Han stood with folded arms, a powerful and scorching stream of steam continuously radiating from his body.
The steam squeezed through the gaps of his red armor, forcefully expelled in continuous bursts.
At this moment, he resembled a humanoid steam engine!
Kakuzu narrowed his eyes. The Jinchuriki before him might be arrogant and conceited, but he indeed had the strength to back it up!
"What's wrong? You Akatsuki guys too scared to make a move?"
Han extended his right hand, forming a fist. Steam began expanding around him, the chamber itself seeming to warp under the intense heatwave.
He was a Taijutsu specialist, naturally endowed with incredible raw power—intensity that closely rivaled Tsunade's monstrous strength.
By channeling steam, he could instantly boost both his physical strength and speed to absurd levels.
Through such overwhelming brute-force fighting methods, he built a fearsome reputation across the Shinobi World, earning himself the title [Steam Ninja].
"Hey, you in the red armor! Your tone really pisses me off, so..."
Hidan stepped forward ahead of Kakuzu, raising his [Blood Scythe] high above his head with a sharp 'swish.'
"So... die for me, will ya!"
He dashed forward, his speed skyrocketing as he charged at Han, his face twisted into a terrifyingly grotesque expression.
Kakuzu stayed back. They needed to see what this Jinchuriki could do—and Hidan, being immortal, was the perfect test subject.
"Tch… You don't even understand what real power is!"
Han remained confident. His body slightly lowered, suddenly emitting a burst of steam from his elbow area.
His armor made a distinct 'clicking' sound.
Boom!
Planting his foot down, Han left a deep imprint on the exposed rock surface before launching himself forward to meet Hidan head-on.
Swish!
He blocked his chest with his left arm while tightly clenching his right fist, gathering force from the sidestep.
"Die already, you faithless bastard! How dare you act so cocky in front of me!"
Hidan kept shouting, relentlessly hurling verbal abuse even mid-fight!
His eyes zeroed in on the enemy's exposed skin.
Just one hit, just a single drop of blood—that was all he needed for this arrogant fool to kneel before him!
Imagining that, Hidan grinned widely, his eyes gleaming with bloodthirsty excitement, his face twisted with madness.
Whoosh! The Blood Scythe sliced through the chamber with a crimson trail left in its wake.
Clang! Han blocked the strike with his armored forearm, metal clashing against steel.
A smile surfaced on Han's lips. This ninja from Akatsuki wasn't nearly as formidable as he'd imagined.
This level of force and speed barely reached elite Jonin standards!
Compared to a Jinchuriki like himself, there was still a significant gap—and that gap was more than enough for a death sentence!
As Han stared at Hidan, a cruel grin subtly emerged beneath the red cloth covering his face.
To think that Onoki had kept Han confined in the village all this time out of fear—this realization deeply humiliated him, the kind of humiliation that makes you flip someone off and spit a big glob of phlegm!
"Boom!"
His right hand shot forward from behind, crashing straight ahead. The blue veins on his arm bulged visibly beneath the armor.
Steam and brute force—combined into a single punch—slammed heavily into Hidan's chest.
"Crack!"
Pain flashed across Hidan's face as his chest caved inward deeply. His body flew backward like it had been hit by a high-speed car—only faster.
"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"
With just one punch, Hidan was sent flying. His body rolled along the ground like a human-sized ball, eventually stopping at Kakuzu's feet.
"Cough! Cough!"
Hidan coughed a few times, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He looked utterly disheveled.
"Hmph! I thought members of the Akatsuki Organization were supposed to be so powerful. Seems they're nothing special after all!"
Han pulled back his fist, which still steamed with white vapor. His gaze turned deep, brewing with killing intent.
Each Jinchuriki possessed their own temperament—whether shaped by how they were treated after becoming hosts, or influenced by coexistence with the Tailed Beasts, they all carried an inner violent personality lurking within.
Of course, Naruto from Saitama's memories didn't fall into this category.
Sometimes Saitama wondered himself—how could Naruto have grown up under those conditions without turning out twisted? It was definitely abnormal!
Perhaps Danō or someone like him tampered with him during childhood.
Right now, Han—who had been suppressed by Onoki for several months—encountered members of Akatsuki, feeling like he finally found an outlet for his accumulated rage.
Just now, from the moment Hidan charged forward to being smashed back by Han's punch, the entire process took less than three seconds.
However, Kakuzu saw many things through this, managing a basic grasp of this Jinchuriki's fighting style.
It seemed surprisingly similar to an ordinary fighter's style!
A flicker of light passed through his emerald-green eyes as his gaze settled onto Hidan.
"Can you keep going, Hidan?"
"Hmph! You're questioning Lord Jashin's favor upon me!"
