Under Ōnoki's arrangements, both sides of the front had already been filled with large numbers of Explosion Release constructs, turning them into minefields.
By digging deep into Iwagakure's reserves like this, he intended to restrict the high mobility of Konoha's forces, confining the battlefield to specific areas so Iwa could concentrate its strength and force a breakthrough at designated points...
Unlike on the Kumogakure front, Konoha's shinobi on the Iwagakure front were stronger in individual combat.
However, because they lacked insect users from the Aburame Clan, their large-scale offensive ninjutsu was comparatively weaker.
It was only after communicating with the Third Raikage and agreeing that both sides would launch simultaneous breakthroughs on their respective fronts that Ōnoki had gritted his teeth and made this decision.
The Uchiha Clan's ferocity on the battlefield had placed Ōnoki under tremendous pressure...
Even though the Third Tsuchikage knew that their alliance with Kumogakure and Sunagakure was far from stable, seeing the Uchiha Clan once again display its might across the shinobi world had still plunged him deep into anxiety...
He had to find some way to grind down the Uchiha Clan's fighting strength!
Even if Iwagakure had to bear most of the cost.
Who knew? Maybe they would hit the jackpot and wipe out the hidden 'Madara' within the Uchiha Clan ahead of time.
After all, even Uchiha Madara himself, before he had fully developed, could potentially have met his end if he encountered a shinobi several levels above him.
In war, things like that happened all the time.
But amusingly enough, this gave Ōnoki a whole new source of anxiety!
After all, everyone knew that the Uchiha Clan evolved through suffering. If he could wipe them all out in one stroke, then fine. But if he failed to eradicate them completely...
Putting them under this kind of pressure might very well produce even more Mangekyō Sharingan...
Yet the Will of Stone also told Ōnoki that when faced with hardship, one had to persevere.
What else was he supposed to do? Let the Uchiha Clan develop unchecked and eventually seize control of Konoha again under Madara's will just because of that possibility?
At that moment, inside Iwagakure's command post, Ōnoki was massaging his aging lower back as he reassured himself, "Don't be so anxious. There's no need. It's not like awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan is that easy."
"If all it took was suffering some trauma or losing friends and family to awaken the Mangekyō, the Uchiha would have them everywhere by now!"
"Besides, even if another Mangekyō does appear, that doesn't mean it'll be another Madara. Not even close..."
Ōnoki's reasoning made perfect sense.
The problem was that Konoha really did have quite a few Uchiha in this era with the potential to awaken the Mangekyō...
And thanks to his meticulous arrangements, one of them had already been sent to study seriously at the side of the real Madara.
As for the rest, they were currently fighting Iwagakure!
...
At the front of the Konoha-Iwagakure battlefield.
High in the sky, Ida was using a massive hawk created through the secret technique Super Beast Imitating Drawing, carrying Kushina as they continuously circled overhead while she used Mind's Eye of the Kagura to scan the battlefield in three dimensions...
Rather than fighting, Kushina's responsibility was gathering intelligence across the entire battlefield, an extremely important task.
Beside Ida and Kushina was also a female shinobi from the Yamanaka Clan.
The Yamanaka shinobi wore a specially designed device on her head and was connected to Kushina through Adamantine Sealing Chains, allowing her to accurately transmit the battlefield movements Kushina sensed to Konoha's commanders.
"The enemy's jinchūriki have all deployed..."
"Tomie, Shio, you two take on the Five-Tails' jinchūriki to the southwest! According to our intelligence, he possesses Monster Strength and Boil Release. Shio, take the front; Tomie, look for openings to deal damage. Finish him as quickly as possible!"
"Fugaku, take the Uchiha Clan's elite and engage the Four-Tails' jinchūriki!"
"Jiraiya and I will sweep away any Iwa shinobi who try to interfere!"
Isshin issued his orders methodically.
A short while later.
Shio and Tomie ran straight into Han, the Five-Tails' jinchūriki!
