Chương 59: Konoha's Cruel Side

As Choza, Inoichi, and Shikaku looked at Shunsui after the huge explosion that took place where Han had been standing, they wanted an explanation. If they had not moved, they would also have been caught in an explosion and they did not even know what had caused it.

"Well you see sensei, I might have underestimated the amount of chakra Han was using. I did not think that the explosion would be so big that even at this distance we would be almost caught by it," Shunsui said, hiding his embarrassed face with his straw hat.

"I just did not expect him to be using so much chakra," he said, repeating the point to make it clear. Shunsui knew that jinchuriki like Han had huge amounts of chakra because of the tailed beast inside them. But seeing it turn into such a massive blast still surprised him a little. He had planned to use the enemy's own power against him, but the scale was bigger than he thought it would be.

"And what game was that?" Shikaku asked as he wanted to understand the technique fully so they could learn from it and prepare for future battles.

"It was Hot Potato. The player who uses the most chakra gets to be holding the potato. As he or she uses more chakra the potato gets hotter over time. The more chakra they use the faster it heats up. If they cannot stop using chakra or if no other player surpasses them in using more chakra before time runs out, they suffer with all the chakra that they have used exploding in an explosion at point blank. Against a jinchuriki, this means their enormous reserves become a ticking bomb," Shunsui explained in detail.

As he explained, the three jonin had expressions of amazement on their faces. They listened carefully to every word, realizing how clever and risky this game was. The idea of turning an enemy's strength into their own weakness was brilliant, especially against someone with as much chakra as a jinchuriki.

"Damn.... if no one knows about the rule, you could just kill someone by just running away Shunsui while they fire jutsus at you," Choza said with a big laugh. He imagined how easy it would be to trick enemies into using their chakra and then having them explode. The large man patted Shunsui on the back lightly, showing his approval even though the explosion had been scary.

"Not really, this would mostly work for only jinchuriki since only they would be having more chakra than Shunsui and do not forget Shunsui uses an absurd amount of chakra himself when he plays a game," Shikaku said. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Shikaku knew that Shunsui had massive chakra reserves, but normal shinobi would not provide enough power for the game to become deadly.

This made the ability very specific but extremely effective against powerful targets like Han. Inoichi suddenly asked, "Did you say that the explosion happened at point blank?" His voice showed concern about what this meant for their enemy.

"Yes," Shunsui nodded without hesitation.

"Oh, that means Han would be severely injured and probably unconscious if not killed. That would mean...." Inoichi could not complete his sentence as they all heard a roar. Everyone turned their heads toward the source of the noise with worried expressions. They all turned back to see the five tails appear, resembling a white horse but with a dolphin's head. No one had to say anything as all of them bolted back towards Konoha as soon as they saw the five tails. They ran as fast as they could.

The genin kept up with the jonin, their hearts beating fast from the danger behind them. The five tails was more focused on causing random destruction to give them chase. It wanted to release its frustration of being caged and being free for some time. The beast roared again and slammed its powerful legs into the earth, creating large cracks that spread out like spider webs. Trees were uprooted easily as it swung its head from side to side, sending blasts of steam that melted anything they touched.

The five tails seemed to enjoy the freedom, smashing through everything without a clear direction at first. It would stop to breathe out huge clouds of boiling steam that turned green areas into barren land. Birds and animals fled in panic as the destruction continued. Whole sections of the Land of Claws were being ruined in its rampage, with fires starting from the heat and spreading to nearby bushes. The rampage left behind a path of ruin that would take months or years for the land to recover from.

"He would be destroying Land of Claws, our new ally you know," Inoichi said to Shikaku as they ran. His voice was a bit breathless from the fast movement, but he still managed to point out the problem clearly.

"Well cannot help it. The Daimyō would probably think that Iwa was mad at not getting the alliance and thus resorted to this. This way the Daimyō would at least be more accommodable with joining war with Konoha and providing support," Shikaku said. He explained the strategic benefit even though it meant harm to innocent people in the small country. The Nara knew how politics worked and saw the silver lining in the chaos. Shunsui thought, 'Damn, Konoha is as cruel as Iwa.

They are not as friendly as the anime showed them to be. Countless people would be dying in the five tails rampage.' He kept these thoughts to himself while running, realizing that villages made hard choices in war. The idea made him a bit sad, but he focused on keeping up with the group. They all heard a large explosion behind them but they did not turn to see what it was and focused on running, not wanting to gain the five tails attention. Inoichi looked at Shikaku and then whispered, "I blame you.

You said we can trust the kid." His tone was half serious and half joking as they continued moving quickly. Shikaku said, "I am a Nara not someone who can see the future. Do not blame me. I did not think that he would be able to injure the jinchuriki so much that the five tails could take control. Troublesome little kid." He sighed while running, accepting that the plan had unexpected results. Inoichi said, "So what are we going to tell the Hokage about the boy's abilities?"

He wanted to know how they would report this mission and Shunsui's special powers. Shikaku said, "The truth. Anything else would be betraying the village." He believed honesty to the leader was important for the safety of Konoha. Inoichi said confused, "But you said he would be in danger from within the village if people come to know of his abilities." Shikaku said with a resolute expression, "Do not worry I would make sure Hokage keeps it to himself."