Chapter 74: Ascension — Phantom Lord Arc (Part 8)
As Jiraiya opened his mouth, an enormous, searing wave of fire surged out, flooding the entire tunnel in an instant. The wastewater on the ground evaporated in the blink of an eye under the blistering heat.
When in Sage Mode, the power of all ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu is amplified severalfold.
This Sage Art: Fire Style jutsu not only expanded its range by multiple times but also drastically raised the temperature—enough to melt steel into molten iron within seconds.
In such a narrow corridor, there was practically no room to dodge!
But… it seemed his opponent didn't need to dodge at all.
Just as Jiraiya was about to chain another barrage of attacks and begin an unrelenting assault, he suddenly froze.
He watched in disbelief as the flames that filled the entire tunnel suddenly surged toward one spot—like they'd found a release valve.
Within just two or three seconds, they were completely devoured by a pink-haired boy with a wide-open mouth.
Then… burp.
Natsu grinned, baring a row of silvery teeth, excitement radiating from his eyes.
"That was some tasty fire. Thanks for the meal! Now I'm fired up!"
Fire Dragon Slayer Magic.
It allowed him to consume most types of fire—enhancing his strength and restoring stamina depending on the fire's potency.
If Jiraiya had known this earlier, he probably would've coughed up blood on the spot.
He had just spent a massive amount of chakra unleashing a Sage-level jutsu—only to power up his enemy!
Even without knowing the specifics, Jiraiya could already tell from Natsu's reaction that he was completely immune to Fire Style.
As Natsu stomped forward, his right fist wrapped in destructive, blazing flames, Jiraiya swiftly formed hand seals.
Sage Art: Needle Jizo!
His long white hair rapidly extended, wrapping around him like a cocoon, forming a massive spiked ball nearly three to four meters wide.
Enhanced by Sage Chakra, each strand of hair had the hardness of steel.
But…
As Natsu's Flaming Iron Fist came crashing into the barrier, the hair began to singe and curl at the ends from the heat.
BOOM!!
The impact echoed through the entire sewer, rumbling far into the distance.
Tsunade, sprinting through the tunnels with Lucy slung over her shoulder, suddenly furrowed her brow.
"Jiraiya went to hold off that fire user… If his magic is anything like that iron guy's—able to consume fire—then…"
She paused, uncertain.
"I warned him those enemies could devour elemental materials…"
"No, you didn't."
Orochimaru spoke calmly, matter-of-factly. "You only said the iron user could eat metal. You never mentioned elemental magic. With how careless Jiraiya can be, he may have already used fire."
"…"
Tsunade's expression twitched, and her steps faltered slightly.
Damn it... if this guy really has similar magic to the iron one, then didn't Jiraiya walk right into a trap?
Orochimaru glanced sideways at her, his tone cool and rational.
"Relax. Even if he can't win, Jiraiya will be able to escape. We should be more concerned about ourselves."
"Aside from the two groups chasing us, it looks like some new enemies caught wind of our location and entered the sewers from another direction. With all the noise we've made, they're headed this way fast."
"...Then you take her and go. I'm going back for Jiraiya."
Tsunade tossed Lucy to Orochimaru and turned back the way they came, racing off without hesitation.
Orochimaru hesitated a moment but didn't follow her. Carrying Lucy, he slipped through the tunnels, using intel from the bats to avoid the newer enemies closing in.
The path they originally took was completely blocked by fallen debris.
Tsunade navigated the complex web of tunnels and finally returned to the location where they had split.
The entire passage was scorched with burn marks, and craters from battle littered the floor and walls.
Clearly, Jiraiya and Natsu had fought for quite a while.
Amid the rubble, Tsunade found Jiraiya, his body charred and battered, lying in a heap. Most of his long white hair had been burned away.
But fortunately… he was still alive. Though gravely wounded, he had only lost consciousness.
Green chakra gathered over Tsunade's palm as she used Mystical Palm Jutsu to treat his injuries.
The blackened, cracked skin began to peel away, revealing fresh pink flesh beneath. His wounds healed at a rapid pace.
After more than ten minutes, Jiraiya suddenly coughed and slowly came to.
The first thing he muttered, half-conscious, was:
"Eating fire to boost combat power… that's just plain cheating… Huh? Tsunade? You saved me? I knew you were my one true love…"
His voice choked up with emotion as he caught sight of her.
It really was a magic similar to the Iron Dragon guy!
Tsunade's heart skipped a beat. I should've realized it sooner… She kept her expression neutral, masking her regret.
"Shut up! If you can talk, then get up. We need to regroup with Orochimaru."
"Got it!"
Jiraiya flipped back onto his feet, but his expression darkened as he reached for his waist pouch.
Earlier, he had used the Friend Ledger to summon aid from Mount Myōboku, hoping the toads would help him defeat Natsu.
Instead, he'd gotten utterly wrecked—and wasted a precious summon in the process.
That guy… was a walking flame-throwing Tyrannosaurus.
---
Time passed.
But Tsunade and Jiraiya still hadn't reunited with Orochimaru.
On their way to the rendezvous point, the number of enemy mages had increased—some from Fairy Tail, some from Phantom Lord—and most were from the former.
When they saw the obviously battle-worn and oddly dressed duo of Tsunade and Jiraiya, they immediately launched attacks, trying to capture them for interrogation.
Even though the two shinobi tried to avoid unnecessary fights, they were forced into nearly twenty battles along the way. While many of the enemies were average in power, some were undeniably elite.
One female mage in particular had power that rivaled or even exceeded a Kage-level ninja.
With flowing crimson hair, a valiant aura, and stunning beauty, she wore magically enhanced armor and wielded extraordinary swordsmanship.
She possessed various armors, each granting her different abilities.
In one clash, she actually repelled Tsunade's superhuman strength head-on. Her near-instantaneous speed nearly overwhelmed the duo, putting them on the verge of defeat.
If not for their coordinated teamwork—and the mage's unfamiliarity with ninjutsu—they might not have escaped.
Even so, after all those battles, the chakra reserves of both Tsunade and Jiraiya were nearly depleted—less than a third remaining.
They were covered in wounds. Unless one was serious enough to impair their ability to fight, they didn't even bother wasting chakra to heal.
Half a day passed.
Finally, guided by a bat, Tsunade and Jiraiya arrived at a remote corner of the sewer.
From the shadows, Orochimaru emerged with Lucy in tow.
Time remaining… four hours.
~~~
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