Jigen proposed wanting to cooperate with Chiba, who only felt that this guy in front of him was very troublesome.

Chiba looked at Jigen and asked, "Since it's a cooperation, what do you want from me?"

Jigen replied, "I want your help to retrieve something."

Chiba wondered, "Retrieve something? What thing?"

Jigen smiled and said, "It's not time yet, because that thing hasn't appeared. When it does appear, that's when I'll need your help. So, what do you want?"

Chiba narrowed his eyes, looking at Jigen, and said, "You're asking me so suddenly, I really don't know how to answer you. But what if I don't agree to cooperate? You don't seem to have any value that makes it worth my while to cooperate with you."

Jigen walked towards Chiba, pacing, "The value of cooperation is reflected in individual strength. As long as I show you my strength, then you will realize the value of cooperating with me. With my strength, as long as I achieve my ultimate goal, I can grant your every wish."

Chiba scoffed, "What big talk. So, it seems you're challenging me to a fight?"

"You could say that. I know you're a warmonger, so let's prove it with a battle."

Jigen suddenly disappeared from his spot and appeared behind Chiba.

Chiba instantly activated his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and turned to look at Jigen behind him.

So fast!

Chiba drew his Ninja Sword with a backhand.

"Thunder Breathing Second Form: Rice Spirit!"

The moment Chiba activated the breathing technique, he unleashed five lightning-shaped consecutive slashes.

A black chakra rod suddenly appeared in Jigen's hand, blocking Chiba's slash, and at the same time, he raised his right leg and kicked towards Chiba.

Chiba dodged Jigen's kick by sidestepping, then gripped his Ninja Sword with his forehand and slashed towards Jigen's neck.

Jigen reacted quickly, immediately blocking Chiba's slash with his chakra rod.

At the same time, several Chakra Black Rods appeared behind Jigen and shot towards Chiba.

"Lightning Breathing Sixth Form: Electric Thunder!"

With himself as the center, Chiba instantly released countless lightning-shaped slashes in all directions.

These chakra rods shooting towards Chiba were deflected by the lightning-shaped slashes, and Jigen spun the Chakra Black Rod in his hand to block these lightning-shaped slashes.

At the same time, Jigen's body was covered in black markings.

Chiba's brows instantly furrowed. From Jigen, Chiba felt an extremely strong Chakra and a very great sense of oppression.

Jigen swung the chakra rod and smashed it towards Chiba.

Chiba raised his sword to block, and the immense power made him widen his eyes, directly sending him flying backward.

As Chiba was flying backward, Jigen stretched out his palm and aimed it at Chiba.

In an instant, a chakra rod suddenly impaled Chiba's abdomen.

Chiba fell to the ground, creating a crater.

Chiba stood up from the crater and pulled out the chakra rod from his abdomen.

Looking at the blood-stained chakra rod in his hand, Chiba looked at Jigen in disbelief.

While the chakra rod was in his abdomen, it was absorbing his Chakra. In other words, this black rod was the chakra rod he remembered, created by a Rinnegan user using their own Chakra.

But this Jigen clearly didn't have the Rinnegan.

Chiba asked in a deep voice, "Who exactly are you?"

Jigen twisted his neck and replied, "Who I am isn't important to you. I'm demonstrating my value to you, so similarly, you must now demonstrate your value to me."

Chiba gazed at Jigen, then suddenly smiled, "This is truly interesting. It seems you can let me fight to my heart's content this time. Don't disappoint me!"

Chiba activated Sage Mode, dragon horns appeared on his forehead, scales covered his body, and his body surface was covered with cyan Senjutsu Chakra.

"Sage Art: Dragon Flame Release Song Technique!"

Chiba used the Dragon Flame Release Song Technique in Sage Mode, adding Senjutsu Chakra to the flames.

Four massive fire dragons surged from four directions towards Jigen.

Jigen stretched out his hand, and all four fire dragons were absorbed.

Chiba looked at Jigen with a grave expression.

Ninjutsu absorption, chakra rods, and after black markings appeared on his body, his strength and speed greatly increased.

Also... Chiba looked at his abdomen. The wound on his abdomen had healed itself, but the hole in his clothes remained.

The Chakra Black Rod that appeared in his abdomen was very strange.

There was no impact, it just suddenly appeared, which was very peculiar.

"Lightning Breathing First Form: Thunderclap and Flash - Godspeed!"

Chiba seemed to transform into a blue-green lightning bolt, charging towards Jigen.

As he swung his sword to slash at Jigen, Jigen suddenly disappeared, causing Chiba to strike nothing but air.

Chiba felt extremely troublesome now.

Does this guy also have a teleportation ability similar to Minato Namikaze's Flying Thunder God Technique?

Is there such a person in the Shinobi World?

If there was a person named Jigen, and he was this powerful, Chiba should have a very deep impression of him, not be completely ignorant.

Although there was a sense of familiarity, this familiarity didn't allow Chiba to recall anything.

Jigen suddenly appeared in front of Chiba, and with a fierce wave of his hand, three Chakra Black Rods stabbed towards Chiba.

"Shadow Clone Technique!"

"Thunder Breathing Fifth Form: Heat Boundary Thunder!"

Chiba created a Shadow Clone to help block the three Chakra Black Rods, while Chiba's main body released high-heat lightning-shaped slashes to blast Jigen.

Jigen absorbed Chiba's lightning again.

Chiba's Shadow Clone raised a leg and kicked towards Jigen.

Chiba didn't have much hope for this strike from his Shadow Clone.

After all, in Chiba's opinion, with that speed, Jigen could completely dodge it.

However, what Chiba didn't expect was that Jigen was actually kicked away by his Shadow Clone.

Chiba began to ponder.

His Shadow Clone's kick was a spur-of-the-moment action, and its speed wasn't fast. Even if Jigen hadn't entered this state, he should have been able to block or dodge it.

Yet, Jigen was hit by such an attack.

Chiba's eyes flickered, and he thought of a possibility.

Chiba formed hand signs and placed his hands in front of his mouth.

"Sage Art: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"

Chiba exhaled three massive fire dragons from his mouth, attacking Jigen.

Jigen absorbed the fire dragons again.

During Jigen's absorption.

Chiba slightly arched his back.

"Lightning Release Chakra Mode!"

Chiba's entire body erupted with powerful lightning, and the immense power caused the ground to crack.

"Lightning Breathing Seventh Form: Fire Thunder God!"

Chiba dashed forward at a super-high speed that was completely imperceptible to the naked eye, and when released, the trajectory of his slash would also create a blue-green lightning dragon, slashing towards Jigen.

Jigen stared at Chiba, who was rapidly approaching him.

Has he been discovered? He can't quickly evade when absorbing Ninjutsu.