Uchiha Ryun stared at Han, the Five-Tails Jinchūriki. His mouth twitched. 'Damn it, even though I'm recovering chakra, being surrounded by enemy troops means I have to use Susanoo to block their attacks while also dealing with Han.'
This was stretching him thin. Han, reminded by Ōnoki, quickly nodded. With both hands, he unleashed Boil Release: Unrivaled Strength, sending scorching steam-powered punches toward Ryun.
Ryun planted his hands on the ground and flipped backward, dodging the two strikes. He glared at Han, eyes filled with killing intent, then used the Body Flicker Technique.
A red flash appeared in his hand as the Blazing Flame Fan materialized. Ryun unfolded the fan's blade and slashed toward Han's neck.
Han smirked, bending backward to evade before countering with a punch aimed at Ryun. Ryun remained unfazed. 'Sage Mode, activate!' Golden Scale Armor shielded him. Han's steam-powered fist struck the armor, which merely flickered before stabilizing.
"What the hell is this thing? Why won't it break?" Han grumbled.
Ryun sneered. "Mere mortal eyes cannot comprehend the wonders of a sage."
"Hey, Kokuō, help me out. Lend me some chakra!" Han called out to the Five-Tails within his mind.
Kokuō glanced at Han before lying back down, ignoring him. 'What kind of idiot demands chakra so arrogantly? Pathetic.'
"Uh… that Uchiha outside has the Mangekyō. Without your help, I might not be able to handle him," Han admitted helplessly.
Kokuō hesitated. True, Han was weak and not particularly bright, but at least he treated it decently. Fine—if only to avoid being captured by that Mangekyō user, it would lend him some power.
Feeling Kokuō's chakra surge through him, Han grinned. "Steam Armor!"
Hot steam erupted from his body, forming a protective layer around him. The intense heat made even Ryun, in Sage Mode, feel uncomfortable.
"Heh, Uchiha Ryun, let's go again!" Han launched a barrage of Unrivaled Strength punches. Ryun frowned. 'Shinra Tensei!'
Instantly, the earth beneath them sharpened into spikes, shooting toward Han.
"Han, dodge! He's using Sage Art, not regular ninjutsu!" Kokuō warned.
Han hastily blasted steam from his palms, propelling himself backward with the recoil.
"Phew, that was close…" Han wiped his sweat, but before he could relax, Ryun hurled shuriken, kunai, and windmill shuriken at him using the Uchiha throwing technique.
Han wasn't worried. As a Jinchūriki, such weapons were trivial. His chakra cloak manifested, deflecting the projectiles with metallic clinks. His tails even shattered them to pieces.
"Uchiha Ryun, is this all you've got?" Han taunted, feeling invincible.
Ryun's expression turned strange. That line sounded familiar.
"Han! Stop wasting time and kill Uchiha Ryun!" Ōnoki barked.
"Tch, that old man is so annoying," Han muttered inwardly.
"Be careful. I feel like this Uchiha still has something up his sleeve," Kokuō said uneasily. Someone who could summon the Great Buddha wouldn't be defeated so easily.
Kokuō was right.
Ryun's Mangekyō spun, its six tomoe shifting as he gathered Yin-natured chakra and locked eyes with Han.
"Han, don't look into his eyes!" Kokuō shouted—but it was too late.
Han froze. His pupils reflected Ryun's Sharingan. His arms went limp, and he collapsed to his knees.
"Han! Wake up!" Ōnoki panicked. Without Han, Iwagakure had no one left who could fight Ryun.
Inside Han's mindscape, Kokuō shuddered—because it saw Uchiha Ryun standing before it.
Kokuō immediately turned away, squeezing its eyes shut. "I won't look! I won't look!"
"You think avoiding my gaze will save you?" Ryun activated his Mangekyō. In an instant, darkness swallowed Kokuō. Two Mangekyō patterns burned into its vision.
When it opened its eyes again, its pupils had transformed into Ryun's Mangekyō design.
"Kokuō, you've been sealed by Iwagakure for so long. You must resent them, right? Let me help you—I'll break the seal!" Ryun smiled faintly.
He channeled Yang-natured chakra, combining it with the sealing techniques taught by Uzumaki Mito. The seal restraining Kokuō tore apart like paper.
A deafening roar erupted. "ROAR!"
"That's it, Kokuō! Take revenge on the humans who imprisoned and used you!" With that, Ryun vanished from Han's consciousness.
Back on the battlefield, Ryun smirked. "Kokuō, come out!"
The next moment, Han's eyes bulged. He howled, struggling desperately—but it was futile.
His body dissolved, replaced by a colossal beast—a fusion of dolphin and horse, pure white with five tails.
Ōnoki's initial excitement faded instantly. Han had unleashed his full power? Ryun was as good as dead! Even losing 3,000 troops would be worth it if they killed him.
But before Ōnoki could celebrate, Kokuō knelt, lowering its head in submission to Ryun. The entire battlefield fell silent.
The two sides reacted differently—Konoha's forces were ecstatic, while Iwa's shinobi paled in horror.
Ryun stepped onto Kokuō's head, standing tall as the beast raised its gaze. From this vantage, Ryun surveyed the battlefield.
Then, he activated Susanoo.
A crimson-gold Susanoo encased Kokuō. Together, they roared. "ROAR!" The sound sent flocks of birds fleeing from distant forests.
Ōnoki staggered. He knew the battle was lost. They couldn't stop Ryun now—and he could slaughter another 4,000 to 5,000 of them with ease.
Ignoring the others, Ryun raised his hand. "Kokuō, Five Mountains Leap!"
Kokuō's eyes gleamed. It wasn't like Son Gokū, content with its fate. Under the Mangekyō's control and its own buried hatred, it unleashed all its steam.
The beast leaped skyward, aiming for the heart of Iwa's formation. As its hooves slammed down, a shockwave of steam and force erupted outward.
A single strike wiped out 500 shinobi.
Ryun grinned. "Ōnoki, are you satisfied with this war?"
He twisted the knife, standing atop Kokuō as he stared down the Tsuchikage.
Ōnoki's heart bled. Clenching his fists, he suppressed his fury to avoid escalating the conflict further.
A weak nation had no voice in diplomacy. To fall behind was to be beaten.