Chapter 486: Four-Tailed Jinchūriki? Nothing Special

A piece of critical intelligence reached the Third Raikage, prompting him to leave the battlefield decisively. With a few guards, he detoured into the Land of Earth.

In a small, secluded valley near the border of the Land of Rain, Roshi—who had recently quarreled fiercely with Tsuchikage Onoki over ideological differences—had withdrawn from the battlefield.

Rather than return to Iwa Ninja Village, Roshi had chosen isolation. His anger toward Onoki left him unwilling to see the Tsuchikage's face again, so he settled in this hidden valley, avoiding all contact with his village.

For some time, Roshi had lived peacefully in this remote area. But today, his solitude was interrupted.

"The Third Raikage..."

Upon seeing his unexpected visitor, Roshi immediately recognized the imposing figure standing before him.

He never expected the Third Raikage to abandon the battlefield, cross such a long distance, and locate him in the Land of Earth.

It was clear: his whereabouts had been leaked to the enemy.

Otherwise, the Third Raikage would not have appeared here.

And the reason for this visit? That was obvious too. As the Jinchūriki of the Four-Tails, Roshi was a valuable target.

"Roshi, long time no see," the Third Raikage called out, standing atop a rock with his arms crossed, gazing down at him.

Meanwhile, his guards swiftly spread out, blocking all exits from the valley.

The Third Raikage's goal was clear: capture Roshi.

A Jinchūriki might not seem irreplaceable, but a Tailed Beast was invaluable to Iwa Ninja Village. If Roshi fell into the Third Raikage's hands, Iwa Village would find itself at a significant disadvantage.

"Raikage, you shouldn't be here," Roshi said grimly, his face darkening.

The Third Raikage smirked but didn't bother responding.

"Die!"

Furious at the intrusion, Roshi launched a surprise attack, swinging a crimson tail at the Raikage with immense force.

The Third Raikage calmly raised his left hand and intercepted the tail—thicker than a pillar—with little effort.

Across the ninja world, only the Third Raikage had the audacity and physical durability to block an attack from a Jinchūriki with his bare hand.

Boom!

The impact shattered the rock beneath the Raikage's feet, and though he was pushed back, he remained unscathed, his feet carving deep furrows into the earth as he absorbed the force.

"Four-Tailed Jinchūriki? Nothing special," the Third Raikage scoffed.

As a man who had gone toe-to-toe with the Eight-Tails and emerged victorious, even wearing it down to exhaustion, the Third Raikage viewed Roshi as a minor threat.

To him, Roshi's attacks were no more than an itch.

If Roshi had been a perfect Jinchūriki, the Third Raikage might have shown some caution. But unfortunately for Roshi, he was far from perfect.

The Eight-Tails had proven to be a formidable challenge; the Four-Tails, by comparison, was far weaker. And Roshi, who could not fully utilize the Four-Tails' power, was merely a slightly above-average Kage-level opponent in the Raikage's eyes.

"Damn you!"

Roshi's face turned as red as his beard in rage. Seeing his attack brushed off and mocked only fueled his fiery temper.

Realizing that ordinary attacks were ineffective, Roshi entered his half-tailed beast state.

Dark red chakra enveloped him, transforming him into a feral creature on all fours, with four long tails trailing behind.

But just as he prepared to launch his next attack, Roshi froze in panic.

The Third Raikage had vanished.

Not good!

Even in his half-tailed beast form, Roshi retained his sanity—a testament to his strength as a Jinchūriki. Yet, the sudden disappearance of his opponent left him deeply unsettled.

Scanning his surroundings, Roshi tried to locate the Raikage. But before he could react, a purple flash of lightning streaked toward him from the left, moving as fast as a real thunderbolt.

Bang!

The Third Raikage's massive fist, crackling with lightning chakra, slammed into Roshi's face, sending him flying like a ragdoll.

For most, striking a Jinchūriki in such a form would result in severe burns from the tailed beast chakra. But the Third Raikage was no ordinary man—his body was immune to such effects.

The Four-Tails' chakra barely fazed him.

As Roshi hurtled through the air, the Third Raikage intercepted him mid-flight, stomping down hard on his stomach.

Crash!

The impact sent Roshi plummeting into the ground, creating a massive crater surrounded by deep cracks.

"Pathetic," the Raikage muttered, his tone filled with disappointment.

Roshi's strength was far below his expectations.

Boom!

Before Roshi could recover, the Third Raikage delivered another crushing blow, expanding the crater and deepening the surrounding fissures.

The Raikage's relentless assault continued, each strike leaving the onlookers—his guards—winced at the brutality.

As seasoned warriors, they were well aware of their leader's overwhelming power. But watching Roshi, a renowned Jinchūriki, reduced to this state was unsettling.

One kick.

Two punches.

Three strikes.

Still moving?

Two more punches ended the fight decisively.

"Take him away," the Third Raikage ordered, brushing dirt from his shoulders as he walked out of the valley without a backward glance.

One of the Raikage's guards rushed forward to dig Roshi out of the rubble.

The once-mighty Jinchūriki was barely alive, his body battered and broken. The guards hoisted him over their shoulders and swiftly departed.

A few days later, news spread from the Land of Lightning to neighboring countries and villages, infuriating Onoki.

The Four-Tailed Jinchūriki, Roshi, had been captured by the Third Raikage.

The Raikage's intentions were clear: with Roshi in his possession, Onoki had better concede defeat and negotiate an end to the war.

Refusal would mean losing the Four-Tails permanently to Cloud Village.

For the Raikage, the prospect of claiming the Four-Tails was a strategic boon. Despite the losses Cloud Village had suffered during the war, acquiring another Tailed Beast would more than compensate.

The Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, Killer Bee, had already achieved perfection. If Cloud Village secured the Four-Tails and handed it, along with the Two-Tails, over to Killer Bee for training, they could potentially create three perfect Jinchūriki.

The thought alone was exhilarating.

While killing Roshi would have been easier, it wasn't an option. Killing the Jinchūriki would also kill the Four-Tails sealed within him. Instead, the Raikage planned to transfer the beast's power.

By removing the Four-Tails from Roshi and sealing it into a new host loyal to Cloud Village, they would gain a powerful new asset.

With such a prize, even the most skeptical villagers and the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning would be satisfied.

After all, Tailed Beasts were priceless weapons, worth far more than any monetary or material loss incurred in war.

When the five great ninja villages were first established, acquiring a Tailed Beast required begging Konoha for a share. Villages like Rock, Cloud, and Mist had paid enormous sums for their beasts.

And now, Cloud Village had a chance to claim another without spending a single coin.