Although Kawaki Aoba's movements were concealed and the others' attention diverted, the Iwagakure Jonin were still elite shinobi—trained to notice the slightest disturbances. At the last moment, their instincts flared. Something was wrong.
But it was already too late. Kawaki Aoba had anticipated this.
Raising both hands, he unleashed dozens of exploding tags into the air. Without hesitation, he hurled himself directly toward the Five-Tails' Jinchuriki—Han.
Han, however, was the quickest to react. A surge of superheated white steam burst from the vents beneath his crimson armor. Rather than retreat, Han advanced aggressively, his armored fist aimed directly at Kawaki Aoba's head.
Of course, he'd seen the exploding tags—there were many. And knowing he was the target, Han assumed Aoba had hidden even more traps. But he wasn't concerned.
Explosive tags were dangerous, yes—but not to him. Even dozens detonating at close range wouldn't be fatal.
Han's real defense lay in the white-hot chakra-infused steam enveloping him—a power unique to the Steam Ninja. This high-temperature chakra acted as a shield, reducing the effectiveness of conventional attacks like explosions.
His armored fist struck Kawaki Aoba square in the face—only for the body to burst apart in a puff of smoke.
A shadow clone.
Han's eyes narrowed. A clone? Since when did Iwata ally with Konoha?
Even then, he didn't consider that the person disguised as Iwata might have used a Transformation Jutsu.
But the trap was already sprung. The shadow clone's detonation scattered hundreds of ignited explosive tags across the area.
Han's gaze darkened. While confident he could survive even point-blank detonations, this number…
He had no time to react.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Hundreds of tags exploded in unison, shaking the entire fortress. The impact was so immense that it sent the whole structure skyward. Near the exit, the Four-Tails' Jinchuriki—Roshi—was blasted off his feet.
Not far away, the real Kawaki Aoba watched from a vantage point. Clicking his tongue, he muttered:
"Art is an explosion, huh? This was just a few hundred tags. I can't even imagine what Konan's Six Hundred Billion Paper Bombs must've looked like…"
It was time to enter the fray.
Cloaked in a thick layer of chakra, Kawaki Aoba vanished in a flicker.
On the other side, Roshi—recovering from the blast—spotted Aoba's distinctive chakra cloak.
That silhouette was unmistakable. Roshi's eyes widened. The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?!
Fury erupted in his chest. The burning red chakra of the Four-Tails began to pour from his body. Stabilizing midair, Roshi launched toward Kawaki Aoba, ready to settle the score. He wanted to see just how strong this so-called Konoha monster really was.
But before he could close the distance, several tags exploded around him—and dozens of figures surged forward from the smoke, each holding active explosive tags and charging recklessly.
This wasn't random.
Armed with Observation Haki—unusual but apparently mastered—Kawaki Aoba had planned every angle.
Back in the ruins, Han was still standing—barely.
The explosion had ripped his red armor apart, and burn marks seared his body. But thanks to the resilient physique of a Jinchuriki, he endured. Though internally injured, he still radiated a fearsome aura.
Steam gushed from his body with a loud hiss. As it spread, his frame began to expand.
Partial Tailed Beast Transformation.
His strength skyrocketed, and healing chakra mended the worst of the damage. But before the transformation could finish, he heard a voice—chanting.
Turning sharply, he saw Kawaki Aoba—no, a different identity now—completely cloaked in concentrated chakra.
"Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?" Han muttered, suspicion coloring his voice.
Aoba's chant was nearing its climax:
> "Wave of impurity, vessel of insanity—
Seethe! Numb! Flash! Slumber—
Steel princess corrodes, clay doll collapses—
Muster! Thwart! Permeate the ground—
Let them know their helplessness!
Hado Number 90: Black Coffin!"
Suddenly, more figures emerged—Jonin of Iwagakure—either from the ruins or the earth itself. Though caught off guard, their training kicked in. Many had used Earth Release to escape underground.
But not all were lucky. Some reacted too slowly—missing limbs, burnt bodies. Those who survived gathered themselves in fury, but also concern.
Where's Lord Han? They scanned the battlefield.
There he was, visible even amid the chaos—still standing, still transforming. Seeing him alive, their hearts eased.
But then, something terrifying happened.
Black walls of energy materialized from thin air, encasing Han completely. The darkness spread rapidly, swallowing his chakra light.
Within seconds, Han was gone—entombed inside a massive, obsidian coffin bristling with ethereal blades.
"No! That's another enemy jutsu!"
"Rescue Lord Han—now!"
Without hesitation, the surviving Jonin rushed toward the coffin, desperation in every step.
According to common knowledge in the ninja world, the "Black Coffin" resembled a dangerous barrier technique—possibly an advanced sealing or suppression jutsu developed by Konoha to deal with tailed beast Jinchūriki.
