Chapter 162: Stealing in Passing (Part 2)
"Careful! He's absorbing my chakra..."
Just as Han was puzzled by Baishi's actions, the voice of Kokuō, the Five-Tails, rang out in his mind.
Upon hearing this, Han's vigilance spiked, and without hesitation, he prepared to retreat, aiming to put distance between himself and Baishi.
But before Han could act, Baishi anticipated his move.
With lightning-fast reflexes, Baishi extended both hands and grabbed hold of Han's arms.
Ordinarily, Han's body, cloaked in the potent chakra of the Five-Tails, would corrode anyone who dared to touch it.
However, Baishi was different. His hands, as if black holes of energy, absorbed the corrosive chakra upon contact, rendering it harmless.
To an observer, it appeared as though the Five-Tails' chakra had no effect on Baishi.
But Han, who was directly experiencing this, felt only fear.
The moment Baishi's hands gripped his arms, Han's chakra started draining out of him like water from a punctured vessel.
Thankfully, Han's extensive combat experience, coupled with Kokuō's prior warning, allowed him to react quickly.
Hisssss—
With a burst of steam, Han's strength surged, enabling him to break free from Baishi's grip. With a few quick backflips, he created a safe distance between them.
---
Amid the lingering steam, Baishi stepped forward, his figure slowly emerging.
With each step he took, the wounds on his body visibly healed, and by the time he fully came into view, he was as good as new.
Seeing this, Han's pupils contracted into pinpoints, his visible features etched with alarm.
In their brief clash, Han had attempted to use the scalding steam of his chakra armor to deal additional damage to Baishi.
Yet, not only had the steam attack failed, but the grievous injuries Han had inflicted earlier were already completely healed.
"How am I supposed to fight this?"
Han's thoughts were bitter. He understood his own abilities well—his combat strength lay in close-quarters confrontation.
However, such an approach required direct physical contact with Baishi, which he now knew to avoid at all costs.
In their earlier skirmish, Baishi had drained nearly a tenth of Han's chakra within moments.
Should Han allow himself to be caught again, he could very well be drained dry in seconds.
No... Close combat isn't an option.
Han shook his head inwardly and contemplated a desperate move: full tailed beast transformation.
But before he could act on this thought, Kokuō's voice resounded once more.
"Han, we can't win against him. We need to escape!"
"What?" Han questioned, stunned.
"It's the Nine-Tails. That's what he said."
"The Nine-Tails?"
Han's gaze immediately shifted to Baishi's abdomen.
Through the tears in Baishi's clothing, Han caught glimpses of the intricate sealing formula etched into his stomach.
The intelligence reports on Baishi had speculated about the possibility of him capturing Konoha's Nine-Tails, but Han hadn't believed it.
The idea that someone would willingly turn themselves into a Jinchūriki was beyond him.
As a Jinchūriki himself, Han knew all too well the burden it entailed—being ostracized, constantly battling the tailed beast's influence, and enduring a life of confinement.
He could hardly fathom why anyone would willingly choose such a fate.
But now, the reality was clear: Baishi had become a Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails.
Han quickly pieced together the implications. If Baishi was also a Jinchūriki, then a tailed beast transformation wouldn't guarantee victory.
Moreover, Baishi had the Flying Thunder God Technique, which made it nearly impossible to trap him.
Even stalling for Iwagakure reinforcements felt like a futile endeavor—Baishi would likely escape before help could arrive.
After weighing his options, Han reached a decision: retreat.
---
Not far away, Baishi rolled his shoulders and glanced at his system panel.
[Chakra: 105 points]
Initially, Baishi had felt uncertain about confronting Han. After all, they were so close to Iwagakure, and reinforcements could arrive at any moment.
But now, he was brimming with confidence—not because his chakra reserves had significantly recovered, but because…
"Planning to run?"
Noticing Han turning to flee, Baishi smirked and called out mockingly, "Leaving so soon? What's the rush?"
Hearing this, Han quickened his pace, his body cloaked in thick, steaming chakra.
Unfortunately for him, no matter how fast he ran, he couldn't outrun the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Baishi chuckled softly, locking onto the Flying Thunder God mark he had secretly placed on Han during their earlier clash.
Yes, that was the true reason for Baishi's confidence.
---
Far ahead, Han moved at top speed, covering dozens of meters in mere seconds.
But just as he thought he had created enough distance, a shadow appeared directly in his path.
"What?!"
Startled, Han instinctively swung a fist at the figure.
Baishi dodged the punch effortlessly and closed the gap, crashing into Han's chest.
Self-Cursing Bind Seal.
The moment Baishi made contact, he activated the seal, instantly paralyzing Han's body.
Han froze mid-motion, his eyes widening as he recognized Baishi standing before him.
"The... Flying Thunder God..."
It dawned on him how Baishi had caught up so quickly.
Desperately, Han tried to resist, but Baishi gave him no chance.
With Han immobilized, Baishi followed up with the Five-Element Seal, pressing a chakra-infused hand against Han's abdomen.
The seal immediately suppressed the Five-Tails' chakra, silencing the aura that had been emanating from Han.
Baishi didn't stop there. Activating Energy Absorption, he began draining Han's chakra at an alarming rate.
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
Within ten seconds, Han's chakra reserves were completely depleted.
Unable to sustain himself, Han collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Meanwhile, Baishi stood tall, visibly reinvigorated, as though he had just consumed a powerful restorative.
Han, as the host of the Five-Tails, possessed far more chakra than a standard jōnin. For Baishi, draining him was a windfall.
"Not bad at all."
Baishi gazed down at Han's motionless form with satisfaction.
As he prepared to leave with his prize, a shadow loomed on the horizon.
"Ōnoki?"
Thanks to his heightened perception, Baishi immediately recognized the incoming figure.
After a moment of consideration, Baishi decided not to linger.
His mission had already yielded exceptional results, and he saw no reason to risk an unnecessary confrontation with the Third Tsuchikage.
No point wasting time on trivial battles.
With that thought, Baishi hoisted Han's body over his shoulder and vanished in a flash, using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
(Chapter End)
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