At this moment, a series of earth-style ninjutsu erupted from the ground.
They had failed to protect Gari, and similarly, they couldn't stop Kyōichi either. The enemy had vanished before their eyes, leaving them without even a clear glimpse of his face.
"Gari-sama!"
A group of Iwa ninja stood in disbelief.
Ten squads had been guarding him, yet their captain had been instantly slain—while the assailant escaped without a scratch…
Who could have imagined this outcome?
It was terrifying!
If even Gari couldn't withstand a single strike, what hope did they have?
The canyon fell into silence.
Everyone huddled together, afraid to scatter. Those who could burrow underground did so, fearing Kyōichi's return.
And in reality…
Kyōichi had no intention of letting them go.
Gamabunta was already here—why show mercy?
BOOM!
With a single swing of Gamabunta's blade, the mountaintop was cleaved flat.
A dozen Iwa ninja scrambled out, fleeing in panic rather than holding their ground.
Some used Earth Dragon Bullet, others the Hiding Like a Mole Technique—each employing their own methods to escape.
Those without such skills ran while erecting earthen barriers to block Jiraiya and Gamabunta. But the next moment—
A figure appeared behind them.
And then—
An even larger Earth-Style Wall sealed off their retreat.
"HAHAHA! Nice! I'll handle these guys."
Jiraiya laughed heartily.
How ruthless!
Picking on those who couldn't escape underground, huh?
But.
It was the right move.
Kyōichi didn't linger. He dashed forward swiftly.
Shunshin after shunshin—soon, he arrived at a new location. Then…
Earth-Style Rising Wall!
The ground trembled violently.
The earth itself heaved upward, and several Iwa ninja were forced out of the soil, unable to maintain their hiding.
The next instant—
Explosive tags rained down from above.
BOOM!
A series of detonations erupted.
Not every Iwa ninja had mastered the Earth-Style Hardening Technique.
Some were severely injured, while others withstood partial damage, escaping with lighter wounds.
But.
It didn't matter!
The Raijin Sword flashed, harvesting lives one after another.
Dazed by the explosions, those ninja died without even understanding what had happened.
Unfortunately.
Most had escaped, burrowing too deep to pursue.
However.
When Kyōichi activated his Chakra Sensing Technique, he froze—
A shinobi with an immense chakra signature was rapidly approaching.
This level of chakra… was no ordinary ninja.
It had to be a jinchūriki!
Kyōichi's expression darkened.
Ōnoki had actually deployed a jinchūriki? No—Ōnoki couldn't have known about this ambush in advance. So…
This was just a coincidence.
He retreated.
Of course.
Kyōichi wasn't worried about the jinchūriki. What concerned him was fighting here long enough for Ōnoki to arrive—that would complicate things, given the Tsuchikage's mastery of the Light-Weight Rock Technique.
As for this jinchūriki? He'd love for him to give chase.
The jinchūriki was indeed fast. Kyōichi had to push his Shunshin to 80% of its full capacity just to stay slightly slower.
But.
The other Iwa ninja couldn't keep up. As the chase continued, the jinchūriki closed in on Kyōichi—while the distance between him and the Rock reinforcements grew.
Just before reaching their original position, the pursuer finally caught up.
Purple robes.
Rōshi?
Kyōichi glanced and confirmed.
The Four-Tails' jinchūriki.
The Four-Tails.
Even better.
Though Rōshi wielded Lava Release, Water Release countered him perfectly. In the anime, it was Kisame who defeated Rōshi—and Samehada itself was…
Moreover, he had a little experiment in mind.
A "leaky" Yin Seal, combined with the Four Symbols Seal, tailed beast chakra, and Samehada—plus the Strength of a Hundred Technique and his own exceptional chakra control—could he achieve a pseudo-jinchūriki mode?
Worth a try!
But.
Would Samehada betray him?
Kyōichi considered the sword's temperament. If Samehada decided the Four-Tails' chakra tasted better than his, it might switch sides—just like it did with Killer B.
He needed a countermeasure.
After a moment's thought, he pulled out a scroll and began inscribing a sealing formula while running.
The formula was mostly complete—only the final stroke remained.
As he ran, he issued Samehada a warning.
At the first sign of betrayal, he wouldn't hesitate to seal it away. Just an insurance policy.
Returning to the mountain—
Jiraiya and Gamabunta were fighting a retreat. Though they'd scored significant victories, their chakra reserves were clearly dwindling.
"Ōnoki's here?"
"No, but a jinchūriki is."
"!!!"
The moment Jiraiya heard that, he bolted.
A jinchūriki.
Ōnoki had lost his mind!
"Let's lead him away first, then take him down."
