The moment Kakashi and Shisui sprang into action, the battlefield erupted into chaos.
Shisui vanished in a blur of motion, reappearing behind one of the Iwa Jonin before they could even react. A precise kunai strike to the back of the knee sent the enemy shinobi stumbling forward, just as Shisui twisted midair and delivered a powerful kick to the side of his head. The Iwa Jonin crumpled instantly, unconscious before he even hit the ground.
But there was no time to revel in small victories. Another Jonin came at him from the side, launching a barrage of earth projectiles. Shisui weaved through them with inhuman precision, his Sharingan predicting every trajectory with ease.
Meanwhile, Kakashi had no room for distraction—Han was already closing the distance between them.
The massive Jinchūriki moved with alarming speed for his size, and Kakashi barely managed to duck under a devastating punch that shattered the rock behind him into dust. The sheer force of Han's strength sent shockwaves through the ground, and Kakashi felt the reverberation in his bones.
"So this is the power of the Five-Tails' Jinchūriki," Kakashi mused internally. "If he lands a hit, I'm done."
Han didn't give him a moment to breathe. Without missing a beat, the armored shinobi inhaled sharply before releasing a massive torrent of steam from the vents in his suit. The superheated air hissed as it expanded, and Kakashi barely had time to jump back before the ground beneath him scorched black.
"Boil Release…" Kakashi thought grimly. "I can't fight him head-on."
Han charged again, this time with a straight-line attack, his fist aimed directly at Kakashi's midsection. But Kakashi was already moving. In an instant, he substituted himself with a log, watching as Han's attack splintered it effortlessly. Reappearing several feet away, Kakashi formed a quick sequence of hand signs.
"Lightning Blade!"
The crackling blue energy illuminated the battlefield for a split second as Kakashi dashed forward, aiming for the gaps in Han's steam armor. But before his attack could land, Han twisted his body at an impossible angle and countered with a powerful steam-enhanced punch.
Kakashi barely managed to bring up his arm to block, but the force behind Han's attack sent him skidding across the rocky terrain, his feet digging into the dirt. His left arm throbbed in pain, though he had mitigated most of the damage.
Han exhaled another burst of steam, his expression unreadable beneath his armor. "You won't last long, Hatake."
Kakashi wiped a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth. "I could say the same about you."
Across the battlefield, Shisui was engaged in a deadly dance with three Iwa Jonin and several Chunin. His Sharingan whirled as he dodged their attacks with ease, moving like a phantom between their strikes. A well-placed kunai parried an incoming blade, and with a flick of his wrist, he redirected the momentum, sending the enemy's weapon flying.
But numbers had their advantage. An Iwa shinobi used Earth Release to harden his fists, striking at Shisui with rock-coated knuckles. The Uchiha barely managed to avoid the first strike, but the second clipped his shoulder, forcing him back. He landed in a crouch, breathing hard but grinning.
"You guys really don't know when to quit, huh?"
The Iwa Jonin didn't respond. Instead, they pressed forward with renewed aggression, trying to overwhelm him. Shisui, however, was waiting for this.
With a sharp exhale, he activated his most feared technique.
"Body Flicker Technique: Dance of the Phantom Blade."
His body blurred out of existence.
For the Iwa shinobi, it was as if they were fighting a ghost. One by one, they felt the brush of cold steel against their necks, their arms, their legs. In the blink of an eye, they were all disarmed, their weapons lying uselessly on the ground. A moment later, Shisui reappeared in the middle of them, kunai in hand, the blade still gleaming from the motion.
The battle had shifted. And the Iwa shinobi knew it.
Back with Kakashi, the Jonin realized that his battle of attrition against Han was a losing game. The longer the fight dragged on, the more energy Han had to unleash his devastating Boil Release. Kakashi needed a decisive move.
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a fraction of a second.
Then, when he reopened them, his pupils had turned sharp, slit-like. His entire body shuddered as an unnatural surge of chakra flooded his veins. His sense of smell sharpened, his vision became hyper-focused, and the world slowed around him.
Sage Mode had activated.
Kakashi's muscles tensed, then released. He vanished from sight in a blur of motion, appearing directly above Han. Before the Jinchūriki could react, Kakashi delivered a brutal roundhouse kick to the back of his head, sending him staggering forward.
Han recovered almost instantly, but it was too late. Kakashi was already forming his next attack.
"Lightning Blade: Sage Surge!"
The chakra in his hand crackled even more violently than before, infused with the power of natural energy. He lunged forward, aiming for the weak spot in Han's armor.
The impact was immediate. The Lightning Blade connected, sending a jolt of energy through Han's body, disrupting the flow of his chakra for a brief moment. The Jinchūriki roared in pain, staggering back as steam hissed from the cracks in his armor.
Kakashi didn't hesitate. "Now, Shisui!"
From the shadows, Shisui's form materialized. His Sharingan flared to life, locking onto Han's eyes for a split second.
"Genjutsu: Phantom Requiem."
For Han, reality shifted. The battlefield warped into a vision of a dark void, filled with thousands of crimson eyes staring at him. Shadows coiled around his body, suffocating him in an illusion of endless torment.
Even a Jinchūriki wasn't immune to Shisui's power.
Han staggered, his mind caught between the real world and the illusion.
Kakashi saw the opening and moved in for the finishing strike.
But just as he did, something changed.
A deafening roar echoed through the canyon, shaking the very ground beneath them. Han's body erupted with chakra, his form beginning to shift.
The battle was far from over.