Chapter 185: Confronting the Four-Tails Jinchūriki
"Damn it!" Kurenai Yūhi complained with frustration, "Are the Iwagakure ninja all turtles?"
They had been on a mission in the Land of Grass for over a month, yet genuine combat was scarce. The reason was Iwagakure's strategy of avoiding battle.
Rin Nohara looked like she wanted to speak but held back. Her personality was different from Kurenai's; she didn't want anyone hurt, so she didn't want any fighting.
Tsunade glanced at Hoshikawa , who had his eyes closed.
It seemed Iwagakure's objective was exactly as the brat had previously guessed: Konoha was not their main focus. But if they continued to avoid battle like this, would Kumogakure believe it? Tsunade sank into thought. She had a feeling that Iwagakure was planning something big to completely lull Kumogakure into a false sense of security, but she didn't know what it was.
"Southeast direction, four Iwagakure ninja spotted. They are all Chūnin." Hoshikawa opened his eyes and announced.
"Southeast direction?" Tsunade snapped out of her thoughts and mused, "The Aburame clan ninja scouted that area before. There's an Iwagakure outpost there."
Outposts were large fortifications with considerable manpower. Combined with the defensive advantages of Earth Release ninjutsu, Konoha hadn't attempted a direct assault on the outposts.
"They must be out on some mission," Hoshikawa speculated.
"Who cares what mission they're on, they're unlucky to run into us!" Kurenai's spirits lifted.
"Capture them alive as quickly as possible," Tsunade instructed after a moment's consideration. "Let's find out what their mission is. We might be able to get valuable intelligence."
"Rin, use the Spirit Transformation Technique to take control of one of them," Hoshikawa said as he stood up. "Kurenai and I will handle the remaining three."
"Understood!" Rin quickly replied.
As for Tsunade, since no Jōnin were involved, there was no need for her to intervene. She could remain where she was and guard Rin's body in case her Spirit Transformation Technique ran into problems.
Hoshikawa and Kurenai vanished instantly.
A moment later, they spotted the four Iwagakure ninja.
Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!
Hoshikawa and Kurenai formed hand seals simultaneously. Two roaring water dragons shot out, one following the other.
"Enemy attack!" The squad leader reacted the fastest. He formed hand seals and slammed his hands onto the ground. The earth rose, forming an earthen wall.
However, the two water dragons easily smashed through the wall and crashed down on them.
"Scatter!" the Iwa-ninja leader yelled immediately.
The four ninja dispersed in four different directions at lightning speed.
"They're Konoha ninja!" A young ninja was the first to notice Kurenai. "Two o'clock!"
"I'll take care of her!" The only female ninja in the squad, seeing Kurenai closest to her and perceiving her as just a young girl, approached with disdain.
Body Flicker Technique!
Her body became a blur, and she appeared in front of Kurenai. But suddenly, her body stiffened, forcing her to stop. An invisible soul wave descended from the sky and pierced into her body.
"Nice work, Rin!" Kurenai had acted as bait, allowing Rin to execute the technique and seize control.
Just then, screams echoed from nearby.
Dance of the Crescent Moon!
Three Hoshikawa s emerged from the smoke. In a flash, he appeared before the three remaining Iwagakure ninja. A flash of a blade, and blood sprayed. Against ordinary ninja, Hoshikawa now moved with effortless ease, like slicing vegetables.
Bang, bang, bang!
The three Iwagakure ninja collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Hoshikawa dispersed his shadow clones and walked up, dealing a final blow to their hearts.
He suddenly gave a small exclamation.
[B-Rank Ninjutsu Trait: Kenjutsu Special Jōnin.][Trigger Condition: Konoha-Style Kenjutsu reaches Mastery.][Effect: Konoha-Style Kenjutsu power increased by 100%; power of other Kenjutsu increased by 50%.][Note: Learning and mastering more Kenjutsu can trigger evolution to A-Rank Trait: Kenjutsu Jōnin.]
Hoshikawa wasn't surprised to acquire the [Kenjutsu Special Jōnin] trait now. After all, he had completely mastered the Konoha-Style Kenjutsu, having learned everything there was to learn.
What surprised Hoshikawa was the trait's effect and its path for advancement. He had assumed that [Kenjutsu Special Jōnin] would, like [Kenjutsu Chūnin], only increase the power of Konoha-Style Kenjutsu. To his surprise, it had a secondary effect: a 50% increase in the power of all other kenjutsu besides the Konoha Style. This lined up perfectly with its advancement path.
According to the system's standard, a jutsu's proficiency limit was Mastery. In other words, there would be no further improvement for the Konoha-Style Kenjutsu no matter how much he practiced it. Its limits were clearly defined.
