There was no time like the present. Being that Squeakers was one of the closest shinobi to Shodaime, the jinchūriki would have a greater advantage than the rest to act quickly. The Amegakure shinobi who attempted to intercept the oncoming Konoha nin would provide ample distraction, and the paper bomb hurled toward Shodaime's enemies as last-ditch effort would only add to that distraction--though the likelihood of such a weak attack actually landing was slim. That being said, several clones approached the scene with incredible speed, despite everything the allies were doing to prevent them catching up.
It made enough sense.
Even if most of the Konoha shinobi were intercepted by the Amegakure nin who had passed Shodaime's location in intention to strike, a few enemy ninja passing through and not biting the oncoming threat was entirely logical. Some Konoha shinobi could deal with the Amegakure shinobi that were approaching them, while others focused on their primary target ahead: the runaway.
The next few moments would unravel in a matter of seconds as the situation rapidly changed, and the jinchūriki adjusted accordingly.
A handful of clones surrounded the small group of allies that had banded together, and while the jinchūriki had likely been closer to the refugee initially, the jounin's speed was superior to that of the chūnin's, so making up for the distance was realistic and expected. Squeakers knew he'd have to do whatever he could to close the gap in skill and ability now if he wanted to stand a chance against protecting the target. Even if the other Amegakure nin could hold their own, Squeakers didn't want to rely too heavily on others in fear he'd be expecting too much.
"You'll have to talk to my boss--I don't want trouble, either," Squeakers stated as he slipped into his cloaked form with three tails emerged almost immediately as the words were spoken, drawing his katana. He'd rather not fight them, either, but it wasn't his call to make. Within the split second that the clones had aired their warning, a large arm of deep red chakra burst out from the jinchūriki's shroud and shot at Shodaime with incredible speed. The girl would likely have no time to react before her small form was enveloped in the palm of Squeakers's shroud and yanked from the tree she'd been planted upon.
Immediately after, she'd be brought to Squeakers's side, though the grip wouldn't let go once she was close.
With the floating flames growing brighter in their intensity to combat against the falling rain, Squeakers still suspected that they were bombs and were on the cusp of creating several large explosions within the immediate area. He knew Shodaime was a Hyūga, and after having trained and shared information with his Lord, the Jinchūriki knew of their abilities, but considering she'd just been resorting to using paper bombs--Squeakers still wanted to take control of the situation and not rely on her prowess.
For a second, the clones would be preoccupied as needles struck at all of them--and while the jounin would likely be able to easily counter the simple move (even if it was unexpected and without warning or a clear source), the clones would have to respond either to the needles or the jinchūriki. Be struck and disappear, or try stopping Squeakers as the jinchūriki began to move once his target was within his clutches. Now that she'd been acquired, Squeakers wanted to get the hell out of there--and he wasn't looking forward to having to fight off the shinobi who would undoubtedly be approaching. He only hoped the allies would be able to best take care of the enemies so his personal conflict would be minimal.
Squeakers's ally's cry of warning that his chakra was being blocked would fall on deaf ears. Tactically, Squeakers only had the time to react to so much, and he only had so much ability and knowledge. Haruko wouldn't be able to get help from the jinchūriki as Squeakers's attention was preoccupied on Shodaime and the Kage's Clones, but even if Squeakers could spare the time to try helping--he wouldn't have been able to figure out what was causing the issue immediately, anyway. So it was for the best that the jinchūriki focused on what he knew.
He knew he had to protect Shodaime, he knew the trees were unsafe, he knew there was a potential of three jounin clones he would have to deal with, and he
believed there to be bombs scattered in the surrounding area.
While Squeakers had only been given a moment to react, the fact of the matter was that he was better at coming up with advanced plans on the fly than his peers. And so as soon as he'd arrived on the scene with Shodaime with the clones appearing in succession, Squeakers did what he believed to be best. Thanks to the previous warning given by the Ame Lord, he knew the trees couldn't be trusted and while it was
possible that Shodaime was able to prepare and defend herself, the jinchūriki didn't feel comfortable having himself
or any of his allies and the target in contact with the trees for any moment. If the forest was alive, they'd have to move along the ground or airborne to avoid being ensnared in what was a likely trap. The possibility of their surroundings exploding seemed high to the jinchūriki, and while it was possible that Shodaime could protect herself from their force, the fact of the matter was that Squeakers didn't want to risk it, and he wanted her as close to him as possible--if she was within his grasp, he could much more easily protect her, and if she'd just been resorting to paper bombs and had no apparent armor equipped, the jinchūriki had reason to believe he could do a better job of it than she could.
Which is why he'd activated his cloak and grabbed onto her.
