Tsunade and the others felt a sudden blur before their eyes, a brief wave of spatial disorientation washing over them.
A second later, their feet touched solid ground again, and an intense, nauseating stench of dampness, rust, and decaying organic matter assaulted their senses.
They now stood in an extremely narrow, low-ceilinged space. Surrounding them were the slick, moss-covered, rust-stained inner walls of massive metal pipes. Droplets of condensation clung to the walls and fell at regular intervals, echoing with monotonous drips. At their feet, ankle-deep water mixed with sludge and unidentifiable filth sloshed quietly. The lighting was extremely dim, with only faint natural light filtering through cracks in the overhead junctions of the pipes, barely outlining the environment.
Jiraiya stood waiting, next to the summoned ninja toad who had completed his task.
Seeing Ryo and the others appear, Jiraiya let out a sigh of relief. "We're safe. This is an abandoned maintenance shaft off the main sewer line. It's well hidden. Safe for now." His voice was hushed, the sound echoing faintly in the enclosed pipe.
Tsunade frowned, waving a hand in front of her nose, clearly uncomfortable with the stench and confined surroundings.
Orochimaru, however, showed interest. He scraped a bit of the slimy moss from the pipe wall with a fingertip and brought it to his nose, his golden snake-like eyes flashing strangely in the darkness.
Ryo's gaze swept around sharply, and his Observation Haki spread out silently like a sheet of mercury. In his perception, most of the nearby life signatures were faint and small, such as rats and insects. Farther away, there were rhythmic chakra fluctuations. These were Ame patrol squads, moving through parallel tunnels or along the surface. No powerful chakra signatures were nearby for now.
"Direction?" Ryo asked, looking at Jiraiya. The core of the mission was to locate Hanzo.
Jiraiya pointed down one extension of the pipeline. "My toad sensed that if we follow this main pipe southeast for about two kilometers, we'll reach a large vertical maintenance shaft that leads to the surface. That should be one of the underground entrances to the high tower district, the core area of Ame. Hanzo's palace and the poison swamp where his summoning beast lurks are likely deep within that tower district."
"Move." Ryo didn't waste words and took the lead. The hem of his black cloak brushed through the murky water with barely a sound. Each step was steady and firm, as if he were walking on solid ground rather than sludge. The heavy gravity training he endured didn't just forge strength, but a solid core of control and resilience.
Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru immediately followed. The four of them moved like shadows, ghosts blending into the dim, oppressive steel maze. Only the dripping of water and their faint footsteps echoed through the tunnel.
The pipeline network sprawled in all directions, like the intestines of some vast beast. Some sections were wide enough for several people to walk abreast. Others were so tight they had to stoop and turn sideways to pass through. The air was suffocatingly foul. Occasionally, they encountered small summoning creatures or mutated beasts, all of which were frightened off by Ryo's sharp gaze or Orochimaru's silent, ominous killing intent. They avoided several patrol teams from Ame without incident.
The two-kilometer trek passed quickly in silence. Up ahead, a large vertical space came into view. A circular maintenance shaft, more than ten meters in diameter, extended upward. Cold rain poured down from the shaft opening above, forming a curtain of water. Rusted metal rungs were embedded into the shaft wall, stretching upward and disappearing into the hazy light above.
"The tower district is right above us," Jiraiya said, glancing upward, his voice low. The rain splashing against his face sent a chill through him. "Once we go up, we'll have to be even more careful. Hanzo's sensory abilities are extremely sharp. His salamander might be lurking nearby too."
Ryo nodded, his gaze scanning the shaft wall and the structure above. "I'll go up first to scout." He moved to the shaft edge, ignoring the unstable-looking ladder. With a light pulse of chakra at his feet, his body rose silently, gliding up the slick shaft wall like a feather. It was the Light-Weight Rock Technique, a gift from Kitsuchi, enabling him to fly.
His figure soon vanished into the rain and mist above the shaft.
Moments later, a tiny pebble splashed into the water below, a signal of safety.
Tsunade gave a low command. "Go." She grabbed the cold ladder and climbed swiftly. Jiraiya and Orochimaru followed right behind.
When they emerged from the shaft's exit, a stronger, colder gust of wind and rain blasted into their faces. Before them stretched a strange and imposing region of countless towering iron-gray spires supported by vast steel structures, the core of Amegakure, the tower district. Steel bridges crisscrossed between the towers like spiderwebs, and rain streamed down their metallic surfaces. The air was heavy with moisture and a faint scent of rust, and visibility was low.
Ryo crouched under the shadow of a massive pipe protrusion not far ahead. His sharp gaze pierced through the rain and steel barriers, his Observation Haki sweeping the entire area like a radar. He raised his hand and pointed at the largest, most imposing tower ahead. Its shape resembled a colossal straw hat, with a spire reaching into the clouds, shrouded in rain and gloom. His voice was low and clear. "Target, the main tower. Hanzo is inside. His chakra feels like a mountain, dense with poison and pressure." He paused as his perception extended farther. "Behind the tower, inside that fenced-off purple swamp, there's a massive life form. The poison's source is there."
