He could only ask quietly, "When do we move?"
"I don't know." Sakumo Hatake stared coldly at Hanzo, his gaze seeming to pierce through the earth itself. "But think back—at the very beginning, that Hyuga ninja said Hanzo arrived with bodyguards. Have you seen any of them since?"
Hiroki frowned.
"Or maybe," Sakumo continued, "those 'bodyguards' were never real. They could have been Water Clones from the start. Right now, we can't even be sure how many clones he's deployed. Combined with the poison gland you mentioned, some of the enemies fighting up there might not even be his real body."
Sakumo's voice remained calm, but his eyes were sharp. "His reaction speed is monstrous. His taijutsu is overwhelming. He's a ninja without weaknesses."
Aboveground, the Akimichi jonin had already shrunk back to his normal size. A deep gash crossed his body, and purple veins spread from the wound—poison. Gritting his teeth, he injected an antidote and staggered backward.
In close combat, Hanzo was terrifying.In ninjutsu, it was even worse.
He was a Water Release master, and this battlefield was drenched in rain. It was his ideal environment. Fire techniques were almost useless, and only Lightning Release could restrain him—but lightning users were extremely rare, and true experts even rarer.
Taijutsu couldn't win.Ninjutsu couldn't win.
Unless—
Genjutsu.
"See you in hell!" Orochimaru struck first, casting an illusion.
But in an instant, Hanzo shattered it.
"Don't underestimate a warrior's will," he sneered, vanishing again.
Every Konoha ninja went on full alert.
This time, without a Hyuga or Yamanaka present, they had almost no way to counter Hanzo's sudden assassination strikes.
Yet strangely, Hanzo didn't reappear right away.
Something was wrong.
Hidden within the rainwater, breathing through his respirator, Hanzo silently observed them.
The numbers didn't add up.
Ino–Shika–Chō, Hyuga, Inuzuka, Aburame—almost every major clan had sent elites. Aside from the Sarutobi and Uchiha, who were ill-suited for this environment, this was practically a gathering of Konoha's strongest.
But it was… too much.
They wouldn't send this many jonin just to delay him.
Hanzo narrowed his eyes.
He had heard rumors—Kakuzu, the legendary bounty hunter, had recently been defeated by Konoha. Hanzo knew Kakuzu personally. That monster's Earth Grudge Fear, his iron-hard Earth Spear, his fused elemental attacks—none of these ninjas should have survived him easily.
Yet here they were.
Which meant—
They were hiding something.
Among this many jonin, there had to be someone capable of delivering a fatal blow.
So where was he?
Hanzo searched the rain, but found nothing.
"…Underground?" he muttered.
Suddenly—
"The rain level is rising abnormally!" Aburame Ryoma shouted. "He's trying to flood the area!"
"My insects are being forced upward!"
"There may be poison in the water!" Tsunade yelled. "Inject antidotes immediately!"
"Too much water!" Jiraiya cursed. "My Fire Release is useless!"
"I found him!" the Inuzuka jonin barked. "His scent—over there!"
Before he could finish—
A scythe burst from the puddle beneath his feet, slicing clean through his legs. His body collapsed, and a second strike severed his head.
Another corpse.
Jiraiya clenched his teeth.Orochimaru's brows knit tightly.
Hanzo the Demigod—this was absolute suppression.
At the same time, Ibuse launched another charge, its massive body smashing toward Konoha's formation.
Boom!
The Akimichi jonin roared, expanding again to block it. Nara Shikazō followed instantly, shadow binding the salamander in place.
"I can't hold him much longer!"
Slash!
Hanzo's scythe erupted from the water again, aiming for Shikazō.
"Dance of the Crescent Moon!"
A prepared jonin intercepted, sending two shadow clones forward.
Puff! Puff!
Water.
The clones dissolved instantly.
Hanzo appeared behind him in the same heartbeat—
Slash.
Another body fell.
Fourth casualty.
"Where's your trump card?" Hanzo sneered. "Are you really going to sacrifice everyone just to buy him time?"
His eyes swept the battlefield.
Then—
He saw it.
One ninja's expression shifted—just slightly.
So there really was a hidden ace.
"Interesting…" Hanzo murmured.
Underground—
"Get ready," Sakumo said quietly. "I'll create the opening."
"No more waiting?"
"Can't wait. The water level is rising. If we delay, we won't be able to burst out properly. He's already guessed we're underground."
Hiroki took a deep breath and nodded.
Sakumo's chakra surged.
"I'll strike first. You'll have about five seconds. After that, the earth seal fades—stay longer and you'll suffocate."
"Tsunade told me you can use her strength for straight-line acceleration. Don't worry about noise—the earth will cover it."
"I'll try to kill him, but that's unlikely."
"When he blocks or dodges—move. That's your window."
Sakumo said no more.
"Moving now!"
Aboveground—
Hanzo returned to Ibuse, calming it. He was annoyed—every time he stayed hidden, they attacked the salamander. But Ibuse wasn't huge enough to fight so many jonin alone.
Akimichi blocked.Nara restrained.Orochimaru reversed poison.Tsunade healed.And that white-haired sloucher…
Dangerous.
Only weakness—
No Lightning user.
—Or so he thought.
BOOM!
A bolt of lightning erupted from the ground without warning!
"So you finally show yourself!" Hanzo roared. "Are you their trump card!?"
Steel met lightning.
CLANG!
The masked ninja emerged—white hair, short blade crackling with electricity.
"Excellent," Hanzo laughed. "Your swordsmanship rivals Mifune! Add Lightning Release and stealth—you're even better than him!"
He pressed forward—
But—
A smaller figure burst from the ground!
She grabbed Hanzo's ankle!
Another one!?
Hanzo's pupils shrank. His scythe slashed downward—
[Ding dong][Detected connectable device: 'Hanzo'][Temporary link established via Chakra Communication Protocol][Open files?]