Kyōichi caught up.
Jiraiya turned, staring blankly for a few seconds. "Forget whether we can win in our current state—if we capture a jinchūriki, won't Ōnoki go all-out against us?"
"You hold off the others. I'll handle the jinchūriki. As for Ōnoki… causing some chaos isn't a bad thing."
Kyōichi was pragmatic.
Besides.
He remembered Rōshi later defected, right?
Though he was undoubtedly loyal to Iwagakure now, his conflicts with Ōnoki couldn't have appeared overnight. With some persuasion, Kyōichi might exacerbate the iwa village's internal strife—and earn some rewards in the process.
Of course.
Rōshi's stubbornness was legendary.
If he couldn't be swayed, no matter. Capturing him would at least force Ōnoki to withdraw.
Kyōichi's plan was set.
Capture Rōshi!
Meanwhile, thanks to Kyōichi's deliberate slowdown, Rōshi was closing in fast. The difference was that Jiraiya, running alongside, was genuinely going all-out.
Jiraiya wasn't slow—compared to Minato or Kyōichi, sure, but against Iwa ninja, his speed was top-tier.
As long as Ōnoki wasn't here, they could fight or flee as they pleased.
So.
Hearing Kyōichi's plan, Jiraiya relaxed slightly.
At that moment, Kyōichi quietly released the Yin Seal.
Rōshi erupted with tailed beast chakra, surging forward in an instant. Kyōichi glimpsed a fiery chakra fist hurtling toward him.
Tailed Beast Mode?
Rōshi's control over the Four-Tails was impressive.
But.
It meant nothing.
Kyōichi's Shunshin evaded effortlessly.
Rōshi paused, stunned.
His opponent's speed had suddenly skyrocketed!
Which meant…
His earlier "escape speed" hadn't been his limit at all. Rōshi immediately tried to retreat, but—
A colossal tidal wave burst from Kyōichi's mouth.
Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!
In an instant, the deluge engulfed the area.
Simultaneously—
Pillars of ice erupted beneath Rōshi's feet, crisscrossing to pin him down.
"Hmph!"
Rōshi's brow twitched as his chakra flared.
The ice shattered instantly.
But the next moment, the falling water encased him.
Then—
The water prison boiled violently as scorching lava surged within, sending plumes of steam billowing outward.
"You sure you don't need help with the jinchūriki?"
Jiraiya was baffled.
Kyōichi was going all-out with this water release.
"Just keep the others off me."
Kyōichi formed hand seals.
The surrounding temperature plummeted. Condensing steam turned to rain, and the entire "water prison" froze into a massive iceberg—trapping even the solidified lava within.
Jiraiya's jaw dropped.
He'd had no idea Kyōichi possessed Ice Release.
A bloodline limit!
Rōshi, however, was terrified.
He finally understood.
This man had never feared him. His "retreat" had only been to lure him into a favorable battleground.
This was all premeditated!
Damn it!
He unleashed more tailed beast chakra—four crimson tails materializing behind him.
His transformation deepened.
In moments, the frozen lava melted back into molten rock. With a roar, the icy prison shattered.
Yet.
The instant it broke—
A hand pressed against his body.
One of Kyōichi's hands was sheathed in ice, resisting the lava and tailed beast chakra, while the other gripped a bizarre greatsword.
Rōshi swung a fist at him.
But.
With a light flick of the blade, the chakra coating his fist was devoured.
What the hell is this thing?
Panicked, Rōshi struggled furiously. Yet—
Pillars of ice and surging waves continuously suppressed his molten attacks. Though explosions of ice and fire erupted between them, neither seemed to take real damage.
Then Rōshi realized—not only was the sword absorbing his chakra, but Kyōichi's hand was too.
Furious, he made a decision.
You like absorbing chakra?
Here, have more!
Tailed beast chakra wasn't something just anyone could handle!
At the same time, Rōshi's four tails lashed out, shaking the earth as rivers of lava surged forth.
Jinchūriki really are tough to deal with!
Kyōichi disengaged.
He retreated at a speed that left Rōshi both humiliated and enraged—
This guy was even faster now?!
His earlier speed still hadn't been his limit!
Each escalation made Rōshi feel like a fool for ever believing Kyōichi had been genuinely outpaced. Now he realized—
Kyōichi had only been holding back so he wouldn't lose him.
And now? Escaping wouldn't be easy.
Rōshi unleashed torrents of chakra, flooding the area with lava to prevent Kyōichi from closing in again.
The unattended sealing formula began to fade.
But.
Kyōichi formed new hand seals.
Instantly, the Four-Tails' chakra was forced into the Yin Seal, while the Yin Seal's own chakra was released outward.