The burly masked man had boiling steam surging around his body. Boil Release provided him with an enormous boost to strength and speed, while his tailed-beast chakra granted him self-healing abilities...
"Konoha actually sent two female shinobi to deal with me?"
Han frowned. "Looks like things are pretty tight on your front!"
Shio and Tomie frowned.
How was Iwa's Five-Tails jinchūriki even more obnoxious than Seisui?!
That guy might have had terrible emotional intelligence, but even he would never say something like that...
"Looks like we'll have to teach him a lesson together!"
Shio said softly.
"Yeah. He's really pissing me off. I hate the way that technique looks, but I hate this bastard even more..." Obvious anger flickered in Tomie's eyes.
For her, being regarded as weak by someone else was something she simply could not tolerate!
"Teach me a lesson?"
Han shook his head in amusement, then his expression turned serious. "Then let's see you try!"
In an instant, a thick, dense layer of dark-red tailed-beast chakra enveloped his body!
He immediately entered his partial transformation state...
Compared to Yugito and Killer B, Han and Rōshi—both older and more experienced jinchūriki of Iwagakure—had already mastered the ability to undergo full tailed-beast transformation.
Partial transformation was naturally second nature to them as well. They were also more mature in their approach to battle and had no intention of gradually escalating things step by step. Han was prepared to go all out from the very beginning!
But standing across from him, Shio felt something strange stir within her.
'Is this Five-Tails jinchūriki holding back?'
'He has an entire tailed beast inside him, but the chakra from his partial transformation is still a whole level below mine? The intel said he might have already mastered full tailed-beast transformation, didn't it?'
By Shio's straightforward reasoning, she only had a quarter of the Nine-Tails' chakra inside her.
So no matter how powerful the Nine-Tails was, surely a quarter of it couldn't be stronger than the entire Five-Tails, right?
They were both tailed beasts, after all...
But the thought only flashed through her mind. Shio decided she would ask the Nine-Tails about it once she returned to the village...
No, she should call him Nine-Tails-sama, Konoha Council Member now!
Shio's gaze sharpened, and an extremely flexible Adamantine Sealing Chain extended from her back.
But instead of attacking Han, it firmly connected to the center of Tomie's back!
The Adamantine Sealing Chain became a bridge linking the two of them!
{Han, be careful...}
The Five-Tails' pleasant voice was filled with wariness.
{The moment I saw that red hair, I knew she was most likely from the Uzumaki Clan. It'll be troublesome if those chains touch you. You can think of them as a powerful sealing technique that can move around...}
{But I'll help you. With your speed, and since there's no way she could know the weak points of your partial transformation, you don't need to worry too much...}
Han nodded solemnly.
This was the first time in recent years that the Five-Tails had taken the initiative to warn him.
But in the next instant—
An intricate pattern appeared in Tomie's eyes.
The Mangekyō Sharingan!
{This...} The Five-Tails suddenly felt as though it was being specifically targeted!
Across the entire shinobi world, there were only a handful of shinobi clans and techniques capable of restraining tailed beasts...
Why were all of them here?!
Then an even more astonishing sight unfolded!
Dense tailed-beast chakra rapidly surged over Shio's body, just like Han's, as she entered a partial transformation state. And through that Adamantine Sealing Chain, the same thing happened to Tomie...
Han couldn't help staring blankly.
You could do that?!
But they weren't finished yet...
As Tomie's Mangekyō spun, a dense layer of pitch-black chakra appeared over both her and Shio, solidifying into the shape of a skeletal frame...
Then flesh began growing over it at a furious pace, ultimately condensing into miniature armor that covered both of them!
Miniature - Majestic Attire Susanoo - Human Version!
The Five-Tails stared in horror!
Tomie and Shio could feel each other's chakra flowing through their bodies via the Adamantine Sealing Chain, and both simultaneously curled their lips in slight displeasure.
This looked weird...
But there was no helping it.
This was the only method that allowed Tomie and Shio, at their current level, to share ocular power and tailed-beast chakra with maximum efficiency and minimal energy consumption.
