Han calmly watched Kagetsu, countless possibilities flashing through his mind, but he still couldn't find a definite answer.
However, Han didn't panic. His past battle experience told him that as long as he kept fighting, he would eventually figure out his opponent's abilities, no matter what they were.
Once he understood the enemy's abilities and the conditions required to activate them, he could counter them effectively.
In a ninja battle, aside from overwhelming strength, it was a battle of information!
Once intelligence was leaked, the ninja whose secrets were exposed would almost always face defeat if the opponent was prepared.
A temporary disadvantage was nothing to fear.
"You're trying to stall for time so you can figure out my abilities and counter them, aren't you?"
Kagetsu's light voice drifted into Han's ears. Looking at Kagetsu's youthful face, Han's heart grew even heavier.
"A silent Jinchūriki, huh?"
Kagetsu spoke as he charged forward again, engaging Han in battle.
In terms of combat experience, Han was superior, but that gap was rapidly shrinking.
Another retreat—this time, a messy one. Han could no longer maintain his usual composure, and his heart trembled.
His advantage was being erased with every clash.
Combat experience, technique, timing, chakra.
At first, it was just Kagetsu's strange ninjutsu and wooden sword that made Han wary.
But now, even without that wooden sword or the peculiar repelling jutsu, Kagetsu had gone from barely holding his ground against Han's attacks to effortlessly maneuvering—and even subtly gaining the upper hand!
If this continued, it wouldn't be long before Han was completely suppressed in every aspect.
Had Kagetsu grown stronger?
Han refused to believe it!
Judging by the battle, Kagetsu indeed seemed to be getting stronger. But Han couldn't accept that someone could improve so rapidly in such a short time.
If such a thing were possible, then no one in the entire ninja world would be able to stop him!
Then, only one possibility remained.
He had weakened!
This feeling grew stronger and stronger the moment the thought emerged.
Han couldn't help but gasp for breath as he forcefully pulled himself out of his battle focus, carefully examining his current state.
When facing a powerful enemy, a shinobi's true strength could sometimes become unbalanced. However, this usually applied to the newer generation or those with weak mental resilience.
Han's will was strong enough to keep him calm in any situation. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to enter a half-tailed beast state while still maintaining his consciousness.
He had even started training to achieve full Tailed Beast Transformation while retaining his awareness.
Now that he had calmed down to assess himself, Han patiently recalled the battle so far. But this time, his focus wasn't on Kagetsu—it was on himself.
Soon, he noticed the anomaly. While his opponent's experience, technique, and even power continued to grow, Han himself felt like the one who was lacking.
Was it because the pressure from his opponent was too overwhelming, causing his techniques and movements to falter?
No!
No matter how dire the battle, no matter how strong his opponent, Han firmly believed that his battle-hardened experience and refined combat techniques would never betray him.
His mindset was steady—psychological factors could be ruled out.
Genjutsu?
The Five-Tails had not given him any indication that he was under an illusion.
When it came to genjutsu resistance, Jinchūriki far surpassed ordinary shinobi. Standard illusions were ineffective against them.
If his opponent were an Uchiha, Han would have been more cautious. But the Nara Clan? Though they also possessed Yin Release abilities, their specialty was shadow manipulation.
As he recalled the Boil Release appearing on Kagetsu's body, a sudden realization struck Han, making his expression change.
Is it some kind of strange ability that can devour an opponent's power and use it to enhance one's own strength?
A Kekkei Genkai?
Or some kind of forbidden secret technique?
Although he didn't want to believe it, after thinking it through, Han still considered this the most likely answer.
If this guess was correct, then all his previous stalling had only helped his opponent.
He had been fooled!
Han sighed inwardly. Perhaps even the wooden sword in his opponent's hand was part of his battle plan.
When unable to take down an opponent quickly, the only option was to observe their fighting style and techniques through battle, identify their strengths in ninjutsu, find a weakness, and counterattack accordingly.
This was the battle strategy most ninjas followed.
As for who would claim victory in the end, it all depended on who could exploit the other's weakness first.
Han never expected that the experience he had always trusted would now be used against him in such a way.
Looking at Kagetsu's youthful face, Han suddenly felt that the man before him was like a sinister viper. His very presence overlapped with that of another man—one with a dark complexion, a cold aura, and a serpent-like nature.
"As long as I land a strike, I can disassemble and redistribute your power."
Han steadied himself, keeping his gaze fixed on Kagetsu while reaching out to the Five-Tails within him, borrowing its power. He had decided to go all in and break through with the brute force of a Tailed Beast.
"Be careful!"
In an instant, the Five-Tails' chakra surged through Han's body. He successfully borrowed an immense amount of Bijuu chakra, and even the Boil Release, which had vanished earlier, returned to him at this moment.
A massive amount of steam leaked out from the gaps in his armor, letting out a whistle like a steam engine.
Feeling the overwhelming power coursing through him, Han's confidence returned. Yet, for a brief moment, he didn't understand the Five-Tails' warning.
But then, he realized exactly what it meant.
Around him, towering blue flames erupted from the ground like molten lava, their brilliance so intense that even he felt shaken. The air instantly became scorching hot.
In the darkness of the night, the dozen or so fire pillars stood like lighthouses in a storm, becoming the most eye-catching sight on the battlefield.
Standing at the center of the fire pillars, Han's instincts screamed in alarm. He felt suffocated.
The surrounding air was filled with steam, but in an instant, the intense heat of the flames had dried everything out completely.
The temperature was rising rapidly!
As the blue fire pillars continued to burn, the extreme heat spread outward at an alarming rate.
****
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