As Hanzo's words fell, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru stood rooted in place, stunned.
Originally, they had assumed what lay ahead would be a life-or-death battle. Judging by how the fight had gone, they likely would have died at Hanzo's hands.
The leader of Amegakure, respectfully called the "Demigod" by the ninja world and recognized as its pinnacle, was simply too powerful.
"What do you mean by that?" Orochimaru was the first to recover, frowning slightly.
Jiraiya and Tsunade quickly turned their gazes toward Hanzo as well.
Hanzo gave a faint smile and said, "I already explained my reasoning earlier. The current ninja world needs new talent, and among all I've seen so far, you three are the most exceptional."
"You actually managed to fight me to this extent. That itself deserves praise," he added.
"As a reward, I'll let you live—none of your lives are mine to take," Hanzo said calmly.
His words hung in the air before another wave of shock rippled through Jiraiya and the others. Yet Jiraiya firmly replied, "We won't abandon our subordinates and run!"
"I've already seen your determination. Since I'm willing to spare you three, naturally I will no longer cooperate with Iwa or oppress Konoha," Hanzo clarified.
This turn of events was something neither Jiraiya nor Tsunade had anticipated.
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes slightly and stared at Hanzo. "You giving up your alliance with Iwa isn't just because of us three, is it?"
He never believed that Hanzo—a man who ruled Amegakure with an iron grip—would spare them just because he admired their talent. There was definitely more to it than that.
Earlier, Hanzo had mentioned their teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi. It wasn't difficult to guess that his decision was likely due to fear of Third Hokage.
Though Hanzo himself was immensely powerful—revered as a Demigod—the reputation of Third Hokage was no less fearsome.
If Hanzo had killed Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru in this battle, even if the Third Hokage ignored the master-disciple relationship, the heavy losses suffered by Konoha would undoubtedly force him to personally come to the Land of Rain.
At that time, with Rain harboring deep hatred against Konoha, the country wouldn't merely become the battlefield of another Great Ninja War.
Faced with Konoha's wrath, even with Hanzo's power, the Land of Rain could still be utterly crushed.
Clearly, this was not a scenario Hanzo wished to see unfold.
Plus, even without these three, Konoha still maintained greater power than the other hidden villages.
Sakumo Hatake and Kai Uchiha were both formidable ninja, each rivaling the talents of Jiraiya and his team.
Therefore, rather than provoking Konoha beyond repair, it made more sense for Hanzo to break ties with Iwagakure.
"You're sharper than I expected..." Hanzo stared at Orochimaru, impressed that the boy had uncovered his motives.
No wonder he was the disciple most cherished by Third Hokage... A genius described as once-in-a-decade.
In Hanzo's view, Konoha's overall strength surpassed that of Iwa. Additionally, compared to Third Hokage, the Third Tsuchikage possessed far more ambition.
By sparing Jiraiya and the other two in this battle, he had essentially done the Third a favor.
Among the Five Great Ninja Nations, a delicate balance of power exists. Even though Iwa wanted to retaliate against Amegakure for breaking their agreement, they still had to consider Konoha's response.
Naturally, Konoha would never allow Rain Country to be occupied by Earth Country—it would equate to having a massive bomb sitting at Fire Country's border, ready to explode at any moment.
Therefore, despite suffering heavy losses, the Iwa ninja had no choice but to swallow their pride. Moreover, they needed to remain vigilant against another threat eyeing them hungrily—Lightning Country.
As for the Sand ninja unit that had not followed through with the plan as scheduled, its leader Chiyo was likely waiting to reap the benefits from afar.
All the better—he'd let these great nations destroy each other...
With the capabilities of those three young ones, after enduring this joint attack from Iwa and Suna, Konoha should soon take action against the other great ninja nations as well.
He knew the Third quite well—gentle on the surface, sure, but that didn't make him weak.
Only by diverting the war elsewhere could the conflict within Rain Country possibly end.
Because even with his presence, the weak Rain Country would never be able to resist the might of the Three Great Ninja Nations.
"You three are truly strong. From today onward, I shall call you the Konoha Sannin. Go forth now—each of you will carve your own legends."
Hanzo laughed heartily, then stomped his foot on Sanshouo's head. At once, the beast understood—it leapt clean over Jiraiya and the others, rushing back toward the battlefield.
"What exactly is that guy planning?" Jiraiya asked in confusion.
Beside him, Tsunade replied, "Regardless of his intentions, one thing is certain—if he truly wanted us dead, we wouldn't have survived."
Jiraiya couldn't argue with that.
Meanwhile, the toxic mist lingering in the sky gradually faded along with Hanzo's departure.
"It seems he meant what he said," Tsunade remarked. "Come on, we still have a battle to finish."
Upon hearing her words, Jiraiya stopped brooding.
The trio exchanged glances and promptly returned to the battlefield.
...
On the battlefield at that moment, the situation—originally a standoff between three factions and two sides—had shifted dramatically once more.
Suddenly, hundreds of Sand ninja appeared, making the chaos worse.
"Chiyo, you!"
Tsuchigawa's eyes blazed with fury, as though ready to burst into flame. He had believed his strategy of encircling Konoha was flawless, yet now everything had spiraled into such disorder.
"There's no need to glare at me like that," Chiyo said coldly. "The ninja world has always been one of betrayal, bloodshed, and treachery. Didn't Onoki teach you that, brat?"
She analyzed the battlefield with cold detachment. Both Konoha and Iwa ninja seemed exhausted.
Their commanders, Sakumo Hatake and Tsuchigawa, stood—one clearly injured, the other even more battered.
This was exactly the scenario she had been waiting for.
Yet at that moment, a distant massive figure—Sanshouo—was rapidly approaching. With every leap of its colossal body, tremors rippled through the ground like an earthquake.
"Hehe, quite the commotion indeed!" Sanshouo landed before more than two thousand shinobi, and Hanzo atop it chuckled lightly.
Seeing Hanzo's arrival, Chiyo sighed and said, "I guess I miscalculated a bit."
If the Suna ninja had remained well-hidden, they could have launched large-scale ninjutsu while both villages' forces were locked in combat, dealing heavy damage to them. However, Hanzo's Poison Mist suddenly changed the tide of the battle, forcing the Suna ninja to expose themselves too soon.
Still, Chiyo felt no worry. She understood Hanzo all too well—his alliance with Suna would only be temporary.
He had never concerned himself much with conflicts between the Great Ninja Nations.
And judging from Konoha and Iwa Ninja's current strength after Amegakure's withdrawal, she still retained the upper hand.
Hanzo's appearance meant Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru must already have fallen by his hands.
"So this is the legendary 'Demigod,' Hanzo of the Giant Salamander?"
Minato, among the two thousand shinobi, gazed down upon the towering figure standing atop Sanshouo, sighing softly.
Hanzo heard such words but paid them no heed; he had long grown accustomed to such praise.
What he couldn't have known was that inside that young boy lived the soul of a ninja whose fame would one day surpass even his own during the Third Great Ninja War.
Anyone who ever faced Konoha's Yellow Flash knew one rule above all else: no matter how many allies you had, once you saw him, drop everything and run for your life!
"All Ame shinobi, withdraw with me," Hanzo commanded sharply, and without hesitation or question, Rain ninja instantly disengaged from battle, swiftly retreating to stand before the colossal salamander.
Witnessing this, Chiyo couldn't help but let out a slight smile, lines forming around her eyes.
Yet her smile had barely formed when three figures darted toward her direction from behind Hanzo, entering her view in an instant.
Followed closely by Chiyo's astonished exclamation:
"How is this possible? They're still alive?!"
...
...(to be continued.)
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