chapter 96 part 5
Han let out a muffled snort, his head slightly raised, eyes glinting fiercely. His entire being became a blur—in reality, by the time human eyes perceived the afterimage, it was already too late, as Han would have already attacked many times over.
Toka Senju faced this situation. She immediately let out an angry roar, activating her physique to its highest level, unleashing various powerful Wind Release jutsu that created brief, localized windstorms blowing in all directions.
"Using Wind Release, with its powerful cutting ability, to counter the enemy's attack—as expected of Touka-sama."
Minato and the others breathed a sigh of relief.
Wind Release Ninja were rare in any Village. The Wind Release jutsu activated by Toka Senju, relying on her powerful physique and abundant Chakra, far surpassed ordinary imagination in both power and scale.
Boom! The colossal windstorm collided with Han, who was attacking from the flank. The two forces tore at each other. Even a mere fraction of a second's gap for a buffer was enough for Toka Senju to react, followed by a continuous barrage of Wind Release jutsu. She tried to inflict continuous wounds on Han in this manner.
Defeating the Five-Tails was impossible, Toka Senju knew that. But stalling the Five-Tails? That wasn't impossible.
Next, it depended on how long it would take Jiraiya to deal with the Four-Tails Jinchuriki… There was no helping it; Toka Senju was essentially an Elite Jonin, and in this level of battle, she didn't have the ability to deliver a decisive blow.
"You seem to have misunderstood something."
Han suddenly retreated, feeling the sharp pain from his body and his diminishing sanity as time passed. He said coldly, "The last time we fought, you were nothing more than an accessory. The role you played was nothing compared to Orochimaru, let alone Fugaku Uchiha or Hiashi Hyuga."
This stung Toka Senju.
Han roared, transforming into a small mountain as he brutally crashed forward, his flesh and blood body forcefully breaking through the storm. "One-on-one, I only need an instant to kill you!"
The Wind Release barrier was shattered. Han's numerous wounds were quickly covered by fresh Tailed Beast Chakra, making it seem as though he had rapidly healed, completely unharmed.
But this was an illusion. Partial Tailed Beast Transformation itself meant that all the Jinchuriki's skin was destroyed by the fierce Tailed Beast Chakra, numerous superficial blood vessels were ruptured, and all the flowing blood was evaporated.
In other words, Partial Tailed Beast Transformation was inherently a self-harming stage. What was lost was not just sanity, but also one's own body. Once the body reached a certain limit, Partial Tailed Beast Transformation had to be released.
Otherwise, the body would collapse, and they would fall unconscious on the spot. An even worse outcome was losing sanity before the body gave out, allowing the Tailed Beast within to seize the opportunity and take over, the body automatically entering Full Tailed Beast Transformation.
"Don't underestimate the Senju Clan!!"
Toka Senju growled. Facing Han, who had suddenly charged in front of her, and with no way to evade, she stubbornly relied on her body's powerful self-healing abilities, fighting Han in a Taijutsu brawl amidst the steam.
And she wasn't falling behind!
Kaedezzle, sizzle, sizzle! Steam clung to Toka Senju, creating terrible wounds on her every moment. Being scalded by steam was far more terrifying than being scalded by boiling water! But Toka Senju endured all this torture, desperately drawing upon her Life Force for a fierce close-quarters battle with Han.
"Impressive, but I've always had more than just my limbs."
Han's tail suddenly lashed out, unleashing a terrifying shockwave that covered dozens of meters ahead, effortlessly snapping towering trees. Ultimately, Toka Senju was also blasted away.
Swish! The Tailed Beast Chakra formed a claw, rapidly extended, and snatched Toka Senju.
"It's over. Now I'll use my proudest Taijutsu to kill you completely. I suppose you can rest in peace… There won't be another chance for us to fight again."
Han stomped the ground, preparing to charge and smash Toka Senju into pieces. Killing the renowned Clan Head of the Senju Clan with his own hands would be a very good achievement.
"Touka-senpai!" Jiraiya, who was dealing with Roshi, cried out in alarm.
Minato's face was taut; he immediately intended to move over, but helplessly realized he had no available Spatial Coordinates there and couldn't get there at all! "Damn it, I'm actually watching a comrade… I must find a method to leave a Jutsu Formula on plants and trees instantly, without needing to prepare Flying Thunder God Kunai beforehand!" Minato's face showed his anguish, but he was truly powerless.
Everything seemed irreversible. Toka Senju felt a sense of regret in her heart, preparing to face her fate.
"I couldn't repel the enemy… but this way, perhaps more people will remember the Senju Clan again, and it might somewhat revive the Clan's name."
Toka Senju thought silently.
Just as she was about to be killed by Han.
"Eight Trigrams Air Palm!"
A powerful incoming force struck Han's Chakra claw, causing a slight deviation in Han's movement and making him miss the chance to deliver a fatal blow to Toka Senju.
"Well done, Hyo. It's truly wonderful to once again personally experience the power displayed by the Hyuga Clan on the battlefield."
Another squad arrived.
The leader stood on a broken tree stump and said calmly, "My apologies, everyone. The number of Zombies I deployed here was relatively small, so after transferring over with Spatial Rift Jutsu, I still had to run a distance. I need to pay attention to that next time. However, thanks to Hyuga Takashi, I was fortunate enough to observe your skirmish, which was quite brilliant."
Seeing the newcomer, Jiraiya breathed a sigh of relief and immediately widened the distance between himself and Roshi.
"Hmph, you certainly took your time. A Space-Time Ninja should have arrived first, you know," Jiraiya grumbled. For the second time, he felt Tsukasa Kaede was incredibly reliable.
"Can't be helped, as you can see, I'm a Squad Leader Jonin now. I can't always just look out for myself; I have to constantly find opportunities to impart wisdom to my disciples and teach them… And this is the best teaching opportunity."
Tsukasa Kaede paused, then turned to the slouching figure beside him. "The Five-Tails looks fierce, so I'll handle the Five-Tails. Hidan, your task is easier: go kill the Four-Tails."
(end of chapter)