Han, who had witnessed the entire slash, found it difficult to describe or evaluate it.
There was nothing particularly dazzling about it. It lacked the agility, swiftness, and unpredictability that the swordsmen of the Land of Iron pursued.
It was just an ordinary slash—so ordinary that it couldn't be more ordinary.
If it had been anyone else, even a mere Genin, they could have executed such an unremarkable slash.
Especially since the weapon in the opponent's hand appeared to be a wooden sword.
A sword like that—even without entering partial Tailed Beast transformation—was something Han, with his powerful physique, wouldn't bother to pay attention to.
Even another Iwagakure shinobi wouldn't care if a wooden sword struck them.
Iwagakure and Earth Release techniques were synonymous with powerful defense.
That was why Han didn't even consider dodging. He didn't believe this slash could harm him. For more chapters visit novęlfire.net
And in fact, it didn't.
But what it did do was far more shocking than any wound could have been.
His chakra cloak was sliced apart, revealing his body beneath the Tailed Beast chakra.
At that moment, he found himself suspended in mid-air, completely out of control, his eyes filled with surprise as he looked at Kagetsu, who was now right in front of him.
The immense and oppressive Tailed Beast chakra was stripped from his body. Yet, it didn't simply vanish—it lingered, taking the form of a solid mass of red chakra, as if it had lost its soul.
What was even more bizarre was that Han could still feel a connection to that chakra. He knew it had come from his body, yet now it seemed independent, completely beyond his control.
Then came the second slash.
The wooden sword, seemingly swung at random, moved with the precision of a surgeon's scalpel—cleanly stripping away every last trace of Tailed Beast chakra still clinging to his body.
It was as if a delicate surgery had been performed to peel away the chakra growing on the surface of his body. Like stripping away a layer of skin, a complete chakra cloak was cut off.
The ominous red chakra surged from Han's body once again. However, what greeted it immediately was a familiar and straightforward slash.
In an instant, the boiling Tailed Beast chakra fell silent once more.
Han was filled with rage, but in the next moment, his body in front of Kagetsu turned into a pool of mud as the wooden sword struck. His real body reappeared in another location.
"That sword... is it a special treasure like the blades of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist?" Han's muffled voice sounded.
His gaze was fixed on the ordinary wooden sword in Kagetsu's hand. From what he could sense, the moment he came into contact with that sword, his chakra would go out of control involuntarily.
Han had heard of the seven legendary swords from Kirigakure, each possessing its own unique abilities.
So, he assumed that the wooden sword in Kagetsu's hand was a similarly valuable ninja tool, much like those seven blades.
Was it specifically designed to counter chakra, or perhaps even Tailed Beasts?
Han speculated about the wooden sword's abilities in his mind. That sword, combined with those two instant techniques from earlier—techniques powerful enough to repel him even in his half-Tailed Beast transformation—had already convinced him that Kagetsu was a troublesome opponent.
The Land of Fire's Konoha really produced far too many geniuses!
No matter how many had fallen, the new generation always had rising stars who shone brightly.
During the Second Shinobi World War, it had been the Legendary Sannin and Konoha's White Fang.
Now, in the Third Shinobi World War, it was Uchiha Shisui, Namikaze Minato, and Nara Kagetsu.
At first, he had planned to restrain even that Shisui, but given the current situation, just dealing with Nara Kagetsu alone was enough to keep him occupied.
If he hadn't personally volunteered for this mission, he might have even suspected that Konoha had deliberately set a trap specifically for him.
A blade that can affect Tailed Beast Chakra—this is practically a weapon designed to counter them.
On the other hand, if any village possessing a Tailed Beast were to obtain this blade, they might be able to prevent a rampaging Tailed Beast from spiraling out of control.
This could stop situations where large numbers of shinobi, even high-ranking forces, must be sacrificed to subdue it.
"If that's what you believe, then hold onto that belief."
Kagetsu did not give Han a definite answer. He simply swung the wooden sword in his hand through the air. The shadow beneath his feet instantly extended, invading the Tailed Beast Cloak on the other side, injecting his will into it.
Han watched as the fluctuating Tailed Beast Chakra, now bound by the shadow, began to condense. Black lines, resembling a network of nerves, spread across it.
The once lifeless chakra cloak came alive. It resembled a half-transformed, humanoid version of the Five-Tails Jinchūriki.
Its head turned unnaturally, revealing sharp, inverted-triangle fangs. Those dark, hollow eye sockets locked onto Han.
Feeling that familiar sense of oppression and unmistakable hostility, Han's expression flashed with a mix of shock and disbelief.
This was the first time Han had ever seen a shinobi who wasn't a Jinchūriki manipulate a Jinchūriki's chakra—condensing it into a solid form as a weapon.
Even though it had been compressed, making the humanoid Five-Tails form look somewhat miniature, there was no doubt—the danger was real!
Just now, when he had communicated with the Five-Tails inside him, it confirmed that it had lost control over that portion of its chakra.
And this loss—was absolute!
It was as if the chakra had been sealed away by a fūinjutsu, making it impossible to reclaim.
The miniature Tailed Beast form vanished in an instant.
Before Han could react, it crashed into him. A terrifying force, fused with highly corrosive chakra, nearly tore his insides apart.
This time, he didn't get sent flying uncontrollably. Instead, a red Tailed Beast Cloak suddenly surged around him, allowing him to resist the humanoid beast in a deadlock.
However, the chakra density of his Tailed Beast Cloak was clearly weaker than the half-transformed Tailed Beast Chakra. Its output was also lower.
Though Han wasn't knocked back, the ground beneath his feet cracked as his heels carved two shallow trenches into the earth.
Boil Release: Unmatched Strength!
Steam erupted from the gaps in Han's red armor, and the intense heat spread instantly. The highest temperature of boiling water is around 100°C, but steam has no clear upper limit.
If a ninja were caught in the range of Boil Release without immediate protection, they would suffer severe injuries in an instant and die in unbearable agony.
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