Chapter 126: Controlling a Tailed Beast Is Not the Same as Becoming One

"Tsuchikage-sama, please, no more high-speed evasive maneuvers at that velocity! Your back can’t take it." "In normal circumstances, it wouldn’t be an issue. That little bastard hid explosive tags... Ugh, forget it. I get it. You can go." Lying in bed, Ōnoki looked utterly drained of life. They had already pulled back enough. The front lines had retreated all the way to the Land of Earth, and each outpost had over ten teams stationed—normally, there was no way anyone could break through. But who would’ve thought Konoha would send two top-tier jōnin for a sneak attack? And right before he could review the intelligence from Kirigakure, no less. To be honest, Ōnoki was starting to suspect Kirigakure was coordinating with Konoha. Of course… The most infuriating thing was Rōshi. That guy had always been difficult, but now it was clear—he was an absolute idiot. The enemy baited him, and he just walked right into their trap. And now? Captured. A disgrace… "Bring me the intel scroll. I want to see exactly what this Kanda Kyoichi is all about!" Seething, Ōnoki struggled to sit up. Back pain? That was nothing compared to his wounded pride! Hōki didn’t dare stop him and hurriedly presented the intel. Ōnoki started reading from the top. Suspected Senju descendant? His brow furrowed. That brought back some unpleasant memories. He kept reading. Water Release, Earth Release, Wind Release, Kenjutsu, Genjutsu… Mastery in all of them? No, wait… Searᴄh the nôvel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. According to their reports, he also had Ice Release and Sealing Techniques! There was no doubt. Those "flying bird" explosive tags had to be his doing. And odds were, those very same explosive tags came from the batch Iwagakure had mysteriously lost a few days ago. Bang! Ōnoki hurled the scroll away in fury. "Tsuchikage-sama!" "Ahhh—damn it, my back!" Pain shot through him again, forcing him to slump back down. He didn’t even want to talk anymore. "Father, with Rōshi captured, what should we do next? Should we negotiate with Konoha?" "Fight!" Ōnoki’s expression was twisted with anger. Negotiate? If Konoha thought capturing Rōshi gave them leverage over him, they were sorely mistaken. He had never believed that a single jinchūriki could dictate the course of war, nor would he let one individual alter his entire strategy. A jinchūriki was just a jinchūriki—nothing more than a ninja with borrowed power. They weren’t as invincible as they liked to think. That applied to both Rōshi and Han. That was Ōnoki’s stance. As a result, while jinchūriki in Iwagakure weren’t as reviled as in some other villages, they weren’t particularly revered either. Especially Rōshi—many Iwa-nin didn’t even consider him as useful as a regular jōnin. At least an ordinary jōnin could fight on the front lines. But Rōshi? He spent most of his time confined within the village, a so-called "trump card" that had never actually been played. A figurehead—useless in real battle. Han fared slightly better, but he wasn’t exactly celebrated either. That was why, when given the chance, Rōshi had been so desperate to prove himself. And yet… His failure only reinforced Ōnoki’s beliefs—on the battlefield, jinchūriki were nowhere near as powerful as they imagined. "Tell the troops not to dwell on this. Yes, we suffered some losses, but Iwagakure can handle it. Tomorrow, we’ll pay Konoha back double!" "Help me up. We’re marching now!" Ōnoki was livid. "Yes!" Hōki understood immediately. His father’s message was clear— Full-scale assault. Take the fight straight to Konoha. Orders were issued. The Iwa forces mobilized—hundreds, if not thousands, of teams assembling. Over the years, Iwagakure had rebuilt its military strength, and their front-line forces were only part of their total might. Many more Iwa-nin remained stationed at the rear for defense and logistics. This was the foundation of Ōnoki’s confidence in waging war against Konoha. However… When they arrived at the borders of the Land of Grass… Nothing. The entire battlefield was empty. In just one morning, Konoha didn't leave behind so much as a scrap of cloth at the front lines. If they hadn’t fought here before, the Iwa-nin might have thought their memories of Konoha’s camp were just an illusion. As for the Kusa-nin… They were still here, but it was clear they had no intention of fighting. A group of them approached the front lines respectfully. “Lords of Iwagakure, Kusagakure is willing to cooperate. Please, do not harm the Land of Grass or its people!” “And the Konoha ninja?” “They… they withdrew this morning. Said they were falling back to fortify the Fire Nation’s border,” the Kusa-nin leader replied humbly. Seeing the massive Iwa-nin army before him, he couldn’t help but feel that siding with Iwagakure might not be a bad move after all— Konoha simply didn’t have as many shinobi as Iwagakure. So… What if they won? He suddenly felt much more confident in Iwagakure’s chances. “Good…” Onoki had half a mind to beat him senseless, but for now, Kusagakure was still useful. That said… He wasn’t going to be polite to a bunch of spineless turncoats. “If you’re willing to cooperate, then you’re coming with us to invade the Land of Fire.” “Y-yes, of course!” “Hmph. Move out. We’ll set up camp in the Land of Grass.” --- Land of Fire Border Kyoichi and Roshi sat atop a mountain peak, grinning as they looked out toward the Land of Grass. From this vantage point, they could see parts of the battlefield. With that many Iwa-nin, there was no way they could stay hidden. “See? I told you Onoki