Sage Art

Sage Art.

This shout caused a huge uproar. Many jonin exchanged astonished looks and whispered among themselves, asking what Sage Art even was.

It was not that they were ignorant, but Sage Art was never something ordinary ninja could comprehend. Many of them did not even know Nature Energy existed, let alone the Sage Art that made use of it.

In order to diminish the influence of the First Hokage and Uchiha Madara, information concerning the First Hokage's Sage Body and Sage Art had nearly been completely suppressed. Within Konoha, only the Sannin under the Hokage wielded Sage Art, each having obtained animal-based Sage Arts from hidden sanctuaries. They kept silent among themselves and rarely disclosed any related information.

Other than a small number of jonin, most people only understood Sage Art through bits and pieces mentioned in novels and biographies. They simply could not grasp, at least for the moment, that Sage Art truly existed in this world and could genuinely be developed by ninja.

After all, from what they could see, Kakashi Hatake had merely gained some markings on his face, while the air around him began to distort unnaturally. He did not seem particularly sage-like. Rather, with his enhanced combat power, he instead carried an austere, imposing presence.

Still holding his kicking pose, Kakashi looked at the viewing platform behind Jiraiya, now scattered in disarray beneath the howling wind, then calmly tilted his head at him.

He no longer felt fear or dread over such things.

Because his superhuman, ninja-level vision—refined through the Perfect Sage Body and Blut Arterie—had already caught the Third Hokage's expression: stunned, yet filled with wild delight.

Since the Third Hokage considered it a good thing and believed it could be popularized, then the only one making the real judgment from beginning to end was the Third Hokage. Jiraiya's shock and opinions were utterly irrelevant.

This was also an absolute principle Sosuke Aizen had taught him: find the core of the problem, rather than fixating on trivial details. Thus, Kakashi Hatake did not look toward the astonished Jiraiya, but instead turned his gaze to the Third Hokage in the stands. A strange humming sound began to fill the arena.

"Third Hokage-sama, what should I do?"

"...Continue the test."

"Hokage-sama! But this is Sage Mode!"

Looking at the expressionless Third Hokage in the stands, wearing a conical hat, Jiraiya shouted in shock.

"We should stop and figure this out first! Sage Mode should not appear anywhere outside the places of inheritance—"

"Jiraiya, we can discuss it later. Finish the test first."

"...Yes."

The Old Man seemed a little angry.

Seeing the reproachful look in the Third Hokage's eyes, Jiraiya swallowed the words he wanted to say and warily watched the child before him, who slowly lowered his leg and stood still.

No matter how small and harmless he looked, once Sage Mode had appeared, the nature of everything had changed.

Jiraiya was full of regret. He should have realized it long ago—the liquid poured over Kakashi's head was Nature Energy sensing fluid, and that movement had definitely been a preparatory motion for activating Sage Mode. It was simply unlike any Sage Mode commonly seen today.

But why was it human rather than animal-based? Wasn't this secret art supposed to be known only by the great summoning sanctuaries? Could we truly develop such wondrous and magnificent technology ourselves?

As he watched Kakashi, whose body flickered with tiny sparks of Electric Light, red and blue veins crossing beneath what seemed to be glowing skin, Jiraiya's face was filled with uncontrollable shock.

Orochimaru, also seated in the stands, involuntarily licked his lips, a glint of fervor flashing through his eyes.

An artificial Sage Mode... Kakashi Hatake really is an extraordinary talent.

As if he were directly licking Kakashi Hatake, Orochimaru's sticky gaze traveled from top to bottom, taking in the rough Blut Arterie.

As an inheritor of Ryūchi Cave, he naturally knew about Sage Mode. Orochimaru simply had his own considerations and had not devoted himself entirely to Ryūchi Cave's Sage Art, though he still understood the basic concepts.

He knew very well just how astonishing this technology was, and how broad its prospects could be called. From a certain perspective, this Sage Mode created by humans themselves might be even more suited to longevity than imagined. Research into Nature Energy was inherently extremely dangerous, but with this mode, he would be able to accomplish far more things with greater ease.

"By the way, Tsunade, what do you think—"

He had just turned to ask Tsunade something when he was surprised to find that she did not seem particularly shocked.

This contractor of the Great Slug Sage of Shikkotsu Forest showed no particular astonishment at the Sage Mode Kakashi had displayed. It was only when she noticed Orochimaru looking at her that she raised a brow.

Then, as though she had realized something, she put on an enlightened expression before pretending to look excitedly toward the center of the arena. She began spouting strange medical theories, but in any case, she clearly had no intention of speaking with Orochimaru.

