Chapter 162: The Akatsuki's Defense and Offense (1 & 2 )
Hidden Rain Village.
Shimura Danzō sat in his chair, eyes closed.
He was perfectly calm, looking completely at ease.
After all, no matter how he looked at it, his plan was flawless.
While Konan's strength was respectable, against eight members of Root, she could only be taken captive.
Not far from him was Hanzō.
He wore a gas mask and a snorkel. His hair was completely white, and only his eyes were visible.
Hanzō had made his name across the ninja world with poison. In addition to his summon, the Salamander, he himself possessed the ability to poison.
This ability stemmed from the poison sac of a salamander that had been implanted into his abdomen when he was a child.
He wore the mask and snorkel precisely to avoid accidentally harming his own subordinates.
Just then, a Root ninja rushed in from outside.
Shimura Danzō opened his eyes. Upon seeing the ninja's expression, he couldn't help but frown slightly.
"Lord Danzō."
The Root ninja glanced at Hanzō, leaned close to Shimura Danzō, and whispered a few words.
"What?"
Shimura Danzō gasped involuntarily, his face instantly turning utterly grim.
What in the world is Tsunade doing here?
Why would she suddenly appear and rescue Konan?
Shimura Danzō had just departed for the Land of Rain when the Akatsuki sent word to the Leaf Village.
Consequently, he was completely unaware that Hiruzen Sarutobi had met with Tsunade and sent her to the Akatsuki.
But the biggest problem now wasn't Konan—it was himself.
With Tsunade's abilities, she would certainly discover the true identity of the 'Stone Village' ninjas who had abducted Konan.
If she returned to the village and told Hiruzen Sarutobi, what punishment would he be facing?
As Shimura Danzō considered this, his expression shifted between dark and light, totally unstable.
"Lord Danzō."
Hanzō's gaze flickered. He asked, "Did the capture fail?"
"Yes."
Shimura Danzō sighed, saying, "My subordinates were incompetent. I am truly ashamed."
"Akatsuki certainly possesses some skill."
Hanzō nodded slightly, but his heart was filled with contempt for Danzō and his Root. They couldn't even capture a mere girl.
"But they are all beneath you, Lord Hanzō."
Shimura Danzō praised him, "When you single-handedly defeated the Three Sannin back then, they were nothing more than insignificant, small children."
"You flatter me."
Hanzō raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on his lips.
The greater the fame of the Leaf's Three Sannin, the greater his own reputation became.
"With Konan's capture having failed, Yahiko and Nagato will surely be on high alert. It's unlikely we can lure them out now," Shimura Danzō said slowly.
"A minor issue."
Hanzō spoke dismissively, "They can only continue to cling to life."
He was in a state of high confidence after Shimura Danzō had successfully stirred up memories of his past glory.
"But mice are always a nuisance," Shimura Danzō said, his voice sinking. "I can provide Lord Hanzō with the precise location of the Akatsuki's base."
Hanzō paused slightly, sinking into thought.
The Akatsuki's current overall strength was not to be underestimated. A direct assault would certainly cost the Hidden Rain Village a heavy price.
"Lord Hanzō, your poison gas is a fearsome weapon for conquering territory. Taking down the Akatsuki will require no effort at all," Shimura Danzō continued.
"You've given me an idea."
Hanzō shot him a look and said, "We'll move now."
Shimura Danzō's words were indeed correct.
The Hidden Rain Village's ability to fight the Leaf Village to a standstill back then was largely due to his poison gas.
Moreover, there was another reason.
If he refused now, it would look like a sign of weakness, and that would tarnish his reputation.
"Root will assist in any way we can."
Shimura Danzō secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed his strategic praise had worked.
Now that Hanzō was taking action, both the Akatsuki and Tsunade would perish.
If that happened, Hiruzen Sarutobi would never learn of his actions in the Land of Rain.
In Danzō's eyes, Hanzō had defeated the Three Sannin before; with only Tsunade present now, taking her out would be as easy as flicking a finger.
Half an hour earlier.
Konan slowly opened her eyes.
She was startled to see Tsunade and Hoshikawa .
She subconsciously frowned as the memory of what happened just before she fainted came rushing back.
"Wha—What happened?" Konan couldn't help but ask.
"Hanzō's subordinates impersonated Leaf Village ninjas to lure you out," Tsunade paused, then added, "It is our Leaf Village's fault for having a traitor."
She didn't explicitly name Shimura Danzō.
If Konan knew he was behind it, she would undoubtedly suspect the entire Leaf Village's motives.
After all, Shimura Danzō was a high-ranking official in the Leaf.
