerful push of his legs, he broke free from Nadare Rouga’s grip.
After the clash, the two separated again.
Sasuke knelt on the ground, glancing at the kunai stuck in his wing. His face became colder.
Nadare Rouga looked at the intact crystals on his armor and his cold smile grew wider. "You’re still far from Kakashi."
"You’re not even worthy of being compared to Kakashi." Sasuke pulled the kunai from his wing and tossed it to the ground, his expression icy. "Your chakra armor has its limits. How many Chidori do you think you can take?"
"Hmph." Nadare Rouga smiled confidently. "At least for now, you can’t break it."
"Is that so?" Sasuke murmured softly, a smirk unconsciously curling at the corner of his mouth.
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