The rain fell relentlessly, gray clouds pressing down like a lid over the Land of Rain. Puddles rippled with each drop, like a thousand whispers.
Suddenly, a roaring Kirin appeared in the distant sky.
"That is…?!"
The four stopped simultaneously, eyes drawn upward. For a moment, the lightning—like a divine apparition—vanished, leaving them shaken.
In the Land of Rain, constant rainfall limits visibility. To see such a jutsu so clearly here was astonishing. One could only imagine the overwhelming power behind it.
"What kind of Lightning Release is that?" Hanzo's gaze burned with intensity.
He turned to the three ninjas before him. "Among your three great nations, is there any shinobi capable of unleashing such a Lightning Release?"
The three fell silent, thinking.
"Could it be Sakumo?" Tsunade asked softly.
"It can't be him. Sakumo is occupied containing the Four-Tails Jinchūriki. Even at his strongest, his Lightning Release would not have such a grand presence," Orochimaru replied.
He knew Sakumo's abilities well. Sakumo excelled in sword-based Lightning Release techniques, but none could reach this level of sheer destructive force.
Yet, who else could wield it? For a moment, even the others were stumped.
"Seems you don't know either. Another new powerhouse?" Hanzo narrowed his eyes. "Your great nations are lucky—why do geniuses always appear? How can you comprehend the struggles of small countries?"
"Hmph, struggles? If there were none, this war wouldn't exist. I witnessed the gold mine incident firsthand," Orochimaru retorted.
"Young man, how can you be sure what you saw was the truth? We could all be pawns," Hanzo countered.
"Pawns? Who could manipulate the entire ninja world?" Tsunade scoffed.
"Arrogant. Konoha taught you confidence, not manners," Hanzo said, raising his sickle.
Alertness spiked in Orochimaru and the others.
Jiraiya quickly formed hand seals.
[Fire Release: Flame Bullet!]
A flaming sphere erupted and shot toward Hanzo. But with a wave of his sickle, Hanzo sliced the attack in half, scattering flames while remaining unscathed.
Whoosh!
Hanzo vanished from sight, leaving Orochimaru and the others stunned.
"So fast!"
Despite their own formidable strength and speed, the distance between them and Hanzo was immense.
"Behind you!"
Orochimaru shouted. Sensing Hanzo's position with serpentine precision, Tsunade spun and delivered a monstrous punch toward his back.
Hanzo's body was pushed back several steps, feet landing atop a massive boulder.
"Strength is sufficient, speed lacking," Hanzo observed.
[Hidden Shadow Snake Hand!]
Orochimaru flung a flurry of shuriken, raining down like petals in a storm. Hanzo prepared to Body Flicker, but the ground beneath him transformed into a swamp. His legs sank, trapping him.
[Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!] Jiraiya shouted.
"Good cooperation, but you nearly hurt me."
[Swordsmanship, Flash!] Hanzo's wind-infused sickle blocked the shuriken assault effortlessly.
At that moment, Tsunade appeared behind Hanzo, fist charged. She slammed it down with earth-shaking force.
Boom!
From the ground emerged a pitch-black behemoth—Hanzo's summon, the Salamander. The swamp shattered beneath its feet, and Tsunade was flung back by the sheer power.
[Wild Lion's Mane Technique!] Jiraiya's white hair lengthened, attempting to ensnare and pull Tsunade safely.
[Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!] Hanzo raised his hands, summoning a towering wall of water crashing toward Tsunade.
[Earth Release: Multiple Earth Wall Technique!] Orochimaru erected walls of earth to block the torrent.
Boom! The waterfall collided with the earth walls. Seconds later, mud and water rained down, shrouding the battlefield in a murky haze.
As the mist cleared, Hanzo stood upright in the rain, sickle resting on his back.
"Be careful, his summon is gone again!" Tsunade warned. The Salamander had vanished, only to reemerge unexpectedly, striking with a blow from underground.
Suddenly, the ground trembled. The three leapt into the air as a massive shadow followed.
The Salamander opened its bloody maw, purple smoke curling outward, dark yellow tongue lashing at them.
[Hidden Shadow Snake Hand!] Orochimaru's right arm extended over ten meters, transforming into a dark green snake that anchored itself to a boulder.
Using his left arm, he wrapped Tsunade and Jiraiya with multiple snake hands, pulling them to safety.
The Salamander lashed its tail, and the air around it surged like a tidal wave. The three avoided a direct clash.
[Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!] Jiraiya sent a long earth dragon crashing from the air into the Salamander's tail. The tail, flexible yet massive, collided and altered its sweep, striking upward.
The earth dragon shattered, mud scattering in all directions.
Orochimaru followed swiftly, hands forming rapid seals.
[Wind Release: Thousand-Faced Wind Blades!] Hundreds of wind blades launched toward the Salamander.
Hanzo appeared before the beast in a flash.
[Flash.] His wind-charged sickle sliced the blades apart effortlessly, the powerful jutsu vanishing in an instant.
Roar!
The Salamander bellowed, shaking the ground and causing their eardrums to ache.
Is this the strength of a demiggod?
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A faint tremor rippled beneath their feet—one that did not come from the Salamander. Orochimaru's pupils narrowed. That chakra… coming closer?
Before he could warn the others, a blinding column of white light descended several hundred meters away, illuminating the rain-soaked battlefield like a second sun. The shockwave that followed split the downpour itself, sending sheets of water blasting outward.
Hanzo's expression tightened for the first time since the battle began.
"What is that?" Jiraiya muttered, shielding his face as the pressure washed over them.
The Salamander recoiled instinctively, lowering its body as if sensing an apex predator. Even Hanzo took half a step back—subtle, but enough for the three Sannin to notice.
Tsunade exhaled shakily. "This feeling… it's not just power. It's overwhelming."
Another rumble followed, deeper than thunder. Orochimaru turned toward the distant light, mind racing.
"That chakra signature… it resembles the Kirin earlier. But this is different. More refined. More—controlled."
Hanzo raised his sickle, the air around it cracking faintly.
"No matter who it is, they enter my battlefield. I'll judge them myself."
But even as he spoke, his eyes remained fixed on the distant glow—wariness hidden beneath pride.
For the first time, the demigod of the Hidden Rain looked uncertain.