The sun rose on a new day, but Rōshi's rage had never ceased.
All night, Hanekawa had come and gone, come and gone again. The Four-Tails jinchuriki hadn't gotten a moment's rest, let alone time to recover from his injuries. Each time Hanekawa pulled back, he simply watched through his scope, using the opportunity to refine his chakra.
After all, he couldn't rely on the Yin Seal every time. That would be wasteful.
Fortunately, he had his system.
The B-Rank Talent Entry "Strongest Chunin" gave him a 150% boost to chakra refinement speed. The chakra he'd burned through with Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet and Body Flicker Technique was already regenerating.
Just as Hanekawa prepared for another round, several parasitic insects flew in front of him, quickly forming the character for "return."
Hanekawa's mood lifted. Minato Namikaze was back.
Without hesitation, he used Body Flicker.
Within moments, he found Tsunade, Minato, and the others. But something was immediately wrong.
Rin Nohara and Kurenai Yuhi were missing. Minato's expression was heavy.
"What happened?" Hanekawa asked, stopping short. "Did we lose to Hidden Stone?"
"No." Tsunade shook her head. "We won decisively."
Hanekawa's stomach tightened. He already knew what was coming.
"It's Obito," Minato said quietly. "He's missing. We haven't found him yet."
Of course. Hanekawa thought grimly. Death flags everywhere.
"No body means he's alive," Aburame Shikuro offered gently. "Don't assume the worst."
"Shikuro's right," Tsunade said firmly. "I believe Obito was captured by Hidden Stone. Once we take Rōshi alive, we can negotiate his return."
Minato blinked. "Take him alive? Even with the Tailed Beast Bomb—"
He stopped, understanding dawning. His eyes shifted to Hanekawa.
Water Style suppression. Flying Thunder God to redirect the bomb. Tsunade and four elite jonin providing support.
It's possible.
"Understood," Minato said, resolve replacing grief. "Let's do it."
Capturing a jinchuriki alive would cripple Hidden Stone's military strength and secure Obito's release. He had every reason to agree.
"Hanekawa attacks first. We follow with a coordinated assault," Tsunade said without preamble. "Minato, you handle the Tailed Beast Bomb."
"Yes," everyone answered in unison.
"Teacher, where are Kurenai and Rin?" Hanekawa asked once she finished.
"Rin was worried about Obito, so she joined the search teams," Tsunade said. "I sent Kurenai with her for safety."
Hanekawa had already guessed as much, but the confirmation eased his mind. He had no feelings for Obito Uchiha—he just didn't want Kurenai or Rin getting hurt.
---
Rōshi sensed the footsteps and immediately cursed. But halfway through, he froze.
This time, it wasn't just Hanekawa.
Tsunade. Minato. Four Aburame jonin. Seven fighters total, surrounding him.
"Rōshi, surrender!" Tsunade called out. "Hidden Stone is finished!"
"Impossible," he spat.
But seeing Minato Namikaze confirmed it.
"If you yield, Konoha can negotiate with Hidden Stone," Tsunade said calmly. She wasn't wasting time—she was attacking his resolve. A panicked ninja was a weakened ninja.
"Never!" Rōshi's fury exploded. "As long as I stand, Hidden Stone stands!"
"Then you'll fall," Tsunade replied with a faint smile.
Rōshi beat his chest with both fists and howled.
Chakra erupted from his body in a violent wave. Red energy coalesced into a tailed beast's outer form, spreading outward like a tsunami of power. The temperature spiked—scorching, suffocating heat.
Hanekawa and the others retreated instantly.
Rōshi's body swelled. Red fur rippled across his skin. His form grew and grew until a massive ape-like creature towered above them, four tails lashing behind him.
The Four-Tails roared at the sky, then lowered its head and fixed its gaze on Hanekawa.
It charged.
The earth trembled as if struck by an earthquake.
Water Style: Great Explosion Water Wave!
Hanekawa opened his mouth and unleashed an ocean. Waves crashed toward the Four-Tails, swallowing its legs in churning water.
"Disgusting!" The beast clenched its fists and slammed the ground.
Magma erupted from the cracks, boiling away the water around it.
Summoning Jutsu!
Tsunade slapped the ground. A massive slug materialized—nearly the Four-Tails' size—and opened its mouth.
Corrosive acid gushed out like a waterfall.
The Four-Tails shrieked as its fur dissolved. But more chakra flowed out, offsetting the damage. It pivoted and hammered the slug instead.
The impact split the creature into countless smaller slugs that scattered in all directions.
The Four-Tails hesitated, confused by the tactic.
Where is the boy?
It searched frantically, but Hanekawa had vanished.
The Four-Tails raised all four tails. The sea erupted upward, water streams rising into the sky before condensing into a dragon.
The water dragon was ten meters long—tiny compared to the beast.
One swipe of its arm sent it flying.
Lightning crackled along its limb, but the Four-Tails' thick hide shrugged it off.