Hidan slowly rose, but his chest appeared extremely gruesome—caved in several centimeters deeper than before.
"Oh?"
Han stared in mild surprise at Hidan. In his view, being struck full-force on the chest by his punch should have either killed the enemy instantly or left them seriously injured and incapacitated. But this foe... seemed different.
He narrowed his eyes, gradually withdrawing the previous slight contempt toward the opponent.
Maybe they weren't top-tier powerhouses, but given their ability to endure hits and physical toughness, they certainly deserved some standing among strong warriors.
"Puchi!"
Hidan pressed his hand against his chest, gripping the broken ribs shoved inward and forcibly yanking them back into place.
The sheer brutality of it even made Kakuzu flinch slightly, his eyes widening as he watched beside him.
"This kid… actually has this much guts!"
Kakuzu shifted his gaze away from Hidan and focused on the target across from him.
As Han watched Hidan 'heal' himself, his mind began racing with thoughts.
Although he saw the enemy take a punch from him and still stand up, he inwardly withdrew his contempt.
Yet in reality, without true strength, merely enduring blows was meaningless. So he still looked down on Hidan.
Now, however, seeing the enemy casually "pull" his previously caved-in chest back into place without even flinching, an idea crossed his mind: this was no ordinary human!
This method wasn't just dangerous—it was practically suicide!
But somehow, the enemy actually did it.
Still, such a maneuver didn't seem like something a normal person could possibly pull off!
Han grew wary. Indeed, members of the Akatsuki Organization weren't as simple as they seemed.
The steam around his body became even more intense. He focused now on that strange ninja who hadn't acted yet—the pressure from this particular enemy felt significantly greater.
Moreover, throughout the entire fight, this opponent had shown not even a hint of surprise or fear toward his power!
"Damn bastard! I swear I'll kill you! You will taste the pain I'm suffering now!"
Hidan pulled the broken ribs protruding from his chest outward by a bit more, returning them nearly to their original position. Then he spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, glaring at Han across from him.
His voice carried anger, and his knuckles gripping the scythe turned bone-white.
He stood upright again, with no hesitation or sluggishness in his movements—as if it hadn't been his body getting injured just moments ago.
"Looks like you've got some guts!" Han mocked as he stared at Hidan.
An old ninja saying goes: "Underestimate your enemy's strength but never ignore their tactics."
Psychologically underestimating opponents would gradually make them lose composure, revealing openings!
That was exactly what he was doing now.
"Damn it! I'll make sure you perish in agony!"
Gritting his teeth, Hidan gripped his weapon tighter and prepared to charge forward once again.
He couldn't swallow this humiliation!
Consider his status as a devout follower of Jashinism and his near-immortality—how could he possibly fear a mere brute with nothing but raw strength?
"Hidan, stop! He's trying to provoke you!"
Kakuzu gave a sidelong glance, his tone heavy and calm.
"Huh?"
Hidan's advancing step halted mid-motion, then eyed the other suspiciously.
"It looks like only you are the fool!"
Han caught Kakuzu's remark and fired another taunt at Hidan, wearing the same mocking smirk.
"Ka-boom!"
Hidan thrust his sickle deep into the snowy ground instead of charging recklessly ahead.
He might be wild, but he wasn't stupid!
"If you had surrendered earlier, you'd have suffered less damage. Now, though... Provoking Hidan may bring you consequences far worse!"
Kakuzu's aura continued to condense, chakra flowing visibly around his body.
Swirling vortexes of chakra rose from beneath his feet, scattering the snow and revealing the bare ground underneath.
"What nonsense are you spouting, you Akatsuki bastard!"
Just after Kakuzu finished speaking, a thick, powerful voice rang out from behind him.
Following it came a surge of overwhelming air pressure—and searing heat.
A gigantic fist hurtled toward Kakuzu, splitting the air with a white sonic boom swirling around it.
Kakuzu's eyes flashed with bloodlust. Without hesitation, he reeled back and hurled a punch with his right fist.
His fist was pitch black, covered in eerie chakra patterns!
[Steam Release - Iron Fist!]
[Earth Release - Earth Piercer Jutsu!]
Both shouted simultaneously as their fists, one black and one red, collided head-on.
Boom!
Head-on collision! Brutal offense met with brutal counterattack!
The two punches smashed together. The air froze for an instant before Kakuzu and Han both staggered backward, a powerful shockwave bursting outward from the point of impact!
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Like a typhoon sweeping through, snow within a ten-meter radius vanished instantly, exposing the rocky ground beneath!
"Die already, you tomato-colored bastard!"
Hidan sprang high into the air, clutching the Blood Scythe with both hands and swung it down at Han, who was still retreating.
"Hahaha!"
