South Gate
Chiyo currently appeared as a middle-aged woman. Her eyes were icy cold. The Sand Village's finances were already in crisis, with income failing to cover expenses. This declaration of war by Hanzo of the Salamander had successfully shifted their internal conflicts.
To repay the Rain Village's kindness, I'll put in some effort and drive all you trash back!
With that thought, Chiyo extended both hands. Ten chakra threads shot out from her ten fingers and attached to the Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu.
Then, with a lift of her hands and a slight movement of her fingers, all ten puppets sprang into action, moving as fluidly as real humans as they charged toward the rapidly approaching Hanzo of the Salamander.
Hanzo roared, spinning past the first of the Ten Puppets. He raised his right hand and slashed downward. Swish!
His blade turned, and the second puppet was struck down. As he pulled his sword back, the third puppet raised its sharpened spike and thrust it toward Hanzo.
Just as he prepared to counter, the puppet he had previously struck down tightly gripped his sword. Hanzo's expression changed. He released his grip on the sword, using the force of the puppet's pull to leap backward, dodging the third puppet's attack.
Then, with another spin, he severed the third puppet's head. Before he could catch his breath, the first puppet shot poison-coated senbon at him!
Hanzo instinctively used the Substitution Technique. Thud. Tak tak tak. The sound echoed as a log replaced him in his original position, and the poisoned senbon struck the wood.
The poison was potent. In an instant, the log turned from brown to a dark purple-black. Hanzo's eyes darkened. "You old hag, you fight dirty!"
Old hag? Chiyo had originally intended to stall him without going all out, but now he called her an old hag?!
Boom! A massive surge of chakra erupted from her, thickening the chakra threads connected to her fingers. The Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu drew their weapons—swords, spears, forks, guns, cannons, lightning rods, saws, and hooks.
Hanzo narrowed his eyes, tossing aside his katana. He reached behind his back and pulled out his signature weapon—the chain scythe.
Those who knew his reputation understood that he was serious now. This was his exclusive weapon, not something replaceable by a mere katana or longsword!
"Bastard, didn't anyone teach you never to comment on a woman's age?!" Chiyo roared, her hair standing on end from the sheer force of her chakra.
The Ten Puppets charged at Hanzo at twice their previous speed.
Hanzo retreated, but the puppets pursued relentlessly. Then, he formed hand seals and smirked. "Fire Release: Explosive Flame Formation!"
Chiyo's eyebrows twitched. She withdrew four of the puppets, leaving the remaining six within the range of the explosive tags.
Instantly, countless explosive tags hidden underground flew up and attached themselves to the six puppets. With Hanzo's roar—
Boom!
The six puppets were blown apart, reduced to wreckage. Chiyo tried to control them but found they could no longer move. She retracted her threads, her expression grave.
She didn't know when Hanzo had planted those explosive tags. Why hadn't he used this against Jiraiya's forces when they attacked the South Gate?
This wasn't entirely Chiyo's fault. The Explosive Flame Formation was an A-rank jutsu, meaning only true high-level shinobi with substantial chakra reserves could activate it. In the Rain Village, aside from Hanzo, who else met those conditions?
Thus, Jiraiya and his troops had not suffered from this technique.
Hanzo snorted. This old woman was making a big deal out of nothing. He swung his chain scythe at Chiyo, but one of the remaining puppets—a bull-headed construct—intervened.
Puppet Technique: Shield!
Clang! The chain scythe was deflected. Hanzo's eyes gleamed. Using the rebound force, he swung again!
Chain Scythe Two-Strike Attack! The tip of the scythe pierced through the bull puppet's back, impaling it. Hanzo gripped the base of the chain and yanked hard—
Crunch. The puppet's metal torso was torn apart. Another of the Ten Puppets was lost.
Hanzo licked his lips, sneering at Chiyo. Only three puppets remained, and they didn't look particularly strong. He didn't think he could lose now.
Chiyo, however, was solemn. She had initially believed the Rain Village was just a minor shinobi village and that Hanzo's reputation was exaggerated. But now, she realized just how powerful he truly was.
Hanzo prepared to deliver the final blow. "Salamander!"
The giant salamander responded instantly, first dissolving into white smoke before reappearing beside Hanzo. With perfect synchronization, the salamander spewed out a thick purple poison mist.
The mist was not only highly toxic but also covered an enormous area, instantly enveloping Chiyo!
Hanzo smirked. "Ninja Art: Scythe Mist Technique!" His figure vanished into the poisonous fog as he silently approached Chiyo, searching for an opening.
Chiyo snorted. With a single-handed motion, the remaining three puppets formed a triangular formation. With a sharp tug of her hand—
"Three Treasures Suction Crush!" The three puppets opened their mouths wide, sucking in vast amounts of the poison mist. Even Hanzo struggled to resist the pull of this technique.
Damn it, this jutsu counters me perfectly! This is annoying!
Once the poison mist was completely absorbed, Chiyo grinned. "Everyone, gather around me!"
The Sand shinobi immediately halted their fighting and retreated behind Chiyo. Hanzo suddenly realized something. "Not good!" He hurled his chain scythe at the puppets—
Clang! A shield of iron sand blocked the attack, deflecting the scythe. This time, Hanzo's expression changed. Magnet Release? Iron sand? Could it be—
Then, he saw a man with spiky blue hair standing imposingly above him, arms crossed.
The Third Kazekage! He had arrived—the strongest Kazekage in history! Hanzo had already fought a major battle. He wasn't confident about facing two Kage-level opponents at once!
The Third Kazekage tilted his head slightly, gesturing toward the Rain shinobi forces.
Chiyo smirked. "As the Kazekage commands!" The three puppets opened their mouths again, spewing the salamander's lethal poison mist back at the Rain shinobi.
Hanzo bellowed, "Retreat!" He dashed toward his second-in-command at top speed. The Rain shinobi, however, were not so lucky. They tried to flee, but a wall of iron rose from the ground, blocking their escape.
As the poison mist engulfed them, their bodies lost strength. Purple spots spread across their skin before they collapsed. Only then did the Third Kazekage signal Chiyo to stop.
Chiyo obeyed without question, using the puppets to absorb the poison mist again. She would study it carefully later—it might prove useful in the future.
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