Ryo stood, his eyes locking onto the tower. "Stick to the plan. Tsunade, Jiraiya, Orochimaru. The salamander is yours. Make a big enough ruckus to draw the tower's attention. I'll go straight for Hanzo."
Tsunade clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles white, but her eyes resolute. "Got it. Be careful."
Jiraiya took a deep breath, hands forming seals. "Summoning Technique, ready." He was preparing to call forth a large toad suited for battle in this environment.
Orochimaru licked his lips, the fervor in his eyes no longer hidden. "Heh… the salamander's venom… I'm quite looking forward to sampling it…"
"Go."
The moment the words left his mouth, Ryo's figure became a black streak that tore through the rain. He didn't bother with evasive maneuvers, simply charging in a straight line toward the highest tower. His speed was so fast, he left behind a blurred afterimage and a spray of water.
Almost simultaneously, a deafening roar erupted from the poison swamp behind the tower.
"ROAAAR."
A colossal figure covered in dark blue scales, Ibuse, rose from the toxic swamp, its foul yellow eyes locking instantly onto the intruders. It sensed a massive threat and intrusion.
Battle broke out instantly.
Tsunade's chakra surged, monstrous strength condensed into her fist as she slammed it into the ground. Boom. The shockwave exploded like a cannon blast, sending mud and violet poison mist flying skyward, striking Ibuse's head with brutal force. The impact could shatter stone.
Jiraiya completed his summon. "Summoning Technique: Gamabunta." With a massive puff of smoke and cascading rain, the enormous red toad landed heavily, pipe in mouth, short blade at his waist. The steel bridge trembled under his weight. He pointed the smoking pipe at Ibuse. "Jiraiya boy, another one of these stinking brutes?"
Orochimaru slithered through the toxic mist like a true serpent, evading the jets of venom spat by Ibuse. His hands formed seals. "Formation of Ten Thousand Snakes." Countless vipers burst from his sleeves, swarming toward Ibuse, biting and wrapping around its massive body. At the same time, he drew the Kusanagi sword from his mouth, its gleam like a serpent's tongue, striking at the beast's eyes and joints.
The battle between the three Sannin and the demigod's summoning beast entered a white-hot phase. Roars, explosions, and crashing jutsu filled the tower district. The chaos immediately caught the attention of guards inside the main tower. Lights flared across the tower, and shrill alarms pierced the rain.
Amidst the chaos and the attention it drew, a black figure appeared at the very top floor of the main tower, just beneath the massive hat-like spire. Ryo, using Flying Thunder God Technique.
He materialized silently. Cold rain struck his cloak, running off the edge of his hood. He raised his head slightly, and under the hood, those hawk-sharp eyes locked precisely onto the source of that mountain-like, venomous chakra deep within the tower.
Target, Hanzo of the Salamander. Inside.
His right hand moved faster than the eye could see, gripping the hilt of the ancient sheathed blade at his back, Kusanagi.
Within him, the immense power forged through relentless gravity training surged. It fused with the supreme sword intent inherited from Shanks. The bottleneck at 59.9 percent felt like it trembled, shaken by his boiling fighting spirit and craving for a worthy opponent. This was the pressure he needed. The battle he craved.
"Hah."
A low, firm shout erupted from his throat, laced with a will to cut through everything. Every muscle in his body tightened like steel cables, channeling power into the sword.
A clear, piercing sword cry echoed across the sky, even louder than the battle raging below.
Kusanagi was drawn. The blade glowed not brightly, but with a deep, restrained brilliance that whispered of annihilation.
Ryo's body twisted in place. Harnessing the explosive strength in his entire body, he brought the blade around in a sweeping slash aimed directly at the deepest point of the tower where Hanzo's chakra pulsed.
An indescribable wave of sword energy burst from the blade.
The air tore apart. Rain and mist were sliced and obliterated as if made of paper. The dark sky seemed to split open along a gleaming silver scar. The sword energy didn't stretch for mere meters. It surged forth for tens of meters, nearly tangible, propelled by impossible speed and density.
That terrifying slash, glowing with silver-gray light and laced with the will to cut down everything, ignored distance. It blasted toward the top floors of the tower with a force that could shatter heaven. The steel structure split apart like hot butter under a knife. The screech of twisting metal was drowned by the roar of the blade.
Rumble.
The supposedly indestructible top floor of the tower, with its steel walls and support beams, crumbled under Ryo's most powerful slash, meant to break through his bottleneck and his enemy in one strike. Massive shards of steel, stone, and glass shot in all directions like an explosion. The entire massive tower trembled violently under the impact.
The slash was aimed straight at the location of "Demigod" Hanzo of the Salamander.
(To be continued.)