wouldn’t care about you. You’re overestimating yourself.” “Ugh…” Roshi said nothing, shutting his eyes as if surrendering himself to fate. Kyoichi kept pressing. “You think Jinchuriki are strong. But in reality, there are plenty of shinobi who could kill you. If Konoha were really afraid of Jinchuriki, we never would’ve handed out the Tailed Beasts in the first place.” “You’re just lucky you counter me. Don’t talk big.” Roshi wasn’t convinced. Kyoichi chuckled. “Is that what you think?” “If you didn’t have Ice Release or sealing techniques, I wouldn’t fear you at all.” “Even without those, I could still defeat you—I just wouldn’t like the price I’d have to pay.” Kyoichi shook his head, then smirked coldly. “Why should I not use the techniques I worked so hard to master? Do you think I was born with Ice Release?” “It’s a Kekkei Genkai,” Roshi said icily. Kyoichi narrowed his eyes. So that’s where Roshi’s grudge against Onoki came from. This guy… A little too confident, isn’t he? Kyoichi smirked. “Onoki and your Second Tsuchikage weren’t born with Dust Release, but they trained until they mastered it. If they can do it, so can I.” “That’s only because I haven’t fully mastered my Jinchuriki powers.” Roshi countered. Besides… There was also that sword that could absorb chakra. If he were so easily swayed, he wouldn’t have spent years butting heads with Onoki. Kyoichi didn’t expect him to understand. If this stubborn old man did understand, I might actually have to consider killing him. So… Instead, Kyoichi nodded. “You’re not wrong. Any path, taken to its peak, can become powerful beyond measure. Jinchuriki are no exception.” “Huh?” Roshi looked at him in surprise. What the hell? Suddenly so reasonable? Did the sun rise in the west today? His guard went up. Kyoichi continued nonchalantly. “You’ve mastered Lava Release, haven’t you? That’s a result of your study of the Tailed Beast’s power. But you’re going about it the wrong way.” “You’re telling me I’m doing it wrong?” Roshi found that hilarious. A non-Jinchuriki telling a Jinchuriki how to train? That was like an amateur lecturing a master. He wasn’t interested in listening anymore. But then— The next moment, Kyoichi’s body erupted with Tailed Beast chakra. Boom! He slammed his fist into the ground. The entire mountain quaked, and the massive boulders beneath them shattered into dust. The next second, a Rasengan formed in Kyoichi’s hand. Tailed Beast chakra poured into it, turning its core a fiery red. Lava Release: Rasengan! “The difference between humans and Tailed Beasts is that humans know how to use chakra better. You Jinchuriki, on the other hand, are turning yourselves into mindless beasts.” “How stupid. If Tailed Beasts were really that powerful, would they be sealed inside you?” Kyoichi sneered. Roshi frowned, unsure why Kyoichi was saying all this. But… The brat had a point. Even though he was at a disadvantage, he couldn’t deny it—Tailed Beasts had their flaws and limitations. “Why are you telling me this?” “I hear Jinchuriki aren’t respected in Iwagakure. Some people think that instead of relying on a Tailed Beast, they should just develop stronger jutsu.” Kyoichi smirked. “I do agree that Jinchuriki aren’t all-powerful. But that doesn’t mean they’re useless. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have gone through all this trouble to obtain your Tailed Beast chakra. I’m just telling you this so you don’t stay too stupid.” Roshi didn’t respond. He didn’t even realize it himself, but his expression had softened. He was no longer as closed-off as before. He fell into deep thought. Right now, his mindset was shifting— Roshi had to admit, there was a reason he lost. This Konoha brat had ridiculous talent, sharp insight, and a hunger for knowledge far beyond most shinobi. That kind of person… was terrifying. No shame in losing to him. “Let’s go. You’ll be staying in the Land of Fire until Iwagakure loses this war.” Kyoichi didn’t push further. Using the memories he had extracted from Roshi, he had successfully planted a seed—one that made Roshi think his words were sincere. But… If you talked too much to a stubborn old man, he’d start suspecting you had an ulterior motive. This much was just right. Roshi didn’t resist. His Tailed Beast chakra had been sealed away. His physical and spiritual energy were so drained that he could barely function—escape or resistance were out of the question. As for suicide… He didn’t think he’d get the chance. The moment they reached camp, he’d be fully sealed away with no freedom to act. The security was airtight. Back in his sealed chamber, Roshi lay quietly, staring at the ceiling. His mind drifted back to Kyoichi’s words— And to Onoki, who had chosen to keep advancing on Konoha even after Roshi’s capture. “The difference between humans and Tailed Beasts is that humans know how to use chakra better.” “Am I becoming a beast… instead of mastering one?” He mulled over it. He never would’ve admitted it to Kyoichi’s face. But… In private, the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Jinchuriki weren’t weaker than Onoki and the others—he simply wasn’t strong enough. He hadn’t unlocked the full potential of his Tailed Beast. And besides… Why fear the Tailed Beast? If they were truly that powerful, they wouldn’t be sealed inside humans. If he could fully control its power, he would definitely be stronger than the Beast itself. Roshi’s thoughts crystallized. “I will forge the true path of a Jinchuriki… and prove we’re not just the village’s mascots.” “No. If I truly succeed, I’ll teach every Jinchuriki how to master their power. No more wasted potential.”