After activating the Black Coffin, Kawaki Aoba was left completely drained. The chakra cloak enveloping his body dissipated, and his internal chakra reserves were fully depleted.
He staggered under the immense backlash—amplified by the feedback from numerous shadow clones being detonated by explosive tags. His vision blurred, and he nearly collapsed.
Fortunately, he reacted quickly, uncorking and downing two large vials of chakra restoration medicine—one blue, the other red.
The blue liquid swiftly restored his chakra to its peak. The red medicine, although unable to fully heal the mental fatigue, protected his mind from collapsing under the strain. It was, in essence, a spiritual stabilizer.
With his energy replenished, he immediately formed hand seals. Shadow Clone Jutsu!
With a series of loud bangs, dozens of Kawaki Aoba's shadow clones erupted from the white smoke.
Wasting no time, he distributed explosive tags among them. Just like his previous encounter with Rōshi, the Four-Tails' Jinchūriki, Kawaki used his clones as decoys to harass and intercept the remaining Iwagakure jōnin.
Though their barrage of ninjutsu strikes targeted the Black Coffin, the barrier remained unbroken. However, with Kawaki's chakra no longer sustaining it, the Black Coffin began to unravel.
Through his advanced Observation Haki—a sensory technique that allowed him to peer slightly into the future—he was fully aware of the condition of Han, the Five-Tails' Jinchūriki, trapped inside.
He wouldn't let this opportunity slip.
The clones charged at the Iwa shinobi, launching kamikaze-style attacks with explosive tags. Most shinobi, regardless of rank, would hesitate to engage shadow clones in suicide assaults. Kawaki's tactics proved devastatingly effective.
Meanwhile, his true body transformed—using a powerful transformation technique—into a massive eagle. With powerful wingbeats, he dove toward the weakened Han.
As the Black Coffin dispersed, Han was revealed—his body pierced in countless places, flesh torn, blood soaking his tattered armor. The description "death by a thousand cuts" was apt. Only his Jinchūriki-level resilience and regenerative power had kept him alive.
Kawaki Aoba seized Han in his talons and soared into the sky.
He had no time to linger or finish off the remaining enemies. The threat wasn't over.
Just as he expected, a torrent of crimson magma erupted upward like a volcanic blast. Had Kawaki delayed a second longer, he would've been caught in the attack.
There was only one person capable of this: Rōshi, the Four-Tails' Jinchūriki.
Having dealt with Kawaki's clones, Rōshi arrived too late to stop the capture. His face twisted with fury.
"What the hell was that? A summoning beast? Beast Mimicry Jutsu? Is this what the Nine-Tails' host from Konoha has stooped to? Damn coward won't even face me head-on!"
Kawaki, still gripping Han, intended to rendezvous with his team. But the moment he began his flight path, a grim realization struck.
"Damn it," he cursed.
Without hesitation, he rose higher into the sky.
From the ground below, the earth split apart—and from it emerged a colossal beast: Son Gokū, the Four-Tails, fully released.
Somehow, Rōshi had achieved full cooperation with the tailed beast.
Son Gokū roared and launched house-sized magma fireballs into the air. Fortunately, Kawaki had anticipated this and gained altitude just in time. Had he been flying lower, even his evasive skills wouldn't have saved him from the barrage.
"What the hell is wrong with this guy? Why would he fully release Son Gokū?!" Kawaki muttered as he dodged incoming fireballs.
Though safe for now, the Four-Tails began bounding across the terrain below, leaping huge distances with every step. His monstrous size allowed him to close gaps rapidly, even against an airborne opponent.
Kawaki had specifically chosen Han as his target because his precognition showed that Rōshi was aggressive, unstable, and unpredictable. But it seemed the real problem still ended up being him.
If Kawaki were alone, he could mimic a missile with his transformation jutsu and escape at full speed. But with Han in tow, such mobility was impossible.
For now, reuniting with his squad was out of the question.
Still, Kawaki didn't panic. As long as he remained airborne, even a Tailed Beast Ball could be dodged with enough distance.
With the help of the red and blue elixirs, he could prolong the battle indefinitely.
Attrition warfare? Kawaki Aoba wasn't afraid of that.
"Cough, cough… You bastard... Even with all your underhanded tricks, you didn't expect this much resistance, did you?" Han spoke weakly from Kawaki's grasp. "You ambushed me… You never even used the Nine-Tails' power. What kind of Jinchūriki are you...?"
Though gravely injured, Han remained conscious—aware of every detail of his humiliating capture.
It stung. As one of Iwagakure's top weapons, second only to the Tsuchikage, he had been outplayed and defeated by a younger, unknown shinobi from Konoha.
Kawaki Aoba, however, ignored Han's taunts. The words of a prisoner held no weight now.
Once he dealt with the "plague monkey" on the ground, he'd make sure Han remembered exactly who bested him—and why.
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