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However, Jiraiya didn't see it that way at all. At this moment, his entire face was blackened and charred.
That had been an extremely close call. To put it bluntly, if he had been even a fraction of a second slower, he might have been finished by that Great Fireball.
Looking at Kagaya in the distance, Jiraiya couldn't help the sense of astonishment that welled up within him.
This kind of terrifying, overwhelming pressure... it was the first time Jiraiya had felt it since Minato's death.
There was a Raikage in Kumogakure known for his speed, but Jiraiya had never fought him, so he hadn't experienced it firsthand.
But this person before him had genuinely given Jiraiya an immense sense of being suppressed.
A frustrating feeling of having great strength but no chance to use it rose in his heart. His speed was simply too fast! There wasn't even an opportunity to form hand seals, sometimes he couldn't even react in time. He possessed a powerful arsenal of ninjutsu, yet up to now, he hadn't been able to unleash a single one.
'To have someone like this become Konoha's enemy... Old man, what were you thinking?!'
While Jiraiya was having a hard time, Kagaya wasn't faring much better either. His left eye had previously used its unique ability to copy Kotoamatsukami. The damage had been severe. Now, after only maintaining the three-tomoe Sharingan for a short while, his left eye was sending constant waves of pain, and there were signs it might force the Sharingan to deactivate.
If he ended up having to deactivate the Sharingan, then Kagaya would lose his ability to suppress Jiraiya.
Keep in mind, Kagaya's speed was fast, but if his dynamic visual acuity couldn't keep up, excessive speed would instead hinder him.
Why were there so few people famous for their speed across the entire ninja world?
Because everyone had limitations—namely, excessively high speed could easily outpace one's own reaction time! If such a situation occurred, imagine: you start moving, but fail to react in time, and your own excessive speed causes you to crash headlong into something and die. This was entirely possible.
Everyone who achieved fame through speed possessed unique traits that compensated for their reaction limitations.
Tobirama and Minato—their speed was actually dependent on the Flying Thunder God Technique. The Flying Thunder God involved spatial teleportation, a jutsu that moved directly from point A to point B without traversing the intervening space. Therefore, using this technique didn't require dynamic visual acuity. One only needed reactions faster than average to attack the moment they used the Flying Thunder God.
The problem was, the Flying Thunder God was incredibly difficult to learn. Out of ten people, nine might fail to learn it, and the tenth might not even understand it.
As for the Fourth Raikage, he relied on his clan's inherited Lightning Release Chakra Mode, which enhanced his neural transmission speed, allowing his reactions to far surpass those of ordinary people. That was how he became famous for his speed.
Finally, there were Kagaya and Shisui. They utilized the Sharingan, a Kekkei Genkai, to drastically increase their dynamic visual acuity and reaction speed, enabling them to achieve extreme velocity.
Therefore, once Kagaya could no longer sustain the Sharingan's active state, it would be impossible for him to continue using that terrifying speed.
He had to end the battle before he was forced to deactivate the Sharingan!
Tiger - Dog - Rat!
Shisui's Body Flicker Technique!
The characteristic of this technique was its ability to create a continuous, unrelenting barrage of attacks while simultaneously making it impossible for the opponent to land a hit. It was a jutsu that combined offense and defense, making it extremely suitable for dealing with someone like Jiraiya, who could barely react to Kagaya's attacks.
As for someone like Danzo, who couldn't even react to Kagaya's attacks and could only rely on Izanagi to cling to life, there was no need to employ such a technique.
The next second, four Kagayas appeared on the scene. Without a word or any hesitation, they immediately raised their kunai and charged at Jiraiya.
But at that very moment, something unexpected happened. Jiraiya simply leaped into the air, charging directly towards the Forest of Death, completely ignoring Kagaya and Kisame.
Kisame was momentarily stunned. "He... fled?"
Kagaya nodded, dispelling the Body Flicker Technique. "He fled. Let's go."
Since Jiraiya had fled, there was no need to pursue him. Kagaya wasn't some battle-crazed lunatic who would recklessly hunt down someone as strong as Jiraiya, with whom he had no personal vendetta.
Moreover, Jiraiya hadn't truly fled. He had likely realized he couldn't settle things with Kagaya and Kisame in a short amount of time and thus chose to prioritize rescuing the Third Hokage.
Kisame sheathed the Samehada. He hadn't really gotten a chance to fight in this battle before it ended. Kisame had to admit, this Uchiha Kagaya was indeed formidable. That terrifying speed... could he face it with confidence? Probably not...
"Not going to pursue?"
Kagaya deactivated his Sharingan, his eyes returning to their normal black color. He kept his left eye closed and shook his head. "No. My Sharingan has been heavily taxed. Engaging Jiraiya isn't a wise move. Besides, I hold no grudge against him. Right now, our priority is to go kill those two elders."
Kisame shrugged helplessly. "Alright. Though I don't know who these elders are, the organization sent me to assist you, so I'll naturally follow your lead."
Kagaya gave Kisame a sidelong glance, pressed a hand against his left eye, and continued advancing towards the Hokage Office.
Karin's healing had been very effective, but it was useless against the side effects of the Mangekyo. His left eye remained in a state of near-blindness. When not using the Sharingan, opening his left eye revealed only an extremely blurry view.
Therefore, Kagaya didn't want to delay. He wanted to rush over and kill those two old bastards as quickly as possible.
Forced into a corner, Jiraiya abandoned Kagaya and Kisame, urgently rushing to save the Third Hokage. Unbeknownst to him, at that very moment, the battle between the Third and Orochimaru had reached its final stage.
The Third Hokage firmly grasped Orochimaru's body. A purple arm covered in black markings emerged from the Third's abdomen, reaching into Orochimaru's stomach and relentlessly dragging his soul outwards!
This was—the Dead Demon Consuming Seal! The very technique Minato had used to seal the Nine-Tails was now being employed by the Third Hokage against Orochimaru. Perhaps Orochimaru should feel honored?
Simultaneously, Orochimaru's Kusanagi Sword was embedded in the Third's body, continuously driving deeper, pushing the Third step by step towards the abyss of death, weakening his power.
Sweat beaded on Orochimaru's forehead as he spoke through gritted teeth. "Isn't it about time you let go, Master?!"
The Third Hokage looked at the Orochimaru before him. To think that his former student had now become his mortal enemy. Letting go was out of the question. He had to kill Orochimaru here.
However... "It seems I lack the remaining strength to pull out your entire soul. But your ambitions end here! You are obsessed with ninjutsu, squandering it. I shall give you the most fitting punishment! I will take away all the ninjutsu you have mastered!"
As he spoke, the Third suddenly exerted more force. He abandoned his attempt to pull out Orochimaru's entire soul, focusing instead on extracting the soul from Orochimaru's arms. Once he had pulled out the soul of Orochimaru's arms, the Shinigami behind the Third swung its blade, severing the connection between the arm-soul and Orochimaru's body.
The Third immediately shouted,
"Seal!!"
After that, the Third's life force gradually faded. Having performed the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, his death here was a foregone conclusion.