As for other kenjutsu, Hoshikawa couldn't immediately think of any good ones to learn. Should he try to learn Shisui Uchiha's Uchiha-Style Kenjutsu? Logically, he wouldn't be able to learn a clan kenjutsu since he wasn't an Uchiha. But if the Uchiha clan actively taught him, that would be another matter entirely. If Tsunade could become the Hokage, that might become possible.
Hoshikawa then remembered his B-Rank trait [Blade King], whose effect could stack with [Kenjutsu Special Jōnin]. In other words, his Konoha-Style Kenjutsu now had a 200% power increase, and all other kenjutsu had a 150% power increase.
Hoshikawa stroked his chin. His swordsmanship had surprisingly caught up, becoming one of his most powerful assets. This was a good thing.
Hoshikawa returned to the present to find Kurenai already interrogating the captured female ninja. Excellent genjutsu users often possessed some interrogation skills. While not as effective as the Yamanaka clan's Secret Techniques or the Uchiha clan's Sharingan, extracting mission details wasn't overly difficult.
Hoshikawa sheathed his Lightning Fire Sword and stood aside, listening.
Soon, the female ninja revealed their mission: it was simple patrol duty around the outpost. Besides their squad, four other ninja squads had been assigned the same task. Hoshikawa found this slightly odd. Didn't Iwagakure usually hole up in their main camp and outposts before? Why the sudden patrols?
"We should go back and discuss this with Master Tsunade." Hoshikawa casually executed the female ninja with a wave of his hand, but he wasn't finished. He formed hand seals, used a Fire Release jutsu to incinerate all four bodies, and then used an Earth Release jutsu to bury the ashes. This would delay the discovery of the bodies for as long as possible.
"What intelligence did you get?" Tsunade asked when they returned.
"It's like this." Hoshikawa explained the content of their mission.
"The purpose of the patrols is likely to guard against Konoha ninja," Tsunade mused. "It seems that outpost is hiding a secret."
"Shall we head to the outpost then?" Hoshikawa raised an eyebrow.
"Let's go!" Tsunade stood up, her tone resolute. "I want to see exactly what Iwagakure is up to!"
The four of them headed toward the southeast.
A few minutes later, an outpost came into view. Hoshikawa looked at the three-to-four-meter-high earthen wall surrounding the outpost and couldn't help but sigh. Earth Release ninja really should work in construction.
He formed hand seals, closed his eyes, and activated his Mind's Eye.
"There's an anti-sensing barrier," Hoshikawa reported, shaking his head.
"It blocks sensing, but not souls," Tsunade instructed. "Rin, use your Spirit Transformation Technique to infiltrate. If you encounter danger, withdraw immediately."
The Spirit Transformation Technique was a rare soul ninjutsu in the shinobi world. Most barriers couldn't defend against souls. However, some sensing jutsu could detect a soul, making it somewhat risky. Fortunately, very few jutsu could actually attack a soul.
"Yes, Master," Rin formed hand seals. Her body trembled, and her soul drifted toward the Iwagakure outpost. She slipped in right under the noses of the Iwagakure ninja.
Rin looked around, counting the number of people. There were quite a few ninja in the outpost; she counted about one hundred. Just as she was preparing to leave, a cluster of purplish-red flames suddenly shot toward her. Rin was startled.
However, she was currently in soul form, making her speed and reaction time incredibly fast. She floated backward, avoiding the purplish-red flames.
The next second, a middle-aged ninja with red hair and a red beard, wearing purple clothes, appeared before her. The surrounding temperature suddenly spiked, and a scorching heatwave rolled outward. Rin felt a wave of intense heat. She was immediately confused. Under normal circumstances, Fire Release ninjutsu should not be able to affect a soul.
BOOM!
The middle-aged ninja threw a punch. The air warped, and terrifying flames shot into the sky, instantly melting the nearby ground. Rin's face changed drastically, but then she calmed down.
A damp sensation filled the air. In the blink of an eye, streams of water enveloped her, forming an airtight, cylindrical water barrier. Only Hoshikawa could manage such a feat.
"Release the Spirit Transformation Technique!"
Just as Hoshikawa 's voice fell, the water barrier was shattered by a single punch from the middle-aged ninja.
Water Release: Water Formation Wall!
Hoshikawa clapped his hands together, and another water wall rose up.
Lava Release: Scorching Flow Rock Technique!
The middle-aged ninja clasped his hands, opened his mouth, and spat out multiple massive spheres of lava. The lava spheres easily smashed through the water wall and flew toward Hoshikawa .
Just then, a white blur flashed between the two figures.
Uncommon Strength!
Tsunade, without changing her expression, shattered the lava spheres. The unimaginable force transformed into a sharp whooshing sound, creating bursts of air. The middle-aged ninja instinctively retreated a few steps.
He looked at Tsunade, surprised.
"It seems it is Princess Tsunade." The middle-aged ninja raised a hand, stopping the rest of the Iwagakure ninja who were itching for a fight.
