After Sailing with the Pirate King, I Returned to Konoha - 219

Chapter 219: Sasuke vs. Rōshi—Flames and Lava

"Hey! Wait a moment!"

Jiraiya had just dispersed his barrier when Sasuke vanished from sight. In his Hōdō wolf form, Sasuke raced across the scorching volcanic rock effortlessly, his powerful paws barely denting the ash-covered ground.

(TL NOTE: Hōdō's Wolf = Misfortune Wolf. I thought the Misfortune wolf name is lame and decided to use the Japanese name for it.)

Jiraiya wasn't rushing to catch up. Instead, he first used the communicator to inform Naruto's group about the situation on the other two mountain peaks.

"Got it. I'm heading over now."

After receiving Naruto's response, Jiraiya put away the communicator and allowed himself a small smile.

"This thing really is useful."

During his time away from Konoha Village, they'd created such a convenient tool? It felt even more convenient than using summoning toads to relay messages. He was really falling behind the times.

Jiraiya sighed while chasing in Sasuke's direction, though without any real urgency. He wasn't very worried about Sasuke's safety. Actually, he'd been watching Sasuke's training all these days, observing the kid's progress with genuine interest.

Supported by hatred and driven by ambition, this young man was astounding in both raw talent and tireless diligence. His discipline matched his power, a rare combination. Honestly speaking, Sasuke's current comprehensive combat ability had completely surpassed average jōnin standards. Even if the enemy was a Jinchūriki, Jiraiya still believed Sasuke wouldn't easily fall. Experience might be lacking, but raw capability was undeniable.

Actually, Jiraiya's assessment wasn't wrong.

In the extremely high-temperature cave, Four-Tails Jinchūriki Rōshi sat cross-legged on the volcanic stone, quietly sensing the tailed beast within his body and the external environment beyond. Behind him, deeper into the cave's depths, bright firelight was still visible, dancing across the walls.

It turned out that this cave was directly connected to the volcano's interior, its temperature rivaling that of the crater itself. This was where Rōshi usually trained, the only place where the oppressive heat matched the power radiating from his tailed beast.

Suddenly, a feeling of being detected appeared in Rōshi's mind. The sensation was quite faint, almost imperceptible. If he hadn't been actively sensing the environment, he might not have noticed it at all. An intruder.

Enemy?

He slowly stood up, muscles stretching as he prepared himself, then looked toward the cave entrance where the sensation originated. In Rōshi's perception, a chakra source was rapidly approaching, moving with considerable speed and purpose.

He wasn't surprised by this development. After all, he was a Jinchūriki. During these years away from Iwagakure Village, naturally, many people had targeted him. Disturbed incessantly by bounty hunters, rogue shinobi, and village ninja, Rōshi was often forced to leave his residence and begin another wandering journey. He'd learned to expect such interruptions.

Tap tap tap.

Footsteps stopped at the cave entrance. The other party showed no intention of going deeper, preferring to wait at the threshold.

Rōshi wasn't afraid of battle either. He strode out toward the entrance with measured steps, muscles rippling beneath his skin as he prepared for confrontation. But when he saw Sasuke in beast-man form, he was still startled.

"Jinchūriki? No..."

Meanwhile, having transformed into a giant wolf too massive to enter the cave and thus switching to beast-man form, Sasuke looked at this purple-clad ninja who emerged from the darkness, sizing him up with predatory precision.

Red hair, red full beard. Although he was not wearing Iwagakure's forehead protector, his appearance matched what Ōnoki had provided during their briefing. Plus, the other party walking out from that scorching cave unfazed, as if the heat meant nothing to him. His identity was self-evident.

"Four-Tails Jinchūriki, Rōshi? Strange name."

Sasuke flexed his claws, feeling Hōdō grant him beast instincts that detected the threat radiating from the person before him. This man carried dangerous power, the kind that came from housing a tailed beast within.

"Won't state your name first? Kid who became a wolf."

From Sasuke's voice, Rōshi could tell this young man's age shouldn't be particularly high. Probably somewhere in his late teens, yet already bearing such strength. The world was producing increasingly formidable warriors.

"Uchiha Sasuke. I've come to take you away."

After Sasuke spoke, a puzzled expression appeared on Rōshi's weathered face.

"Uchiha? So you're from Konoha then. So this time, Konoha wants to make a move on me?"

Being far from the village, Rōshi naturally hadn't heard recent news from Konoha, and he naturally misunderstood Sasuke's meaning and purpose. Of course, he couldn't be blamed for the misinterpretation. Anyone seeing Sasuke's battle-ready appearance and aggressive posture would draw the same conclusion.

"Go back, kid, if you don't want to die at my hands."

