Battle of Amegakure

At the Amegakure battlefield.

"Compound Ninja Art: Flame Wind Chaotic Wave!"

"Compound Ninja Art: Earth Dragon Flame Bomb!"

After the two combined ninjutsu collided, Hiruzen Sarutobi sidestepped and swung the Gilded Staff to block Hanzo's sickle. With a powerful thrust, he knocked Hanzo away, then used the Body Flicker Technique to evade.

Hanzo was about to pursue when he saw Hiruzen Sarutobi create four clones, preparing to unleash his ultimate technique.

"Five Release: Great Exploding Star Technique!"

This was the Third Hokage's strongest move, possessing immense power. Since making his name, Hiruzen Sarutobi had never seen anyone withstand this technique head-on.

In his eyes, aside from a ninja as powerful as the First Hokage, practically a god, no one could block it with ease.

Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi had expected, the two opponents could only dodge and did not dare take it head-on.

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi knew that if he wanted to contend with these two, he could only keep using large-scale ninjutsu.

But if he did, his Chakra would likely not be enough. Presumably, that was the enemy's strategy as well.

As the three fought fiercely, a commotion suddenly broke out among the ninja forces below. Turning to look, they saw three enormous figures faintly emerging through the smoke.

They were the Summoning Beasts of Orochimaru and the other two.

"Old man, you're looking pretty pathetic."

Tsunade teased the Third Hokage. At the same time, a Slug slowly crawled onto Hiruzen Sarutobi's shoulder and began treating his injuries.

Rather than becoming angry at his disciple's teasing, the Third Hokage laughed heartily. He fought with ever-increasing ferocity, the Adamantine Staff in his hands whistling through the air with tremendous force.

The arrival of reinforcements greatly boosted the Konoha Ninja's morale, and Slugs appeared on the shoulders of many seriously wounded ninja.

At this point, Tsunade had not yet developed the Yin Seal to store Chakra, so she could not accomplish the later feat of healing an entire village by herself.

Healing a thousand people at the valley battlefield earlier had been manageable, but with over four thousand ninja below, she could not treat them all. She could only prioritize those who were injured.

"Little Tsunade, leave Hanzo's poison to you. Jiraiya, command the army. Orochimaru, you'll deal with Hanzo and Kakuzu alongside me."

Hiruzen Sarutobi gave the orders.

Hanzo watched the Konoha reinforcements with a dark expression.

His Summoning Beast, Salamander Ibuse, was being suppressed by Manda and Gamabunta. Although its poison could still take effect, the Slugs could also detoxify it.

To break the current deadlock, Hanzo had only two options: join forces with Kakuzu to defeat the Third Hokage and Orochimaru, or hold out until Sunagakure's reinforcements arrived.

Yet so much time had passed without any sign of Sunagakure's reinforcements. Combined with the traces of battle on Orochimaru and the others, he had already guessed some of what had happened.

But no matter what, he would fight first.

"Sword Technique: Iaido Slash!"

Hanzo of the Salamander charged at Hiruzen Sarutobi with his sickle in hand, and Hiruzen Sarutobi met him with the Adamantine Staff.

Hanzo's swordsmanship was formidable. If he were in the world next door of pirates, he would at least be a top-tier swordsman. Meanwhile, the Adamantine Staff formed from Enma was indestructible.

The Third Hokage was in his prime at this age, a true Hexagonal Warrior. His taijutsu was also at the highest level.

The two exchanged blow after blow, swordsmanship, taijutsu, Water Release, and Fire Release intertwining as they displayed the strength of Peak Kage-level fighters. This was combat at the very pinnacle of the Shinobi World.

Elsewhere, Orochimaru and Kakuzu also demonstrated a textbook clash of Five-Attribute Ninjutsu for the ninja present, declaring the power of two Kage-level ninja.

"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"

Kakuzu formed hand seals and pressed both hands to the ground. Two bolts of crackling lightning extended from his hands and attacked Orochimaru, but Orochimaru's Wind Blades from "Wind Release: Wind Blade Technique" cut off the lightning's conduction.

"Fire Release: Headhunter!"

The Wind Blades could sever the Lightning Release's conduction, but they could not shatter the fireballs Kakuzu spewed forth. The instant the fireballs struck the ground, they exploded into flames that spread in every direction, forming a sea of fire that surged toward Orochimaru.

"Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"

Orochimaru answered in kind. In the Land of Rain, Water Release received an enormous boost, directly washing away the sea of fire.

Kakuzu swiftly formed hand seals and unleashed his next ninjutsu: "Earth Release: Earth Spear."

This was one of Kakuzu's powerful techniques. By using Earth Release to harden his skin, he could bring his defense to an extremely high level, while also using it offensively to enhance the power of his taijutsu.

Orochimaru's Water Release could wash away the sea of fire, but it could not wash away Kakuzu, reinforced by Earth Release: Earth Spear.

Relying on his Earth Release-strengthened body, Kakuzu rushed forward, intending to compete with Orochimaru in taijutsu.