Though no blows had been exchanged, Hoshikawa and Tsunade were completely surrounded.
"You use Lava Release, and your chakra is inhumanly vast," Tsunade said unhurriedly. "You are Rōshi, the Four-Tails Jinchūriki."
"Correct." Rōshi chuckled, supremely confident. "I just arrived in the Land of Grass, and Princess Tsunade delivered herself right to my doorstep. It seems it's my turn to make a name for myself!"
BOOM!
An overwhelming, unparalleled aura erupted from him. Chakra condensed and covered his entire body. In a flash, he transformed into a flaming man enveloped in molten lava.
Hoshikawa 's expression tightened. This was Rōshi's unique Lava Release Chakra Mode, which greatly increased both his defense and destructive power. Furthermore, the lava covering his body had the power to melt anything, making it extremely effective when combined with taijutsu.
The nearby Iwagakure ninja quickly retreated. Sweat was already beading on their foreheads due to the terrifying heat.
Hoshikawa recalled Rōshi's performance in the original story. Without the Tailed Beast, he would be an Elite Jōnin. But adding this boundless chakra made him quite formidable. However, he was not unbeatable. In the original story, Rōshi was defeated by Kisame Hoshigaki's Water Release. Of course, Kisame's Water Release was less ninjutsu and more kainjutsu (sea jutsu). But Hoshikawa might be able to achieve a similar result.
"Prepare to die!" Rōshi charged straight at Tsunade without any unnecessary talk.
"How troublesome." Tsunade frowned. In the Lava Release Chakra Mode, she dared not make direct contact with him.
Uncommon Strength!
Tsunade coated her arm in chakra and collided with his punch. Air and flames scattered, the ground cracked, and dust flew up.
"You truly live up to your title, Princess Tsunade!" Rōshi's body shook and he slid back several meters.
Tsunade felt a slight headache. Uncommon Strength was less effective than she had hoped. A Jinchūriki was indeed difficult to deal with. Fortunately, she had already sent Kurenai to notify Minato Namikaze, who should be able to arrive in about ten minutes at full speed.
Water Release: Water Shockwave!
Hoshikawa clapped his hands together, summoning a rapidly rising water current that resembled a tornado. The water formed a great river, cascading down like a waterfall toward Rōshi.
"Water Release may counter Fire Release, but ordinary Water Release has no effect on me!" Rōshi scoffed and formed hand seals.
Lava Release: Scorching Flow Rock Technique!
Compared to the few lava spheres before, this time there was an endless barrage of lava spheres, crashing into the great river like meteorites. In just a few seconds, the river was completely evaporated.
Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!
Hoshikawa used the time gained by the Water Release: Water Shockwave to rapidly form hand seals. All the chakra in his body was mobilized and released through his throat. Massive amounts of water formed tidal waves, surging outward layer after layer. In a flash, the entire outpost was surrounded by seawater, creating an oval-shaped water prison when viewed from the outside.
"Be careful!"
"What kind of Water Release is this?"
"Scatter, everyone!"
The Iwagakure ninja watching the fight suddenly paled and scrambled to escape using their respective techniques.
Tsunade was also surprised.
"That annoying Water Release!" A vacuum formed around Rōshi. However, the continuous supply of seawater noticeably dampened his Lava Release Chakra Mode. More importantly, he knew that in such a seawater environment, a Water Release ninja would receive a huge combat boost.
Hoshikawa took a breath, replenishing his chakra using the Strength of a Hundred Seal while simultaneously drawing his Lightning Fire Sword.
Lightning Induction!
In an instant, the sky became incredibly gloomy.
Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!
Hoshikawa aimed at the sky and spat out a fire dragon.
"...?" Rōshi was puzzled. What was the meaning of this?
But he quickly understood.
Because it started to rain.
"Master Tsunade, I'll take the lead in the attack!" Hoshikawa looked at Rōshi and said sternly. If he had encountered any other Jinchūriki, he would have immediately turned and run. But this was Rōshi, who was uniquely vulnerable to Water Release.
Under the combined boost of the [Rain God] and [Water Release Special Jōnin] traits, Hoshikawa 's Water Release power was increased by 200%. Coupled with the Strength of a Hundred Seal, he could be considered one of the strongest Water Release ninja in the world today. Crucially, Minato Namikaze was on his way. Even if he couldn't win, holding out for ten minutes to half an hour shouldn't be a problem.
Hoshikawa 's sudden burst of imposing confidence caused Tsunade a moment of bewilderment. When did this brat grow strong enough to fight a Jinchūriki?
"A little brat speaking such arrogant nonsense, ridiculous!" Rōshi was enraged by his words and shouted, "Let me show you what a Jinchūriki is!"
The chakra on his body surged again, and four tails appeared behind him. This was a partial Tailed Beast transformation.
(End of Chapter)
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