Chapter 235: Capturing the Two-Tails Jinchūriki
Hoshikawa looked at the monstrous creature rushing toward him and formed hand signs.
Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!
The ground beneath the Two-Tails' feet instantly turned into a dark swamp.
Its body was too heavy; the moment the swamp appeared, it sank in by a third.
The Two-Tails violently shook its body, and chakra transformed into flames, surrounding its entire physique.
The water in the swamp was immediately evaporated, and the mud turned into scorched earth.
The Two-Tails leaped out of the swamp and slammed its head into the wooden shield in front of it.
Boom!
The branches and vines that formed the wooden shield fractured inch by inch, and catching the flames from the Two-Tails' body, they burst into a fierce blaze.
Hoshikawa calmly shook his hands, and a large amount of chakra surged into the ground.
In an instant, the dead wood was revitalized, and the burnt branches and vines sprouted new growth, rapidly swelling once again.
Water Release: Water Collision Wave!
Hoshikawa clapped his hands together, and water formed a waterspout, which then instantly burst open, transforming into a massive river.
The river water surged like a tidal wave, extinguishing the flames and rushing toward the Two-Tails.
A scorching heat permeated the air.
The Two-Tails condensed chakra in its throat, then spat out a giant fireball.
The collision of water and fire instantly created a dense fog.
Hoshikawa's figure became indistinct within the mist.
The Two-Tails pushed off the ground with its legs, relying on its thick hide to charge forward again.
Water Release: Water Wall Jutsu!
A wall of water rose, blocking the Two-Tails' path.
It didn't dodge, slamming into the water wall.
The water wall shook violently and was instantly shattered by the enormous force.
The Two-Tails shook its head and quickly located Hoshikawa's figure.
Just then, a warning flashed in its mind.
Water Release: Water Severance Jutsu!
Hoshikawa bent back slightly, spitting out a narrow stream of water from his mouth.
The water jet was like a spear, piercing toward the Two-Tails at extreme speed.
The Two-Tails immediately tried to retreat, but its body was too large, and it was too late.
The highly compressed water jet, like the sharpest water blade, sliced through the flames on its flank and penetrated deep into its body.
"Aah!"
The Two-Tails immediately let out a cry of agony.
"Yugito!"
Mabui instinctively shouted.
Samui also showed a look of concern.
The Fourth Raikage's expression was grave; he felt the situation was becoming difficult.
He couldn't defeat Tsunade quickly, and Killer B was tied down by Shisui Uchiha, Sakumo Hatake, and Katsuyu.
Only Yugito Nii was facing Hoshikawa alone.
Although she was a Jinchūriki, she specialized in Fire Release, which happened to be countered by Hoshikawa.
"You dare get distracted while fighting me?!"
Tsunade snorted, sending him flying backward with a punch.
The Fourth Raikage's body swayed slightly mid-air before he quickly recovered.
He looked at Tsunade, his expression turning serious.
The only way to save Yugito Nii was to defeat Tsunade and rush over.
Tailed Beast chakra erupted once more.
After being injured, the Two-Tails concentrated chakra on the wound, repairing the damage.
Even so, it didn't feel good.
While a Tailed Beast's chakra was virtually inexhaustible, a Jinchūriki's was not.
As human beings, they had limits.
If the Jinchūriki sustained too much damage and could no longer fight, the Full Tailed Beast Transformation would be undone, and the Tailed Beast could no longer continue the battle.
"Yugito, use the Tailed Beast Ball!"
The voice of the Two-Tails, Matatabi, resonated in Yugito Nii's mind.
A Jinchūriki capable of Full Tailed Beast Transformation wouldn't lose consciousness and could communicate with the Tailed Beast.
"But..."
Yugito Nii became conflicted.
"If you don't use it, you can't defeat him, and more Kumogakure ninja will die!"
Matatabi knew her reservations, but they had reached a point where sacrifice was necessary.
"Damn it!"
Yugito Nii controlled the Two-Tails to lift its head.
Terrifying chakra rapidly gathered, compressing into a dark red sphere within its mouth.
"It's a Tailed Beast Ball!"
Seeing this, Hiashi Hyūga quickly shouted a warning. "Everyone, retreat outward!"
Not only Konohagakure ninja but also Kumogakure ninja were scrambling backward.
The Tailed Beast Ball didn't discriminate between friend and foe.
Tsunade's face showed worry.
The Tailed Beast Ball's power was world-ending. Could Hoshikawa withstand it?
It was a pity he hadn't learned the Flying Thunder God Technique, and Minato Namikaze wasn't present.
But at this moment, she could only place her trust in Hoshikawa.
"Shisui!"
Sakumo Hatake, dodging the Eight-Tails' tail attack, shouted loudly.
"I know!"
Shisui Uchiha gritted his teeth.
The Susanoo above him was being pushed to its limits, its giant skeletal arms desperately holding back the Eight-Tails.
Other ninja could temporarily halt the battle and flee because of the Two-Tails' Tailed Beast Ball, but they could not.