In this state, Tomie's ocular power would also be constantly nourished by Shio's vitality and chakra, greatly reducing the ocular power consumed when using Susanoo and her dōjutsu...
Shio's capacity to handle tailed-beast chakra would likewise increase dramatically thanks to the Susanoo!
As for how the two of them had come up with this method...
It was because Tomie's Kotoshironushi had pointed them in the right direction.
Her dōjutsu meant she didn't need to think through all the complicated mechanisms and structures herself. She only needed to ask how to achieve the effect she wanted...
Technical experts like Shio and 'Seisui' would then take the various clues provided by Kotoshironushi and figure out how to make them work in practice.
It could only be said that Tomie had far too much to consider, while Tobirama and Shio only needed to work out the details...
Tomie glanced at Han, feeling Shio's power surging through her body...
The Mangekyō in her eyes spun like pinwheels!
Kuebiko instantly locked onto Han and began analyzing every aspect of him. A hidden panel appeared within the minds of both Tomie and Shio...
"Zehahahaha..."
Tomie chuckled softly. "Your combat strength really is far beyond any Iwa shinobi I've encountered before. I suppose that's what you'd expect from a jinchūriki?"
Han's face was full of vigilance and confusion. He had the distinct impression that the Konoha kunoichi in front of him wasn't quite right in the head...
She was saying some truly baffling things!
"But you're still nowhere near me!"
Tomie burst into wild laughter. "I can see it... In that form, your shoulders and knees are the 'eyes' through which the Five-Tails gives you its power, aren't they? Better protect them..."
Han and the Five-Tails were both horrified.
They had literally just said that the enemy would never be able to find the weak points of this form...
How had she pinpointed them so precisely?!
The Five-Tails immediately shifted the points through which it supplied Han with tailed-beast chakra, but Tomie merely tilted her head with a smile. "Moved them to your back and elbows now? Stop struggling, Steam Iwa Shinobi..."
"Before these eyes of mine, anyone's openings will be exposed with perfect accuracy. All you can do is desperately scramble to protect your weak points and pray I don't break through them..."
Shio turned toward Tomie with an amused look and immediately undermined her boast. "Really? I don't believe you..."
Because Kuebiko had the fascinating ability to display a shinobi's capabilities in the form of numerical stats, Shio had once studied the dōjutsu extensively together with Tomie.
But during that process, she had also heard Tomie sincerely marvel at the Hokage's mysterious nature and his numbers...
He was a shinobi even the Mangekyō couldn't see through!
Tomie's expression froze. She knew Shio was implying that her dōjutsu couldn't assess the Hokage, and she snapped at her in annoyance: "That's completely different! That man has the Will of Fire protecting him!"
Shio couldn't hold back her laughter.
So that was the reason? And yet, there really was no arguing with it...
It could only be said that after spending enough time in Konoha, even a Mangekyō Uchiha who had entered a state of 'the Sage of Six Paths is number two, and I'm number one' still had to respect the Hokage and the Will of Fire...
"Let's go!"
"Got it!"
Without warning, Shio and Tomie charged toward Han!
At that moment, both of them manifested a massive Susanoo greatsword taller than they were, each blade wreathed in serrated tailed-beast chakra!
Han's pupils contracted as he entered a state he hadn't used in a long time—his full-power state!
Tailed-beast chakra combined with his Boil Release steam armor!
Although this form placed an enormous burden on his body, it was the state in which his stats were at their highest.
Han stared intently at Tomie. His chakra and the tailed beast's chakra constantly surged and shifted within him, and as a near-perfect jinchūriki, he had no fear of Mangekyō genjutsu.
Then, like a crimson meteor of violent steam, he slammed straight toward Tomie!
In Han's eyes, this Mangekyō Uchiha with her decidedly unhealthy state of mind was simply far too dangerous...
But to Han's shock, despite being slower than him, Tomie seemed to know what was coming before it happened. It was as though she could see straight through his movements, allowing her to effortlessly dodge him by the narrowest margin!