Hanekawa emerged, Fire Sword raised high. Dark clouds gathered overhead. He formed seals, spitting a fire dragon that soared into the storm clouds. Rain began to fall.
A tail whipped toward him like a mountain.
Hanekawa met it with a punch.
The collision sent shockwaves rippling outward, churning the sea.
He flew backward.
Water Style: Water Flash Technique!
His body dissolved into water and vanished into the ocean.
The Four-Tails' fist crashed down where he'd been. The sea exploded outward, cracks spiderwebbing across the ground.
"Hanekawa!" Tsunade's shout betrayed her worry.
"My insects confirm he's fine," Aburame Shikuro reported, though his own shock was evident.
This is the power of a tailed beast, Minato thought, remembering Kushina. The Nine-Tails was the strongest of them all. If the Four-Tails was this formidable...
How terrifying would a fully transformed Nine-Tails be?
"Annoying insects!" The Four-Tails raged, unable to find Hanekawa's body. It smashed its fists repeatedly, creating a sea of magma. Seawater evaporated on contact.
"This won't work," Minato muttered, frowning.
He threw a shuriken and teleported behind the Four-Tails, driving a Rasengan into its back.
The attack barely scratched it.
A tail lashed at him.
Minato vanished with Flying Thunder God and reappeared at his starting position. "I can't damage it," he said grimly.
Body Flicker!
Hanekawa materialized above the Four-Tails.
Water Style: Hard Vortex Water Blade!
Chakra surged through his right arm, forming a spinning vortex that elongated into a water javelin. He hurled it with all his strength.
On impact, the water spread, forming a waterspout around the beast's head.
The Four-Tails staggered, blinded and dizzy.
Chidori Flow!
Lightning enveloped Hanekawa's body as he crashed into the beast with the strength of a hundred men.
The Four-Tails fell forward uncontrollably, crashing into the sea.
Water erupted in all directions, waves rolling back toward the edges of the water prison.
"Bastard!" The Four-Tails surfaced, seawater cascading down. It glared at Hanekawa with pure rage.
Tailed Beast Bomb!
It opened its maw. Chakra gathered, compressed, condensed into a black sphere of annihilation. The very air trembled with destructive power.
Flying Thunder God Technique!
Minato appeared before it, eyes locked on the bomb. One mistake and they both died.
He had to time this perfectly.
Hanekawa didn't dodge. He drew the Fire Sword.
Dark clouds swallowed the sky.
Rumble!
Lightning poured down like rain, striking the sea.
The Tailed Beast Bomb launched.
Hanekawa felt the weight of a mountain pressing down on his soul, as if it might tear free from his body.
Minato moved.
The bomb vanished with him.
Hanekawa exhaled and formed seals.
"Get out of the water!" Tsunade shouted.
Everyone jumped clear.
The lightning merged with the sea in a catastrophic reaction.
The Four-Tails had no such luck. Countless bolts enveloped it, crackling with devastating force.
Its thick hide couldn't protect it from being drowned in electrified water. The beast convulsed, numbness spreading through its body.
But Hanekawa wasn't finished.
Water Style: Water Breaking Wave!
Floating in the air, wreathed in lightning like a god of thunder, Hanekawa tilted back and exhaled a column of ultra-high-pressure water.
The Four-Tails thrashed, but Rōshi had learned to fear this technique. He braced himself—
Too late.
The water spear pierced through its defenses, driving deep.
"Ahhhhh!" Screams mixed with rage.
Under Hanekawa's control, the water column was a lance, finding its mark.
"Now, Mr. Slug! Perfect opening!" Tsunade's eyes blazed.
Tongue and Teeth Acid!
Countless slugs converged, spraying corrosive acid that covered the Four-Tails.
Strange Power!
Tsunade's fist connected with its skull.
Minato flashed past, Rasengan spinning.
Aburame Shikuro and his team unleashed their parasitic insects.
The Four-Tails' screams cut off abruptly.
The damage was too much. As Rōshi lost consciousness, his tailed beast transformation forcibly ended.
The sea calmed.
Rōshi floated on the surface, barely alive, utterly destroyed.
"We... won?" Aburame Shizue asked in disbelief.
"We won!" Minato couldn't hide his excitement. They'd actually captured a jinchuriki alive.
The first time since Hashirama Senju.
Hanekawa smiled despite the exhaustion washing over him. Good thing Akatsuki hasn't shown up yet. They'd think capturing jinchuriki was routine.
Fatigue crashed down like a wave. His legs nearly buckled.
A pair of arms caught him.
He looked up to find Tsunade, worry etched across her face.
"I'm fine," he said, leaning into her without hesitation. "Just used too much chakra."
In this battle, he'd burned through nearly all his reserves and more than half the Yin Seal's stored power. There was no way around it—electrocuting the Four-Tails and dealing serious damage required massive chakra expenditure.
"Minato, seal Rōshi so he can't transform again when he wakes," Tsunade ordered. She paused, then added, "I'm taking Hanekawa back for treatment."
Without waiting for a response, she bent down, lifted him effortlessly, and disappeared in a series of bounds.