Moonlight spilled across the battlefield, its silvery glow like water, illuminating two figures facing off.
A tail extended from behind the man in a red conical hat and red armor.
Frenzied chakra rolled off him, radiating an ominous aura.
"So this is the legendary Tailed Beast Chakra," Uchiha Iori marveled. "What terrifying power."
Konoha had the Nine-Tails, but thanks to the Uzumaki Clan's powerful Sealing Jutsu and the village's efforts to keep it secret,
even if you passed Kushina Uzumaki on the street, you would never suspect she was any different from an ordinary person.
And the Uchiha Clan, to which Iori belonged, was under especially close scrutiny by the village. They were absolutely forbidden from approaching the Jinchuriki.
"Looks like we'll have to fight for our lives today." Uchiha Iori shook his head lightly, the corners of his mouth lifting without him realizing it.
Fighting a monster was a man's romance, too.
He felt his blood boiling, his body trembling with excitement.
This battle was nothing like his spar with Jiraiya. This time, both sides were fighting with the intention of killing each other.
Quickly gathering his focus, Uchiha Iori concentrated all his attention on his Sharingan.
Across from him, steam surged behind Han. Using its thrust, he charged forward at speed.
Like a steam locomotive, Han shook the ground with every step, leaving a deep crater beneath his feet.
"Boil Release: Unrivaled Strength."
Han leaped high and kicked toward Iori's head.
The instant Han moved, Iori began preparing to dodge.
There was no denying it: the Sharingan's advantage in tracking movement was overwhelming.
Without the Sharingan, Iori couldn't have fought with such ease.
The instant Han raised his leg, Iori used the Body Flicker Technique to dodge.
Scalding steam swept across his face,
making his Sharingan look even more crimson.
"Steam Ninja Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki."
"An expert in Nintaijutsu, combining Taijutsu with Boil Release."
"He's already reached an agreement with the Five-Tails and can use Tailed Beast Transformation."
Dodging the attack, Uchiha Iori recited the facts without haste.
"How do you know I can use Tailed Beast Transformation?" Han asked, his face registering shock.
A ninja's intelligence was highly confidential, and information about a Jinchuriki was even more secret.
Han had never used Partial Tailed Beast Transformation in front of outsiders, let alone Tailed Beast Transformation.
Only the village leader and some of the elite jonin knew about it.
After looking through the information the village had provided and finding no relevant details, Iori decided to exploit the information gap and undermine Han's faith in Iwagakure.
The lie was crude, but as long as it distracted him, it would do the job.
"Hmph. It doesn't matter. I trust my village." Han sneered, unshaken.
"Once I kill you, I can go back and find the spy."
Han had served Iwagakure for many years. A simple attempt to provoke him could only distract him briefly.
"Trace On."
Iori murmured the words. Two swords appeared in his hands, their blades flashing coldly as he pointed them at Han.
Han didn't back down. Steam erupted from behind him in an instant.
"Jet Fist."
He punched at Iori's sword. The force of the steam-charged blow sent Gan Jiang flying away.
Crack.
Mo Ye sprang up from the ground. Unable to change direction mid-attack, Han could only adjust his body as best he could.
Mo Ye cut through his armor, pursuing the airborne Gan Jiang.
"Truly despicable. You tried to shake my resolve with words, then took the opportunity to set a trap?"
Han clutched his wound. Tailed Beast Chakra quickly stemmed the bleeding.
"You set a trap when you dodged the first time, then attacked while your words distracted me, so I wouldn't have time to look closely."
"Don't say such naive things on a battlefield. Besides, if you put it that way, you're the one fighting two against one."
Uchiha Iori replied with disdain.
He tossed away the Mo Ye in his hand and projected Gáe Bolg.
"Round two. Begin."
Iori gripped the spear tightly, his eyes sharp, and charged toward Han.
"Trying the same trick again? That won't work twice."
"Steam Armor Kick."
Han leaped high. Steam poured from the specially designed vents in the armor on his back.
Accelerated by the steam, Han shot toward Iori like a cannonball.
Good grief, is that a Rider Kick or a Leo Kick? Iori quipped to himself.
Seeing the attack's force and speed, along with the chakra surrounding it, Iori gave up on meeting it head-on.
Body Flicker Technique.
After Minato Namikaze's guidance, Iori's Body Flicker Technique had become so fast that few could match him.
Combined with the Sharingan's vision, it made Han's attacks futile time and again.
Each strike smashed a huge crater into the ground. Sometimes, taking advantage of the smoke, he even planted Explosive Tags in the craters as traps.
But under the Sharingan's scrutiny, all of it was useless.
This can't go on. I'll run out of stamina and chakra before he does, Iori thought.
He's a Jinchuriki. His chakra and stamina far exceed mine.
Should I run?
No. That would mean abandoning my teammates while they're still destroying the outpost.
I have no choice but to take a gamble.
Uchiha Iori was starting to get a headache. After successfully suppressing Jiraiya in their last spar, he'd underestimated the top fighters of the Ninja World.
The matchup between a gimmick fighter and a powerhouse depended on their compatibility.
As his strongest single-target attack, Gáe Bolg had two fatal weaknesses.
First, if the target's defenses surpassed the spear's destructive power, it couldn't pierce the heart.
Second, if the enemy had enough luck, it couldn't pierce their heart either.
Against a Tailed Beast, both risks applied.
The Tailed Beast Cloak might prevent the Demonic Spear from piercing its target—or even killing it.
And since Tailed Beasts were part of the God Tree, it was hard to say whether they had the attribute of exceptional luck.
If the attack failed, he'd have to resort to backup plan A, or even plan B.
If he could help it, Iori didn't want to gamble on those odds.
"I'll take your life!" Iori shouted, determination flashing in his eyes.
"Gáe Bolg!"
Iori reset his stance, spear in hand, and charged at Han.
Powerful chakra gathered around the Demonic Spear.
A crimson glow bloomed at its tip.
His crimson eyes, the crimson spear, and his fierce expression as he exerted himself
made Iori look like a demon from hell.
Han sensed danger in the ominous chakra. He crossed his arms in front of himself as steam billowed behind him, ready to burst forth.
"Something's wrong. Transform, Han! You'll die!" the Five-Tails Kokuō cried anxiously.
He and Han got along fairly well. They weren't Perfect Jinchuriki, but they could at least call each other friends.
Han didn't hesitate. He chose to heed the Five-Tails' advice.
Ominous chakra surged out from every part of Han's body. His appearance changed dramatically, though he still retained a human shape.
But he had become a monster in all but name.
Dark red chakra formed a Tailed Beast Cloak, and five tails swayed behind him.
He exhaled hot air. One hand struck at the Demonic Spear, while the other prepared to punch Iori.
Iori had no way out. He could only pray his attack would work as he used Beagalltach, the "Tiny Fury."
He hoped the defensive boost it gave him would keep him alive.
The fist hit the Demonic Spear, but the spear bent in an unbelievable way.
Following the thread of causality, it stabbed toward Han's heart. The spear struck his body, but it failed to destroy his heart.
At the same time, Han's other fist hit Iori's left shoulder and sent him flying.
"Too bad your spear couldn't kill me," Han said, still shaken. Cold sweat evaporated from his body.
The Demonic Spear hadn't fully worked. It had scraped past his heart—if it had missed by just a little more, Han would have been done for.
His injuries were serious, but while in Partial Tailed Beast Transformation, they barely diminished his combat strength.
After being sent flying, Iori slammed into the ground, leaving a deep crater.
Smoke billowed from the crater, obscuring his condition.
Han gathered a Tailed Beast Bomb in his mouth, preparing to finish him off with the attack.