Hanzo's Second Phase

"Is there another possibility..."

Uchiha Mai smiled. "Maybe we aren't stronger than the Sannin. Maybe you're weaker than you were ten years ago."

Hanzo's face darkened at once.

It was true that Nagato and Uchiha Mai were stronger than the Sannin had been ten years ago. One was absurdly gifted, and the other had the Rinnegan.

It was also true that Hanzo was weaker than he had been ten years ago. Shinobi aged. Their bodies declined, and when growing experience could no longer make up the difference, their strength faded.

Worse, Hanzo had spent those ten years letting his ambition and edge slip away.

"All talk."

Hanzo sneered and charged again, swinging his short sickle at the four of them.

All four were formidable Jonin. Yahiko and Konan were a little weaker, but they were still at the level of Elite Jonin, and they worked remarkably well with Nagato.

Uchiha Mai had the most tricks and was the strongest of them. Even with some of his cards held back and only ordinary teamwork with the other three, he appeared just a little weaker than Nagato.

In the original story, Nagato had indeed been ambushed by Hanzo. But he had only used the Deva Path's abilities, drawing out the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path through the Outer Path only after he lost control.

Just how far Nagato had developed the Rinnegan at this point remained a mystery.

Now Uchiha Mai got to see for himself.

Nagato used three sets of abilities in succession: the Deva Path's Shinra Tensei and Banshō Ten'in, the Asura Path's mechanical armor, and the Animal Path's Summoning Jutsu.

Repulsion, attraction, a Bullet sniper rifle, a Maxim Machine Gun, an RPG launcher, and summoned beasts such as lions, tigers, horned hawks, and wolves—he had even more tricks