A faint voice whispered in Utakata's ear, and his expression changed drastically. But before he could react, an overwhelming force suddenly struck from above.
Boom!
With a muffled thud, Yuto smashed Utakata out of the sky with a single punch.
The violent impact sent Utakata crashing down, breaking through numerous trees and slamming into the ground, forming a human-shaped crater.
A trickle of blood appeared at the corner of Utakata's mouth as he crawled out of the pit, looking disheveled. His eyes scanned his surroundings warily while his hands formed seals quickly.
Water Style: Bubble Clone!
A humanoid bubble instantly separated from his body. Not only did it look exactly like Utakata, but upon being destroyed, it would also explode, dealing a second wave of damage to the attacker.
Water Style: Phasing Technique!
Without pause, Utakata formed another set of seals. His body began to fade, becoming increasingly translucent.
Hiding himself while letting his clone draw enemy fire—this was a technique Utakata excelled at.
But a soft wind suddenly brushed through the air.
In the next moment, the bubble clone seemed to be hit by an invisible force. Before it could make any move, it exploded out of nowhere.
Still in the process of concealing himself, Utakata was caught in the unexpected blast and forced back into visibility.
"Where?!"
Utakata's face darkened as he quickly leapt backward to escape the area.
Thud!
A heavy impact struck. Utakata's eyes widened as blood spurted from his mouth. His body curled midair like a boiled shrimp.
Only now did he realize what had happened—why his clone exploded prematurely.
It was a ghost-like kick—solid and brutal—slamming straight into his stomach, sending him hurtling into a tree.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Four sharp sounds tore through the air!
Four thick branches, the width of fingers, flew in from the forest—accompanied by four splashes of blood.
Each branch nailed into Utakata's limbs—his hands and feet—pinning him to the tree in a crucifixion pose.
His head drooped as blood trickled from his lips, disbelief etched into his eyes.
Even without the Tailed Beast's chakra, Utakata was still a high-level jōnin. Yet in just a brief exchange, he was utterly defeated!
He didn't even see what his opponent looked like!
Step—step—
Soft footsteps echoed. Utakata slowly lifted his head and saw a young figure emerging from behind a tree.
The youth looked him over casually, then picked a protruding tree root to sit on lazily.
"No need to look around. It's just me."
Yuto raised his eyes to meet the pinned Utakata and spoke in a calm tone.
"I didn't want to fight you. But since you just defected from your village, I figured you wouldn't listen to reason."
He shrugged and added with a sigh of helplessness.
Utakata lifted his head, glaring at Yuto with burning fury.
"Who are you? There's no one like you in the Hidden Mist…"
"Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is—playtime is over. You're going back."
Yuto shook his head and replied gently.
Utakata's face twisted with rage.
"Back? You want me to return to die?! I'd rather die somewhere else than be executed by my own village!"
Yuto fell silent for a moment. He often struggled to understand the mentality of shinobi in this world.
As a Jinchūriki, Utakata should be the village's trump card—its top-tier strength and deterrent against other villages.
If it were up to Yuto, he'd treat a Jinchūriki like royalty: fine food, comfort, constant affection. He wouldn't expect blind loyalty, but at least enough warmth to inspire some emotional connection. That's how one raises a proper protector.
At least the Cloud Village got that part halfway right.
But most other villages were the opposite—wanting their Jinchūriki dead while still hoping the Tailed Beast would protect them.
Yes, capturing or sealing a Tailed Beast often led to casualties. But how could anyone expect the power of a Jinchūriki without paying a price?
"With me around, no one's going to take your life."
Yuto stood from the tree root and spoke seriously to Utakata.
"You think I'd believe that?!"
Utakata roared in fury, and violent chakra began to surge from his body.
In an instant, a reddish cloak of energy wrapped around him—its shape twisted, feral, and monstrous.
Pinned to the tree no longer, Utakata—bolstered by the Tailed Beast's chakra—ripped the branches from his limbs with ease and dropped to the ground.
ROAR!
A beast-like howl tore from his throat.
Boom!
With a heavy thud, Utakata charged toward Yuto at full speed.
"So we're doing this the hard way…"
Yuto let out a sigh, helplessness on his face.
Wrapped in the Tailed Beast's chakra cloak, Utakata moved incredibly fast. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Yuto, fist already swinging.
Yuto didn't even dodge. He casually raised an arm and intercepted the punch with his forearm, the impact sending a faint ripple through the ground.
"Decent power. Still a far cry from him, though."
Yuto twisted his wrist and grabbed Utakata's arm with ease. Before Utakata could react, Yuto smashed a fist into his head.
Boom!
A crater formed beneath Utakata's body as he was driven halfway into the ground by the force of the blow.
"Uhh… maybe that was a bit much."
Yuto scratched his head, looking at the now-motionless figure.
ROAR! ROAR!
Two furious growls erupted from the earth. The previously violent chakra now exploded into full force!
One tail… two… three…
When the chakra cloak on Utakata revealed a third tail, the eruption finally calmed.
Yuto released his grip, and the buried Utakata suddenly exploded out of the ground.
Three flaming tails whipped violently behind him as his full form emerged.
At this point, Utakata had transformed into a miniature Tailed Beast—completely unrecognizable as a human.