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Shin used Wood Release to create a chair, then settled in to watch the impending battle between Orochimaru and Jiraiya—He felt like he was missing some popcorn.
“Is that… Wood Release?” Both Orochimaru and Jiraiya stared intently at the wooden chair Shin had created.
Orochimaru wasn’t overly surprised; he wouldn’t be shocked by anything Shin Uzumaki could do anymore.
Jiraiya, however, was genuinely astonished. But now wasn’t the time to marvel at Wood Release; he had to focus on Orochimaru.
“Naruto, leave this place,” Jiraiya instructed Naruto.
“NO! I’m not going!” Naruto refused, his gaze fixed on Sasuke.
“That lovesick look… If I had a teammate like that, I’d slap him dead.” Shin glanced at Naruto and said flatly.
Naruto, though weak, was always so stubborn and defiant, refusing to obey orders…
If it were Shin, he would have eliminated such a liability to avoid being dragged down—Being weak wasn’t the issue; the problem was lacking self-awareness. And protagonists in shonen anime were often like that.
Jiraiya was helpless.
He instructed Guy to watch over Naruto and prevent any accidents. As for himself, Jiraiya had no time to spare for Naruto; he had to face Orochimaru.
Just as Jiraiya was about to say a few more words to Orochimaru, he suddenly sensed danger. A chill ran down his spine.
He quickly used the Body Flicker Technique to dodge a spotted snake that lunged at him from behind.
The snake was clearly venomous; a single bite could be fatal.
Orochimaru truly fought dirty, resorting to sneak attacks.
“<Many Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!>”
Orochimaru didn’t give Jiraiya a chance to breathe. Countless snakes were summoned, swarming towards Jiraiya.
Shin watched intently. He couldn’t predict the outcome of this battle between Orochimaru and Jiraiya.
In terms of pure strength, Shin believed Jiraiya was stronger, especially with Sage Mode.
Sage Mode was a powerful trump card, enhancing all aspects of one’s abilities by tens, even dozens of times.
However, actually using Sage Mode in a real battle would be difficult for Jiraiya.
Of course, the main issue was that Jiraiya wasn’t as ruthless as Orochimaru. Orochimaru wouldn’t hesitate to kill Jiraiya, but Jiraiya would definitely hesitate to kill Orochimaru.
Precisely because of this, the fight was interesting to Shin. If the outcome was obvious from the start, it would be boring.
“<Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet!>”
This technique involved first refining chakra into oil, then igniting it with Fire Release as it was spewed out, creating a violent conflagration.
Sizzle!
A scorched, acrid smell filled the air—the scent of Orochimaru’s snakes being roasted and burned. It was quite unpleasant. Shin held his breath, not wanting to inhale the foul odor.
“<Shikotsumyaku: Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets!>” Kimimaro seized the opportunity and attacked Jiraiya.
“As long as I’m here, don’t even think about harming Lord Hokage!” Guy jumped out, intercepting Kimimaro’s attack for Jiraiya.
“<Eight Inner Gates: Gate of Joy—Open!>”
This was the sixth of the Eight Inner Gates, Guy’s strongest sustainable combat state. Though he could open the seventh gate, the Gate of Shock, the strain on his body was too great—Guy couldn’t maintain it for long.
It was a last resort, not to be used lightly.
As for the eighth gate, the Gate of Death—that was his ultimate trump card, only to be used in desperate situations. Once opened, there was no turning back.
“Astonishing chakra…” Even Orochimaru couldn’t help but look at Guy. Guy now possessed the power to threaten him.
Jiraiya also highly recognized Guy’s strength.
Honestly, if Guy’s way of thinking wasn’t so—unconventional, Jiraiya might have even considered him for Hokage. But after observation, Jiraiya concluded Guy wasn’t suited for the role.
No matter how strong, he was just a fighter, lacking leadership qualities.
Jiraiya’s tentative choice for the next Hokage was Kakashi. He planned to train Kakashi and then step down, handing the position over.
He had never wanted to be Hokage anyway; if not for the lack of other candidates, Jiraiya would have never accepted the role.
“<Morning Peacock!>”
Guy roared, his fists blurring into a flurry of afterimages, the friction with the air creating countless flames that rained down on Kimimaro, resembling a peacock displaying its tail.
Kimimaro, seeing this, immediately used Shikotsumyaku, forming a shield of bone in front of him to block Guy’s attack.
“Might be worth copying the Eight Inner Gates…” Shin thought.
Seeing Guy use it, Shin’s interest was piqued.
The Eight Inner Gates was indeed a powerful forbidden technique. In the hands of a stronger individual, its power would be even greater.
Besides, Shin wasn’t short on Replication Cards—A single Advanced Replication Card could copy it; it seemed like a worthwhile investment.
Having decided, Shin didn’t hesitate. He consumed one Advanced Replication Card and copied Guy’s Eight Inner Gates forbidden technique.
All information regarding the Eight Inner Gates flooded Shin’s mind. In a short moment, Shin had learned it.
Honestly, the Eight Inner Gates wasn’t difficult to learn.
The challenge lay in possessing a body capable of withstanding it. Forcing the gates open with an inadequate physique could be fatal.
But for Shin, even opening the Gate of Death would be no problem. ‘When I have time, I’ll try opening all eight gates.’
The only prerequisite was finding an opponent. He couldn’t just use it against thin air.
Finding an opponent wasn’t a major concern. In a few years, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki would be unsealed.
And that old geezer, the Sage of Six Paths… If Shin ever caught him, he’d definitely break his legs.
Don’t ask why. Killing that old geezer, the Sage of Six Paths, required no reason.
An old schemer who had observed the Shinobi world for over a thousand years—if Shin had the chance to capture him, how could he let him go?
Pushing those thoughts aside for now—Shin continued observing their battle.
Guy and Kimimaro’s fight… Guy naturally had the upper hand, suppressing Kimimaro completely.
Guy’s relentless attacks left Kimimaro struggling to breathe.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya and Orochimaru were locked in a fierce, evenly matched battle. It was difficult to tell who was stronger at the moment; neither had gained a clear advantage, nor had either suffered significant losses.
As for Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha…
They were currently engaged in an intense, affectionate staring contest. Just looking at them, one could feel the palpable bromance.
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