Which Uchiha Would Be Afraid of a Jinchuriki?

Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki.

He was immensely strong and had won countless victories for Iwagakure during the Third Shinobi World War. Because of the nature of his Boil Style, he was also known as the "Steam Ninja."

He was definitely a boss.

The Shadow Clone had made the right choice.

Against an opponent like this, he wasn't going to use Naruto's human-wave tactics, so naturally, every bit of chakra he could save was worth saving.

So why did I have to run into the Five-Tails Jinchuriki here...

I shouldn't have left my teacher alone. Sigh.

Ruohuo gathered chakra beneath his feet, preparing to retreat.

The information relayed by his Shadow Clone included not only a tiny bit of panic, but also the countdown on an Explosive Tag.

Three seconds, two seconds...

Whoosh!

Ruohuo suddenly retreated. Steam billowed from Han's body as he prepared to pursue, but then he abruptly stopped and pulled back.

The next second—BOOM!!!!!

Rubble flew everywhere, and clouds of dust billowed.

Ten Explosive Tags detonating at once were enough to split mountains and shatter rocks. The stone bridge beneath Han was blasted open, leaving a huge gap. Only the hardest sections at either end still tenuously held it together!

That wasn't all. The moment the explosion went off, Ruohuo's Fire Dragon Bullet had circled beneath the bridge and used its intense heat to set off the Explosive Tags.

BOOM!!!!!

Another controlled blast, though this time it was a little less effective. Plenty of rock still supported the bridge where it joined the other side.

Before Ruohuo could assess how much more effort it would take to destroy it completely—

Han, on the other side, was already enveloped in white steam as he launched a surprise attack!

"I can't let you keep destroying the bridge, young man!"

Han growled in his rich baritone, moving at tremendous speed as a long trail of white steam streamed behind him.

"Who are you trying to scare?"

Ruohuo clapped his hands. "Fire Style: Dragon Flame Song Jutsu!"

Four blazing dragon heads sealed off Han's escape routes from every angle!

Ruohuo's Three Tomoe tracked Han's every move.

But Han didn't hesitate. He crossed his arms in front of himself, steam billowing from his body as a red Tailed Beast Chakra Cloak formed around him. He actually took the jutsu head-on!

Well, he only had to take a quarter of it. He just needed to withstand one of the four fireballs.

That was the flaw in this technique, and why Ruohuo had thought it was a bit ridiculous when he first saw it.

It was fine for bullying weaklings, but against a tough opponent, his Great Fireball was more reliable.

"Fire Style: Fire Fist!"

Ruohuo spat out a Great Fireball and shaped it into a giant fist of flame, smashing it toward Han in One-Tail Mode!

"So you don't want me getting close..."

Han didn't plan to take the attack head-on this time. Even with a Tailed Beast Chakra Cloak, he couldn't simply ignore the intense heat of Fire Style.

And if the two Fire Style attacks collided on the bridge, the impact could damage it.

Both ends of the bridge had already been blasted full of gaps. Han didn't dare take the risk.

Whoosh!

With a Body Flicker, Han dashed to the edge of the bridge, braced himself with one hand, and swung around to the side. His body parallel to the bridge deck, he attacked Ruohuo from the side!

Ruohuo had no intention of meeting him head-on.

He immediately stopped releasing the Great Fireball, clapped his hands, and rushed toward the other side of the bridge before leaping into the air!

Fwoom—

A giant dragon of flame formed beneath Ruohuo's feet, lifting him straight into the sky!

Air superiority: acquired.

When Han returned to the bridge, he saw Ruohuo standing atop a fire dragon in midair. His brow furrowed as he began to consider what to do next.

Ruohuo looked into the distance.

Manda and Orochimaru must have encountered the Iwagakure Ninja sent to intercept them. Shouts and the sounds of explosions carried over from beyond Iwagakure's defensive fortifications.

"Teacher's almost here..."

"I'd better hurry."

Ruohuo had no intention of letting Orochimaru take a share of the credit.

Not for Kanabi Bridge, and not for this level's boss!