Regarding his own strength, Rōshi was quite confident in his abilities. He didn't want to kill this young person before him. He left Iwagakure precisely because he refused to accept Ōnoki's concept of viewing Jinchūriki and tailed beasts as war tools, as weapons to be wielded. Therefore, although hot-tempered by nature, deep down Rōshi remained a pacifist at heart.

"Words are useless. Come on! Let's fight first, then talk!"

The threat emanating from Rōshi excited Sasuke's nerves, sending adrenaline coursing through his veins. These days, though constantly sparring with companions, it still wasn't real combat. Some killing moves couldn't be used. You could say Sasuke had been itching badly for a genuine battle.

"I see."

Seeing Sasuke as stubborn as that old guy Ōnoki, Rōshi knew fighting was unavoidable. There was no way around this confrontation.

"Then there's no helping it. I'll pray for you."

Don't forget that among Rōshi's identities was also that of a "wandering monk." Wandering monks were still monks at heart, bound by certain spiritual principles. Since combat was necessary, Rōshi stopped hesitating, directly forming seals with practiced precision and striking first.

"Lava Release: Scorching Stream Rock Technique!"

His mouth opened wide, massive lava balls flying toward Sasuke with terrible force. The lava balls grew larger in midair, radiating scorching heat that warped the very air around them. Since Rōshi had begun acting, he wouldn't hold back anything.

This lava wasn't ordinary molten rock. It possessed extremely high temperatures that could melt solid stone into liquid, but also had the cruel property of adhering to enemies after hitting targets, producing secondary burns that would continue eating away at flesh. Even if it misses targets, it could alter the environment to some extent, limiting enemy movement and creating treacherous terrain. Simultaneously, the lava would release toxic gases, affecting breathing and further weakening opponents' stamina through every available method.

Unless facing someone extremely skilled in Water Release, someone with the discipline to control such an opposing force, Rōshi was confident in dragging opponents into unfavorable situations to exhaust them to death.

Unfortunately, such attacks posed no threat before Sasuke.

His Sharingan gently rotated, the three tomoe moving in elegant circles, easily finding gaps between attacks. Pattern recognition and prediction became second nature with his visual prowess.

Next instant, Sasuke's figure rapidly vanished from his position, moving faster than the eye could follow.

"So fast!"

Rōshi's pupils contracted sharply. The opponent's speed exceeded his own, a humbling realization that this kid was more dangerous than initial appearances suggested.

But he wasn't very worried about being drawn into close combat. Physical strength and durability were his advantages as a Jinchūriki.

"Lava Release Chakra Mode!"

This technique was similar to the "Lightning Release Chakra Mode" used by the Third and Fourth Raikage, a signature jutsu of powerful ninja. Gathering lava and chakra throughout his entire body enhanced not only his strength and defense but could also teach any close-contact enemy a painful lesson.

Bang!

When Sasuke's figure reappeared, he was already less than a meter away from Rōshi. This was a movement method called "Shave" that Sasuke learned from Naruto during their training sessions together. This pure taijutsu, characterized by high-speed movement enhanced by carefully controlled chakra, could potentially explode with even faster speeds.

An ordinary straight punch struck toward Rōshi's chest, hitting him before he could react and sending him flying backward with tremendous force. Rōshi crashed into the rock wall behind him, his surrounding heat immediately melting nearby rocks into liquid streams.

"Cough. Quite impressive, kid."

Rōshi clutched his chest, feeling he'd somewhat underestimated this strange fellow before him. That defense-penetrating force made his internal organs churn unpleasantly, as if they'd been struck directly.

"But you're not feeling great either."

After breathing several times to center himself, Rōshi stood up again. This move hadn't achieved substantial effects despite the impact. Conversely, Sasuke's fist surface was counter-injured by the lava's high temperature, burns spreading across his knuckles where contact had been made.

Hōdō possessed the supernatural ability to devour flames and fear no heat, a fundamental advantage of the fruit's nature. However, what appeared here was ultimately just Sasuke, a human vessel. His development of this fruit's abilities hadn't reached its limits yet. Therefore, though already immune to most ordinary heat, the lava's extreme temperatures still burned a large scar on Sasuke's hand.

"This is better!"

Sasuke felt the pain transmitted from his hand, yet his battle intent didn't weaken one bit. Instead, it intensified.

Black-red calamity fire accompanied pain, emerging from nowhere and wrapping around Sasuke's limbs with hungry intensity. The burn on his fist immediately began healing at visible speed, cellular regeneration working at an accelerated rate.

Until reaching a level not affecting combat capability, the healing immediately stopped. Sasuke conserved energy, using just enough power to restore functional combat readiness.

"Come on. Now begins the real battle."