"Stick to the plan. I'll handle Shimura!"
Outside Konoha Village, Han issued orders to the Iwa shinobi.
As Konoha's most famous shinobi, Yami's existence naturally couldn't be ignored. The original plan was for Han to stall this high-level combatant, while the Third Hokage and possibly Jiraiya would be handled by the Kazekage and Orochimaru.
So Han had studied Yami thoroughly and knew that numerical advantage would be meaningless against him. Instead, those numbers would only interfere with his own jutsu. Without hesitation, he drove the others away.
The Iwa shinobi quickly moved around Yami from all directions, avoiding direct confrontation and slipping into Konoha in scattered formations, making it hard for Yami to catch them all.
However, Yami didn't try to stop them. He let them break into Konoha.
"Do you realize you're sending them to their deaths?" Yami said with a faint smile.
Han, fully armored in red and even masking his face, snorted coldly. "Without you or the Third Hokage, who else in Konoha can stop them?"
Yami nodded in agreement. "If my people weren't here, no one could stop Konoha from being defeated."
"Hahahaha…"
Han burst into laughter. "Yami, I know you lead an Anbu unit, but what do you think a dozen men can do in a battle like this?"
Yami smiled but said nothing.
Ordinary Anbu indeed wouldn't be much help.
But what about Uchiha Shisui, Pakura, and six Uchiha with three-tomoe Sharingan?
Boom! A powerful gust swept over from the forest, followed by a strange, sharp laugh.
Both Yami and Han turned to look, seeing a huge figure in the distance.
It appeared that Gaara's Fake Sleep Technique had been completed. Shukaku had finally come out for some air.
"Since this has already begun, I won't waste time. I'll finish you quickly and head over."
Yami clasped his hands together, a massive surge of chakra condensing.
"Earth Release: Splitting Earth Palm!"
The ground rumbled violently, then a massive fissure opened beneath Han. Losing his balance, Han fell in, and Yami clenched his right fist. The crack in the earth began to close, trying to bury Han alive.
Crash!
A white tail burst through the surface, smashing the ground and dragging Han out.
"You insidious little brat, you remind me of Ōnoki."
Han and Ōnoki had a poor relationship. Han couldn't stand Ōnoki's stubbornness, while Ōnoki feared the danger of a Jinchūriki and kept him out of the inner circle.
This time, Han participated in the Konoha raid not because of Ōnoki's order, but for Iwa's benefit.
"Boil Release: Unparalleled Power!"
Han's entire body emitted steam as if his chakra were boiling. In an instant, he vanished and reappeared in front of Yami, concentrating all his power into a steam-boosted punch.
Yami's fist lit up with blue light, and he met the attack head-on without flinching.
Boom!
The moment they collided, the accumulated power burst outward, forming a tangible shockwave that shattered trees and sent boulders flying.
As the air surged, Yami took two steps back, while Han was sent flying.
Before Han could stabilize, Yami appeared before him and launched a whip kick to his stomach.
"Urgh!"
Han's eyes widened as he coughed up blood and crashed into the ground, spiderweb-like cracks spreading instantly around him.
The strength of a Jinchūriki varied, but they all shared one trait—staggering durability.
A punch like that could turn an ordinary ninja into pulp, but Han only vomited blood, endured the pain, stood up again, and wasn't seriously injured.
"What power. Yami, if I didn't already know who the Nine Tails Jinchūriki was, I'd suspect it was you."
"You must have never experienced Tsunade's fist to say something that ignorant."
Yami formed a single-hand seal, and when he opened his mouth, four flaming dragons roared toward Han.
"Lava Release: Dragon Flame Singing!"
Han's pupils shrank. He understood the power of Lava Release well—after all, one of the Four Tails' Jinchūriki in Iwa also specialized in it.
But the pain in his body slowed his movements. He couldn't evade the wide-range attack of the four fire dragons and was instantly engulfed by the magma.
Roar!
A beastly roar echoed from within the molten flames. The red tailed beast cloak wrapped around Han, shielding him from the magma. He reappeared beside Yami with difficulty.
The two clashed again at incredible speed. Shockwaves burst in every direction, even shattering the clouds above into a sea of blue.
Konoha's shinobi noticed the massive battle in the distance, but they could only hope and pray that Yami would win. At the moment, they had no spare manpower to help.
But the tide was slowly turning.
Yuichi and the others intercepted Suna and Iwa's low-tier combatants. Relying on their three-tomoe Sharingan and skilled Fire Release techniques, they handled things with efficiency.
Uchiha Shisui secretly rescued endangered Konoha shinobi. When he saw a wave of Iwa reinforcements, he cast genjutsu from several kilometers away, throwing dozens of them into chaos and making them attack their allies.
What made Uchiha genjutsu terrifying was the Sharingan, but Shisui was different. Even without it, his genjutsu talent surpassed all understanding.
Combined with the Sharingan, it reached an unbelievable level. The two enhanced each other.