She would certainly not believe this was merely a personal vendetta.
"I see."
A look of realization dawned on Konan's face. She added, "Regardless, I must thank you all for saving my life."
"We should rush back to the Akatsuki base!"
Hoshikawa suddenly thought of something and exclaimed, "The Hidden Rain Village and Hanzō now know the precise location of the Akatsuki base!"
"That's right!"
Tsunade's expression hardened. "The capture operation failed. They definitely won't let this go and might launch a full-scale assault."
"Let's go!"
Konan struggled to her feet, speaking with urgency.
They stopped talking and immediately left at their fastest speed.
Fortunately, they had a head start, moving faster than the Hidden Rain Village and Hanzō.
"Go call Yahiko and Nagato back!"
Once Konan arrived at the Akatsuki base, she immediately issued the command.
"Konan,"
Tsunade pulled out a scroll and said, "This contains the antidote."
"This is a huge help!"
Konan's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade!"
Hanzō's poison gas was their biggest headache.
The entire Akatsuki was helpless against it, as they lacked medical ninjas who could administer an antidote.
In the original story, only two people could counteract Hanzō's poison: Tsunade and Chiyo.
"The antidote isn't a cure-all," Tsunade shook her head, her voice grave. "If the exposure to the poison gas lasts too long, the antidote will also be ineffective."
"I understand."
Konan's heart immediately clenched.
"Move quickly," Tsunade warned. "If there isn't enough time to relocate, prepare for battle."
"Understood!"
Konan took the scroll and turned to leave.
"It looks like we'll most likely have a fight on our hands with Hanzō," Tsunade said slowly, looking at Hoshikawa and the others.
"We're fighting Hanzō the Hanzo? For real?"
Might Duy looked utterly incredulous.
As a perpetual Genin, the highest-ranking missions he'd ever taken were no more than B-rank; he had never even encountered a Jōnin.
And now he was facing Hanzō, the legendary figure who had defeated the Leaf's Three Sannin.
Yūhi Kurenai and Nohara Rin had similar reactions.
They were only Chūnin, and now they had to fight the legendary "Half-God," which naturally filled them with anxiety.
"We still have a chance at victory," Tsunade smiled, saying, "Don't be so nervous."
She glanced at Hoshikawa , suddenly feeling thankful.
It was thanks to his suggestion that Might Duy had come along.
If it were just her, Tsunade wouldn't have had absolute confidence in defeating Hanzō.
But with Might Duy, it became possible.
Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door.
It was Yahiko and Nagato.
"Lady Tsunade."
Yahiko stepped forward and said gratefully, "Thank you for rescuing Konan."
Hoshikawa subconsciously assessed Nagato.
He was not the sickly cripple from the original story; instead, he possessed a very healthy body.
The only difference was his Rinnegan.
Nagato noticed Hoshikawa 's gaze, but merely glanced at him before ignoring him.
He had no fondness for the Leaf Village's ninjas and no intention of getting acquainted.
"It's nothing," Tsunade smiled faintly. "The Leaf Village and the Akatsuki are allies now. This is what we should do."
"Konan has already explained the situation to me. I will organize everyone to leave immediately."
Yahiko didn't waste any time and got straight to the point.
"Where is Konan?" Tsunade nodded slightly and asked.
"She's scouting outside the base," Yahiko explained. "She can fly and keep a timely eye on the Hidden Rain Village's movements."
"Alright," Tsunade waved her hand and said, "You two get to work."
"Konan-senpai is back."
Hoshikawa suddenly spoke.
The others paused, and then they heard the sound of rushing wind.
"The Hidden Rain Village and Hanzō will be here any moment!"
Konan descended from the sky, folding her wings. Her expression was solemn as she spoke.
"That fast?"
Yahiko subconsciously looked at Tsunade.
He was still just a boy and hadn't experienced a situation like this before.
"Let's go!"
Tsunade spoke decisively.
If she wanted to escape, she could use the Reverse Summoning Jutsu.
But under Hanzō's poison gas, the Akatsuki would likely be annihilated.
She naturally wouldn't stand by and let that happen.
Besides, they weren't without a chance, so her thought was simple: Fight!
Just as they reached the entrance of the Akatsuki base, they felt the ground begin to tremble.
They instinctively looked into the distance.
A massive Salamander filled their sight.
It was brown on the back, white on the belly, and had four limbs—it looked like a long-tailed toad.
Hanzō stood on the Salamander's head.
Behind him, platoons of Hidden Rain Village ninjas followed the Salamander in perfect formation.
With Hanzō at the center, they spread out in all directions, completely encircling the Akatsuki base.