From Orochimaru's performance thus far, he appeared to be a typical ninjutsu-type ninja. Kakuzu himself had lived for many years before cultivating his ninjutsu to this level.

Orochimaru was so young, fair-skinned, and long-haired. At a glance, he did not look like someone skilled in taijutsu.

Without a doubt, Orochimaru truly was a ninjutsu-type ninja.

But he also knew his own weakness.

Kakuzu threw a punch, but Orochimaru twisted his body and evaded it with an exaggerated movement no human should have been capable of. At the same time, he attacked Kakuzu's eyes from an unbelievable angle—one of the areas not reinforced by Kakuzu's Earth Release.

He wanted to strike his opponent's current weakness before Kakuzu could react and close his eyes. Other than his ass, this was the only spot not covered by Earth Release: Earth Spear.

Orochimaru had no intention of letting One Thousand Years of Death appear in the Shinobi World so early. There was a whole crowd of ninja watching below; he could not afford that embarrassment.

But obviously, it was not so simple. Kakuzu noticed his intent in advance and avoided the attack.

Just like that, the two men—one hard and one soft, one rigid and one yielding—became locked in close combat, using two completely different, or rather completely opposite, taijutsu styles.

Obviously, this would not determine a winner, but close-quarters combat involved far more than just taijutsu.

Kakuzu's heart was struck by the Kusanagi Sword spat out by a giant snake Orochimaru had summoned at some unknown point, while Orochimaru was also hit by the Secret Technique: Earth Grudge Fear that Kakuzu had secretly unleashed.

One of Kakuzu's hearts was shattered. He opened his mouth and spat out a huge mouthful of black blood, then wiped his mouth and rose to his feet as if nothing had happened. He still had four hearts left.

Orochimaru also used the Great Snake Substitute Technique. Looking equally unharmed, he stuck out his tongue and licked his lips.

Previously, while the Great Snake Substitute Technique did not consume an enormous amount of Chakra with each use, its cost had still been considerable.

But after consuming the Dragon Yuan, Orochimaru's Chakra reserves had increased dramatically. Even using it three or four times in a row would likely consume less than a tenth of his Chakra, making it perfectly viable as a standard ninjutsu in battle.

Kakuzu began to feel like retreating. This man seemed rather similar to himself, both of them being the sort of ninja with ridiculously tenacious vitality.

He had already lost one of his five hearts, and his strength had been affected.

Yet his opponent's Chakra reserves did not seem to have decreased at all, and he was still maintaining an extremely high level of intensity.

If Orochimaru could destroy one heart, he could destroy a second. What about the third and fourth?

In any case, Hiruzen Sarutobi was impossible to keep here. It seemed he would not be getting the extra payment Hanzō had promised either.

Fortunately, he had already received the bounty Hanzō had paid beforehand. There was no benefit in fighting to the death now.

When he turned to look at Hanzō, he found that Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had expended quite a bit earlier, was being suppressed by Hanzō. He hesitated once more.

That moment of hesitation gave Orochimaru the chance to suppress him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi observed the surroundings and found that Orochimaru was pressing Kakuzu hard, while the Konoha Ninja, under Tsunade and Jiraiya's leadership, had also gained the upper hand.

It was just that Amegakure had the home-field advantage, and Hanzō had crazily built seventeen lines of defense, like the shell of a turtle. So he said to Hanzō:

"Hanzō, stop!

"You no longer have any chance! If this continues, neither you nor that Takigakure rogue ninja can be kept here, but I fear not a single one of the Rain Ninja under your command will remain."

What the Third Hokage said was true. Yet if it truly came to that, even if they could capture Amegakure, Konoha would suffer grievous casualties as well.

Stopping now was the best outcome for both sides.

Hanzō looked at the heavy casualties Amegakure had suffered around him. Kakuzu could not defeat Orochimaru, and the Third Hokage indeed still had the strength to hold him off. If things really ended as the Third Hokage said, with both sides fighting to mutual destruction, he would become a lone commander.

Hanzō had always been deeply desirous of power. Otherwise, he would not later have resorted to ruthless slaughter when his position was challenged by the Akatsuki Organization. Thus, he nodded in agreement.

As the leaders of both sides spoke at the same time, both Amegakure and Konoha ceased fighting.

Hanzō gave Orochimaru a long, deep look.

If not for that young man on the other side, then even if he could not keep Hiruzen Sarutobi here today, Konoha would have suffered greatly and been left unable to wage war again.

Then Hanzō waved his hand and led his subordinates back into Amegakure's buildings.

The Third Hokage likewise tacitly led the Konoha Ninja out of Amegakure.

In this battle, no one had emerged victorious, though Konoha had gained the most in the end.

Not only had it preserved most of its ninja, it had also severely damaged both Sunagakure and Amegakure.

With a little embellishment afterward, they could even boast that they had won.

The Third Hokage silently calculated in his heart.

A few days later, in a dense forest within the Land of Rain.

A travel-worn Hanzō arrived in secret.

Chiyo had already been waiting there for a long time.