Chapter 174: Entanglement

As Seimei was running through the forest, Yamanaka Tokikaze's voice suddenly appeared in his mind. After listening carefully for a moment, he understood Nara Shikamaru's plan.

Without revealing his intentions, he led Han and the six Iwa ninja in another direction.

A few minutes later, Seimei entered a dense forest, with Han close behind.

Suddenly, multiple attacks came from both sides - ninjutsu, ninja tools, and explosive tags.

A strong sense of crisis overwhelmed Han. His instincts screamed danger, and without hesitation, he opened a gap in the Five-Tails' seal.

Dark red chakra surged out, forming an ominous protective layer around him.

Seimei immediately recognized it as the Tailed Beast Cloak.

All the attacks were blocked by the chakra layer.

However, Han wasn't completely unaffected. The attacks caused the illusory tail behind him to solidify, resembling a real tail. The savage aura around him also intensified.

Unlike Naruto, who would lose control, Han's eyes, though turning crimson and filled with beastly rage, retained a degree of rationality. He could still think and judge.

As the attacks ceased, he immediately scanned the forest, pinpointing a Konoha Jonin's hiding spot. He charged towards it like a bull.

The ambush was indeed carried out by the Konoha combat team. A few minutes ago, they had instructed Yamanaka Tokikaze to inform Seimei to lure the enemies here. Seimei had expected a bigger commotion, but this was it?

He felt a bit speechless.

In fact, Seimei was being a bit unfair to them. These Jonin, though skilled, hadn't truly fought a jinchuriki before and were unfamiliar with their abilities.

Moreover, Han reacted swiftly and decisively, immediately releasing part of the seal and forming the Tailed Beast Cloak.

This made their attacks seem weak.

If the target had been any of the other six Iwa ninja, they wouldn't have survived this ambush.

It was just a matter of fate.

...

A loud explosion echoed.

The targeted Jonin dodged and left an explosive tag behind. Han, charging forward, was caught in the blast.

However, with the Tailed Beast Cloak's protection, the damage was negligible.

Han emerged from the flames like a runaway train, targeting the Konoha Jonin and charging relentlessly.

A horn faintly appeared on his forehead.

Seimei knew it was the horn of the Five-Tails, Kokuo, manifested through chakra.

Han's fighting style seemed reckless and chaotic, but it was actually perfect for the Five-Tails and its jinchuriki.

With Boil Release for steam-powered acceleration, an indestructible horn, and the Tailed Beast Cloak's defense, he could easily overpower his opponents.

He didn't need any other tactics; just keep charging.

Most ninja were fragile. If they were hit, or even grazed, by him, they would be severely injured.

So, Han's choice was correct.

The Jonin who had initiated the ambush were quickly forced out by Han's relentless charges. They could only evade and flee, their situation dire.

Once Seimei confirmed they were not in immediate danger, he turned his attention to the six Iwa Jonin who had finally arrived.

The other Konoha Jonin who weren't being chased by Han also appeared, following Seimei's gaze towards the newcomers.

Without any words, both sides engaged in combat.

Seimei's goal was to stall these Iwa ninja, preventing them from interfering with the main force's retreat.

The Iwa ninja's goal was also to stall Seimei and the others, buying time for the outer Iwa ninja to tighten the encirclement.

With similar objectives, neither side wasted time on words and immediately started fighting.

However, the Iwa ninja's reactions showed they still believed Konoha was unaware of the outer encirclement. Otherwise, they wouldn't be entangled here and would try to disengage and stop the main force's retreat.

Considering the hidden enemy, Seimei knew the news of the main force's retreat couldn't be concealed for long.

Once these Iwa ninja learned about it, they would definitely try to break free and delay the retreat.

Therefore, he had to kill as many of them as possible before they got the news.

Only then could he reduce the pressure later on.

With this in mind, Seimei signaled to his teammates, asking them to engage five of the enemies and leave one special Jonin to him.

His teammates understood immediately and left the youngest-looking special Jonin for him.

Seimei wasted no time and charged towards the Iwa ninja.

The battle erupted instantly. With his sharp swordsmanship and Three-Tomoe Sharingan, Seimei easily suppressed his opponent.

He had assumed that anyone accompanying Han on a mission, even a special Jonin, would be quite strong.

But he was wrong.

This special Jonin was weaker than average. Within a dozen exchanges, Seimei had gained the upper hand.

The reason was simple. The primary duty of this special Jonin, and the other three in the Iwa team, wasn't combat. It was to work together to reseal the Five-Tails if Han lost control.

Seimei was unaware of this, so he naturally assumed Han's teammates would be strong.

The reality was the opposite.

But it didn't matter.

Since his opponent was weak, he wouldn't hold back.

In the ensuing fight, Seimei went all out, utilizing various techniques.

He quickly seized an opportunity and used the nearly instantaneous Genjutsu: Sharingan to briefly control the special Jonin.

The other Iwa ninja tried to rescue their comrade but were blocked by the Konoha Jonin.

Seizing the chance, Seimei thrust his sword, piercing the Iwa ninja's heart.

Blood spurted out.

The young special Jonin looked at Seimei, his Sharingan glowing crimson, and opened his mouth, wanting to say something. But no words came out.

(End of Chapter)