The already grim expressions on Jiraiya and Orochimaru's faces turned even more serious.
Their opponent was Hanzo—victory was practically out of the question.
This battle truly felt like a fight for their lives.
But Tsunade had just told them not to engage in close combat—and under no circumstances should they suffer serious injuries.
Given Hanzo's incredible Shifting Body Technique, meeting those conditions was nearly impossible.
"But… if we really have no other choice, I do have another toxin that can counter his poison," Tsunade spoke again at this moment.
"I have a toxin just as powerful as Sanshouo's. If we take it, we can turn poison against poison—no longer fearing this man's venom…"
After hearing this, the two men didn't change expression. Since Tsunade hadn't mentioned it earlier, this method must carry huge risks—probably dangerous as hell.
"The only issue is this toxin only grants temporary immunity against Sanshouo's Toxin—lasting at most one hour. Eventually both toxins will erupt simultaneously within the body. If treated promptly, things should be okay, but any delay in treatment… will result in death!"
"I see…" said Jiraiya thoughtfully—before charging directly toward Hanzo.
Tsunade was stunned, then called out in alarm: "Hey, Jiraiya! Did you even hear what I just said?"
Yet surprisingly, this time Orochimaru—who usually remained calm—made exactly the same move as Jiraiya.
"That guy could hear our entire conversation from earlier. If we become overly cautious now, we'll only be at a disadvantage. Just this once, even that moron Jiraiya did something smart."
Orochimaru gave a slight chuckle. Though his personality was extremely dark, he still possessed the courage expected of a ninja.
In these times of war, he was an exceptionally gifted genius. Facing a powerful opponent like Hanzo ignited his fighting spirit.
[Ninjutsu – Wild Lion's Mane Technique!]
As Jiraiya moved, he formed hand seals. His white hair rapidly extended, resembling from afar a ferocious lion's head.
The strands tangled together like clawed hands reaching for Hanzo.
Standing calmly in place, Hanzo smiled faintly. His speed was astonishing enough to allow him to maneuver freely within Jiraiya's chaotic mass of hair.
While dodging, he quickly closed the distance with Jiraiya.
[Ninjutsu – Needle Jizo]
Immediately Jiraiya's long hair pulled inward, enveloping his entire body. The sharp strands resembled thorns, making him appear like a white hedgehog.
Hanzo unsheathed the katana hanging at his waist and slashed at Jiraiya's hair.
Clang!
Surprisingly, the impact produced a metallic clinking sound. While Hanzo managed to sever several strands, he failed to inflict significant damage.
[Needle Hell!]
Wrapped completely in his own hair, Jiraiya shouted out. His spiky tresses suddenly began extending outward.
Caught off guard, even Hanzo suffered one direct hit. However, with a single sweep of his katana, he cleanly severed all the spikes aimed at him, then swiftly leaped backward.
[Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!]
Hanzo stepped back, and Orochimaru, who had been concealed behind Jiraiya's figure, suddenly sprang forth. He hurled a single shuriken forward, then formed hand seals in rapid succession. In the blink of an eye, that lone projectile split—two became four…within moments, it had multiplied into hundreds, raining death upon Hanzo like a storm of steel.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Hanzo swung his katana, effortlessly knocking all the incoming shurikens aside.
"Cunning little brat," Hanzo muttered coolly before swiftly returning his sword to its sheath. Immediately afterward, an indescribable sense of danger surged through Orochimaru's entire body.
"Iai Beheading!"
In one swift motion, Hanzo drew his blade from the scabbard once again. A sharp arc of sword light seemed to tear through the air, striking directly onto Orochimaru—who had no time to dodge midair.
The sword aura tore straight through the falling shurikens scattered in the air, reducing them all to dust.
Yet the severed upper half of Orochimaru's body crumbled into mud.
"Earth Release: Mud Wall Clone?" Hanzo murmured softly.
[Earth Release: Mud Wall Rise!]
The ground around Hanzo began trembling violently. In front of Jiraiya and in three other directions, towering mud walls rose up like city ramparts, each standing several meters high.
"So that's the one called Orochimaru, huh?" Hanzo sneered coldly. "Do you really think something this pathetic can trap me?"
[Earth Release: Bottomless Swamp!]
Jiraiya, cloaked within his own flowing hair, revealed himself and slammed both palms firmly onto the ground.
The mud walls converged together, enclosing the space like a fortress made of four colossal earthen walls. The earth beneath instantly transformed into soft, muddy swamp.
Unprepared for the sudden shift, even Hanzo sank helplessly into the mire, his movements restricted.
Yet with his skills, while the Bottomless Swamp could delay him momentarily, there was no way it would truly hold him captive.
CRASH!
At that moment, the ground shook violently once more. One of the mud walls exploded outward, crumbling into massive boulders crashing down.
The earth cracked open, and the remaining walls collapsed one after another, tons of boulders crashing down and burying the entire swamp in rubble.
Hanzo's figure was buried beneath the wreckage.
"You won't be escaping this time using your Body Flicker Technique... Heh..."
Jiraiya and Orochimaru lay prone on the ground, breathing heavily.
Continuously casting high-level Earth Release techniques had left them both drained.
Before the now-buried ruins of the Bottomless Swamp, Tsunade turned her head toward the pair, smiling. "You two are always at each other's throats, but just now, you moved in perfect sync."
Orochimaru and Jiraiya exchanged glances. A smirk tugged at Orochimaru's lips as he said, "He just wouldn't stop nagging in my ear..."
Jiraiya chuckled, unusually choosing not to argue back.
"But even so," Tsunade interjected, "I don't think this will be enough to defeat that guy..."
Orochimaru's technique robbed Hanzo of vision, Jiraiya's Bottomless Swamp bound his movement, and she delivered destruction upon everything in sight.
It was almost impossible to believe any ninja could survive such an onslaught.
Yet Hanzo hadn't even unleashed his full power.
"Clang!"
Sure enough, a few seconds later, the boulder erupted violently. A razor-sharp blade slashed upward from beneath, cleaving straight through the rock. Amidst the flying debris, Hanzo smoothly sheathed his sword.
"Hehe, truly impressive young ones you three are. I should give you some credit..." Hanzo chuckled lightly. He bore no injuries whatsoever—Jiraiya's combined assault with the others had been utterly ineffective against him.
"Unbelievable... There's actually someone this powerful in this world?" Jiraiya muttered with a bitter smile.
Hanzo's strength had exceeded their expectations.
"And now, witness the true might of the legendary Hanzo—the Lord of the Sanshouo!"
"Splash! Splash!"
The Yomi Swamp beneath Hanzo's feet roared and surged violently. From its depths slowly emerged a giant sanshouo, revealing itself before Jiraiya and his companions.
As for Hanzo, he stood atop the massive creature, gazing down at the trio below...
...
...(to be continued)
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