Get her off the tree, get her close to him, all while his chakra hand could be manipulated to be big enough to perfectly encase her whole being--offering even more protection than what the rest of his cloak could provide given the condensed nature of the chakra hand. The chakra cloak that surrounding him would protect him from the (imagined) bombs--and the glow of the chakra unknowingly protecting him against the shadows as he couldn't produce any while being a light source, himself. Now the priority would be escaping before any more shinobi could arrive to the scene, hoping that they'd be too preoccupied with the other Amegakure forces, and hope that either the clones were destroyed by the senbon needles or that Squeakers could defend himself well enough from them.
They were likely jounin due to how quickly they'd arrived, but with his cloak activated, the jinchūriki hoped he'd be able to at least match them in speed.
Hopefully, Sanosuke could help Haruko out with his predicament or at the very least be able to see what was really causing the issue with his fancy eyes. Squeakers couldn't help, there.spoiler used to avoid a mile of info, but listed for reference of power stacks
No Tail
Chakra Shroud [No Tail]
When Mikazuki’s chakra shroud is activated, even in its minimal state where not a single tail is present, she is surrounded by a bubbly red chakra that appears to have a circular texture to it--giving off the feel of suckers on an octopus’s tentacle. This raw presence of chakra, even in this state, is harmful to human flesh if one ever tried to lay a hand on it. In this form, Mikazuki’s defense against weapons and elemental attacks is increased, as the presence of the hachibi’s chakra offers some form of protection. In this form, Mikazuki has more access to the hachibi’s chakra pool, and her eyes will begin to turn white. In this form she is able to use ink techniques.
1 Tail
Chakra Shroud [1 Tail]
v1. When the first tail forms in the jinchuriki’s chakra shroud, her physical strength, durability, and speed dramatically increase and she can take a hit even against most other jinchuriki at this stage. Low ranked weapons do minimal damage to the jinchuriki by this time, and her skin becomes even tougher and more difficult to cut through. Two translucent chakra horns appear at the girl’s crown in this form, and can be used offensively in a fight. The jinchuriki’s eyes are completely white at this point--lined with black, and in this form, Mikazuki is still capable of using ink offensively and defensively.
2 Tails
Chakra Shroud [2 Tail]
v1. When the second tail appears, Mikazuki gains even more access to Gyūki’s chakra pool, and the chakra shroud starts to become more corporeal--capable of dealing and taking hits with more power than the previous form. At this point, it is difficult for most weapons to even cut through the chakra and get to the jinchuriki before getting damaged. Her bones become even stronger than before, making her even more unbreakable, and two more horns grow beside its predecessors. With her four horns appearing similarly to Gyūki’s own, she has a broader range of protection and can still use them as a weapon should the need arise.
3 Tails
Chakra Shroud [3 Tail]
v1. When the third tail forms, Mikazuki is offered yet another boost in her strength and speed, whilst her constitution is tripled. At this point, the jinchuriki’s physical body has become durable enough to endure the blows of a sole taijutsu user far above her rank, and with her physical arms feeling almost like steel at this point and her chakra shroud taking on a much thicker, far more powerful form, she can easily deal powerful blows of equal strength. During this time, only the most powerful of weapons can get through to and damage the jinchuriki, as her shroud has already become dense and powerful enough to protect her from most mortal harm. Her jaw and teeth have begun to appear more like Gyūki’s in their strength, and she is capable of breaking lower-ranked weapons with sheer force alone.
SA Utilized:Analytical IntelligenceMikazuki is extremely perceptive and thinks logically – which can give her a great edge over enemy shinobi. Due to her application of knowledge, perception, and analytical skills, Mikazuki can easily dissect a situation and come up with conclusions based on her observations. Picking up on little details and putting reason behind it makes her an intimidating foe. Although she cannot figure everything out right off the bat, Mikazuki is able to analyze things on a much deeper level than most others could at her level.
Technique Utilized:Chakuraāmu [Chakra Arms]
RANK: B
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium
CLASSIFICATION: Ninjutsu
ELEMENT: N/A
DESCRIPTION:
When a Tailed Beast or Jinchuuriki taps reaches into their Version 1 Chakra Cloak, they are capable of using the bubbling chakra which surrounds them as an extension of their body. These chakra appendages can be freely manipulated for almost an infinite distance as a result of its lack of joints. Additionally, they can surge at opponents at speeds that even Sharingan masters have trouble reacting to. These appendages can grow in size and form, but only those who have control of at least half of their tails (majority of tails, if Bijuu has uneven number of tails) or Version 2 Chakra Cloaks can create any number of chakra arms they desire from any part of their body. Just like the original chakra arms, these extra arms can be used as grappling hooks, for grabbing opponents/objects, defense, or offensively. Unlike the original arms, these chakra arms are much thicker, and darker as a result of Version 2's advanced nature. For those who have minimal control, all chakra arms will always cause burns to those who contact them. (can be made cool for those with good amount of control). In the case of the Ichibi Jinchuuriki, these chakra arms will be in the form of sand.
