บท 112: Hikari's Confrontation with the Kirigakure's Jinchuriki (4)

As they continued their run through the jungle, Hikari's mind wandered to the implications of his recent victories.

The scale of his accomplishments dawned on him—defeating five of Kirigakure's most elite shinobi in succession, sealing two of their legendary swords, and now capturing their two Jinchuriki.

He was aware that his name would soon echo not just along the front lines but potentially across the ninja world, likely marking him as the biggest enemy in the Kirigakure's history.

The realization brought a mix of pride and a sobering sense of the spotlight that would now follow him unlike ever before.

He contemplated the target he might become for other powerful entities seeking to test their strength against him or avenge Kirigakure's losses.

With the weight of his recent successes pressing on his mind, Hikari also started to formulate his next moves.

The staggering losses Kirigakure had suffered, particularly among their elite ranks, offered him a unique strategic opportunity.

'Soon, it will be time to end the war on this front entirely...', He mused, thinking about the overwhelming disadvantage Kirigakure now faced. Over the next few months, Hikari planned to capitalize on the morale advantage his victories had secured.

His goal was ambitious: leveraging his newfound Mid-Kage-level capabilities, he intended to use them, among other things, to conquer the entire continental territory of the Land of Water and push Kirigakure's shinobi forces all the way back across the sea.

Once established, this territory would serve as a strategic launchpad for an eventual invasion of Kirigakure itself to secure a victory against them and entirely on this Hyuga-led front.

However, despite the monumental victories he had achieved, Hikari maintained a clear and cautious perspective.

He understood that the Jinchuriki he had subdued were not the epitome of what such beings could represent in battle.

These were what he considered 'low-tier Jinchuriki'—capable of controlling their various forms and partial transformations but lacking the ability to fully 'transform' into their tailed beasts or utilize the devastatingly powerful Tailed Beast Bomb.

In his analysis, Hikari recognized that even the Jinchuriki from Iwagakure, who were not considered 'perfect Jinchuriki' by any standard, held capabilities far surpassing those of Kaito and Riku.

They had access to the full range of their beasts' powers, including the ability to perform full-beast transformations and Tailed Beast Bombs.

Even the Yugito from Kumogakure had those abilities, although her Tailed Beast was only Two-Tails, so she was also on that 'low-tier Jinchuriki' level in his impression.

Hikari further contemplated the concept of 'perfect Jinchuriki', the 'highest tier' of Jinchuriki in his opinion, those who had either befriended their Tailed Beast or found a way to completely dominate it.

This level of symbiosis between the host and the beast allowed for an unprecedented level of control and power.

Unlike the lower tiers, a perfect Jinchuriki wouldn't have to contend with their beast's resistance to giving chakra or its attempts to overpower their will by giving too much chakra, as well as other subtle manipulations, internal chakra systems, and mental inefficiencies.

This harmony freed them to utilize the full spectrum of the beast's abilities without fear of losing control of their seals at their weakest moments, allowing for the full unleashing of the Tailed Beast's chakra.

In his studies and observations, Killer B and Naruto were prime examples of perfect Jinchuriki, who achieved this through friendship and building a bond with their beasts, which facilitated mutual respect and cooperation.

On the 'darker side' of this spectrum was Yagura—whom Hikari believed to have been controlled by Obito through genjutsu, manipulating both the host and the Tailed Beast Isobu to create the illusion of a perfect Jinchuriki.

These reflections underscored the complexity of the Jinchuriki phenomenon and the varying levels of mastery over such immense power.

Hikari knew that understanding these dynamics was crucial, not just for comprehending the strength of his enemies but also for planning his strategies in the ongoing and future conflicts.

By the time Hikari completed his assessment of the day's events, he acknowledged that the previous battle allowed him to truly break through the unofficial, solid Mid-Kage level, which was a very positive development in terms of his personal power and at the level of stealing two-tailed beast effectively in political and geopolitical terms.

As Hikari and his forces moved swiftly further through the jungle, he mulled over the complex situation the sealed Jinchuriki, now basically entirely in his possession, through those two half-dead, half-alive bodies, posed precisely. Therefore, he thought about that after sighing,

'Having these Tailed Beasts in my personal possession is kind of a double-edged sword. It is not entirely positive for me. There's the obvious risk of others attacking to seize this immense power, and the Hokage's Faction will certainly demand I hand them over "to the village", meaning to them as they control the village administration nearly completely',

'Effectively strengthening the biggest internal adversary, close to me, while weakening Kirigakure—a nation I have no inherent quarrel with, across the sea. In that case, I have actually shot myself in the foot by going through with this, and I can't allow that to happen...',

'Our Anti-Hokage Faction isn't yet strong enough to openly defy the Hokage's Faction if they press the issue... Moreover...',

He continued in his thoughts, 'My skills in fuinjutsu aren't advanced enough, right now still, to try and attempt sealing the Tailed Beasts within myself or an ally, which could have offered a significant boost in our direct confrontations against the Hokage's Faction for the matter...',

'This truly is like holding a hot potato—dangerous yet potentially worthless if mishandled. The best course might be to leverage these beasts for a strategic advantage in other ways.',

'Hypothetically, If I could negotiate their return to Kirigakure in exchange for them ending the war, favorably and under the Land of Fire's and Konoha's interests and terms, submitting toward our main demands, it would have to be under a new, more amenable Mizukage—perhaps someone from the Kaguya or Yuki clans currently opposing the current leadership.',

'This move could not only earn me significant military merit but also forge a powerful new set of allies in Kirigakure, completely transformed under a leadership sympathetic to our cause.',

'While the Hokage's Faction could demand the beasts' transfer to Konoha, they're unaware of my plans to return them. I might manage to stall for time, maintaining the status quo long enough to execute my strategy. By that time, they couldn't do anything, as we, and mostly me personally, would have become war heroes who ended this bloody war and freed Konoha's hands to fight against the other four great shinobi villages more. This could truly reshape the power dynamics in our favor, turning a precarious situation into a pivotal victory.',

Hikari's plan crystallized as he navigated the dense foliage, each step forward mirroring the progress in his strategic thinking. This deep game of political and military maneuvering was exactly the kind of challenge that spurred him on, a chance to use his wit and resources.