Both Sides Badly Wounded!

"Wind Style: Vacuum Serial Waves!"

Shimura Danzō formed seals with both hands, exhaling a massive amount of aura that transformed into scythe-like slashing attacks sweeping toward the area where Hanzō the Salamander stood!

There was no helping it—Hanzō the Salamander's Body Flicker Technique was simply too fast. Shimura Danzō could not keep up with his speed at all.

Shimura Danzō could only use this kind of wide-range attack in an attempt to slow Hanzō the Salamander down.

But this was precisely the moment Hanzō the Salamander had been waiting for!

Hanzō the Salamander used the Body Flicker Technique to shift to the side of the Vacuum Serial Waves. He raised a hand and pulled down his mask to expose his mouth, then rapidly formed seals with both hands. "Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet!"

Though Hanzō the Salamander excelled at Water Release, that did not mean Water Release was all he knew.

Of the five elemental ninjutsu, aside from Water Release Ninjutsu, the one he used most often was Fire Release Ninjutsu.

Moreover, among the five elemental transformations, fire countered wind.

Fire rode the wind, and wind bolstered the fire!

If two ninja used Fire Release Ninjutsu and Wind Style Ninjutsu of equal strength against each other, the ninja using Wind Style would be horrified to discover that not only had his ninjutsu failed to stop his opponent's, it had actually increased its power!

And that was exactly what was happening now!

After the Great Flame Bullet Hanzō the Salamander spewed out collided with the Vacuum Serial Waves unleashed by Shimura Danzō, it rapidly spread into a surging Sea of Fire!

Yet the Sea of Fire's target was the Baku that was devouring the poisonous mist!

To Hanzō the Salamander, the Baku was far more threatening than those Root Ninja.

The Baku's devouring ability restricted Salamander Ibuse's Poison Spray, which was equivalent to erasing Hanzō the Salamander's greatest advantage on the battlefield.

As long as he dealt with the Baku, Salamander Ibuse would soon be able to unleash another Poison Spray.

When that happened, the Root Ninja trapped in the poisonous mist would be nothing more than lambs awaiting slaughter before Hanzō the Salamander!

"Awooo!!!"

The suction from the Baku's mouth accelerated the Sea of Fire's spread. In moments, it surged to the Baku's side, burning it until it howled in pain.

This also left the Baku unable to continue devouring the poisonous mist in the field, and before long, it vanished from the battlefield.

"Damn it! Wind Style: Vacuum Blade!"

Shimura Danzō realized that he had been tricked as well. He exhaled a cyclone that wrapped around the blade of the tachi in his hand, then slashed at Hanzō the Salamander!

As the tachi swept through the air, the cyclone on its blade extended outward, forming a massive Wind Blade that crossed more than ten meters and cleaved toward Hanzō the Salamander!

Hanzō the Salamander tilted his body aside. The enormous Wind Blade swept past him by a hair's breadth, carving a smooth gash into the ground!

After his strike failed, Shimura Danzō swung his tachi again and charged at Hanzō the Salamander!

Hanzō the Salamander casually removed the crooked mask from his face and threw it to the ground before rushing to meet Shimura Danzō head-on.

At this stage of the battle, there was no longer any need to worry about poison escaping through their breathing.

The figures of Hanzō the Salamander and Shimura Danzō crossed.

Although Shimura Danzō blocked the attack from Hanzō the Salamander's kusarigama, Dituo connected behind it smashed into his chest with a fierce gust of wind!

Shimura Danzō let out a muffled groan and staggered back several steps.

That blow from Hanzō the Salamander had broken at least two of his ribs!

In swordsmanship and taijutsu alone, Shimura Danzō was no match for Hanzō the Salamander!

Just as Hanzō the Salamander was about to press his advantage, several figures attacked from the surrounding area, restraining his movements!

They were the Root Ninja who had temporarily suppressed the poison in their bodies with Antidotes!

Although Salamander Ibuse's poison was extremely potent, it was naturally produced within its body and relatively simple. Many factions in the Ninja World had already developed corresponding Antidotes.

Konoha was one of them!

"Jonin-level fighters, stay and deal with Hanzō alongside me! The Others, go deal with that beast!"

After steadying himself, Shimura Danzō swiftly issued orders to the Root Ninja around him.

Though they possessed Antidotes for Salamander Ibuse's poison, the Antidotes were not all-powerful!

Once Salamander Ibuse's poison accumulated to a certain degree within their bodies, even Antidotes would be useless!

The logic was simple: one portion of alkali could not neutralize five portions of acid!

That was how quantitative change led to qualitative change!

According to their intelligence, each time Salamander Ibuse used Poison Spray, it needed to accumulate poison for roughly Five Minutes before it could use Poison Spray again.

They had to eliminate Salamander Ibuse before then. They absolutely could not allow it to use Poison Spray again!

Following Shimura Danzō's command, only three Root Ninja remained to surround Hanzō the Salamander, and it nearly made Danzo's Heart Force ache beyond endurance!

These were Jonin!

In any village, Jonin were considered the village's core strength!

Over the years, his Root had spent countless resources to cultivate fewer than thirty Jonin!

And after excluding the Jonin left behind at the Root Base and those carrying out other missions, of the nearly twenty Jonin he had brought this time, only three remained alive!

How could Shimura Danzō not feel heartbroken?

"Be Careful of his poison! Don't let his kusarigama wound you!"

Shimura Danzō gave a warning, then joined the Battle Situation himself.

The poison coating Hanzō the Salamander's kusarigama was not something Salamander Ibuse's poison could compare to!

The poison on Hanzō the Salamander's kusarigama was a Compound Toxin he had painstakingly concocted by combining multiple poisons. Ordinary Antidotes were utterly ineffective against it!

Shimura Danzō, who had used Izanagi once because of it, understood this all too well!

"Water Release: Water Wave!"

With three Jonin restraining him, Hanzō the Salamander was no longer as relaxed as before when facing Shimura Danzō. Before long, several wounds appeared on his body!

Though they were merely superficial and did not affect the battle, they were enough to show just how difficult Hanzō the Salamander's situation had become!

Hanzō the Salamander had no choice but to use Water Wave to create an opening to catch his breath!

A wave several meters high crashed toward Shimura Danzō, forcing him to withdraw and put distance between them.

Hanzō the Salamander seized the opportunity and flashed forward with the Body Flicker Technique, cutting a Root Jonin who could not react in time into two halves!

After succeeding with one blow, Hanzō the Salamander did not stop moving. With a tug of the chain, Dituo smashed into the head of another Root Jonin who was about to come to the rescue, blowing his head apart in midair!

In a single instant, Hanzō the Salamander had dealt with two Root Jonin!

But the price Hanzō the Salamander paid was having his shoulder pierced clean through by the lightning-wreathed kunai of the remaining Root Jonin!

"Aah!!!"

A scream of agonizing pain rang out. The last Root Jonin had been drenched in Hanzō the Salamander's splattered blood, and poisonous blood corroded pits into many parts of his body!

Hanzō the Salamander was a Poison Man. The toxins within his body were so potent that even he himself had to treat them with caution!

Hanzō the Salamander kicked the lifeless Root Jonin away, raising his kusarigama to block the tachi Shimura Danzō had brought down at him!

The battle between them had reached a White-Hot stage!