"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A violent gale erupted, tearing across the battlefield and instantly sweeping away the purple poisonous mist. Orochimaru stood at the center of it all—he was the first to counterattack.
"Akimichi!" Orochimaru's hoarse shout cut through the storm.
"I'm here!" came the thunderous reply. A jonin from the Akimichi clan began to swell rapidly, his body expanding like a bag filled with air. In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a colossal mountain of flesh that blotted out the light itself.
Without hesitation, he retracted his limbs and curled his entire body into a massive spinning sphere.
Human Bullet Tank!
With terrifying momentum capable of smashing city walls, he crashed straight into the giant salamander, Ibuse.
Orochimaru didn't pause. He drew in a deep breath, his chest expanding, and then exhaled an even fiercer hurricane.
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!
At the same time, Jiraiya moved without hesitation.
"Fire Release: Flame Bullet!"
Flames burst from his mouth just as Orochimaru's wind surged forward, scattering the fire across the battlefield. The gloomy Land of Rain was instantly lit in a blazing red glow.
Perfect—light.
Nara Shikazō formed a hand seal. A pitch-black shadow shot from beneath his feet, slithering across the ground like a living creature. The raging flames magnified the shadow of the Akimichi jonin spinning in Human Bullet Tank mode, creating a massive silhouette.
Shikazō's shadow technique hid perfectly within it, like a venomous serpent silently creeping toward the arrogant figure standing atop the salamander.
Three elite jonin attacked at once, their coordination flawless. Like tidal waves crashing from three directions, they sealed every possible escape route.
But—
Was it enough?
"Too naive, Konoha ninja."
The figure on Ibuse's head dissolved into a puddle of water.
Water Clone Jutsu.
"Target lost!" a Hyuga ninja shouted in panic. His Byakugan was pushed to its limit, veins bulging, yet all he could see was chaotic chakra turbulence. Hanzo's presence had vanished completely.
Too fast.
Like an arrow moving underwater.
Even the Byakugan couldn't keep up.
A blade of water suddenly formed behind the Yamanaka jonin. Hanzo materialized in an instant, his scythe tracing a cold, silent arc that cleanly severed the man's throat. Blood sprayed into the rain before being washed away, and the light in his eyes faded.
First support unit eliminated.
Hanzo calmly scanned the battlefield. Akimichi, Nara, Yamanaka—their formation was predictable. The Yamanaka clan's techniques were famous; of course he had prepared for them.
"Bastard!" Jiraiya roared, slamming his palms onto the ground. "Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!"
The terrain transformed into a massive bog, attempting to trap Ibuse, but Hanzo melted into rain again. Another water clone. The swamp swallowed nothing but falling droplets.
"Over there!" Aburame Ryoma shouted, spreading his arms. A black cloud of insects surged forward, but before they reached their target, they struck invisible poison and fell from the sky. Their bodies twitched, blackened, and died.
Poison.
Ryoma's expression didn't change. Another wave of insects surged out.
Hanzo had already flickered away.
"You think bugs can kill me?" he sneered. "Why didn't Sarutobi come himself? Did he just send you all to die?"
Despite his words, his eyes carefully scanned the battlefield—just in case.
"Even if Sensei isn't here, you—!" Tsunade started.
"Don't fall for it!" Orochimaru snapped.
Hanzo laughed coldly. "So he went to deal with Ōnoki instead? How arrogant—sending you to me while he handles him."
One moment Hanzo stood still. The next, his voice echoed beside a Hyuga jonin. The ninja didn't even have time to react. A chill ran down his spine as the world spun—his own headless body falling into view.
Second casualty.
Only seconds had passed.
"Watch the terrain!" Jiraiya shouted. "He's using rainwater to move instantly!"
Hanzo raised an eyebrow. "So what?"
His scythe appeared behind Jiraiya.
"Wild Lion's Mane!" Jiraiya's white hair hardened like steel, barely blocking the strike before nearly shattering.
Super strength—
Tsunade's fist smashed down.
Hanzo vanished again.
"Fire Release: Exploding Flame Array!"
Flames erupted where he had stood, engulfing Tsunade.
"Tsuna!?" Jiraiya shouted.
"I'm fine!" Tsunade burst from the flames, her skin burned but glowing green as chakra rapidly healed the damage. It wasn't Creation Rebirth—just a lower-tier technique developed after studying Hiroki's automatic Mystical Palm method.
"We need to counterattack," Orochimaru ordered.
"I know!" Tsunade roared. She stomped, shattering the rock beneath her, and shot forward like a cannonball. Her powerful legs launched her skyward.
"You can teleport—but what about your summon?! Die!"
She gathered all her chakra into a single point and smashed down toward Ibuse's massive head.
Hanzo reappeared instantly. His scythe struck upward.
CLANG!
A shockwave exploded outward. Tsunade's mountain-crushing punch was blocked head-on. She was blasted backward, carving deep trenches in the mud before stabilizing.
Hanzo barely swayed.
Stronger than Tsunade?
"Chakra control?" Hanzo sneered. "I'm not worse than you. And close combat? I've honed my blade for a lifetime, little girl."
Silence fell over Konoha's forces.
This wasn't a battle.
This was domination.
Hanzo the Demigod.
Underground, Sakumo Hatake spoke calmly. "He senses using water. Extremely cautious. Dodges even minor threats."
"Poison gland?" Hiroki asked.
"Likely. That would explain his obsession with avoiding injury. And he prioritizes support—Yamanaka first, then Hyuga."
Hiroki fell silent. His battlefield analysis was far inferior to Sakumo's.
"…When do we move?" he finally asked.