Experimental Launch

The Third Tsuchikage died by self-destruction.

Chased to the brink of destruction by Katsuki, with nowhere to turn, he ultimately chose to sacrifice himself in a desperate attack, burning himself to ashes.

The pure white light was soft, yet it overshadowed the sun's brilliance.

When the light faded, the Chiriku was broken and a large chunk was missing, like a cookie that had been bitten, no longer perfect.

Unfortunately, the Third Tsuchikage's attack did not reach Katsuki.

Ōnoki died, while Katsuki lived, creating an insurmountable gap in combat strength for the Stone Ninja army, leading to an inevitable defeat after a fierce battle.

The Four-Tails Jinchuriki was rescued with the Jonin support of the Jonin of Stone Ninja, but the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, who was entangled with Nawaki, was suppressed by Katsuki. He was captured alive, knocked unconscious, and his Chakra was locked up with Fuinjutsu. He was then thrown into a cell and controlled with a powerful sleeping drug.

To this day, sleeping pills seem to have lost their effectiveness.

"An experiment? Ugh, I really hate you guys who are so mystical. The Lord Hokage too, and you too, always doing these kinds of experiments..." Otoha clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Haha, experiments are full of fun! Exploring the unknown always brings unexpected surprises."

Katsuki took a step forward, reached out and grasped the iron fence, which was as thick as her wrist, and pulled it open to create a hole large enough for one person to pass through.

"You can watch if you want, or leave if you get bored, just don't interrupt my experiment."

He turned back and gave me a word of advice.

Nawaki blinked, but didn't move.

Otoha looked around and saw that Rokuro Kaguya and Yuki Yoizuki were guarding outside the cell, not intending to leave. He pursed his lips, took two steps to the left, pressed his back against the cold wall, and watched Katsuki's every move with a crimson light in his eyes.

The Five-Tails Jinchuriki.

If I remember correctly, his name is Han. He is extremely tall and muscular, with rock-like muscles that seem to possess explosive power. From head to toe, every corner of him exudes the strong style of the Stone Ninja.

This is a very typical Stone Ninja!

If we disregard the fact that Jinchuriki.

"Wind Blade"

A layer of cyan wind blades covered his palm, and the fierce wind that rubbed against it was like a chainsaw, cutting through the thick iron chains and revealing the red-armored giant trapped inside.

"You brats from Konoha, if you have the guts, come and fight me head-on!"

A deep voice rang out from beneath the red visor.

Clang--!

The palm strike severed another chain.

Katsuki calmly cut the chains one by one, quickly freeing Han from most of the restraints, leaving only four chains binding his limbs.

"Clang~~"

He tugged at his arm, and the heavy chains nailed to the wall made a clear, ringing sound.

However, this is much lighter than before.

Han was already exceptionally tall, and now that he was suspended in mid-air, he looked down at the young ninja who only reached his chest, a spark gleaming deep in his eyes.

He knew Katsuki, the calamity of Konoha, the powerful ninja who killed the Third Mizukage. When the Third Tsuchikage died, his consciousness was sinking into the depths, entangled with the consciousness of the Five-Tails, and he was unaware of Ōnoki's death. However, whether he knew or not, he dared not underestimate the young Konoha ninja in front of him.

But--

He will not give up any opportunity, no matter how slim the hope may be, he will do everything in his power to seize it.

Beneath the mask, her eyes slowly closed, and her consciousness began to sink deeper and deeper into the depths of her heart, the place where the Five-Tails was imprisoned.

... It was pitch black all around, I couldn't even see my own hand... My legs felt like they were stuck in mud, moving was incredibly difficult... I followed my heart and chose this path, trudging forward with great difficulty... until I finally saw a glimmer of light...

The buds of hope began to bloom, and he walked even harder through the mud, heading towards that faint light.

The flower buds withered and died before they could fully bloom in the cold frost and snow...

Staring in astonishment at the scene before him, his eyes widened in disbelief.

"... This is... This is..."

"What are you surprised about? Even we are not invincible. You should have known this a long time ago." The shrill voice was slightly weak, somewhat like a girl's.

It was the Five-Tails who spoke.

The strange creature, resembling both a horse and a dolphin, was trapped in a cage. Its once pristine white fur had lost its luster, and heavy shackles bound Five-Tails body tightly. It couldn't even lift its head; it could only lie flat on the ground, peering at the Han outside through the bars.

"Five-Tails, you..."

"I can't help you, Han," the Five-Tails said calmly. "Most of my Chakra is locked up. The little bit of residue I have left is the best I can do to help you repair your body. I don't even have the strength to move my tail anymore."

"Oh, I see!"

In his mental state, Han's face was still covered by a crimson mask, obscuring his expression, but a hint of despair flashed in his brown eyes.

Tailed Beast are the Jinchuriki's strongest techniques and deepest trump cards.

When even the power of the Tailed Beast cannot resolve the predicament they face, it is tantamount to tolling a death knell for the Jinchuriki.

"Ouch—it hurts."

Han lowered his head and looked at his lower abdomen, where a wound had appeared and was slowly widening.

"Looks like they've already made their move! Goodbye, Han, though it's very likely we'll never see each other again..."

The voice of the Five-Tails grew increasingly faint and distant, and the scene before them seemed to shatter like Utakata. The colorful lights spun like a carousel before sinking into endless darkness.

Open your eyes.

It was still a dark underground cell. Four Konoha ninjas outside the bars looked at him with cold eyes, while he felt a tearing pain in his abdomen.

He looked down and saw a hand that had ripped open his stomach and was rummaging around inside.

"Is the conversation with the Five-Tails over? That was faster than I expected. Looks like I was too rough and hurt you!"

Katsuki smiled and said, her right hand rummaging through Han's internal organs, searching for what she wanted.

"Just a little longer, it'll be over soon... Oh, I finally caught it!"

His right hand began to slowly pull outwards, a crimson light tightly gripping his hand. However, it wasn't the color of blood, but a more alluring red, radiating an aura of despair, slaughter, and madness.

"Chakra... that thing is Chakra, right?" Yuki Yoizuki asked in astonishment, staring at the red light.

"Yes, that's right, that's definitely it..."

"The Five-Tails 'Chakra."

Nawaki and Otoha said in unison. (To be continued)