He could affect dozens of Iwa shinobi from that far away. Want to try it with Danzō?
And the most eye-catching presence on the battlefield was Pakura.
Several Scorch Release fireballs circled around her, both defending and attacking. Any Suna or Iwa shinobi who brushed past her was either killed or heavily wounded. The battle extended from Yami's residence all the way to the Hokage building.
Some veteran Suna shinobi recognized her and looked stunned.
"Lady Pakura?! You're alive?!"
"No way, why are you helping Konoha attack your own people?"
"My own people?"
Pakura smiled at those familiar faces. "Why didn't you say I was one of you when Rasa and those old geezers betrayed me?"
"Now, I only belong with Yami. Anyone against him is my enemy."
After that, she lost interest in talking. Her hands moved rapidly, launching fireballs at her old acquaintances.
Baki broke into a cold sweat when he saw this and quietly retreated from the battlefield.
Something wasn't right. It was way too wrong.
Not only had Pakura shown up unexpectedly, but those two giant snakes and the elite Anbu were also completely outside of their intel.
According to their intelligence, Konoha shouldn't have so many top-tier forces. Where did these people come from?
Baki returned to the arena, hoping to see the Kazekage fighting the Hokage, only to find the Kazekage's reanimated corpse being controlled by Orochimaru. His world collapsed.
A giant toad in heavy armor dropped from the sky, landing squarely on a three-headed snake, nearly crushing it to death. Jiraiya then collaborated with the toad to roast the snake with an oil fire combo.
"Jiraiya-sama!"
"Jiraiya-sama's here! We're saved!"
Jiraiya's reputation in Konoha was sky-high. His arrival was like a morale booster for everyone.
Jiraiya ignored the cheering and looked toward the distant battlefield where Garaga and Aogame were fighting other snakes.
"What's going on? Are Orochimaru's snakes turning on him?"
"Jiraiya-sama!" Morino Ibiki, clutching his injured right arm, shouted, "Those two snakes are Yami's Summoning Beasts. Please don't harm them!"
"Yami's Summons?"
Jiraiya's brows furrowed even deeper.
Since when was Shimura Yami connected to Ryūchi Cave? And that Scorch Release Pakura suddenly siding with Konoha… It all felt like a thick fog, hiding the truth.
Jiraiya's heart skipped a beat.
Could this chaos also be connected to him?
Scanning the surrounding shinobi, he saw only scattered Anbu, but not a single Root member. His sense of foreboding deepened.
"What exactly are you planning… Yami?"
Boom!
Outside the village.
Han, covered in the tailed beast cloak, was slammed into the ground again, as if embedded into it. He struggled for a long time but couldn't get up.
Yami calmly took out a handkerchief and wiped his fist clean. The bloodstains vanished, revealing fair skin once more.
Unlike Han's disheveled state, Yami's white robe remained spotless. His breathing was steady, showing no signs of having just fought an intense battle.
But a look at the devastated forest around them revealed just how fierce that exchange had been.
Right now, Yami was like a humanoid tailed beast. Even with the cloak, Han was outmatched in raw strength and physical endurance.
Realizing he couldn't defeat Yami like this, Han was left with only one option.
Roar!
A nearly 50-meter-tall beast, resembling a mix between a dolphin and a horse, appeared in front of Yami.
It was Kokuō, the Five Tails. In terms of appearance alone, Kokuō was arguably the most elegant among the tailed beasts.
Han fully transformed into the tailed beast, and without hesitation, opened his mouth to condense a black Tailed Beast Bomb.
Unlike Kumo's Killer Bee, Han had mastered full transformation by brute force. He wasn't a perfect Jinchūriki, so his Tailed Beast Bomb was slower to form.
However, the attack had a massive area of effect. He wasn't worried about Yami escaping, and even if Yami did, Konoha behind him would be the perfect target.
This was the advantage of fighting in enemy territory—you could destroy without restraint.
"You're the one who called out the Gundam first."
Yami muttered, forming hand seals until his fingers settled into a unique position.
"Wood Release: Nativity of a World of Trees!"
Grass and trees surged up from the ground. Thick trunks wrapped around Kokuō's neck and yanked, interrupting the Tailed Beast Bomb's formation.
With its immense strength, Kokuō quickly broke free from the trees, but Yami's next jutsu was already prepared.
"Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!"
Several enormous wood dragons burst forth from the trees. Their heads slammed into Kokuō and knocked it down. Yami clapped his hands and shouted again:
"Wood Release: Wooden Golem Technique!"
A golem larger than the tailed beast rose from the ground. Two wooden dragons coiled around its arms.
The Wooden Golem strode toward Kokuō, each step shaking the earth.
[Host and Five Tails Kokuō's Fear Bond reached Stage Two. Reward: Five Tails Chakra]
Perched atop the golem, the boy raised his brow.
What's going on? I haven't even started fighting and Kokuō is already terrified?
This must be Senju Hashirama's fault. He scared the tailed beasts too badly.
(To be continued.)
***
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