She immediately swung the Susanoo greatsword wreathed in Nine-Tails chakra and slashed directly at the weakest point of Han's partial transformation!
Kotoshironushi...
Once Tomie entered its special 'inspired' state, her intuition increased dramatically. As long as her opponent's stats weren't too far removed from her own and their abilities could be analyzed, she could completely grasp the rhythm of the fight against them.
Steam erupted from Han!
He tried to accelerate even further and evade Tomie's attack!
He succeeded—but Shio, beside them, seized the opening created by Han's adjustment. The other Susanoo greatsword wreathed in Nine-Tails chakra cleanly slashed into Han's elbow!
It tore through the defenses of his tailed-beast cloak with overwhelming ease, leaving behind a deep wound that exposed the bone!
Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!
Behind Han, the Iwa shinobi who had been expecting to watch their jinchūriki display his overwhelming might had no choice but to intervene and cover him...
Normally, Iwa shinobi rarely interfered in Han's battles.
With his exceptional mobility, recklessly jumping into the fight could easily disrupt Han's rhythm and might do more harm than good.
But there was no time to worry about that now!
Shio gave a cold smile as her chakra continued to erupt. The Nine-Tails' ferocious chakra transformed her into the most brutal of battering rams, giving her enough confidence to charge straight ahead without dodging and smash bodily through the thick earthen wall before her!
The Earth-Style Wall was instantly smashed to pieces!
Tomie clicked her tongue.
No matter how many times she saw it, she still thought Shio's fighting style lacked elegance and beauty...
Who fought like that?
One razor-sharp Adamantine Sealing Chain after another emerged behind Shio, lashing wildly in every direction as they slaughtered the Iwa shinobi blocking her path!
In her miniature Majestic Attire state, Shio had little to fear from most of the five basic nature transformations. Having plunged directly into Iwa's battle formation, she used the most domineering methods possible to break through Iwagakure's human-wave tactics!
Han glared at Shio with a vicious expression...
If Shio kept slaughtering them at this rate, Iwa's casualties would mount far too quickly!
The forces Iwagakure had deployed this time were all carefully selected mid-level combat personnel. If they suffered losses that were too severe, the village would remain weakened for a very long time...
"Use large-scale war ninjutsu!" Han roared sharply.
This was Iwa's specialty.
Thanks to the extraordinary organization and coordination that Ōnoki had worked so hard to cultivate, large numbers of shinobi could simultaneously use the same Earth Release technique, multiplying its power severalfold through sheer collective effect. On the battlefield, it was an absolutely devastating weapon!
Earth Release: Great Moving Earth Core!
The Iwa shinobi formed hand seals in perfect unison. Deep fissures immediately tore across the earth one after another, and a massive collapse suddenly opened beneath Shio's feet!
A flash of delight crossed Han's eyes as he shouted, "Lava Release unit, get ready!"
As soon as Shio fell into the pit, the Iwa shinobi proficient in Lava Release chakra transformation would unleash large quantities of Lava Release: Quicklime Congealing Technique and seal her underground!
Han had experienced the terror of this tactic firsthand while serving as a sparring partner for Iwa's shinobi. Even the Five-Tails' tremendous strength couldn't resist it.
That was the power of the so-called 'Will of Stone'!
Shio frowned deeply.
The sheer range of war ninjutsu was something her sensory abilities couldn't overcome through raw stats alone.
She could detect it with Mind's Eye of the Kagura, but that didn't mean she could evade it.
But at that moment, Tomie had already moved far away.
Gripping the chain connected to Shio's back with both hands, she manifested another layer of Susanoo bones over her arms and, with tremendous force, instantly yanked her companion through the air and back to her side!
"I told you, Mind's Eye of the Kagura isn't as useful as mine..."
A small trickle of black blood ran from Tomie's eye, but she couldn't have cared less. Shio could restore what she'd lost afterward anyway.
"Yes, yes..."
Shio chuckled. "But mine saves energy, doesn't it?"
Han's expression darkened. He hadn't expected the chain connecting their backs to have an application like that as well...
