Roshi was not a perfect jinchūriki; he could not fully control the power of the Four-Tails.
Pouring vast amounts of Lava Release energy into the underground volcano was already taking a tremendous toll, sweat clearly streaming down his forehead.
"That Four-Tails is starting to act up too… sensing my weakness, trying to take control of my body."
Feeling the turmoil within, Roshi was under immense pressure. He had to stimulate the ley lines, confront a high-level opponent like Kato Dan, and remain vigilant against the Four-Tails' rebellion.
Any slip could mean total collapse.
But so far, the risk was worth it. One battle had annihilated an entire Leaf Village unit, severely damaging Konoha's manpower and morale.
If not for Kato Dan's desperate interference, perhaps all two thousand Leaf ninjas could have been wiped out in the Land of Hot Springs.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
With the use of Lava Release: Scorching River Rock Technique, flaming magma spheres shot out, tracing scorching arcs through the air, adding fuel to an already high-temperature, humid environment.
Roshi wasn't aiming to attack Kato's spirit body—he was attacking Kato's physical body directly!
If the body dies, the spirit naturally perishes too.
Kato's spirit body weaved swiftly through the rain of molten rocks, his semi-transparent form warped and blurred by the scalding heat.
He caught sight of his physical body under the trajectory of the magma spheres, and glanced back to see Roshi's cold expression.
"With this, the battle is over. You're the toughest among Konoha's forces. Killing you is the greatest gain of this operation."
Roshi slammed both palms to the ground. The Four-Tails' chakra erupted like a volcanic blast, ready to counter Kato's spirit-body intrusion.
Kato's spirit accelerated suddenly, rushing toward Roshi before the magma spheres could hit his body.
"Come!" Roshi growled.
As fists cloaked in molten rock and tailed-beast chakra came crashing down, Kato's spirit body transformed into a streak of light, striking Roshi's forehead and initiating the most brutal battle of souls.
Spiritual Transformation Technique was like an advanced version of Mind Transfer Technique.
The regular Mind Transfer Technique shifted one's consciousness into the opponent's body, suppressing their mind to control their movements.
Spiritual Transformation, however, sent the soul completely out of the body—capable not only of possessing and controlling the enemy but also of annihilating their consciousness.
As the two souls clashed inside Roshi, the battle wasn't just about chakra—it was a struggle of Yin Release mental power. In an instant, countless thoughts collided violently, leaving both sides' consciousness in brief disorientation.
"Failed…"
Inside Roshi's mental space, Kato Dan let out a deep sigh.
Failing to immediately severely damage or kill Roshi's consciousness meant he had lost. His body would be destroyed by Lava Release: Scorching River Rock Technique.
"Even without considering the attack on my body, I probably have no chance of winning. I can't fight two enemies at once."
Kato sensed the will of the Four-Tails. Although the beast seemed indifferent toward Roshi, even watching him hungrily and hoping for a worse outcome, that did not mean the Four-Tails would side with Kato.
If the jinchūriki dies, the tailed beast inside dies too.
Boom!
A magma sphere slammed into Kato's body. The terrifying impact and intense heat instantly tore apart part of his body.
His shattered body, like a broken kite, soared high before plummeting toward the ground.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Roshi staggered to his knees, his lava armor and Four-Tails chakra fiercely countering the attack from Kato's soul.
A dull rumble came from beneath the ground. The excessive injection of Lava Release chakra finally triggered a backlash from the ley lines. Sulfurous toxic gas erupted from the cracks in the earth, dragging the battlefield into an even worse state.
Earthquakes, volcanoes, lava, poison gas—it was as if all the deadliest elements had converged here.
"It's over, Konoha's Kato Dan… I've won!"
Roshi's head throbbed violently. He let out agonized roars, his face twisted in rage. "Your body is already dead! How long can your soul hold on inside my body?!"
"Not long. The remaining oxygen in my body might give me a few dozen seconds, but that's enough! Turning you into a vegetable is still a victory!" Kato's desperation escalated—he, usually composed and refined, was losing control for the first time. If nothing unexpected occurred, it would also be the last.
"Sorry, Tsunade… and my comrades. This is where I end, but before I die, I can buy you more time."
If Kato could damage Roshi's spirit enough to force him out of the battle, it would be an invaluable aid to the village.
Kato tried to use his remaining strength to uphold the Will of Fire, braving the spiritual pressure from his instincts. He had used Spiritual Transformation Technique too many times; even if his body wasn't under attack, his spirit should have been forced back into his body.
"Huh?" Suddenly, Kato's spirit thought it had misseen.
Countless figures were rushing toward him at high speed!
Just then, under his shattered body about to fall into the lava, a figure suddenly appeared, supporting him above the molten flow.
In an instant, a zombie slammed Kato's body hard, sacrificing itself as it melted into the lava.
Another figure leaped in, catching him mid-air, completing a single-handed seal in a flash.
"Zombie Release: Void!"
Kaede Tsukasa, holding Kato's broken body, completed a time-space swap with a zombie in a safe location. The swaying of his clothing finally stopped as his body stabilized.
It all happened in the blink of an eye. Though the situation was urgent, Kaede Tsukasa had done everything he could—at the very least, he had retrieved Kato's main body.
As for the missing parts…
"This is brutal… more than half the chest and spine are gone."
Kaede Tsukasa looked down, sighing. With injuries like this, Kato would normally be dead; even medical ninjutsu couldn't save him.
"Kato Dan, it's not time to give up yet. Your spirit needs to return to your body." Kaede Tsukasa looked at Roshi struggling atop the massive lava rock.
He immediately assessed the situation. Though a bit late, it wasn't the worst possible moment.
"No, you shouldn't have come. Using my last strength to attack the enemy might still—" Kato's spirit, nearing its limit, detached from Roshi's body, instinctively moving toward his own.
With each passing second, his already dim spirit grew darker, like a sponge rapidly drying out.
"Don't worry about the enemy. We're not so weak that you alone have to bear all the pressure."
Kaede Tsukasa lifted the broken body, receiving Kato's returning spirit.
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