The battlefield trembled as Han's roar echoed through the canyon, a deep, guttural sound that sent a chill down the spines of every shinobi present. Steam hissed violently from the vents of his armor, shrouding his form in a thick white mist. Cracks of red-hot energy flickered across his body as his chakra surged wildly, disrupting Shisui's genjutsu in an instant.
Shisui staggered back, his Sharingan spinning frantically. "He broke out of it—just by flaring his chakra?"
Kakashi grimaced, sweat forming on his brow. "I should've known. A Jinchūriki with this much power wouldn't be trapped so easily."
Han turned his gaze toward them, eyes burning with barely restrained fury. His entire frame seemed to swell as his chakra cloak thickened, veins of molten energy pulsating beneath his armor. The ground beneath him cracked from the sheer heat radiating off his body.
Then, in a blur of movement far too fast for someone of his size, he charged.
Kakashi barely had time to react before Han was upon him. He twisted, dodging by the narrowest of margins as a steam-powered fist shattered the boulder behind him into dust. The shockwave alone sent him skidding backward.
"This is bad." Kakashi narrowed his eye, breathing heavily. Even in Sage Mode, he was struggling to keep up. Han's speed and strength had increased exponentially, and the longer the fight dragged on, the worse it would get.
Shisui reappeared at his side, his breathing ragged. "We need to pin him down. If he keeps moving like this, we won't last much longer."
Kakashi nodded, forming a rapid sequence of hand seals. "I'll create an opening. Be ready."
"Understood."
Kakashi inhaled sharply, channeling his Sage-enhanced chakra into his lungs. "Wind Release: Great Vacuum Maelstrom!"
A powerful vortex of cutting wind spiraled toward Han, slicing through the terrain with razor-sharp precision. Han, however, didn't evade—he met the attack head-on. Steam erupted around him as he slammed his fist into the vortex, his raw strength and Boil Release disrupting the technique mid-air.
Kakashi's eyes widened. He nullified it?!
Before he could react, Han retaliated. He slammed both hands into the ground, and a massive surge of chakra burst outward. The earth split beneath them, sending jagged chunks of rock flying in every direction.
Shisui flickered out of the way, narrowly avoiding being crushed, but Kakashi wasn't as lucky. A boulder clipped his side, sending him tumbling across the ground. Pain flared through his ribs, but he forced himself back to his feet just in time to see Han bearing down on him.
No time to dodge.
Han's fist came down like a meteor, and Kakashi had no choice but to block. He crossed his arms, bracing himself, and the impact sent a shockwave through his entire body. The ground beneath him cratered, his feet sinking several inches into the dirt from the sheer force.
Agony lanced through his arms. Even enhanced by Sage Mode, he couldn't take many more direct hits like that.
"Kakashi!" Shisui appeared behind Han, his Sharingan flaring as he unleashed another genjutsu attempt. But Han, learning from before, roared and expelled a surge of chakra that shattered the illusion before it could fully take hold. He pivoted, swinging his massive arm toward Shisui, who barely managed to teleport away in time.
Kakashi clenched his fists. This isn't working. He's adapting too quickly.
Han exhaled another burst of superheated steam, his armor glowing with intense heat. Then, slowly, he lifted his head, and for the first time, the faint outline of a spectral beast loomed behind him—a translucent image of the Five-Tails, its burning red eyes locking onto Kakashi.
"He's pushing toward a full transformation," Kakashi muttered, his stomach twisting. "If he completes it, we're dead."
Shisui landed beside him. "What's the plan?"
Kakashi exhaled slowly. His body was screaming at him, his Sage Mode nearing its limit. His normal arsenal wouldn't work here. There was only one option left.
He glanced at Shisui. "Buy me some time. No matter what happens, don't interfere."
Shisui hesitated for only a fraction of a second before nodding. "Just don't die on me."
As Shisui dashed forward to engage Han once more, Kakashi took a deep breath, steadying himself.
Then, he reached for something far older, something he had been reluctant to call upon.
A summoning unlike any other.
The air around him darkened, the temperature plummeting. Space itself began to distort, and an ominous whisper slithered through the battlefield, sending a shiver down the spines of everyone present.
Kakashi closed his eyes and spoke the words that would change the course of the battle.
"Through the shadows where the webs are spun, From the depths where fear has begun, I call upon the sealed, the bane, By my will, I summon you—Deafane."
The world itself seemed to hold its breath.
Then, everything shattered.