Chapter 74: Aim Anywhere But the Face! Roshi: Oh?

"Chōmei! Straight ahead— isn't that the Four-Tails' Jinchūriki?"

Kazuyama looked at the figure in the distance and, wanting to confirm its identity, quickly asked his partner within.

"It should be. I'm sensing an unusual chakra fluctuation from him, and his emotions seem a little... anxious."

"Kazuyama, get ready to run! Don't get involved unless you absolutely have to."

Kazuyama nodded, turned sharply, and hurled a kunai with an explosive tag attached at the head of Kokuō chasing him. Without waiting for the impact, he activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.

Boom!

The explosive tag detonated, hitting Kokuō square on the head. A thunderous roar of fury erupted.

She was livid!

How dare that little insect throw an explosive tag at my head!

Her mind seethed with fury. She prided herself on her face above all else, and now it had been attacked!

This was unforgivable.

He had to be crushed! Completely crushed!

Kazuyama had an almost uncanny knack for attracting hatred. He didn't just fight; he aimed to provoke. And he knew something others might not: Kokuō, the Five-Tails, was female. This made his precise attack on her face all the more outrageous.

Kokuō seethed with rage, ready to unleash her wrath, but when she tried to lash out—Kazuyama was gone. Just... gone. He had disappeared right in front of her.

How could this happen? How dare you disrespect a Tailed Beast like that!

Left without a target, Kokuō descended into pure fury, unleashing destruction everywhere. Trees? Crushed. Rocks? Pulverized. Hills? Flattened. People? Trampled!

Wait... people?

Yes, another figure suddenly entered Kokuō's line of sight.

"Lava Release: Scorching Stream Rock Technique!"

Dozens of blazing lava fireballs shot into the air. Under Kokuō's enraged gaze, they descended and detonated directly on her head.

"Five-Tails, stop your rampage, or else!"

Standing atop a tree, Rōshi glared at Kokuō with fierce determination, his body radiating raw fighting spirit.

Rōshi's Lava Release wasn't just the result of being the Four-Tails' Jinchūriki. It came from his own Kekkei Genkai, which fused fire and earth to create Lava Release.

In this sense, Rōshi was the ideal host for the Four-Tails. Yet, despite their compatibility in power, his relationship with the beast inside him was still strained at best.

"Roar!!"

Don't hit people in the face—don't you know that?!

Kokuō's thoughts burned with fury. Bastard! How dare you hit my face!

Her rage deepened, and the rampaging Five-Tails became even more frenzied. With Rōshi locked in her sights, she charged straight at him.

"Hmph. As expected, there's no way to awaken Han with words..." Rōshi muttered to himself. "There's no other choice but to suppress the Five-Tails."

"Tailed Beast Cloak—Lava Release Chakra Mode!"

In an instant, flames erupted around Rōshi, forming a blazing aura of molten energy. A single tail materialized behind him, the manifestation of his bond with the Four-Tails. The intense heat scorched the ground beneath him, igniting the tree he had been standing on.

For most, a rampaging Tailed Beast is an unstoppable force of terror. But for Rōshi, another Jinchūriki, Kokuō was just an irrational creature—a massive target that required careful precision to overcome.

"Lava Release: Scorching Stream Rock Technique!"

Once again, Rōshi unleashed dozens of magma bombs, hurling them directly at Kokuō's head. As the explosions landed, he closed the distance between them, preparing to leap onto her back for a decisive strike.

"Roar!"

This time, Kokuō wasn't about to let Rōshi attack unchallenged. Lowering her head, she thrust her long, sharp horns forward before charging with destructive momentum.

"Hmph!"

Rōshi was prepared. He had suppressed the rampaging Five-Tails before, alongside the ninja of his village, and knew her moves well. As Kokuō charged, he leapt into the air, bounding across the battlefield before landing squarely on her back.

"Lava Release: Scorching Armoured Fist!"

Rōshi, riding atop the Five-Tails, unleashed his immense power once more. Lava enveloped his body as he landed punch after punch on the Tailed Beast. The clash between the Jinchūriki and the Tailed Beast unfolded in spectacular chaos.

"My, this Jinchūriki really knows how to throw down."

"Son Gokū's fusion with him is actually that seamless?"

"He can just whip out Lava Release like it's nothing."

Kazuyama used the Flying Thunder God technique to escape the heart of the battle, reappearing several kilometers away. Perched in a tree, he observed Rōshi fighting against Kokuō. Chōmei, standing nearby, looked on in surprise.

"You're just saying that because you can only borrow my Hive Mind, right? But that guy already has Lava Release as his Kekkei Genkai, so using Son Gokū's power isn't that hard for him, is it?"

"Huh? He has Lava Release?"

"Why do you think he became Son Gokū's Jinchūriki in the first place?"

"Oh, that makes sense. With their shared abilities, they can sync up a lot faster."

Kazuyama glanced toward Rōshi, who continued wreaking havoc on the battlefield, and sighed. Rōshi could be considered the first perfect Jinchūriki. His relationship with Son Gokū was far better than most might expect. Having been a Jinchūriki since childhood, Rōshi had long since won over the Tailed Beast's heart.

Sadly, both man and beast were stubborn, and despite their bond, they never truly broke through their differences.

"This drama is far from its climax," Kazuyama muttered.

"The Tailed Beast's outer shell or even a half-transformation won't stop the rampaging Kokuō. Son Gokū will have to step in himself."

"Chōmei, how long do you think he can hold out?"

Kazuyama's true aim was to push the two Tailed Beasts into direct combat; the Jinchūriki alone wouldn't suffice.

Chōmei chuckled. "Even though Kokuō lacks offensive techniques, her chakra can turn into steam. No matter how strong the Jinchūriki is, he won't last long."

Kazuyama nodded in agreement. As a Tailed Beast that had lived for millennia, Kokuō's abilities went beyond simple physical power. While her rage might cloud her sanity, it never diminished her strength.

"Let's move farther back. With the Hive Mind, we can still keep an eye on everything."

"When Son Gokū shows up, nowhere will be safe."

Kazuyama vanished again, reappearing near the spot where he'd previously relocated Minato and Fugaku. As he landed, he was met with Fugaku's grumbling and Minato's exasperated reply.

"Damn it, asshole! Why don't you know Medical Ninjutsu?"

"I'm a combat ninja! Why the hell would I know Medical Ninjutsu?"

Kazuyama raised an eyebrow. Medical Ninjutsu? Had Fugaku lost his mind?

"Ugh, chakra recovery is so damn slow. Minato, how about you?"

"Same here—it's crawling. But Fugaku, look over there—Five-Tails is being held back.

What's with those streaks of red light? And why is it attacking so recklessly?"

Even from tens of kilometers away, the sheer size of the Tailed Beast made it impossible to ignore.

"Hey, you two, do you actually have time to just stand around and watch the show?"

Startled by the voice, both men turned quickly to see Kazuyama leaning casually against a tree, a teasing smirk tugging at his lips.

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