How should a jinchūriki be classified in terms of ninja rank?
That's hard to determine, because there's a massive difference between one jinchūriki and another. The power gap between tailed beasts can be as vast as that between a tailed beast and a pig.
You could definitely say some jinchūriki pack a serious punch.
The Five-Tails Jinchuriki Han from Iwagakure actually shares certain similarities with the current Eight-Tails Jinchuriki B from Kumo—they both fully tap into tailed beast chakra, possess extreme speed, and rely primarily on their exceptional physical abilities for battle under normal circumstances.
Of course, when it comes to control over the tailed beast, they're as different as sky and earth.
So the most powerful jinchūriki would be the Perfect Jinchuriki who gets along well with their tailed beast?
No—the strongest jinchūriki should be someone who doesn't even need to become one, yet still has the personal strength to completely suppress a tailed beast, such as Mito Uzumaki, or... Otsutsuki Hagoromo.
But regardless of strength or weakness, once a ninja reaches a certain level, the overwhelming chakra pressure of a tailed beast becomes meaningless. What's the point of having more? What matters is how you use and control it. Fundamentally, a jinchūriki simply "leaks" an abundance of tailed beast chakra—it's really nothing special.
To put it simply, Haseo had long surpassed conventional limits. Even without considering him, many others could effectively counter tailed beasts. For example, using the power of the Uchiha clan's eyes against tailed beasts is surprisingly straightforward—much simpler and more direct than the Uzumaki clan's control over them.
So in conclusion, no matter how intense the battle between Haseo and the Five-Tails' jinchuriki seemed at this moment, he was merely sparring.
As the fight went on, Han gradually realized something… Although the clash felt highly confrontational and appeared evenly matched on the surface, in reality so far, he hadn't landed a single effective hit.
Certainly, Haseo wasn't going all out either—he mostly tossed the opponent around and delivered some light blows.
"Why don't you draw your sword? Your weapon should easily damage my armor, interfering with my techniques and affecting my speed..."
Panting heavily, Han finally voiced his confusion.
Yet this question entirely missed the point. If Haseo truly turned serious, whether or not the opponent wore armor or achieved peak speed made no difference at all.
So it wasn't about capability—it was about attitude.
"Blades are dangerous things, inconsistent with my usual peaceful disposition. They're controlled weapons—best avoided for social harmony.
Do you think I was speaking nonsense earlier? No, indeed not. We really aren't here for killing. Although in this chaotic Ninja World, our simple belief might seem unbelievable, it's what we consistently uphold...
Violence may be the final recourse in conflict, but killing—killing is its absolute extreme. Both are things I make every effort to avoid.
I've walked this world for centuries, yet never once have I taken a life. My comrades have even named me 'The Non-Lethal Ninja.'
"Yes, Haseo dislikes killing... he's always preferred [Ninja-style assassination]."
"The way he speaks—like this—only shows the tip of the iceberg. Still, you can sense that beneath it lies unfathomable power... and that irritating arrogance. I think I know who you are.
Fourth Hokage, I never imagined someone like you would still be alive."
Han wasn't an idiot. Even if he couldn't accurately gauge Haseo's abilities, he could at least recognize his immense strength. So when guessing Haseo's identity among Konoha's strongest ninja, was it really that difficult to figure out?
"No, no, just call me by my name. I'm merely an ordinary old man now; a title like 'Fourth' is long outdated."
Haseo had never liked being addressed as the Fourth Hokage. Whether it was being called "Fourth" or the implication that he should've been dead by now, both made him sound like someone destined for an early grave.
Upon hearing Haseo confirm his identity, Han's pupils slightly contracted.
A face-to-face meeting beats any rumor...
Because they were from different times, Han had only heard stories about the Fourth Hokage before. He'd never faced Haseo in person—that used to be lucky. Now, however, after Haseo's return, Han had become the first to confront him—a fateful encounter indeed, the fate of a Jinchuriki.
"From what I've heard," Han continued, "you're the ninja most dangerous to the Tailed Beasts. The stronger a Jinchuriki becomes, and the better they utilize their beast's powers, the more perilous it becomes to reveal those abilities in your presence...
Yet such advice is essentially meaningless. If even resistance is seen as extremely dangerous, does that mean non-resistance ensures safety? Isn't it effectively saying that the moment a Jinchuriki stands before you, they've already lost?"
Han shook his head as he spoke.
"At the end of the day, a ninja has to go all out."
As he finished speaking, a long, pure-white tail extended outward from behind Han.
He had originally left Iwagakure temporarily due to the influence of the tailed beast within him; now, he was forced to unleash its power on a large scale—this itself was an act fraught with high risk.
There was a risk of deeper interference from the Five-Tails' consciousness.
However, once Han confirmed Haseo's identity, as he said himself, there was no other choice—he had to fight with everything he had. After all, the Fourth Hokage was a legendary figure.
Several Jinchuriki before him had already proven he was no mere myth.
To be honest, if Han had just thrown in the towel, Haseo probably wouldn't have seen any point in continuing the training... since it was supposed to be practice, how could one train without resistance?
But in the world of Jinchuriki, Haseo's credibility score was zero; among Tailed Beasts, it went even lower into negative territory. So what else was there to say? Han inevitably couldn't choose the "correct" option of not resisting.
"It's normal to try using a Tailed Beast's power while maintaining self-control—but..." Haseo remarked, "such indecision only weakens the seal holding the beast back.
It would be better to just release the beast entirely."
But Han paid no heed to Haseo's words. No matter the opponent's strength, a ninja must ultimately stick to their own way of fighting.
A thick stream of steam rose from Han the Tailed Beast Host's body, and at the same time, the ground beneath his feet and the surrounding buildings began to corrode rapidly. Even the air turned heavy and foul-tasting.
["Boil Release…"]
Haseo lightly covered his mouth and nose.
Fundamentally, Boil Release was exactly this kind of technique that polluted the atmosphere.
The acidic mist spread fast—it wouldn't take long before it swallowed the whole block. Haseo glanced toward the Uzumakis not far away. The Uzumakis probably wouldn't be able to withstand such corrosive damage… unless they retreated.
Though there wasn't much necessity for it, Haseo still decided to purify the air around him a bit.
"I don't care whether you're a Jinchuriki or not. Since you are a ninja of Iwagakure, you can just witness something interesting next…"
Haseo gently inserted the long blade in his hand into the ground, then stretched both arms forward, placing both hands levelly in front of him—the posture itself looked plain and even somewhat awkward.
But soon after, a thick pillar of white light extended straight ahead, and immediately afterward, as Haseo slightly rotated his body, it began sweeping across the misty haze in front of him.
Except for the rather lengthy pre-movement required to initiate the skill, this move could be said to have practically no other flaws…
Even its chakra consumption could be considered moderate, nowhere near as exaggerated as Haseo's "Grand Heavenly Phenomenon."
This move was made for taking down a Jinchuriki—yet here Haseo was, using it to "cleanse the air." What a waste. He just swung it through empty space.
Now *that*... that's what you call a workspace cleanup artist.
(End of chapter)
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