Yes, Kazuyama did not activate the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport himself away. After all, there wasn't just one Jinchūriki in the Land of Grass at the moment—Rōshi, the Four-Tails Jinchūriki, was also present. His grand spectacle wasn't over yet. How could he enjoy the show if the Five-Tails and Four-Tails weren't fighting?
The Transparent Escape Technique was lifted as Kazuyama simply watched Kokuō, the Five-Tails, charge toward him.
"Hey, this isn't nearly exciting enough to watch."
"The Land of Grass has teamed up with Iwagakure, which puts them against Konoha."
"In that case, there's no need to hold back."
"Chōmei, lend me your strength—I want to bring Kokuō along to meet Son Gokū!"
These words struck a chord with Chōmei, who was now eager to see the monkey and the horse clash. In the past, he would never have dared provoke either of them, but with Kazuyama by his side, it was payback time for all the humiliation they had dealt him.
"Alright! Take as much chakra as you want!"
"I may not be as strong as the Dead Octopus or the Stinking Fox, but I have more chakra than the rest of them combined!"
Chōmei was fully committed, supplying a steady stream of chakra to Kazuyama while carefully controlling the flow to avoid triggering the Tailed Beast's cloak. Kazuyama had emphasized time and again that exposing themselves would mean a lifetime of running, a risk neither of them could afford.
Empowered by Chōmei's chakra, Kazuyama quickly moved toward the Land of Earth. Meanwhile, Kokuō, already in a foul mood, grew enraged when her prey suddenly vanished, only for an irritating insect to appear instead. Her frustration boiled over, and the only thought in her mind was to stomp on Kazuyama and vent her fury!
As Kazuyama changed direction, so did Kokuō, charging straight toward the Land of Earth.
This chaotic scene was witnessed by two survivors perched on a distant mountaintop. Their eyes instantly burned red with rage!
"That bastard! Is he taking the Five-Tails to the Land of Earth?"
"Damn it! Is he trying to get himself killed?"
Fugaku's crimson eyes flared with such intensity that the black pupils and magatama were completely engulfed by the furious red of his Sharingan.
"Kazuyama... you bastard..."
Minato's reaction, however, was completely different. Unlike Fugaku's frustration, he remained still, disbelief written all over his face. He couldn't wrap his head around what he was seeing—the very person who had just saved their lives was now walking away.
If Kazuyama were here, he'd probably smirk and say:
"Holy crap, you two are the definition of extremes—the Senju's endless kindness and the Uchiha's fiery love-hate vibe. It's so damn true!"
"Fugaku, can you move?"
"We need to get back to the village and call for reinforcements!"
Fugaku gritted his teeth and attempted to rise, but the injury to his left leg made standing nearly impossible. Minato, on the other hand, staggered as his blurred vision and concussion caused the world around him to spin.
"Hold onto me," Minato said, his voice steady despite his condition. "I'll lead the way. Let's get back to the village, hurry!"
And so, the two prodigies became something straight out of a tragic tale—the blind man and the cripple—propping each other up as they stumbled forward. But the mountain peak wasn't about to make it easy, and after just two steps, they both collapsed in exhaustion.
"Let's focus on restoring our chakra first," Minato suggested, trying to stay calm. "Fugaku, do you have any military ration pills?"
The moment those words left his mouth, Fugaku's face darkened like the bottom of a soot-covered pot. His voice was low, trembling with barely-contained frustration.
"Don't ever bring up military ration pills to me again, or I swear I'll stab you."
Minato froze, a shiver running down his spine as a vivid, painful memory came rushing back. It was so intense he instinctively slapped himself—twice.
Shut up, shut up, shut up!
…
Kokuō was still rampaging through the Land of Grass. The alarm had already been sounded.
"Damn it! Why is the Iwagakure Tailed Beast rampaging here?"
"What the hell are they doing over there?"
The Land of Grass didn't have any notable Kage-level power—it was, after all, just a small nation.
All the ninjas within its borders operated under the orders of the Land of Grass Council. At this moment, the three elders of the Council had gathered to discuss the chaos caused by the Five-Tails within their territory.
"There are two Jinchūriki from Iwagakure. The one who came this time is the Five-Tails Jinchūriki, Han," one elder said gravely.
"I've met him before. He's a strong ninja with a formidable will. It doesn't make sense for him to lose control," another elder added, puzzled.
From his perspective, Iwagakure's willingness to let their Jinchūriki operate outside the village meant they had confidence in their strength and reliability. Even if they hadn't reached the level of a Perfect Jinchūriki, there was no reason for such chaos. Yet the current situation was undeniable, leaving the three elders momentarily at a loss.
As their furrowed brows deepened with concern, the door to the meeting room burst open, and a Kusa Jōnin rushed in.
"Bad news, elders!" he announced breathlessly. "The Iwagakure Jinchūriki, Rōshi, has entered the Land of Grass and is rapidly heading toward the Five-Tails!"
The announcement sent shockwaves through the room.
"Tell everyone to go into hiding!"
"Keep away from the border with the Land of Earth!"
"And send a letter to that bastard Ōnoki! From now on, Iwagakure shinobi are only allowed to pass through. They absolutely cannot stay in the Land of Grass!"
One Tailed Beast was bad enough, and now another? What did Iwagakure think the Land of Grass was—a coliseum?
…
As Kazuyama sped toward the Land of Earth, Rōshi, who had already entered the Land of Grass, felt the surge of Tailed Beast chakra and immediately rushed toward the source of the explosion.
"Damn it! That idiot Han—how could he lose control like that?"
"He went berserk in another country! Is he trying to get himself killed?"
"Ōnoki's a damn fool. He never should've allowed anyone to enter the Land of Grass. Now that the Five-Tails is on a rampage, there's no doubt the Land of Grass will pin this disaster on Iwagakure!"
"Forget it. Complaining won't fix anything now."
Rōshi's expression darkened as he muttered, "Son Gokū, I might need your strength for this."
Rōshi's last words weren't directed at anyone else—they were meant for the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, sealed within him.
"Hmph, you wish!" Son Gokū snapped. "Why should I help you? Let the Five-Tails rampage. What does that have to do with me?"
Clearly uninterested in the situation, Son Gokū brushed him off, unwilling to continue the conversation.
"Heh, fine," Rōshi said with a smirk. "I'll just go up there and handle it myself. Let's see if you still don't care then!"
Son Gokū grumbled, Damn you! Then why ask me in the first place?
Rōshi, I still respect you.
After trading a few heated words and insults, the two fell into a stubborn silence, neither willing to give the other the satisfaction of continuing the argument.
But Rōshi had already made up his mind. No matter how much Son Gokū resisted, he couldn't stand by and let this happen. Han was his comrade, someone from his village, and their bond ran deeper than any petty squabble. Letting him wreak havoc wasn't an option—not for Rōshi, and not for Iwagakure.
When Rōshi finally moved to act, Son Gokū had no choice but to go along. After all, if Rōshi went down, so would he. Rōshi understood Son Gokū's nature all too well—prideful, stubborn, but ultimately pragmatic.
And as a skilled Jinchūriki, Rōshi knew just how far to push to force the beast's cooperation when it really mattered.
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