Because Rōshi was the first to charge into the enemy lines, leading the way, it took some time for the others to catch up.
By the time the Iwagakure shinobi arrived, they were already engaged in battle with the Konoha shinobi on the periphery and had no time to worry about Rōshi inside.
When Rōshi was taken down by Uchiha Kagami's genjutsu, the other Iwagakure shinobi were unaware of it, and even if they had known, they wouldn't have had the energy to care.
They were locked in fierce combat with the Konoha shinobi, whose ninja skills were superior, and they managed to hold their ground even in close-quarters combat.
Of course, this refers to ordinary Iwagakure shinobi; jinchūriki are not included in this category.
Han, enveloped in a snow-white chakra cloak, leaped up and then slammed down heavily on the ground.
The immense power brought by his Boil Release immediately created a massive shockwave on the ground, forcing the surrounding Konoha shinobi to retreat.
Han's chakra cloak was similar to Rōshi's, with a tail wagging back and forth behind him.
The snow-white chakra cloak would alternately inflate and contract, a result of Han's Boil Release.
The armor on Han's body was specially made to fully utilize the power of Boil Release.
"Boil Release: Unrivaled Strength!"
With a burst of steam, white chakra erupted from Han's feet.
He then stomped his foot on the ground with great force, and with a loud bang, countless shattered rocks flew in all directions.
These fragments also carried an indescribable impact.
The Konoha shinobi scattered, and those who couldn't dodge or block in time were struck by the debris, either bleeding profusely or suffering broken bones.
In short, no Konoha shinobi was able to withstand it unscathed.
Han exhaled softly, his gaze calm as he looked at the nearby Konoha shinobi.
Boil Release not only gave him strength but also speed.
The chakra spewing from the gaps in his armor provided him with a thrust, allowing him to move quickly.
Han easily dodged the Konoha shinobi's attacks.
Once someone entered his attack range, a "light" punch was all it took to send them flying, and his armor defended against shuriken and other ninja tools.
"It's about time," Han thought, and just as the idea crossed his mind, he felt a chill run down his spine.
Boil Release chakra erupted from his side, propelling him away from his original position just as he had sent a Konoha shinobi flying.
An ordinary person would never have been able to make such a move.
In an instant, Han saw the face of the person who had ambushed him.
This person had long been on Iwagakure's list of key targets, and was someone both he and Rōshi had to be wary of.
"Hatake Sakumo, as expected, is incredibly strong," Han muttered under his breath.
A shallow cut appeared on his face; his speed and reaction time were already fast enough, yet he was still grazed by the opponent.
And in the direction Han retreated, someone else was waiting.
Han turned his head, his gaze meeting theirs.
Steam-like chakra once again erupted from his back, carrying him upwards and allowing him to evade a sweeping attack.
"Is that girl the Third Hokage's daughter?" Han lowered his head, looking at the young girl with a cold expression and fierce eyes.
If it weren't for his steam armor, which could release Boil Release chakra from many positions, Han might have been severely wounded by the combined attack of Hatake Sakumo and Asuna.
Although protected by a chakra cloak, he didn't believe his chakra cloak could withstand Asuna's blade.
Even though it was just a fleeting glance, the thin and sharp wind-style chakra gave his body an instinctive stinging sensation.
If Han remembered correctly, Hatake Sakumo's squad included more than just these two, and the others were also very dangerous.
Han almost without hesitation observed his surroundings while using Boil Release to change direction.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!" With a shout, a barrage of fireballs assailed Han in the sky.
Although Han dodged in time, his gaze met Mizuki's eyes.
The moment his gaze met those scarlet eyes, Han felt symptoms of his tailed beast chakra going out of control.
However, in the next moment, Han stabilized his chakra, and then the Five-Tails within him let out a roar only he could hear, expressing its anger at the wielder of the Sharingan.
Mizuki immediately felt a sharp pain in her eyes, and tears almost welled up.
She quickly took a breath, thinking, "As expected, although the ordinary Sharingan also has the ability to suppress tailed beasts, it's still too far from the Mangekyo Sharingan's mental control ability.
At most, it can only hold them back temporarily."
The fact that the Mangekyo Sharingan could control tailed beasts had been proven during Uchiha Madara's time, but whether the ordinary Sharingan could control tailed beasts had no empirical evidence.
Mizuki had only bravely tried it, and the result proved that while it worked, she couldn't fully control it, and she was almost mentally backfired by the tailed beast's counterattack.
"Jinchūriki are truly terrifying, Mizuki.
Be careful from now on."
Yamanaka Risa, who maintained a mental link with Mizuki, saw this and, while reminding her, abandoned her plan to use the Yamanaka secret technique to invade Han's mind.
If it were a jinchūriki who had no communication with their tailed beast, that would be one thing.
But for a jinchūriki like Han, who could already have initial contact with his tailed beast, rashly entering his mental world might mean coming face-to-face with the tailed beast.
And the tailed beast could easily blast away Yamanaka Risa's human mental abilities.
Given the tailed beast's aversion to humans, it wouldn't need any rapport with its jinchūriki.
If a stranger entered its space, it would undoubtedly drive them away without a second thought, not bothering to utter a single superfluous word.
However, Mizuki's Sharingan still played a role, causing Han's movements to slow slightly, preventing him from completely evading the subsequent attack.
Asuna, who leaped up, inflicted a wound on his waist.
"You brat, you hit pretty hard," Han hissed, pressing hard on his wound.
Under the stimulation of the tailed beast chakra, the bleeding from the wound immediately stopped, and before his eyes, Hatake Sakumo had already lunged at him.
"Boil Release: Unrivaled Strength," Han unleashed his most proficient technique once more.
Chakra spewing from his elbow propelled his arm towards Hatake Sakumo's face.
Seeing this, Hatake Sakumo immediately abandoned his original attack plan and instead dodged to the side.
Then, with a flick of his arm, he conjured a chain from the ground, wrapping it around Han's body, and lightning chakra swiftly traveled along the chain.
Han immediately felt his entire body go numb, almost unable to move.
He barely held on with the defensive power of his tailed beast cloak and his own physical prowess, then unleashed a massive amount of steam-like chakra from his entire body, immediately breaking the chain.
"Boil Release: Steam Explosion." The steam-like chakra all over Han's body exploded like a bomb.
The scalding hot steam made Hatake Sakumo feel as if his skin was about to peel off, forcing him to keep his distance.
Then, a white "steam" shot towards Hatake Sakumo.
Hatake Sakumo dodged the attack, seeing that this "steam" was extraordinarily sharp, even carving off a piece of the nearby rock.
"As expected of a jinchūriki," Hatake Sakumo said.
He didn't know if he was hot or something else, but sweat was unconsciously seeping out.
The enemy's strength was indeed formidable.
Han emerged from the "sea" of steam; the high-temperature steam made it impossible for ordinary people to approach him.
His chakra was exceptionally abundant due to the tailed beast, fully capable of sustaining such techniques.
If someone with insufficient strength rashly entered, they would only be scalded to death on the spot.
Experts like Hatake Sakumo and Asuna could temporarily use chakra to block the steam's invasion, but they couldn't maintain it indefinitely.
Therefore, they still kept a certain distance from Han.
Han also felt a sense of emotion in his heart.
Since fighting with the Konoha shinobi, it was the first time he had encountered such a formidable opponent.
Before participating in this battle, the higher-ups had warned him to be careful of Hatake Sakumo.
Although they had avoided Uchiha Kagami, Hatake Sakumo was also a very powerful opponent, and now, it seemed, that was indeed the case.