The Five-Tails Jinchuriki? Which Uchiha would be afraid of a Jinchuriki?

He immediately formed Hand Seals, chakra gathering at a furious pace!

Last time, when he'd faced a few rats from Root, they'd kept hiding and dodging, so Ruohuo had lost his temper and used fifty times the chakra to create an artificial mini-sun.

Thinking back on it now, he'd been too impulsive.

Why use that much chakra against a few rats?

That jutsu was so flashy. He should've saved it for an opponent like the Five-Tails Jinchuriki...

"Sorry. I've used up quite a bit of chakra getting here."

"Otherwise, you might've seen a bigger sun..."

Ruohuo muttered, then his gaze heated up as chakra poured out of him.

"Fire Style: Great Fire Great Flame World!"

This time, he used seventy times the chakra!

Five times the base power, and a seventyfold increase in the jutsu's scale!

The C-rank Fire Style: Great Fireball was shining once again. This time, its targets were Kanabi Bridge and the Five-Tails Jinchuriki!

BOOM!!!!

"There's no time!"

Han's pupils contracted. He immediately abandoned his attempt to resist; in his current state, there was no way he could withstand a jutsu like this!

He gave up on protecting the bridge and flashed to the rocky wall of the nearby mountain. He sprinted along it, using the mountain to shield himself from the colossal Fire Style attack!

BOOM!!!!!

Like an artificial sun, the fireball crashed into the bridge. The already shattered stone bridge could no longer withstand the force. With a tremendous roar, it collapsed and plunged into the raging river below!

And so Kanabi Bridge fell.

But Ruohuo didn't stop.

After only a moment's hesitation, he sent the fire dragon diving straight toward the falling fireball!

"What's he doing?"

After avoiding the initial impact of the Fire Style, Han immediately doubled back.

This time, the Tailed Beast Chakra Cloak around his body had grown denser, and two chakra tails had appeared behind him.

Two-Tails Mode!

He wasn't sure he could withstand a Fire Style attack of that scale in this form, but he also didn't think the boy could use it twice in a row.

Kanabi Bridge had already been destroyed. How to restore this vital supply line wasn't Han's concern.

His job now was to defeat the enemy!

Watching the Uchiha boy dive toward the fireball, Han acted decisively and gathered strength in his legs.

Although he didn't know what the boy was planning, Han believed this was his best chance to capture and kill him!

The boy couldn't fly. If he got away, pursuing him would become much harder.

The Iwagakure Ninja couldn't stop him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have fought his way all the way here and blown up Kanabi Bridge!

"Boil Style!"

Han's chakra began to boil, concentrating entirely in his legs. He kicked off so hard that he blasted a crater into the mountainside, launching himself toward Ruohuo like a cannonball!

At the same time, steam rose from the armor on Han's left arm as chakra gathered in his fist during the charge.

If this punch hit Ruohuo, it was anyone's guess whether he'd live or die!

"But I'm an Uchiha, Mr. Five-Tails Jinchuriki..."

Just as Han's fist was about to hit him, Ruohuo, one hand resting on the Great Fireball at 70 Max, suddenly turned his head and grinned at Han.

The instant Han's fist struck him, the Sharingan Genjutsu activated!

Poof—

Ruohuo's body turned into flames.

It wasn't a Shadow Clone; Shadow Clones didn't have a fire effect.

It wasn't a Fire Clone either; a Fire Clone couldn't use the Sharingan Genjutsu at full power.

It was just a simple Substitution Technique, courtesy of the Great Fireball at 70 Max under Ruohuo's control. It had bought him not quite a meter of space...

At that moment, Ruohuo was already standing atop the fireball!

Han temporarily lost control of his body. His momentum carried him past the flames, and he kept flying forward.

But Ruohuo's Three-Tomoe Sharingan had already locked onto him!

Clap—

Ruohuo brought his hands together and controlled the flames beneath his feet. From the fireball, which he'd infused with most of his chakra, dragon after dragon burst forth, then roared toward Han!

"Fire Style: Flame Dragon Slaughter Formation!"