Earlier, Akashō had already learned that in war, the Kage of the major ninja villages rarely take to the battlefield personally; they usually remain within their own headquarters.
There were two reasons for this. First, to prevent being caught off guard and having their base attacked. Second, compared to other ninja, the Kage hold a much higher status and cannot afford to be easily put at risk.
That was why Akashō dared to brazenly scout both the Stone Village and Konoha camps directly.
After all, according to what Jiraiya had said before, the Konoha camp on the Earth-Fire battlefield was only under the command of Orochimaru, one of the Sannin. At most, there would be just one Kage-level fighter there. Correspondingly, the Stone Village side would also have at most one Kage-level ninja stationed.
If that was the case, then Akashō had nothing to fear. At the end of the day, they were all just Kage-level. How much stronger could they be than Rasa? At worst, he'd just take a beating. With Kokushibo's Demon Body, there was no way he'd be beaten to death outright.
As for why Akashō was still using Kokushibo's template instead of the new one, it was mainly because the Colossal Titan's massive size was too conspicuous. It would easily attract focused attacks.
Worse still, that form wasn't sustainable. If he ended up unable to win and had to switch back to Kokushibo, it would expose that both forms were actually the same entity. If that happened, how could he continue farming reputation for the Colossal Titan?
That said, there was no need to worry about building up the Colossal Titan's reputation. Akashō had already devised his own plan.
The reason he insisted on keeping Kitsuchi and the others here was also tied to the next step of that plan.
"Well, since it was the Konoha ninja who spoke first, I'll swing by the Stone Village camp first."
After confirming his direction, Akashō immediately set off toward the Stone Village camp. The night would pass quickly, and he needed to make the most of his time. Otherwise, the risks of his plan would increase exponentially.
It didn't take long before Akashō sprinted to the outskirts of the Stone Village camp. Facing the sudden appearance of Stone ninja who surrounded him, Akashō didn't say a word—he simply slashed out with his blade.
If he wanted them to listen quietly, he had to show some strength first.
As a signal flare for enemy intrusion shot into the sky, Akashō stood still, calmly waiting for the enemy to arrive.
"Bzz—"
Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet began to tremble, and the trees in the forest ahead started toppling at a visible rate.
In the pitch-black night sky, a streak of white steam could be faintly seen rapidly approaching Akashō.
Narrowing his eyes, Akashō silently raised the blade.
Here it comes!
"Steam Rush!!"
Accompanied by a roar like a train whistle and a loud shout, a red figure wrapped in white steam burst out of the forest. Moving faster than the eye could follow, it slammed straight into Akashō, who had barely managed to raise the blade horizontally to block.
Boom!
Akashō tensed his legs, but he was still sent flying dozens of meters away by the impact. He smashed through over a dozen large trees before crashing into the ground, creating a massive crater. Even the blade in his hand snapped cleanly in half.
As the dust gradually settled, Akashō's twisted body lay in the crater, blood spilling from his mouth and nose.
Gritting his teeth, he activated the regenerative power of his Demon Body. In the span of a single breath, all his injuries had completely healed.
He stood up, glanced at the broken blade in his hand, then looked toward the red figure slowly approaching him, his brows slightly furrowed.
What tremendous strength.
"To take my full-power strike in base form and still stand up unharmed—you're strong."
Han stopped walking, raising an eyebrow as he looked at the six eyes on Akashō's face.
"Six eyes, red hair, flame markings… you're the Moon Sword Demon, Kokushibo?"
Akashō silently activated his Blood Demon Art, and the broken blade rapidly restored itself.
"You're the one in charge of the Stone Village forces on the Earth-Fire battlefield?"
"That's right. I am the Steam Ninja, Han."
Han crossed his arms over his chest. His towering build allowed him to look down at Akashō, even in Kokushibo's form.
"Didn't expect such a pleasant surprise right at the start."
Akashō let out a cold laugh. "I thought I'd have to kill quite a few people before luring you out."
"So, what exactly do you want with me?"
"Nothing major. I just want to spar with you."
Akashō stepped out of the crater, killing intent nearly spilling from his eyes.
"And maybe kill a few more Stone ninja along the way."
"Hmph. If you've got the ability, then come and try!"
Han snorted coldly, spreading his legs and placing his arms at his waist. Suddenly, thick steam burst out from his back.
"Boil Release: Unmatched Strength!!!"
"Moon Breathing, Tenth Form: Drilling Slashes, Moon Through Bamboo Leaves!!"
With a roar, the two vanished at the same time, dashing forward and colliding midair.