The second normal attack trait of the King of Normal Attacks had finally arrived!
Hakken took a deep breath, too preoccupied to admire the Eight-Tails convulsing wildly before him from the Ten-Hit Combo. His entire focus was fixed on the newly unlocked normal attack trait.
He slowly nodded and uttered two words.
"Extract."
The Normal Attack Trait was the most direct and tangible enhancement to Hakken's strength beyond the King of Normal Attacks template itself. His first trait, Chakra Blade, had seemed unimpressive at first glance, yet its practical effect was undeniable.
So far, his ability to counter ninjutsu with a blade alone was proof enough of Chakra Blade's utility. And as Hakken's chakra reserves continued to grow, this effect would only become more potent.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say that, given enough time, a single casual swing of his blade could one day produce Dust Release—the sheer potential was astonishing.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, on acquiring the King of Normal Attacks Trait II: Soul-Devouring Blade.]
"Soul-Devouring Blade?"
Hakken's eyes lit up at the name, and he immediately focused on the description that appeared before him.
[Soul-Devouring Blade: The blade of a Shinigami reaps more than blood. Beyond harvesting souls, it can command the spirits of the slain beneath the blade to strike down enemies with devastating force.]
[Trait Effect: During combat, each physical strike weakens the opponent's soul power while enhancing the wielder's spiritual pressure. Every successful hit imprints a mark upon the enemy's soul, allowing the blade's specters to absorb its essence. If an attack fails to cause damage, those specters will linger around the target, inflicting various negative effects.]
[This rare trait possesses exceptional growth potential. Its soul-harvesting power scales with the host's spiritual pressure, while the "Souls Under the Blade" effect strengthens based on the number of souls the host has slain.]
[The third trait of the King of Normal Attacks will activate once the third Template reaches 5% unlock progress.]
[Continue your efforts, Honored Host, to become the true King of Normal Attacks.]
Soul-Devouring Blade—a rare trait with extraordinary growth potential. Both Soul Harvest and Souls Under the Blade were overwhelmingly powerful.
Soul Harvest absorbed the opponent's spiritual power, while Souls Under the Blade was simple—the more he killed, the stronger he became.
But what about Jinchūriki?
What about tailed beasts?
Killing intent surged in Hakken's eyes as he stepped toward the convulsing Eight-Tails.
The beast had already entered full transformation, eight massive tails wrapping tightly around its body as crimson blood poured onto the ground.
Ten-Strike Slash—hardly a "technique" in the traditional sense. All ten blows were simply normal horizontal swings, only executed several times faster than usual. Yet ten consecutive, high-intensity strikes consumed a tremendous amount of stamina.
Still, the results were excellent.
Lifting his sword, Hakken strode toward the curled-up Eight-Tails. But just as he was about to strike, a blue figure suddenly flashed into view.
Activating her second stage of Partial Tailed Beast Transformation, Yugito endured agonizing pain. But with Killer Bee about to be attacked, she had no choice but to abandon the two jōnin being crushed by Shisui and Kakashi behind her.
In her transformed state, a dark sphere began to form before the muzzle of her massive blue cat form.
Mini Tailed Beast Ball.
Unlike a true, complete Tailed Beast Ball, she still struggled to control this one.
Boom!
Like a missile launch, the Tailed Beast Ball shot straight toward Hakken Yoru.
"I like girls who play with melons, and I like playing with melons myself," he said with a grin. "But this one? I'll pass."
"Because your melons burn my hands. Besides, I'm not old enough to play with those yet."
Even an incomplete Tailed Beast Ball released during Partial Transformation could be split apart by Jūzō Biwa wielding the original Kubikiribōchō—and Hakken Yoru didn't think he was any less capable.
The Kubikiribōchō might have been fragile, shattering under a Tailed Beast Ball and rebounding to wound its wielder—but his sword wasn't.
Swish!
A flash of steel sliced through the chakra sphere, infused with both Yin and Yang attributes, cleanly dividing it in two.
Whether intentionally or not, one of the split halves flew straight toward the nearby Eight-Tails.
BOOM!
BOOM!
Two deafening explosions erupted, leaving Yugito, still in Partial Tailed Beast Transformation, utterly stunned.
A Tailed Beast Ball… could be cleaved apart?!
That single strike completely shattered her understanding of the world.
"Behave yourself, little kitten."
The explosion beside him didn't faze the youth. With a swift flicker of movement, he had already seized Yugito by the throat.
At that moment, it felt as if a true demon had set its gaze upon her—countless restless souls howling in her ears.
Already struggling with the backlash of her forced Tailed Beast Transformation, Yugito finally succumbed and lost consciousness.
"Fainted?"
Surprised, Hakken lifted her eyelids and shook his head slightly.
After all, this Yugito was still just an unbloomed flower—far from the heroic kunoichi of Kumo she would one day become. Falling short was only natural.
Killer Bee, however...
Narrowing his eyes, Hakken slung Yugito over his shoulder and walked toward the still-curled form of the Eight-Tails. But as he drew near, the massive body of the beast vanished with a dull thud, leaving no trace behind.
On the ground remained only a severed octopus tail.
A habitual escape method, huh?
He sliced the tail clean in two and sighed. He had still underestimated the Eight-Tails' combat prowess.
He had indeed won this battle—but it was a victory with conditions.
First, this had been Killer Bee's first time facing him, with no understanding of his abilities.
Second, if Bee had begun by fully transforming and unleashing a barrage of Tailed Beast Balls, Hakken wouldn't have won so easily.
Of course, he didn't believe the final outcome would have changed.
Whether Killer Bee had gone all out or not, Hakken certainly hadn't.
He hadn't even used the White Hollow combo that treated Getsuga Tenshō like a normal swing.
Glancing toward the distance, he saw Team Night Owl waiting for him.
The battle was over.
The combined force of Shisui of the Body Flicker and the Copy Ninja Kakashi, together with Itachi's relentless interference, had proven too much even for two battle-hardened jōnin. They now lay motionless in pools of blood.
"Is this the Jinchūriki of the Two-Tails?"
Itachi approached, his gaze lingering on the girl hanging from Hakken's shoulder, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
A Jinchūriki—the second living host besides Kushina Uzumaki.
"Owl, what do you plan to do?"
Kakashi, breathing heavily from the strain of battle, stepped up beside him.
"Return to Konoha."
"The war is over."
Adjusting his grip on Yugito, Hakken smiled faintly.
They hadn't managed to capture both Jinchūriki, but the Two-Tails alone was more than enough.
The moment he captured Yugito, the war had lost its meaning.
Kumo knew well the importance of a perfect Jinchūriki. Losing the Two-Tails would deal not only a massive blow to their fighting strength but also to their morale.
Even if the war didn't end immediately, Yugito's capture would give Minato Namikaze all the leverage he needed at the negotiating table.
"Let's go home."