chsdbacks Chapter 34 Jinchūriki Deployed
Chapter 34 Jinchūriki Deployed
"It's that Konoha Black Flash!"
An Iwa ninja recognized Genma, and his exclamation was filled with fear, causing his attack to falter.
Genma's reputation at this moment transformed into an invisible deterrent.
However, at that moment, the ground shook violently, and a chilling wave of chakra emanated from behind the Iwagakure base.
"Watch out! It's Han! The Five-Tails Jinchuriki has moved!"
The Hyuga clan ninja issued a warning, his voice tinged with alarm.
A red figure shrouded in steam rushed out of the Iwagakure camp at terrifying speed, tearing through Konoha's defenses like paper wherever it went.
It was Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, who was wearing red armor and using his steam rampage ability.
"Boil Release: Unparalleled Strength!"
Han unleashed a punch, and the terrifying shockwave sent several Konoha ninjas and a section of defensive fortification flying, their screams abruptly cut short.
"We can't let him run rampant across the position!"
A Konoha Jonin, his eyes blazing with fury, led his subordinates in an attempt to stop Han, but they were easily repelled by the high-pressure steam erupting from Han's body.
At the same time, another, even more violent chakra, filled with the aura of lava, also rose up—the Four-Tails Jinchuriki, Rōshi, was about to join the battle.
A crisis instantly enveloped the entire left flank of Konoha's position.
At this critical moment, a golden flash appeared in Han's path as if by teleportation.
It was Minato Namikaze who arrived using the "Flying Thunder God Technique"!
"Rasengan!!!"
He let out a low shout, and a rapidly spinning chakra ball instantly appeared in his right hand, colliding violently with Han's violent steam shock.
"boom--!"
A massive energy shockwave swept outwards, filling the air with smoke and dust.
"Everyone, hold the line! Captain Minato and Lord Jiraiya will handle the Jinchuriki!"
The commander shouted at the top of his lungs, trying to quell the morale collapse.
The fierce battle between Minato Namikaze and Han was like two meteors colliding on the battlefield, each clash producing a deafening roar.
Golden flashes and red steam intertwined, an extreme clash of speed and power that caused the ninjas on both sides of the melee to involuntarily scatter, leaving behind a death zone.
"Is that the power of the Yellow Flash—Minato Namikaze?"
Ebisu adjusted his crooked glasses, his voice filled with awe.
He had just used Fire Release to force back an Iwa ninja who was trying to ambush him, and his forehead was covered in sweat.
Kai used a Leaf Whirlwind to send another Iwa ninja flying, panting as he shouted, "This is so exciting! This is what a battle of the strong looks like!"
The extremely fast-paced battle, which was difficult to observe with the naked eye, was clearly visible to Genma. The battle between Minato Namikaze and Han was not a simple head-on clash, but rather a death dance of exquisite precision.
Han's every charge was as violent as a steam locomotive, his fists carrying high-temperature, high-pressure white steam that plowed deep furrows into the ground, injuring anyone who touched them and killing them instantly.
However, Minato's figure moved like a ghost through that scorching, deathly realm.
His "Flying Thunder God Technique" has not yet reached the level of being completely free and unpredictable like in the future. There are still extremely subtle chakra fluctuations and a brief preparation period before the technique is used.
Even so, his innate, terrifyingly fast reflexes were enough to deal with most of Han's attacks.
He would often turn sideways, slide, or lean back at the very last second when Han's massive fist, encased in red armor, was about to strike him, his movements so fluid that it seemed he had already anticipated all of his opponent's actions.
The scorching steam brushed past his blond hair, emitting the stench of burning protein, but it never actually touched his body.
"Rasengan!"
Seizing an opportunity, Minato flashed to Han's flank once more, and a ball of azure chakra instantly formed, slamming into Han's ribs with a hum that tore through the air.
Han roared, and steam suddenly erupted from his body, forming a powerful repulsive field like the pressure cooker releasing steam.
"boom!"
The Rasengan collided with the steam blast again, causing a surge of energy. Minato used the recoil to flip back lightly, creating distance once more, his brow furrowed slightly.
Han's defenses were too comprehensive; that layer of steam armor was almost always present. To inflict effective damage with the Rasengan, one had to break through the steam defenses and hit the main body squarely, which required extremely precise timing and even greater speed.
The Rasengan does indeed consume a huge amount of chakra, and with Minato's current chakra reserves, he cannot squander it recklessly.
"That darn yellow flash! It's as annoying as a fly!"
Han let out a deep, angry roar; the opponent's tactics left him utterly frustrated.
This blond kid never confronted him head-on; instead, he clung to him like a leech. Whenever he tried to charge towards Konoha's position, Minato would always appear at just the right moment, interrupting his charge with a tricky kunai throw or an instantaneous ninjutsu without hand seals, forcing him to retreat and defend.
This feeling is like punching cotton with all your might—having the strength to move mountains but nowhere to unleash it.
"Minato-senpai is buying us time."
Genma accurately fired a senbon, pinning down an Iwa ninja who was trying to ambush Guy from behind a rock, but his eyes never left the distant battle.
He clearly saw that the core of Shuimen's tactics was "delay" and "control".
Given Han's strength, if he were allowed to charge into the ranks of ordinary ninjas, it would be like a tiger entering a flock of sheep, instantly tearing open a huge gap and causing the entire defensive line to collapse.
Using his unparalleled speed and reflexes, Minato managed to confine this terrifying "tiger" to a fixed area, preventing him from causing a devastating blow to the overall situation.
This is an extremely clever, yet extremely dangerous tactic, which is the ultimate test of the caster's judgment, speed, and endurance.
"We must deal with the enemy at hand as soon as possible before we can go and support Minato-senpai, or deal with other powerful opponents who may appear."
Genma's eyes sharpened, and his attack became even more ferocious.
He was no longer satisfied with harassing from a distance and began to take the initiative.
With a swift movement, he used the Body Flicker Technique to its fullest extent, like a bat in the dark, silently approaching an Iwagakure Chunin who was forming hand seals.
The ninja only felt a blur before his eyes, and a black shadow was already in front of him. In a great surprise, he tried to change his move, but he saw Genma extend a finger, which was instantly covered in deep black, and stabbed straight at his throat.
"Earth Release: Rock Fist Technique!"
The ninja hastily petrified his arm and used it to block in front of him.
"Armor Hardened Finger Gun!"
However, the hardened fingers were far sharper than ordinary kunai, easily piercing the petrified arm like a hot knife through butter, and then striking his Adam's apple with undiminished force.
The ninja's eyes bulged out, and with two hoarse sounds, he collapsed to the ground.
Without pausing, Xuanjian blurred again and pounced on his next target.
Under his leadership, the pressure on the 10th Squad's defensive zone was greatly reduced.
Kai and Ebisu were greatly encouraged and fought hard to repel the Iwa ninja who rushed up the high ground one by one.
However, the overall situation on the battlefield remains far from optimistic.
On the other side, although Jiraiya summoned the giant toad boss of Mount Myōboku and used a combined ninjutsu to fight against Rōshi's Lava Release, causing the mountains to collapse and the earth to split, temporarily blocking the Four-Tails Jinchūriki, he was clearly on the defensive and unable to win quickly.
Meanwhile, under the command of Commander Hidden Death, the regular troops of Iwagakure launched an offensive like a tidal wave, one wave stronger than the next, and Konoha's defenses were in dire straits in many places, with casualties rising continuously.