A Transmigrator’s Story in the Hyuga’s Main Branch

111. Hikari’s Confrontation with the Kirigakure’s Jinchuriki (3)

Despite the intense power of Riku's punch, Hikari was well-prepared with his defensive strategy.

His body was enveloped in a swirling coat of natural energy, safely distanced from his skin and interwoven with his Wind Release: Rotation Armor.

This unique blend of techniques effectively absorbed and dispersed the impact of Version 2 Jinchuriki's attack.

The collision resulted in a massive release of energy, kicking up debris and dust around them, yet Hikari remained relatively unscathed.

His defense not only thwarted the physical damage but also allowed him to maintain his footing and readiness to continue the fight. 

This momentary pause gave Hikari a crucial opportunity to reassess his strategy and prepare for the next phase of the battle, recognizing the formidable challenge posed by the Jinchuriki's enhanced forms.

At his current mastery level, Hikari could only manipulate natural energy close to his body or integrate it into his existing techniques.

This limitation meant he was far from the more advanced applications he envisioned and aspired to achieve one day.

Nonetheless, even this preliminary mastery provided a significant boost to his physical capabilities, enhancing his defense, offense, and speed to an entire level above what he had just moments ago, allowing him to go toe-to-toe even with Version 2 Jinchuriki forms like these.

However, Hikari was acutely aware of the limitations imposed by the duration of his Byakugan's special mode for seeing natural energy.

This mode was crucial for maintaining his enhanced state, allowing him to see natural energy to a required level, alongside enemies' moves in great detail, and almost like it was 'precognition', from natural energy oscillations, all around the field, but the relatively short active period meant he had to conclude his battles swiftly.

He remained hopeful that with more practice and experience, and his body and chakra still growing even naturally, due to his young age, he could extend the duration of this mode, but for now, he had to make every moment count while it was active.

Despite the unstable mental states induced by their transformations, which left Kaito and Riku grappling with their Tailed Beasts' interference and surging negative emotions, they were keenly aware that something extraordinary had occurred with their opponent.

They couldn't discern the exact cause of the sudden increase in Hikari's physical prowess or the enhanced potency of his techniques, as no visible clues hinted at the transformation. Yet, the physical evidence of his augmented capabilities was undeniable.

Reacting instinctively to the heightened threat, both Kaito and Riku pushed their transformations to the maximum limits, reaching the last stage before complete loss of control to their Tailed Beasts.

This precarious brinkmanship granted them access to their most formidable powers, including the ability to materialize chakra bones for offense and defense.

They launched into a fierce onslaught, aiming to overpower Hikari with sheer force before their ability to think and strategize was fully overwhelmed by their Beasts' raw power.

As Kaito and Riku closed in, the air around them crackled with the intense heat and power radiating from their molten-like chakra forms, altering the very atmosphere of the jungle.

Hikari, sensing the immense energy and the rising temperature, remained as composed as possible despite the imminent threat.

'It seems they've lost a considerable part of their rationality...', Hikari thought to himself, seeing this as a tactical advantage.

The jinchuriki's overwhelming power was palpable, but so was the decline in their strategic thinking, making them more predictable and impulsive in their attacks.

As the battle intensified, Hikari met the two jinchuriki head-on, his rotational wind and natural energy swirling around him, forming a formidable barrier against their overwhelming beastly powers.

The clash between their forces was titanic, with each movement shifting the terrain around them and sending reverberations through the air.

They moved at such speed, that they were mere blurs against the jungle backdrop, a dance of immense power and speed.

Nearby, the Konoha shinobi could only watch in awe and fear, the sheer intensity of the battle forcing them to retreat even further.

The shockwaves of the confrontation sent leaves swirling and debris flying, emphasizing the danger of being too close to such unfathomable power.

Hikari's technique was pushed to its limits, matching the raw strength of the jinchuriki's Version 2 forms.

Every strike, every evasion was a test of his ability to control and harness the natural energy around him, using it not just defensively but also weaving it into his offensive maneuvers.

As the battle raged, the jungle around them bore witness, completely transforming under the duress of their epic showdown.

As the battle wore on, Kaito and Riku's grasp on their sanity wavered under the strain of their immense power, yet their physical capabilities continued to increase.

Meanwhile, Hikari, in the heat of combat, grew increasingly skilled at integrating natural energy into his fighting, a skill he had only practiced in the months leading up to this confrontation and never under such dire circumstances, and practice was very different from the real thing, so that was very valuable for him.

With every clash, Hikari adapted and improved, his understanding of his newfound abilities deepening with each moment.

He experimented with various attacks, launching chakra ejections from multiple tenketsu points, each fused with natural energy, attempting to break through the formidable defenses of his foes.

Yet, time and again, he found his efforts thwarted either by the sheer density of their chakra cloaks or their rapid, almost instinctual ability to regroup and fortify their defenses against his strikes.

As the battle reached a critical intensity, Hikari knew he couldn't sustain the fight much longer.

His unique Byakugan's 'special mode' was nearing its limit, and the monstrous chakra of the two Jinchuriki before him showed no signs of waning.

Recognizing the dire situation, he understood the necessity of either concluding the battle swiftly or setting the stage for a strategic retreat.

The potential emergence of two full-blown Tailed Beasts was also a risk that he couldn't afford, especially as Kaito and Riku's transformations became increasingly bestial.