If the Eight-Tails also managed to unleash a Tailed Beast Ball, no one would be able to stop them.
As for Hoshikawa, Shisui Uchiha didn't believe the Tailed Beast Ball alone could kill him.
"Yugito..."
Mabui trailed off.
She knew a Tailed Beast Ball would result in significant casualties for Kumogakure's ninja as well.
But it truly was their last resort.
"Will we win?"
Samui landed next to Mabui, asking hesitantly.
Hoshikawa and Kumogakure had broken ties.
While she felt regretful, she was helpless and could only accept him as an enemy.
After all, she could never betray Kumogakure.
"We absolutely will!"
Mabui said decisively. "No ninja can survive a Tailed Beast Ball!"
Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!
The moment the Two-Tails began forming the Tailed Beast Ball, Hoshikawa formed hand signs.
A massive amount of chakra surged from his mouth, transforming into an endless sea.
The seawater boiled and churned, forming successive waves.
The Two-Tails opened its mouth to its widest extent, and the dark red Tailed Beast Ball shot out.
Wherever it passed, the air warped, and everything turned to ash.
Boom!
A dazzling light appeared, the vast seawater was ripped apart, and a deep trench formed in the ground.
The forest created by the Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence couldn't withstand it, and giant trees snapped instantly.
The ninja and bodies from both Konohagakure and Kumogakure within the Tailed Beast Ball's range left no trace behind.
"Is he dead?"
The Two-Tails stood in place, breathing heavily.
Although Tailed Beasts had nearly infinite chakra, using the Tailed Beast Ball consumed too much chakra at once, and even they found it difficult to bear.
Except for the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails, they couldn't fire Tailed Beast Balls consecutively.
The Two-Tails looked toward the area where the Tailed Beast Ball had landed.
It was a super-deep crater.
The surrounding area was scattered with water, toppled trees, and general wreckage.
"He's dead!"
After searching for a moment and not seeing Hoshikawa, the Two-Tails was overjoyed.
"It seems you're going to lose!"
The Fourth Raikage couldn't help but look delighted.
Even with his personality, seeing a turning point in the stalemate made it hard to control his emotions.
The Konohagakure ninja were shocked and their faces turned ashen.
"It's not that easy?!"
Tsunade burst out laughing as if she had discovered something.
If Hoshikawa had died, the forest would lose control, but it hadn't.
"What do you mean?"
The Fourth Raikage frowned, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.
A sound of water splashing was heard.
The small puddles scattered everywhere were being mobilized.
Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!
A pool of water in a certain area suddenly transformed into Hoshikawa.
This was the Water Transformation Technique.
Aside from being countered by Lightning Release, his transformation into water made him virtually invincible—provided there was water.
And the Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave provided plenty of water.
No matter how powerful the Tailed Beast Ball was, it couldn't completely evaporate an entire sea.
However, this method of enduring a Tailed Beast Ball was only achievable by Hoshikawa.
While the Hōzuki clan had the Water Transformation Technique, they couldn't use the Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave.
Hoshikawa took a deep breath, opening his mouth and spitting out another massive volume of seawater.
The Two-Tails had absolutely not expected him to use a Water Release jutsu like this and was instantly submerged.
It struggled to get up, instinctively trying to gather chakra.
But having just used the Tailed Beast Ball, it was momentarily unable to generate enough flames to withstand the sea.
The flames on its body held out for two seconds before being completely extinguished.
Hoshikawa focused his mind, and endless waves of seawater surged toward it.
Layer after layer, giving the Two-Tails no chance to catch its breath.
Its struggles gradually weakened, and finally, Yugito Nii couldn't hold on. She exited the Full Tailed Beast Transformation state and fell unconscious.
Her body floated on the surface of the water, swaying with the waves.
The entire battlefield fell silent.
"Yugito!"
The Fourth Raikage moved to rescue her but was blocked by Tsunade.
However, a number of Kumogakure ninja stepped onto the water's surface, rushing toward Yugito Nii.
"No chance!"
Hiashi Hyūga and the others instantly blocked their path.
A fierce battle erupted between the two sides on the water's surface.
Hoshikawa wiped the sweat from his brow.
He had used too much chakra in this fight.
Both the Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave and the Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence required astonishing amounts of chakra.
But this battle was not over yet.
Hoshikawa walked up to the unconscious Yugito Nii.
Four Symbols Seal!
He formed hand signs and imprinted the sealing formula into Yugito Nii's body, completely sealing her power.
Hoshikawa thought for a moment and formed hand signs again.
A Rock Clone appeared.
"Guard her."
Hoshikawa ordered.
Just then, three lines of text suddenly appeared before his eyes.
[A-rank Talent Descriptor: Cat Catcher.]
[Trigger Condition: Defeat Matatabi, the Two-Tails.]
[Effect: All Fire Release jutsu power increased by 150%.]
"Fire Release?"
Hoshikawa raised an eyebrow, unsurprised.
