Chapter 405: Extermination Battle, Part II
As time passed, Izuna Uchiha furrowed his brow, sensing the enormous chakra building within Jiraiya.
"We can't let this continue… if he keeps this up, he might actually disrupt my brother."
Making his decision, Izuna's Susano'o lifted a massive arm, summoning the Yasaka Magatama, a technique composed of three interlocking tomoe. The sheer power of the attack filled the air with an oppressive tension, causing Jiraiya to tense up. This attack required precise setup and couldn't be used on the move, but Jiraiya had a plan.
His upper clothing tore away, revealing the mechanical arms that extended from his back.
"Asura Path: Mechanized Armor! Asura Assault Mode!"
With an explosive clash, their attacks collided, creating a dense cloud of dust that obscured Izuna's view.
"Enough of this… disperse!" Izuna waved his hand, instantly clearing the area. His expression darkened as he saw the dark orb of chakra in Jiraiya's hands. Izuna recognized it immediately, thanks to Madara's teachings on the Rinnegan's powers.
"Chibaku Tensei!"
Izuna's mind raced. If Jiraiya planned to use Chibaku Tensei to disrupt Madara's Universal Pull, he might actually succeed both techniques wielded tremendous gravitational forces, with Chibaku Tensei being one of the Rinnegan's most powerful gravitational abilities. Izuna's resolve hardened as he thought, This must not succeed. He silently cursed his own pride, realizing he should have intervened sooner. The arrogance of the Uchiha Clan had again left him vulnerable.
But every technique, no matter how powerful, has a weakness. As Jiraiya's Chibaku Tensei core ascended into the sky, casting an ominous black glow, Izuna seized upon a counter.
"Any jutsu relies on maintaining its structural integrity. If we can unleash enough force to break it apart, we can disrupt its power," Izuna muttered. He activated his Susano'o, forming a towering avatar with four arms, each holding a Yasaka Magatama. Channeling his immense chakra, he sent the attack hurtling skyward toward Jiraiya's Chibaku Tensei.
The two powers collided in a blinding flash of white light, generating a shockwave that reverberated through the landscape, shaking the very edges of the barrier containing the battlefield.
Observers across the Hanhai Empire who witnessed this spectacle erupted in cheers, for they believed the Empire's enemies had been decisively defeated.
Watching his powerful jutsu disintegrate before his eyes, Jiraiya felt a bitter sense of despair. Over half of his chakra had been drained in creating the Chibaku Tensei, and it had been dismantled with ease.
"Is this truly the end for the shinobi world?" he whispered, closing his eyes in defeat.
Izuna reverted his Susano'o to its armored form, confident his brother would want to confront Jiraiya himself. But as he heard Jiraiya's whispered words, he couldn't help but laugh.
"What's so funny?" Jiraiya asked, his voice heavy with resignation.
Izuna's face twisted into a mocking sneer. "What's so funny? You, Jiraiya."
Incensed, Jiraiya retorted, "You're nothing but a lapdog to an evil god! Can you not see the future of suffering and despair you've brought upon the shinobi world? It's nothing more than a pasture where humans are livestock for a tyrant."
At Jiraiya's words, Izuna smirked, but the scorn in his gaze intensified. "You're deluded, Jiraiya. I read your file what a lonely, empty life you lead. You betrayed your village, forsook your friends, and all for a prophecy told by a bunch of animals. And here you are now, alone."
"Shut up! Those toads are not just animals; they are revered sages!" Jiraiya snapped back.
Izuna only sighed, shaking his head. "Ah, right. Sure, they are. If you say so."
His indifferent response hit Jiraiya hard, and his frustration reached its breaking point. Letting loose his remaining chakra, Jiraiya charged at Izuna, deciding that if he couldn't bring down Madara, he would take down his brother instead.
"Sage Art: Deva Path, Shinra Tensei!"
"Susano'o: Yata Mirror!"
Their clash resonated across the battlefield, each movement leaving waves of destruction in its wake. But Izuna maintained a defensive stance, with Jiraiya's enhanced powers barely leaving a scratch on his Susano'o.
With his chakra reserves nearly empty, Jiraiya dropped to one knee, gasping for breath.
"You… you'll regret this," he muttered bitterly.
Izuna stepped forward, gazing down at Jiraiya with unmasked contempt.
"A man who charges forward without understanding the true strength of his opponent? Foolish bravery. A man who blindly follows the words of animals without questioning? Utter stupidity. And a man who, despite his ties to the Leaf Village, has no allies left to stand with him? You're nothing but a misguided outcast clinging to an outdated era. And you call yourself the last true shinobi?"
Jiraiya struggled to speak, his voice laced with exhaustion and despair. "You call it stupidity… but I am the last of the shinobi. The end of this path will lead to your own ruin."
Izuna let out a harsh laugh. "Your path has ended, Jiraiya. The era of the shinobi is over. You are a relic of a time that has no place in this world."
(End of Chapter)
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