Seeing his target in what seemed like an unavoidable position, Hidan's mouth stretched wide into a grin revealing bright white teeth.
"Tch!"
[Steam Release - Iron Armor!]
Han shot a glance sideways and spotted Hidan approaching from his retreat path, along with that scythe coming straight for him. His eyes flashed with irritation.
Suddenly, steam erupted from his body as the armor's propulsion system kicked in.
Boom!
Two powerful jets fired from the shoulder armor, propelling him forward like rockets.
This stopped his retreat dead and even gave him a slight push forward—just enough to dodge Hidan's strike entirely!
Thud!
Bending his knees slightly, Han lowered his body. Then, once again, steam burst from his armor—this time from the chest plate.
Whoosh!
In an instant, Han accelerated, catching Hidan off guard mid-air as he appeared directly in front of him.
[Boil Release - Monster Unrivaled!]
Their eyes locked.
Hidan stared back with fearless madness dancing in his pupils.
But within Han's eyes raged nothing but merciless intent to kill!
Boom!
Using the steam armor to launch himself forward, he clenched his fist, now wreathed in white vapor.
With a roaring swing, he launched a punch that cut through the air with a sharp whistle.
Crash!
The strike landed squarely on Hidan's left cheek.
Sploosh!
Hidan's face contorted violently as he spat out a mouthful of blood, mixed with several small white objects.
Whoosh!
Hidan flew backward through the air, and his weapon—whether intentionally or by accident—swept across the arc, slicing past Han's right face and cutting through the red mask hiding his features!
Clang!
As Hidan flew away, Han stayed alert. Kakuzu, standing behind him, had proven himself no easy opponent.
Planting his foot firmly on the ground, he swiftly spun around.
What met him was a massive, pitch-black fist radiating faint glimmers of light!
"Crack!"
He hastily raised both hands to block the full force of Kakuzu's punch.
A sharp cracking sound filled the air as his body was sent flying backward.
"Tsk!"
Kneeling on one knee, Han braced himself with one hand, finally halting his slide backward.
He looked at Kakuzu, who still maintained his punching stance. From where his fist made contact with Han's body, some white smoke continued to rise.
"Snap!"
Han glanced at his arm guards, now shattered beyond use. Without hesitation, he ripped them off and tossed them onto the ground.
"So you're actually the main threat this time... That guy earlier was just cannon fodder!"
Standing straight, Han spoke toward Kakuzu.
He also noticed that his mask had been torn during the clash, leaving only a shallow cut across his face.
A thin streak of blood ran from the wound down to his lips.
He stuck out his tongue, licking away the blood. Then he twisted his neck left and right, making audible pops from his cervical spine.
"Hmph! Arrogant bastard!"
Kakuzu spoke those words while staring at Han's facial wound, as if implying something.
"Thump!"
Steam erupted from the gaps in Han's armor, gradually enveloping him.
Even from a distance, Kakuzu could feel the intense heat radiating from him.
...
"Captain Kitsuchi! Why hasn't Han arrived yet?"
A half-grown kid with yellow hair squatted on the ground, continuously molding clay into countless miniature figures.
His creations were vivid and captured the essence of whatever object he imagined.
"Deidara, something doesn't feel right."
Kitsuchi turned to look, his thick eyebrows knitting together over his rugged face.
"Then shall I go check things out above?"
Though still young, the blond teenager spoke casually even in front of Kitsuchi.
"Alright, but be careful not to let the enemy detect you!"
Nodding, Kitsuchi replied to Deidara.
If it weren't for Deidara's powers not being fully developed yet, they could have all ridden on one of his clay birds soaring through the sky, following Han directly.
"Got it, no problem!"
Delighted, Deidara stood up and thrust one hand into his Ninja Tool Belt.
He'd grown restless after crouching here for so long. If Kitsuchi hadn't restrained him, he might've taken flight much earlier.
"Chomp chomp chomp!"
Chewing sounds came from the pouch, but instead of looking annoyed, Deidara's face lit up with excitement.
"Pfft!"
As he withdrew his hand, within his palm spat out a miniature white bird.
The small bird landed and rapidly expanded until reaching sufficient size for a single rider.
"Then I'm off!"
Jumping atop the bird, Deidara wrapped his arms around its neck and shouted toward Kitsuchi.
"Whoosh!"
The bird flapped its wings and instantly soared higher, gradually disappearing from Kitsuchi and the others' sight.
"This kid..."
As Deidara vanished from sight, a faint smile tugged at Kitsuchi's lips.
Around him, several other ninjas gazed with envy at Deidara's figure vanishing into the distance across the sky.
Flight? That kind of ability was almost unheard of in the entire Shinobi World—and yet this mere boy had actually managed to master it!
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>