An Unexpected Turn!

"Hanzo, today is your last day!"

Shimura Danzō's gaze was vicious as he steadily pressed forward with the tachi in his hand.

The force they exerted made both his tachi and Hanzō the Salamander's kusarigama tremble continuously!

Although he was now the only one left besieging Hanzō the Salamander, Hanzō had also lost the use of one arm!

For a ninja, losing an arm meant being unable to form seals with both hands, reducing their strength by far more than half!

As for Hanzō the Salamander, his unique swordsmanship required both hands to reach its full potential. His strength had fallen even further!

Shimura Danzō was confident he would claim the final victory in this battle!

"Don't speak too soon. One hand is more than enough to kill you!"

Hanzō the Salamander snorted coldly. With a shake of his arm, he knocked aside Shimura Danzō's tachi and pulled back.

"Don't even think about running!"

Shimura Danzō immediately gave chase. His tachi flashed so swiftly it became an afterimage, refusing to give Hanzō the Salamander even the slightest chance to catch his breath!

Hanzō the Salamander fought as he retreated, continuously swinging his kusarigama to block every one of Shimura Danzō's attacks.

Shimura Danzō frowned slightly, sensing that something was wrong!

Someone like Hanzō the Salamander should have attacked even more fiercely after being wounded, like an injured beast!

Instead of blindly defending as he was now!

Shimura Danzō had already prepared himself to defend, intending to wait until Hanzō the Salamander exhausted his own stamina.

But why had the situation turned around instead?

No, something was definitely amiss!

The offensive in Shimura Danzō's hands did not lessen, but he secretly heightened his vigilance, diverting part of his attention to the surroundings and guarding carefully.

It was then that Shimura Danzō discovered in horror that the Root Ninja he had sent to deal with Salamander Ibuse had still not completed their mission!

Moreover, judging by the situation over there, Salamander Ibuse had not suffered much damage. Resolving it in a short time was practically impossible.

So Hanzō the Salamander was stalling for time?

"These useless fools!"

Shimura Danzō cursed angrily and intensified his assault on Hanzō the Salamander once more!

If Salamander Ibuse managed to unleash Poison Spray again, Hanzō the Salamander would likely truly turn the Battle Situation around!

There was only one path left now: kill Hanzō the Salamander before that happened!

In truth, it was not that those Root Ninja were incompetent.

Salamander Ibuse had always been extremely powerful. Otherwise, it could not have suppressed the Summoning Beasts of the Three Great Sage Lands all by itself back then.

Even if it could not use Poison Spray for the time being, Salamander Ibuse's elusive burrowing ability was not something those Root Ninja could deal with quickly!

And in the end, it was still uncertain who would take care of whom!

"Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!"

Shimura Danzō forced Hanzō the Salamander back with one slash, then rapidly formed seals with both hands, about to unleash a ninjutsu.

But at that Critical Moment, Shimura Danzō's body stiffened slightly, and his movements slowed by half a beat!

"Iai Slash!"

Hanzō the Salamander seized the opportunity. His figure flashed, and his kusarigama slashed swiftly toward Shimura Danzō!

Shimura Danzō's pupils contracted. Even though he dodged with all his strength, the right hand holding his tachi was still cut open by a wound so deep that bone showed through!

Shimura Danzō's expression turned incomparably ugly. As he quickly retreated, he transferred the tachi to his left hand, then raised it without hesitation and severed his own right arm!

He had already experienced the poison on Hanzō the Salamander's kusarigama. If he did not do this, he would certainly die!

And besides...

Feeling his body beginning to go numb, Shimura Danzō looked at Hanzō the Salamander in confusion. "When did you poison me?"

"Oh? You can already feel the numbness?" Hanzō the Salamander grinned savagely. He did not hide it and explained, "My blood is a virulent poison, even stronger than the toxins inside Ibuse!"

"Though there isn't much of it, once the toxins in my blood evaporate into the air, they're enough to numb your body and rob you of the ability to move!"

Shimura Danzō's expression became ugly to the extreme!

It seemed that staying off the battlefield for so long had dulled his combat instincts. He had actually overlooked such a crucial factor!

Today, he would most likely meet a grim end!

"Poison Spray!"

Misfortunes never came singly. At that moment, Salamander Ibuse had finally accumulated enough toxins and unleashed Poison Spray once again!

A vast purple poisonous mist spread outward, rapidly engulfing the surroundings!

"Be Careful! Get out of here!"

Seeing that the situation could not be salvaged, the Root Ninja Spectators around Salamander Ibuse immediately pulled away from it and gathered around Shimura Danzō.

"Lord Danzō, retreat! You cannot fall here!"

The few remaining Root Ninja stood in front of Shimura Danzō, intending to cover his retreat!

"Stop struggling. Not one of you will leave today!"

Hanzō the Salamander looked at the battered remnants before him and shook his head slightly, speaking coldly.

Among the remaining Root Ninja, the strongest were merely two Special Jonin. The rest were Chunin. They could not stop him at all!

Shimura Danzō understood this as well!

If they scattered and fled, the other Root Ninja might still have a chance of survival. But as Hanzō the Salamander's primary target, he himself would certainly die!

So rather than flee, he might as well make a Desperate Struggle and take Hanzō the Salamander down with him!

A resolute gleam flashed through Shimura Danzō's eyes. He still had a Trump Card capable of perishing together with his enemy, one he had not yet used!

"You, go hold him back! Buy me time..."

"Hmm?!"

Shimura Danzō ordered the remaining Root Ninja to hold Hanzō the Salamander back and buy him time to use the Inner Four Symbols Seal.

But before he could finish, Hanzō the Salamander seemed to notice something and looked up into the distance!

Shimura Danzō looked in the same direction, but saw nothing at all!

He was not a sensory-type ninja, and his perception was not particularly strong!

However, a Root Ninja with sensory abilities spoke up to warn him, "Lord Danzō, there are sounds of fighting over there! Judging from the Chakra fluctuations, it should be those two brats who escaped earlier!"

A Bright Light flashed through Shimura Danzō's eyes. Looking at Hanzō the Salamander, he said, "Your Excellency Hanzō, it seems those brats you wanted to protect have run into danger!"

"What do you say? Are you still going to keep wasting time here with me?"

"Although we are at a disadvantage now, we are still confident we can take you down before we die!"

Shimura Danzō's tone was filled with danger, but inwardly, he was extremely uneasy!

This was his final chance!

If one could live, who would want to die?

Hanzō the Salamander's gaze was icy. Through Shimura Danzō's severed sleeve, he saw faint black runes appearing and disappearing across his chest.

"Consider yourself lucky!"

Hanzō the Salamander did not hesitate for long. After tossing out those words, he vanished from where he stood!

Shimura Danzō breathed a sigh of relief at the sight, and his entire Aura withered!

"Go! To Konoha Camp!"