Within the curtain of rain, the dark, dense figures looked like an ominous cloud, exuding a heavy killing intent.
"Can—Can we win?"
Nohara Rin swallowed hard, her voice laced with uncertainty.
This was the first time she had witnessed a battle of this scale.
Yūhi Kurenai wanted to say something but didn't know how to answer her.
A battle involving a few hundred people was already terrifying; she couldn't imagine the meat grinder that was a war with thousands or tens of thousands.
She was now getting a visceral sense of the cruelty of war.
"Konan."
Yahiko took a deep breath and instructed, "You are responsible for coordinating and defending the base."
"Yes."
Konan nodded seriously.
"Kurenai and Rin, you follow Konan," Tsunade said slowly, looking at the familiar figure in the distance.
"Hanzō and the Salamander are for us to handle."
"No need."
Nagato spoke abruptly. "I will handle Hanzō."
"Nagato!"
Yahiko instantly turned to him and said, "Listen to Lady Tsunade's orders."
Nagato opened his mouth, but reluctantly agreed.
"Is that—Tsunade?"
Hanzō's gaze sharpened, and he raised his hand.
The Hidden Rain ninja army immediately halted, staying put.
"Lord Hanzō, what happened?" asked Salamander Handa, who was known as Hanzō's right-hand man.
"Nothing," Hanzō frowned and said.
The reason he was annoyed was that Shimura Danzō had not informed him of Tsunade's presence.
But now that he was here, he couldn't possibly retreat.
After all, he'd come with such a grand show of force. If he backed down, he would completely lose face.
"No wonder that old geezer Danzō didn't come with us," Hanzō snorted inwardly, vowing that he would settle the score with him once they returned.
He looked up and scanned the group, immediately feeling relieved.
There were only five Leaf Village ninjas.
Aside from Tsunade and Might Duy, the rest were just three kids.
As for Might Duy, Hanzō had absolutely no impression of him; he was likely an unremarkable ninja.
In other words, the only real threat was Tsunade.
No problem then.
"Tsunade, it's been a long time."
Hanzō, riding the Salamander, came to the front of the formation.
"It certainly has," Tsunade said emotionlessly.
"Are you alone?"
Hanzō chuckled softly. "Who gave you the courage?"
What overwhelming pressure!
Konan, Yūhi Kurenai, and the others all felt a shock in their hearts.
In the entire ninja world, there were only a handful of ninja who dared to speak to Tsunade like that.
And Hanzō certainly had the right, as he was the one who had bestowed the title of the Leaf's Three Sannin.
"You've gotten old, Hanzō."
Tsunade met his gaze. "You should be handing the era over to the younger generation!"
"Is that so?"
Hanzō's face darkened. He ordered, "Ibuse!"
The Salamander beneath him immediately opened its enormous, blood-red mouth.
"Use the antidote!" Tsunade quickly warned.
The next second, a cloud of purple mist spewed from the Salamander's mouth.
The six Hidden Rain Jōnin on either side of Hanzō simultaneously performed hand seals.
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!
Gales of wind appeared out of nowhere, catching the poison gas and pushing it toward the Akatsuki base at an incredible speed.
"Defense!" Yahiko roared.
Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!
Nagato reacted quickly, forming hand seals and slamming his hands onto the ground.
A massive wall of earth rose from the ground.
Compared to a normal wall of only two or three meters, Nagato's earth wall was an astonishing ten meters wide.
Hoshikawa curled his lips.
Having a massive amount of chakra meant you could do whatever you wanted.
As a descendant of the Uzumaki clan, Nagato's least concern was chakra.
Water Release: Water Formation Wall!
Yūhi Kurenai formed hand seals, and a water wall appeared in front of the earth wall.
The poison gas slammed into the water and earth walls, immediately causing corrosion.
Fortunately, it didn't break through.
However, a large portion of the gas spread around the walls to the sides.
Yahiko took the antidote and used the Body Flicker Technique to reach the left side, then clapped his hands together.
Wind Release: Violent Wind Palm!
The powerful wind forced the poison gas to curl back.
Konan, meanwhile, arrived on the right side and waved her hand.
A dense wall of paper formed in front of her.
"Attack!" Hanzō raised his hand and commanded.
The Hidden Rain ninjas behind him surged forward.
But they all acted with uncanny coordination, expertly avoiding the range of the poison gas.
"Everyone, prepare!"
Konan spread her wings and flew into the air.
"Hoshikawa , summon Gamabunta. Go confront him. Remember, the Salamander's poison gas interval is five minutes," Tsunade said gravely. "Duy, come with me. We're going to stop Hanzō!"
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