Yet after so many years of companionship, Orochimaru understood the instant Tsunade did that.

Tsunade had probably known all along that Kakashi Hatake's Sage Mode was like this.

I chose Shimura Danzō, while you chose Sosuke Aizen? Perhaps it was never really a choice—just joining their research and development. That would be normal enough. But that Sosuke Aizen...

The moment he thought of that gentle-looking man, Orochimaru instinctively frowned.

He did not want to face that man with the gentle expression. He even felt resistant to and disgusted by the thought of coming into contact with him.

He did not know the reason, but without any reason at all, Orochimaru simply very, very much did not want to meet that person.

Though reason told him that the man was a genius in ninjutsu development, and had even worked with Kakashi Hatake to create Blut Vene and Blut Arterie—two technologies capable of changing Konoha's mode of warfare—Orochimaru simply did not want to see that gently smiling face.

How should he put it? The man made him feel an emptiness and loneliness even greater than when he had once encountered the White Snake Sage of Ryūchi Cave. Orochimaru quickly shook his head, casting those strange negative feelings aside, and looked once more at the two figures who had separated and taken their positions.

This time, Jiraiya no longer said anything like telling Kakashi to come at him whenever he pleased. Instead, he stood there with a tense, wary expression, pressed his palms together, and struck them hard against his chest.

In the next instant, countless Pale Blue lines spread from his heart in every direction across his entire body.

"Blut Vene, full power!"

But Kakashi Hatake merely watched coldly as Jiraiya's body became shrouded in Pale Blue light, before vanishing outright in the next instant.

"Two."

This time, he's even faster!

Trusting his instincts, Jiraiya instinctively threw both hands upward.

Once again, the kick arrived faster than sound. Jiraiya only felt an even more violent impact than before explode above his head.

The entire platform shattered into pieces in an instant. Only Jiraiya, still holding both hands high, forcibly withstood the blow.

Facing Jiraiya, who had kept both arms raised and been forcibly embedded in the ground, Kakashi Hatake silently nodded, then raised his seemingly frail, powerless fist.

"Blut Arterie: Rapid Strikes."

Dozens of explosive cracks merged into a single terrifying roar, and the fissures spreading across the ground even reached the edge of the stands.

Kakashi Hatake's small fist threw out dozens of afterimages in the blink of an eye, slamming into Jiraiya's waist and driving him deeper into the earth.

What was even more terrifying was that this barrage, enough to kill an ordinary jonin, did not end there. As the final explosion rang out, Kakashi flashed into the air.

As though standing on air, Kakashi coldly looked down at Jiraiya, who had been hammered into the ground by countless punches and was temporarily unable to move. Under everyone's watchful eyes, his small child's hands clearly began forming seals.

Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger.

After completing the six hand seals seemingly etched into every Ninja's genes, Kakashi placed a hand at the edge of his mask.

The red-and-blue veins representing Blut Arterie flared with even brighter light almost instantly, gathering toward Kakashi Hatake's palm.

"Blut Arterie Enhancement: Great Fireball Technique."

The next instant, every Ninja instinctively felt as if a second sun had appeared in the sky.

A brilliant, enormous, constantly blazing, viscous fireball appeared before Kakashi Hatake and fell straight toward the ground.

Jiraiya, embedded in the earth, seemed to have lost all ability to resist. Countless rocks and grains of sand trapped him in place, leaving him able only to watch helplessly as that second blazing sun slowly descended from the sky.

One second later, everything was over.

There was no violent burning or explosion. It was as though the entire arena had simply melted away.

All the jonin could feel was the scorching heat and blast of hot air rushing toward them as they stared dumbfounded at the gladiatorial arena below, where lava had begun flowing everywhere.

Of course, just as everyone expected, at the center of the arena, aside from Kakashi Hatake—who had dispelled Blut Arterie due to excessive exhaustion and stood there like a victor—there was another person still standing.

The glow of Blut Vene gradually faded. Jiraiya the Legendary Hero, one of the Sannin, had poured all his Chakra into Blut Vene's defenses, yet he still had not been able to completely withstand the terrifying power of that earth-shattering strike.

He's really amazing...

Looking at the bruises on his arm and the scorch marks scattered across his body, Jiraiya sighed.

If it had been an ordinary jonin, there probably would not even have been bones left by now.

After checking his hair and body one last time, Jiraiya looked at Kakashi Hatake, who had dispelled Blut Arterie, and silently raised a thumb.

"You're the most outstanding genius I've ever seen at this age, Kakashi."

Jiraiya, one of the Sannin, spoke with a complicated expression.

"Blut Arterie is truly incredible."