"It seems you three punks are all unwilling to admit defeat..."
Hanzo stood atop Sanshouo, gazing down indifferently at Jiraiya and the others as always, though a faint smile flickered in his eyes for just an instant.
Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru—facing such a formidable enemy—none of them noticed it.
"First, attack his Sanshouo! We can't let it keep spewing poison mist!" Jiraiya shouted to Tsunade and Orochimaru. He had already realized that Hanzo's poison mist had spread hundreds of meters outward, reaching the site of their earlier battle.
And where once the battlefield had been filled with sounds of slaughter, now all was silent.
Tsunade and Orochimaru both nodded slightly. At that moment, all three fixed their gazes firmly on the black Sanshouo beneath Hanzo's feet.
Shshsh!
Jiraiya's hands moved rapidly through hand seals, so fast they blurred into afterimages.
Seeing this, Hanzo narrowed his eyes slightly.
Standing atop the Sanshouo, he stepped forward—and as if on cue, the beast responded instinctively.
Boom!
Using the ground for leverage, the massive creature suddenly launched itself into the air.
Clearly, Hanzo had already seen through Jiraiya's hand signs and knew exactly which jutsu he was about to use.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
At the same time, both Orochimaru and Tsunade leapt upward, the former forming seals as well.
[Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!]
Hu hu!
Suddenly, storm-like winds burst from Orochimaru's mouth. Although Wind Release: Great Breakthrough was merely a C-rank technique, in his hands its power reached an incredibly terrifying level.
The violent winds surged forward, and even the Sanshouo's massive body seemed affected, struggling to move freely.
Hanzo didn't focus on Orochimaru, however. Amidst the storm, Tsunade charged straight ahead, her fists bulging with veins, clearly gathering immense force.
There's no way Hanzo could be fast enough to dodge this hit!
With something that massive, how could anyone even use the body flicker technique alongside it?
"In such a short time, you've managed to coordinate together quite well," Hanzo said calmly, a slight smile on his face.
"But brute strength won't work unless you ensure your own safety first."
Ssh!
In the next instant, Hanzo leapt from the Sanshouo directly toward Tsunade, moving against the storm itself.
"Even under such strong wind pressure, he still isn't restricted?"
Orochimaru's pupils constricted. Now Hanzo was actually moving against the wind, and yet the force capable of restraining even the Sanshouo couldn't stop him?
However, just as Hanzo approached Tsunade, the intense wind pressure finally began to affect him, halting his advance.
Clang!
At that very moment, hindered by the wind, Hanzo unsheathed his sword midair and swung it in a single flash.
Then, the visible air currents parted in two from the direction of that blade arc.
With one slash, he had actually cut straight through the Wind Release Technique!
The blade of energy pierced through the Wind Release technique without losing momentum, heading straight for Tsunade.
"Tsunade, dodge it! That's enough!" Jiraiya shouted from below. A blade capable of slicing through ninjutsu could easily tear her body apart if it struck.
Before his shout had even died down, Tsunade abruptly dropped midair as the blade whizzed over her head.
She plummeted downward as well.
But their goal had been accomplished—their entire plan was simply to stall Hanzo.
[Earth Release: Bottomless Swamp!]
At this moment, from where Jiraiya stood, the ground transformed into a vast yellow swamp that spread over ten meters wide—and still expanding rapidly—just in time to meet the giant Sanshouo as it landed atop it.
Once trapped in the Bottomless Swamp, even Hanzo himself would be helpless.
Even if he figured out the trick, what could he really do?
Yet just as the Sanshouo approached within several meters of the swamp, Hanzo high in the air released flames from his mouth, which quickly spread across the surface of the swamp.
[Fire Release: Great Fire Destruction!]
Terrifying flames forcefully dispersed the disrupted windstorm created by Hanzo earlier, displaying overwhelming dominance!
Among the five chakra natures, Fire Release typically counters Wind Release—but here, Hanzo's jutsu defied common sense.
This was the ninja standing at the pinnacle of the current Ninja World—a man revered as the Demigod!
The flames surged forward, instantly engulfing the entire Bottomless Swamp and spreading toward its user, Jiraiya.
Faced with such devastating fire, even Jiraiya dared only to retreat.
High above, the figures of Tsunade and Orochimaru were also caught up in the explosion's edge.
"Boom!"
The Sanshouo landed on the ground but showed no signs of sinking into the swamp. Instead, it struck like landing on solid rock, shaking the earth beneath.
Jiraiya's Earth Release: Bottomless Swamp had actually been neutralized by Hanzo using the intense heat of his Fire Release technique to solidify the terrain.
Seeing the Sanshouo land steadily, Hanzo ended his Fire Release and halted the spreading flames.
From within the inferno, two battered figures landed onto the now-solidified swamp, both visibly scorched. Blood flowed from the charred wounds on their bodies.
Witnessing this, Jiraiya swiftly moved to their side.
"How are you two?" He asked urgently.
"Heh... The gap really is enormous..." Tsunade and Orochimaru gasped heavily. The violent flames from earlier had nearly evaporated all the oxygen in the air.
They'd nearly suffocated.
Although the explosion hadn't touched him directly, and despite having taken a pill to resist the poison, protecting Tsunade had still left Jiraiya seriously wounded. On top of that, the massive use of his swamp jutsu had drained him.
The three of them, nearing their limits, stood before the massive black Sanshouo, gazing up at the lone figure standing atop it—still with that same aloof demeanor.
They had reached their breaking point. But Hanzo appeared far from having used his full strength yet.
The fierce wind and flames from just now had also drawn the attention of the ninja who had retreated to a safe distance.
Many ninja were holding back their sobs, because even from here, they could feel the intensity of that battle.
"Master Jiraiya..." Minato looked toward that direction. As the only one who clearly knew the outcome of that fight, concern was visible on his face.
However, at this moment, a Hyūga ninja from Konoha's side suddenly gasped in alarm.
"In the seven o'clock direction, there are hundreds of enemy ninja forces! They're Suna ninja!"
His sudden cry reached everyone's ears. Also gradually turning his gaze toward that misty direction, Sakumo spotted some tiny black dots.
With the battlefield shifting and the Sand Ninja Unit advancing, the Sand Ninja Unit was no longer hidden from view.
Expressions across the battlefield changed dramatically.
...
Hanzo, who had been silently overlooking Tsunade and her companions, finally spoke. "Three kids, do you really intend to keep stubbornly resisting?"
"You should already understand—despite working together, the gap between us remains insurmountable." His eyes, calm as still water, carried an undertone of killing intent.
This man known as the Demigod had decided to take their lives.
"Even so, I'll never admit defeat!" Despite being barely able to stand, Jiraiya showed no sign of surrender whatsoever.
It wasn't just stubbornness—he had a reason he simply couldn't afford to lose.
Though Orochimaru and Tsunade didn't speak, the determination in their eyes revealed their decision.
No retreat!
Meeting Hanzo's murderous gaze head-on, the three stood firm together, unwilling to retreat.
Watching their expressions closely, at a certain moment, Hanzo's overwhelming killing intent transformed into intense amusement.
"Tsk tsk, very well, truly worthy disciples of Hiruzen Sarutobi..." Hanzo laughed, and this unexpected reaction startled Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru.
"It's been a long time since I've seen such outstanding juniors. Well then, today, I Hanzo shall recognize all three of you..."
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