Amidst the chaos, a flash of insight struck Hikari. He decided to leverage his mastery over natural energy in a daring attempt to strip away the formidable chakra cloaks shielding the Jinchuriki and exposing their vulnerable human forms underneath, in order to be able to actually 'do something' to them.

It was a risky maneuver, requiring precision and immense control, qualities that Hikari had honed through relentless training.

Hikari knew that the longer he remained engaged here, the slimmer his chances of a safe retreat later became.

Every moment spent in this high-stakes combat escalated his risk of severe injury or death.

Yet, the potential reward—capturing two Jinchuriki—was an opportunity too significant to dismiss.

The idea of not only defeating but capturing Kaito and Riku sparked an audacious plan in Hikari's mind.

Therefore, presently driven by this bold strategy, he pushed his limits, channeling his understanding of natural energy and chakra control with unprecedented focus and precision.

So, with intense focus, he adjusted his tactics. While dodging and weaving through their relentless assaults, Hikari began a meticulous process of practicing isolating small sections of their chakra cloaks, without them even noticing due to their current mental states.

His Byakugan pushed to its limits, helping him discern the subtle fluctuations in their defenses - preparing for when he attempted to do that kind of 'operation' for real next.

The 'countdown' was tense; His eyesight was getting worse and worse, signaling that 'mode' nearing its end, and if it happened before Hikari finished his 'operation', he would surely die.

However, fortunately for him, one by one, he managed to siphon off fragments of their dense chakra shields when he actually put that short practice into action as he deemed it was time.

Once he had created these minute vulnerabilities, Hikari acted swiftly. With the precision of a skilled surgeon, he injected slender threads of natural energy into their exposed flesh.

This energy, invisible and potent, began to interact with their biological systems through their chakra pathway system.

The Jinchuriki, caught off guard by the sudden intrusion of this foreign energy, found themselves unable to react effectively.

As the natural energy took hold, it began to petrify their bodies, starting from the points of contact and spreading rapidly.

The transformation was swift and irreversible. Within moments, both Kaito and Riku were rendered completely immobile, their bodies turning to stone from the inside out, their 'humanoid beast' forms ending.

As Hikari surveyed the petrified forms of Kaito and Riku, he moved swiftly, understanding the critical importance of securing them before their transformations could fully complete and potentially release their Tailed Beasts. 

Therefore, with practiced motions, he laid out the scroll beside each Jinchuriki, carefully positioning it to capture them at the precise moment before their transformation into stone concluded.

He initiated the seal, channeling his remaining chakra into the intricate patterns of the scroll. As he activated the technique, ethereal chains of energy emerged from the scroll, wrapping around Kaito and Riku.

The chains tightened, pulling them towards the paper, which glowed with a soft, otherworldly light.

The process was tense, with the potential for catastrophic failure looming large. However, Hikari's precision paid off.

Slowly, the bodies of the Jinchuriki were absorbed into the scroll, their forms shrinking and distorting as they were converted into a complex series of seals.

With a final flicker of chakra, the sealing was complete, and the scroll snapped shut, its surface now marked with new, intricate seals that contained the formidable power of the two Jinchuriki.

Hikari exhaled deeply, the weight of the immediate threat lifted, though he was acutely aware of the potential dangers still posed by the sealed Tailed Beasts.

He secured the scroll carefully, knowing that it held not just two powerful shinobi but also the volatile forces of nature that could wreak havoc if released improperly.

He was tired, his resources nearly depleted, but the success of his plan gave him a momentary sense of relief as he prepared to rejoin his forces and assess the broader situation on the battlefield.

Despite the victory, his relief was tinged with the awareness of the close call he had just survived. He knew that the battle could have ended very differently if not for his strategic ingenuity and his mastery over natural energy.

Eventually, as the dust settled on the ravaged battlefield, Hikari's subordinates cautiously approached the epicenter of destruction.

Their eyes widened in disbelief at the sheer devastation that surrounded them—trees uprooted, the ground cratered, and the air still crackling with residual chakra.

"Are you alright, Hikari-sama?", One of the shinobi called out, his voice echoing with concern as they navigated through the debris.

"What happened to the targets?", Another added urgently, scanning the area for any sign of the formidable Jinchuriki they had been briefed about.

Hikari, standing amid the chaos, his traditional clothes torn and his face marked with the intensity of battle, turned towards the team.

"I've sealed them already - we won this time...", He responded calmly, his tone carrying a weight of subdued triumph.

The group fell silent for a moment, processing the gravity of his words. Their expressions shifted from concern to awe, and then to something akin to reverence.

Murmurs of disbelief and respect rippled through the group as they looked at Hikari not just as their commander but as something more—an almost mythical figure who had single-handedly turned the tide of the war for their side once again and was perhaps the only person in history so far to now have a recorded victory over two Jinchuriki at the same time.

Their awe was palpable, and their gazes held a new kind of esteem. Hikari had not only survived but had triumphed in what was undoubtedly one of the most harrowing challenges a shinobi could face.

His ability to capture and seal away two powerful Jinchuriki elevated his status in their eyes to that of a legendary hero, reshaping their perception of what was possible.

Hikari acknowledged their reverence and awe with a simple nod, his expression composed and serene despite the recent ferocity of battle.

With no further ado, he gestured for the group to follow him as he turned back toward their lines. Silently, they fell into step behind him, moving through the jungle with a newfound respect and a touch of fear at the power their commander had just displayed.

The journey back to their own front lines was quiet, each member of the squad deep in thought, processing the events they had witnessed and the monumental victory achieved.