"Oho—now this is more like it!" Killer B exclaimed, his excitement obvious.
Earlier, he had practically been hoping Konoha and Iwagakure would clash fiercely and wear each other down, leaving Kumogakure to reap the benefits. He had fully expected to remain nothing more than a spectator.
But Han's declaration had stirred something in everyone present—their pride, their competitive spirit, their hunger for battle.
Even Killer B found himself speaking with a hint of envy and anticipation. "Didn't expect Shunshin Shimizu to be this kind of guy… Now I kinda want to fight him myself."
After two consecutive battles, and now openly provoked by the Five-Tails' jinchūriki, he still chose to accept.
He wasn't even at full strength anymore—any rational person would have declined such a challenge under these conditions.
Yeah… that's a real man.
A, however, remained calm. "You'll get your chance."
"Oh? You're backing him?" Killer B asked curiously. "You know Han's strength—so overwhelming that people tend to overlook his speed."
"You've felt it yourself, haven't you? He's not much slower than you… and combined with that monstrous power…"
"In a head-on fight, Shunshin Shimizu doesn't stand much of a chance, does he?"
A's answer came without hesitation. "Now we'll finally see what he's truly capable of."
He turned slightly. "Yugito, watch closely. This battle will be useful for you."
"Yes!"
The young girl fixed her gaze on the faintly blue-glowing figure in the center of the battlefield, her expression serious.
She had heard of Shunshin Shimizu—a speed-type shinobi proficient in both Water Release and Lightning Release.
Coincidentally, that was the path she herself hoped to follow.
Watching him fight would be a valuable lesson.
...
At the center of the battlefield, Han's massive frame began to emit a dense, crimson chakra.
It seeped out from within him, forming a cloak of tailed beast energy that gradually enveloped his body.
Then—
A tail extended from his lower back.
This was tailed beast transformation.
"Han went straight into transformation… looks like he's taking this seriously."
"No… it's not over yet," Rōshi said, his tone heavy with understanding.
As a fellow jinchūriki, he could see more.
The crimson chakra cloak thickened, condensing into something deeper, denser—almost like flesh—until Han resembled a humanoid tailed beast.
He had entered Version Two of the transformation right from the start.
A state only achievable by drawing out even greater amounts of tailed beast chakra.
High-pressure steam began to coil around his body, hissing softly—anyone who touched it would likely suffer severe burns.
As for Shimizu, his knowledge of Han was limited.
He knew only that the man was a jinchūriki… and that he bore the title of a "Steam Shinobi."
Unlike the old man who had wielded the One-Tail before, this was no mere vessel.
This was a warrior.
Good, Shimizu thought calmly.
Only by defeating an opponent like this could he truly force Sunagakure to acknowledge his strength.
A sharp burst of steam erupted—
And Han vanished.
Here he comes!
BOOM!
The ground exploded beneath Han's feet, a massive crater marking the sheer force of his acceleration.
His black-gloved fist grew rapidly larger in Shimizu's vision—
Body Flicker Technique!
Even with his speed, Shimizu could barely evade the straight-line attack.
BOOM!
Han pressed forward relentlessly, his momentum unstoppable.
Another burst of acceleration—another crater blasted into the ground.
Body Flicker Technique!
Shimizu dodged again, just barely.
But this time, the violent wind from the punch grazed his cheek, slicing it open and leaving a thin trail of blood.
BOOM!
Han gave him no chance to recover, charging again with overwhelming force.
Driven by continuous bursts of chakra-fueled steam, his speed had reached a terrifying level—so fast that, for a moment, it seemed even Shimizu could no longer escape.
Got him—!
But the moment his attack landed, "Shimizu" burst apart into splashing droplets of water.
A water clone.
"Is running all you can do?" Han's voice boomed across the battlefield.
His answer came in the form of a streak of blue light.
Lightning Release: White Lightning.
BOOM!
A violent burst of steam erupted as Han dodged the attack at extreme speed, his massive body vanishing in a blur.
"Found you!"
Like a falling mountain, he crashed down from above.
BOOM!
Steam and dust exploded outward, filling the battlefield.
"Tch… you sure know how to run," Han sneered.
Then his gaze shifted to the figure not far away—Shimizu, now fully cloaked in crackling blue lightning. His expression grew slightly more serious.
So you can still keep up…
Then I'll just push harder.
As long as he poured in more chakra, the ever-increasing steam would translate into even greater speed and power.
He had the vast reserves of a tailed beast at his disposal—this was no burden to him.
And as long as he landed even a single clean hit…
Shunshin Shimizu would die.
With that thought, Han drew even more of the Five-Tails' chakra. Instantly, a greater volume of steam burst from his body.
BOOM!
His feet slammed into the ground again, leaving another deep crater as his speed climbed to a level nearly impossible to track with the naked eye.
His enormous fist swept past Shimizu's shoulder, close enough to stir strands of blue lightning in its wake.
So this… is your limit.
In that case—
Just a little faster.
And the next strike would end everything.
BOOM!
With yet another surge of steam, his speed rose again—reaching an even more terrifying threshold.
But this time—
Han suddenly realized he couldn't lift his right arm.
Lightning paralysis?!
At such extreme velocity, his vision was filled with nothing but endless blue light—
The two figures crossed paths in a single instant.
Then—
Silence.
An eerie stillness fell over the battlefield.
Han clutched his abdomen with his left hand, pressing against a grotesque, gaping wound—the result of Shimizu's lightning attack.
Shimizu, meanwhile, was far from unscathed.
He had intended to drive a Chidori straight through Han's abdomen—
But that cloak of tailed beast chakra possessed astonishing defensive power. Worse still, the instant he got close, the dense steam had scalded his left arm severely.
If he hadn't reflexively conjured a water barrier at the last moment…
That arm might have been ruined entirely.
After a few breaths, Han flexed his gradually recovering arm and spoke in a low voice.
"I didn't expect to fall for a trick like that..."
He glanced down at his wound. It wasn't deep enough to cripple him immediately, but prolonged fighting was no longer an option.
Continuous blood loss would inevitably weaken him.
Then his eyes shifted to Shimizu's reddened arm, and he let out a rough laugh.
"But that steam doesn't feel too good, does it?"
Shimizu casually shook his arm, his tone relaxed.
"Just a minor injury."
The burns brought intense pain, yes—but little else.
They hadn't affected his combat ability.
"Heh… let's see how long you can keep that up," Han said, as even more steam began to gather around him.
With every increase in steam, his speed would continue to rise—almost as if there were no upper limit.
The next attack would surpass everything before it.
Even the numbing effect of Chidori wouldn't be enough to stop a blow of that magnitude.
I need to create an environment that favors me… a field of water. With that decision made, Shimizu drew his sword.
Han snorted. "That scrap of metal—do you really think it can stop my fists?"
Shimizu made the first move.
Konoha Sword Style: Crescent Moon Dance.
Three "Shimizus" surged forward from different directions, each trailing a streak of blue light, converging on Han simultaneously.
At the same time, the real Shimizu leapt high into the air—
And hurled his blade downward.
Three arcs of blue, one flash of silver—four attacks descending at once.
BOOM!
The ground shattered again beneath Han's feet as he moved.
"Shunshin Shimizu… you—"
His massive body had already slipped completely out of the range of all four attacks.
"Too slow!"
The earth trembled once more as he pivoted sharply—
And shot straight back toward the three "Shimizus" like a cannonball.