Rōshi didn't understand his goal.
But.
He wasn't about to wait. Hidden within the lava, he gathered chakra—
A black sphere formed in his mouth.
Tailed Beast Bomb!
The moment Kyōichi completed the seal—
BOOM!
The condensed chakra erupted as a beam, obliterating Kyōichi's previous position.
A direct hit?
Rōshi remained wary.
Then he saw Kyōichi—holding a grotesquely enlarged sword, now transformed into an unrecognizable "beast."
What even is that thing?
Kyōichi allowed Samehada to slowly digest the tailed beast chakra, channeling it into the Yin Seal.
With his precise chakra control, he effortlessly concentrated all the tailed beast chakra and sealed it away.
The Yin Seal, reinforced by a partially released Four Symbols Seal, was rock-solid. Meanwhile, wisps of tailed beast chakra leaked out…
"Quit messing around! Finish him off—Ōnoki's probably almost here!"
Jiraiya, battling Iwa reinforcements in the distance, saw Kyōichi seemingly toying with Rōshi and couldn't help but fume.
They were behind enemy lines!
"Jinchūriki aren't that easy to deal with."
But.
Kyōichi's expression turned serious.
The dispersed tailed beast chakra suffused his body. Though faint, his physique was adapting.
Now then…
First Gate: Open!
Kyōichi took a deep breath.
Then—he unleashed his chakra, charging at Rōshi with Samehada in hand.
In this enhanced state, his strength and speed skyrocketed. Rōshi watched in shock as Kyōichi's chakra began to take on a tailed beast's hue—glowing with molten heat.
Impossible!
But there was no time to dwell on it.
Rōshi fully unleashed the Four-Tails.
A colossal beast emerged.
ROAR!
It slammed its fists into the ground.
Lava Release: Volcanic Kan'non!
The attack's range was inescapable.
Yet.
Samehada devoured all chakra in its path, carving a safe passage. Meanwhile, Kyōichi's pseudo-jinchūriki cloak mitigated the lava's damage.
At hypersonic speeds—
WHOOSH!
A thunderous impact.
The Four-Tails' granite-like hide was split open by Samehada and the Molten Vacuum Blade, leaving a gaping wound that gushed blood.
"AOOO—!"
"Son Goku" howled in agony.
Its arm had been pierced clean through, its tails thrashing wildly in a frenzy of destruction.
But Kyōichi, now resonating with the same tailed beast chakra, barely flinched. Reinforced by Earth-Style Spear, he pressed a hand against the wound—pouring Ice Release chakra directly into it.
The Four-Tails' blood froze solid.
Simultaneously—
Using the tailed beast chakra, Kyōichi created a shadow clone. Together with the pre-prepared sealing scroll, they activated the Four Symbols Seal.
The scroll unfurled.
Sealing formulae spread rapidly, covering "Son Goku's" entire body.
With Kyōichi's hand seals, the technique completed in an instant—condensing into the beast's abdomen.
With a final, unwilling roar—it reverted to Rōshi.
Rōshi struggled with all his might.
But.
He couldn't even muster tailed beast chakra now.
THUD!
Kyōichi knocked him out cold.
Then, gathering chakra once more, he drew his sword—and swung.
Vacuum Blade—infused with Four-Tails chakra!
A blazing storm of fire and wind lit up the night like daylight.
"Move!"
"!!"
Jiraiya didn't need telling twice.
Without a Yin Seal, conserving chakra for escape was vital. His earlier fighting had relied entirely on Gamabunta—he'd been half-assing it the whole time.
The Iwa ninja used earth-style to evade the Vacuum Blade.
But.
How could they possibly catch up?
Soon after, Ōnoki arrived.
Soaring over the fiery shockwaves, he prepared to pursue—only to spot dozens of bizarre "birds" hidden within the flames, hurtling toward him.
Explosive tags?
What kind of sick joke—
If these detonated, even he wouldn't emerge unscathed.
Ōnoki conjured a cube in his palm and hurled it forward, swallowing all the "birds" within a localized space.
The dozens of explosive tags never ignited.
But.
That momentary delay cost him.
Rōshi had already been carried far away—and despite carrying a prisoner, the enemy's speed remained absurdly fast. Even with the Light-Weight Rock Technique, Ōnoki couldn't close the gap.
Worse—
Along the chase route, he encountered over a dozen cunningly hidden explosive tags.
Though individually weak, they were infuriatingly disruptive. Especially when—
CRACK!
Ōnoki's high-speed pursuit came to an abrupt halt—
Dodging the explosions, he threw out his back!
Goddammit!
Whose technique was this, specifically designed to counter him?!
This was just infuriating!