In the original work, Matatabi, the Two-Tails, hadn't used any bloodline limit, only Fire Release.
However, a Fire Release bonus was still useful.
Once he acquired the 'Fire Release Jonin' descriptor, he would have a 250% bonus, only slightly weaker than his Water Release.
As Hoshikawa pondered, he heard a crack, like the sound of bone breaking.
He instinctively looked up toward the source of the sound: Shisui Uchiha's Susanoo.
The skeletal half-body was currently under a fierce attack from the Eight-Tails.
Tailed Beast Eight Twists! (Bijūdama Hachitama no Waza)
Hoshikawa remembered, looking at the Eight-Tails curled into a ball.
The Eight-Tails' strength technique, where it wrapped itself in its tentacles and spun at high speed.
In the original work, the Eight-Tails used this move to knock out five Jinchūriki.
Katsuyu tried to help, but the Eight-Tails knocked it back like a spinning top.
The cracking sound instantly spread, and Susanoo's skeletal half-body shattered.
Shisui Uchiha coughed up blood.
While Susanoo was powerful, it consumed too much.
His chakra and ocular power were only adequate, preventing him from being as reckless as Hoshikawa.
Moreover, given his young age, holding off the Eight-Tails for this long was already his limit.
After all, the Eight-Tails was not the Two-Tails; it was the second strongest Tailed Beast, only surpassed by the Nine-Tails.
"Shisui!"
Sakumo Hatake quickly shielded Shisui Uchiha.
Katsuyu immediately detached a clone that crawled onto his shoulder.
"I... I'm fine."
Shisui Uchiha wiped the blood from his mouth, his eyes stinging painfully.
Was he going to have to use Kotoamatsukami?
Just then, an incredibly thick wall of earth rose up in front of them.
The Eight-Tails slammed into it, and the Earth Release technique immediately cracked, but it successfully bought a second of time.
"It's Hoshikawa!"
Shisui Uchiha's face lit up with joy.
He instinctively looked back and realized that Yugito Nii had been defeated and captured.
"Uncle Sakumo, take Shisui and leave."
Hoshikawa looked at the Eight-Tails, which was even larger than the Two-Tails, his expression turning serious.
He had defeated the Two-Tails using Water Release.
But the Eight-Tails would not be countered by Water Release.
The forms of the nine Tailed Beasts often correlated with certain characteristics.
The Eight-Tails was an octopus, so it naturally wasn't afraid of water.
"Katsuyu-sama, go and help the injured."
Hoshikawa waved his hand.
Katsuyu was primarily a support Summoning Beast; forcing it to fight was too strenuous. It would be more useful helping the injured.
"Lord Hoshikawa, please be careful."
Katsuyu said before its massive body dissolved into countless splits.
"Arrogant brat!"
The Eight-Tails looked at Hoshikawa, especially the surrounding trees, and said with displeasure. "I hate Wood Release!"
"Hate it?"
Hoshikawa smiled. "I think you're scared."
"Shut up!"
The Eight-Tails immediately recalled the fear of being dominated by Hashirama Senju and yelled in embarrassment and anger. "Die!"
Its enormous body moved, and its eight tails swept out, covering the sky and the earth, lashing toward Hoshikawa with terrifying momentum.
Fire Release: Great Flame Technique!
Hoshikawa formed hand signs, and a massive amount of chakra transformed into a sea of fire, spreading out from his center.
The eight tails retreated at high speed, avoiding being turned into octopus skewers.
But then, the Eight-Tails spat out black liquid.
The flames were instantly extinguished, and the black liquid continued its trajectory toward Hoshikawa.
As it approached him, the black liquid shifted, forming a miniature version of the Eight-Tails.
Hoshikawa raised an eyebrow.
He remembered: this was the Eight-Tails' sealing jutsu, called Vast, Raging Stream of Infinite Madness.
Though the name was convoluted, the effect was potent.
If he was grabbed by that ink Eight-Tails clone, he would be sealed, losing control of his body.
Body Flicker Technique!
Hoshikawa leaped forward, dodging the Eight-Tails clone.
But just then, the clone extended a tentacle, reaching for him.
Hoshikawa clapped his hands together.
Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!
The forest that had been previously destroyed by the Tailed Beast Ball instantly regenerated.
Under his control, all the nearby trees extended branches and vines, securely binding the Eight-Tails clone.
Vapor Release: Skilled Venom Mist Technique!
Hoshikawa spat out corrosive acid, completely dissolving the Eight-Tails clone.
"Bastard!"
The chakra on the Eight-Tails' body surged violently.
It leaped up directly, crashing down like a mountain, aiming for Hoshikawa.
Hoshikawa focused his mind, and all the branches and vines formed an incredibly thick net above his head.
But it still failed to stop the Eight-Tails.
The terrifying force shattered the net, tearing the ground apart.
"Where are you, brat?"
The Eight-Tails roared, looking around.
It didn't believe that Hoshikawa, who could defeat the Two-Tails, would be killed this easily.
(End of Chapter)