Han moved like lightning itself, his body leaving behind streaks of afterimages that blurred the air.
The three "Shimizus" barely had time to register what was happening before that massive fist came roaring toward them, tearing through the air with a deafening rush of wind.
In the blink of an eye, the two sides crossed paths—
Boom!
All three shadow clones were struck simultaneously, their bodies collapsing under the impact before dispersing into nothingness.
…Is that even a speed a human can reach?
"…A… that punch just now… it looked faster than you," Killer B muttered.
"Not 'looked'—it was," A replied without hesitation. "Shimizu's speed is roughly on my level. If he couldn't react in time, then neither could I."
"Tch, and here I thought I held my own against someone like that without a scratch…" Killer B clicked his tongue in amazement. "Does that mean I'm just stronger?"
"It's more likely that as long as he has enough chakra, he can keep producing steam—pushing both his speed and strength beyond their limits," A analyzed calmly.
...
"I thought you'd come at me head-on," Han said, his body still wreathed in thick steam as his gaze snapped toward Shimizu, who was suspended in midair.
Moments ago, Shimizu had only sent his clones forward to attack. His real body had done nothing more than throw his sword—before immediately beginning a series of hand seals in midair.
Now, just as Han gathered strength to launch himself upward—
Shimizu completed the jutsu.
Water Release: Great Explosive Water Colliding Wave!
A massive torrent of blue surged forth like a crashing waterfall, swallowing Han whole before he could fully rise.
"Everyone, get to the trees!" someone shouted.
In an instant, shinobi from Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and even Takigakure leapt onto nearby branches, staring in shock at the battlefield below—
What had once been solid ground had transformed into a vast lake.
"…That's the Second Hokage's Water Release," Ōnoki murmured, a trace of memory flickering in his eyes. "The last time I saw this technique… was during the First Great Ninja War."
"And if I remember correctly… it traps the target in a massive water prison."
Sure enough—
At the center of the newly formed lake, a gigantic oval-shaped water prison rapidly took form.
And Han was trapped inside it.
At the same time, Shimizu's figure flickered, appearing behind Han at a distance of just over ten meters.
This was the best opportunity he'd had since the battle began.
White Lightning!
A bolt of lightning struck Han's body—
But it didn't pierce through.
So another followed.
And another.
Streaks of blue light rained down one after another, filling the water prison with blinding flashes as electricity surged through the confined space.
Yet Han stood unmoving, his eyes closed, his massive frame steady as a mountain.
The chakra cloak around him only grew denser.
It was as if the attacks weren't working at all.
After all, long-range lightning techniques lacked the penetrating power of Chidori—and in water, their effectiveness was further diminished.
Gradually, the chakra cloak deepened into a dark, ominous crimson.
A sign that he was drawing on even more of the tailed beast's power.
Then—
Han's eyes snapped open.
Boil Release: Unrivaled Strength!
In an instant, he pushed an enormous amount of chakra to its boiling point. His physical strength surged to its peak, and the temperature of the surrounding water began to rise rapidly.
This isn't a place to linger.
Without hesitation, Shimizu activated his Instant Water and withdrew from the area. As he broke free from the water, he glanced back just in time to see ripples spreading wildly across the surface of the prison—
Then, in the next moment—
BOOM!!
The water prison exploded apart.
So he broke free through sheer force…
As expected of a jinchūriki—a monster of chakra.
Han landed steadily atop the lake's surface, his form now even more terrifying.
Behind him, four massive tails of chakra whipped wildly through the air, while thick steam coiled endlessly around his body.
He had reached four tails.
And only now—
did Shimizu feel it clearly.
This…
This is an opponent worth defeating.
Shimizu raised his hand, beginning the motion to form a seal—
—but in the very next instant, Han vanished.
His straight-line burst of speed tore across the lake, kicking up a towering wave over ten meters high.
Everyone was stunned.
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion followed, sending water soaring dozens of meters into the air as dense steam engulfed the spot where Shimizu had just been.
A violent gale swept outward, forcing onlookers to shut their eyes, and when the waves came crashing down, it was like a torrential downpour.
For a moment, the entire area resembled a raging storm.
All of that…
From a single punch.
"…This is the true power of the Five-Tails' jinchūriki," even Killer B said, his earlier playful attitude gone. Then he asked, more seriously, "A… could we block an attack like that?"
He didn't even bother asking if they could dodge it.
Because no one present could.
"…Maybe only Father could withstand it," A replied, glancing instinctively at the Third Raikage.
Even he was staring at the battlefield with a grave expression.
As the storm subsided, Han stood atop the water's surface, staring hoarsely at Shimizu—who had somehow already switched positions with him.
"I… want to see… where you can run now."
"You're just too slow to keep up with me," Shimizu replied calmly, standing lightly on the water as if nothing had happened.
But inwardly, he was shaken.
This is the fastest opponent I've ever faced.
He hadn't even completed the first hand seal before Han had already closed the distance.
If not for the fact that his Instant Water required no seals…
Relying on the Body Flicker alone, he would never have escaped.
"Keep… talking," Han growled.
Before his words had even fully fallen, he launched forward again, his charge sending another massive wave surging into the air.
BOOM!
The storm returned—wind howling, rain crashing down.
And once again, Shimizu and Han switched positions in an instant.
This time, Han said nothing.
He simply turned—
—and shot forward again.
What followed was a high-speed chase unlike anything seen before.
Across the lake's surface, the two figures blurred in and out of existence, their movements whipping up wave after wave, while the constant thunder of impact echoed without pause.
The storm never ceased.
Wind and rain lashed endlessly, as if a real tempest had descended upon the battlefield.
Everyone could only struggle to withstand the onslaught.
"What kind of fight even is this…" Killer B muttered, raising an arm to shield himself from the rain.
Even Jiraiya, soaked by the downpour, felt a deep shock stirring in his heart.
A battle on this scale…
It brought to mind, once again, the Great Toad Sage's prophecy.
Could the old man have been right after all…?
High above, the Third Tsuchikage had already taken to the air, observing the battle from above with a solemn expression.
So this is Shunshin Shimizu's true speed…
Fast enough to evade Han even in his four-tailed state.
But Han… he can't maintain this form for long. His consciousness is already starting to blur…
And Shimizu… that calm demeanor of his—he's clearly just dragging this out, wearing Han down.
If this continues… it won't end well for Han.
Still… Shunshin Shimizu isn't without weaknesses…
...
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