Han's chakra instantly began to boil.
The Boil Release of the Five-Tails' jinchūriki erupted at once, surging through his entire body as he prepared to strike toward the place where Kyoichi was hiding. But in the next instant—
He felt a pat on his shoulder.
What?
Beneath the cloak, Han's expression froze for a split second, then he reacted, swinging his arm with a heavy strike toward Kyoichi.
The Boil Release of the Five-Tails had many applications. One of them resembled the monstrous strength technique of the Senju, allowing him to draw out overwhelming power. Until now, Han had never once failed with it.
And yet—
This time he suffered for it.
His punch landed, but his opponent's strength was in no way inferior. In fact… it almost felt stronger!
Han pressed harder.
But—
Nothing. Not the slightest shift!
Forget injuring him—Han could tell the other hadn't even used much strength. What truly terrified him was the sensation that his chakra itself was sluggish, being… absorbed.
What's going on?!
He had no time to think. Panic rising, he shouted,
"Rōshi, help me out here!"
"Ahem… Kyoichi-sama, what are you doing?"
Rōshi wasn't refusing to help—he simply didn't dare.
Only after fighting him could one truly understand how terrifying this man was. Kyoichi was all-around flawless, with no weaknesses. He wasn't Senju or Uzumaki, yet he could suppress jinchūriki like them with ease.
What's more…
Recently Rōshi had heard that Kanda Kyoichi had fought the Third Raikage to a draw…
Meaning—
Even Ōnoki didn't frighten him. As long as one avoided Dust Release and Added-Weight Rock Jutsu, the risks weren't too great. Dangerous, yes, but still manageable.
The one man Rōshi had no desire to fight was Kyoichi.
Because winning was impossible.
Han nearly choked from frustration.
Damn it…
So all this time, why are you acting so respectful toward him?!
Wait—Kyoichi?
Wasn't that the young Anbu commander of Konoha?
Han suddenly realized.
He'd at least heard the name "Kanda Kyoichi."
But…
The two of them, afraid of just one man?
Rōshi hesitated.
He truly didn't want to fight, but it seemed Han wasn't ready to back down.
Fine then…
If he didn't fight, they couldn't keep leading their little band.
Sighing, he struck.
Kyoichi chuckled.
These two really were something.
Especially Rōshi—always playing the leader, dragging Han along with him.
Rōshi didn't waste time.
In an instant, his body flared with Lava Release chakra mode.
Seeing his partner move, Han no longer held back. His chakra surged again, and fiery red chakra cloaked his entire body.
Tailed Beast Mode!
The searing cloak of chakra quickly enveloped him.
With such violent chakra flowing, Kyoichi couldn't simply absorb Han's chakra anymore. But pinning him down wasn't exactly difficult either.
Steam roiled from Han, molten lava seethed from Roshi. The fiery magma and rising vapor—they had clearly honed their teamwork over time.
In the past, this might have been troublesome.
But now—
Kyoichi formed a single seal.
In a flash…
Ice crystals spread outward from him, freezing lava and solidifying steam. In the next moment, countless slender ice pillars manifested in the air.
In an instant, those pillars crisscrossed, encasing Han layer upon layer, sealing him completely. From beneath the ice, vines sprouted.
The vines twined around the pillars like dodder plants, wrapping both ice and jinchūriki.
It wasn't the Adamantine Sealing Gates, but…
With Sage Chakra infused, its hardness was nearly the same. What's more, it continuously drew tailed beast chakra out of him.
Rōshi roared, unleashing his strength, slamming his fist into the ground.
Scorching River Great Eruption!
A massive volcanic blast split through the ice, tailed beast chakra about to surge forth—
But then countless vines erupted beneath his feet, binding his arms first.
And then—
Kyoichi raised his other hand, releasing a distant strike.
Sage Art: Air Palm!
A normal Air Palm couldn't have sealed tailed beast chakra. But infused with Sage Chakra, it interfered with even that. For those few moments, Rōshi's technique collapsed.
Not that Kyoichi feared his large-scale Lava Release.
He just thought using tailed beast chakra so crudely was wasteful.
Yes, Kyoichi had more Four-Tails chakra stockpiled than any other… but unlike the Nine-Tails, it wasn't something he could replenish at will.
So—
Better to siphon more while he could.
The chakra of the two jinchūriki was steadily drained into Kyoichi's Wood Release constructs.
Rōshi sighed.
As expected.
He'd crossed fists with Kyoichi last year, and even then he'd realized: at this boy's age, he would only be stronger this year than last.
Now, Kanda Kyoichi was someone even Ōnoki had to avoid.
Han still struggled, but Rōshi had already given up.
"This time, I only came to borrow your chakra. Since you attacked me, I don't even need an excuse. So—how have things been for you lately?"
Kyoichi sat down beside Roshi.
Rōshi stopped resisting. He had known from the start that victory was impossible, so this result wasn't surprising.
He had thought of it the moment they began fighting.
Still… what exactly had Kyoichi come here for?
He shifted his posture slightly. Kyoichi, being courteous, released him after siphoning a fair amount of chakra. For someone with a respectful attitude, there was no need for shackles.
Han also gave up.
The gap was too wide. Better to yield while Kyoichi was still in a mild mood—otherwise, their lives wouldn't be guaranteed.
Rōshi stretched his arms.
"You waited here for me?"
"Yes. To give you a warning, so you don't wander off and get yourselves killed."
Kyoichi relayed information about Madara and the plan to gather the tailed beasts. He even mentioned the Three-Tails being controlled in Kirigakure. Mixing truth and lies, hard to sort out.
Rōshi couldn't tell what was real.
But…
It all sounded absurd.
Gathering tailed beasts?
Madara?
You've got to be kidding me!
Rōshi stayed silent for a long time.
"Don't believe me? That's normal. After all, the idea that Madara's still alive is hard to swallow. But my advice—wait and watch. See how Iwagakure and Sunagakure move. Then you'll know whether I spoke truth or lies."
Kyoichi's tone was calm.
Rōshi felt uncertain.
At first he had been sure Kyoichi was bluffing. Now he found himself half-believing.
"So how do we know this isn't just you working with Iwagakure to drag us back?"
"Do I need to?"
Kyoichi smiled at Han.
Han was left speechless.
Given the current situation…
No. There was no need.
This man was far too strong. If he wanted to capture them, he could have done so with ease. Weren't the two of them already pinned to the ground just now?
"That's enough chakra for now. If I need more, I'll come back. But for the moment, my advice is—don't wander. And don't go to Takigakure. Stirring up trouble at this time might get you both killed."
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