Both of them could shrug off ordinary attacks from the five basic nature transformations, and each possessed powerful sensory abilities of her own.
Han now understood exactly what made this battle so troublesome...
The combined strength of Iwa's coordinated shinobi was certainly formidable, but no matter how perfectly synchronized they were, they were still separate individuals, and an unavoidable delay remained between them.
Shio and Tomie, however, seemed almost able to read each other's minds. Even though they bickered while fighting, their movements and coordination meshed perfectly, each completely compensating for the other...
Not only could Tomie anticipate what was coming and use the Adamantine Sealing Chain to correct Shio's movements, Shio's Mind's Eye of the Kagura could likewise cover the movements of most of the Iwa shinobi, allowing her to assist Tomie in return.
'I'll have to go in myself...'
'I have to find some way to completely pin down one of these two Konoha shinobi. Only then can our war ninjutsu rapidly cut down their numbers and break this bizarre chakra transfer between them...'
With Tomie and Shio combined, one plus one was far greater than two!
Steam and chakra once again surged from Han's body as he pushed his speed and strength to their absolute limits, trying to use his combat experience to tear open a gap in their coordination and create an opportunity...
But after only a few exchanges, Han was defeated.
At the same time, the Iwa battle formation he had been relying on for support came under a saturation attack from Konoha's elite aerial forces. After sensing how the battle was developing, Kushina had ordered them to support Tomie and Shio...
The torrential rain of senbon and kunai posed little threat to Han himself, but it remained deadly to most Iwa shinobi, forcing them to divert their attention toward defending themselves.
Then wave after wave of explosive bombs rained down from above!
Once Iwa's organization was disrupted, they could no longer easily unleash their perfectly synchronized, high-powered war ninjutsu...
"Now!"
Tomie and Shio immediately understood each other's intentions. Their two Susanoo greatswords wreathed in Nine-Tails chakra swung in an impenetrable barrage, sealing off every direction around Han.
The Steam Ninja, long renowned throughout the shinobi world, was both shocked and furious to discover that more and more wounds were appearing across his body. He was like a trapped beast—no matter how desperately he struggled, he could hardly land a blow on either of them...
When powerful sensory abilities were combined with intuition bordering on precognition, the fight became fundamentally unfair.
Finally, left with no other choice, Han underwent full tailed-beast transformation!
The Five-Tails appeared on the battlefield, a creature resembling a cross between a dolphin and a horse!
Yet Shio and Tomie showed no fear whatsoever. Full tailed-beast transformation did allow a jinchūriki to gain the tailed beast's vitality and ability to withstand punishment, but that didn't necessarily mean their combat strength became greater...
It merely made them harder to put down and gave them a much larger health bar.
After all, ninjutsu meant for a human form was generally difficult to use while transformed into a tailed beast. It was the same principle behind why the Nine-Tails had needed to learn how to restrain the violent nature of its own tailed-beast chakra before it could use ninjutsu.
The Five-Tails still possessed Boil Release, of course, since that was its innate ability.
But to Shio and Tomie, the increased attack range brought by the Five-Tails' enormous body was actually less threatening than Han's partial transformation.
Being bigger usually meant slower movement and longer recovery after attacks, especially against the two of them with their sensory abilities layered together.
Tomie and Shio effortlessly evaded the Five-Tails' monstrously powerful stomps. Like phantoms, the two appeared behind the beast and, as though sharing a single thought, swung their greatswords down heavily at its tails!
Trying to kill such a monster with such a massive health bar outright in the middle of Iwa's battle formation would be extremely difficult. Iwagakure's numerical advantage was very real, after all.
If they became too entangled with the Five-Tails, it was entirely possible that the Iwa shinobi might use war ninjutsu to seal all three of them together, so they had to remain constantly vigilant.
But as long as they could incapacitate the Five-Tails as quickly as possible, the remaining Iwa shinobi would be nothing more than a meal served straight to Tomie and Shio, theirs to harvest and savor at will...
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