Hanzo wanted to put some distance between them, but Qinglong's attacks came one after another, and for a moment, he couldn't break away.
"Ha!"
"Thud! Thud! Thud!"
Hanzo took three punches in a row and was sent flying. Qinglong didn't pursue him, and the two finally separated.
Hanzo clutched his chest, swallowed a mouthful of blood, and drew his Chain Scythe.
"I told you! I won't hold back. If you don't give it your all, you're going to get beaten pretty badly!"
Watching Hanzo draw his scythe, Qinglong chuckled. The real fight was only just beginning!
"Take out your weapon, boy!"
Hanzo wiped the corner of his mouth. He no longer called his opponent "brat." He would show no mercy now, and would kill him with all his strength.
Qinglong clenched his fist and spoke in a bold, confident voice.
"I am the strongest weapon!"
His voice pierced the curtain of rain and carried across the battlefield. Everyone on the outskirts felt their hearts jolt.
I don't need a weapon. I am the strongest weapon. What kind of person could dare say something like that?
Even a Jinchuriki, known as a Human Weapon, would lack the overwhelming presence to make such a claim.
"The strongest Human Weapon, huh?"
Hanzo said. His opponent was even more formidable inside than he'd imagined!
"Then be careful. I won't hold back. Let's see if you're worthy of the name Human Weapon!"
With that, Hanzo vanished from where he stood. He raised his scythe and charged at Qinglong, a fierce blade of light trailing behind it.
The blade of light tore through the rain, colder than the icy drops striking their faces. It was like a Shinigami moving through the downpour.
As the blade flashed past, a roar rang out, as if even the voice couldn't keep up with its speed.
"Sword Technique: Iaido Slash!"
Qinglong vanished from his spot at the same instant and charged straight at Hanzo!
"Boom!"
The two collided. A pale blade of light tore through half the rain curtain, then suddenly burst apart. The blast of air exploded outward from between them.
"What?!"
"He blocked it! That boy!"
Hanzo stared at the boy in shock. He had actually blocked his Iaido Slash!
His Iaido Slash was incredibly powerful, and once he unleashed it, there was no turning back. It could even cut through an enemy's weapon! Yet someone had stopped it this time; his slash hadn't come down all the way.
Even Tsunade was stunned, her pupils narrowing. Back when the Sannin had fought Hanzo, they had used the Body Flicker Technique to dodge his Sword Technique: Iaido Slash. They had never dared to meet its edge head-on.
And now, her student had blocked it!
Had Salamander Hanzo's combat strength declined over the years, or was her student simply that powerful?!
"Thud!"
A knee slammed hard into Hanzo's stomach. He cried out in pain, his eyes wide.
"So he really is the strongest Human Weapon. His whole body can be used as a weapon!"
Hanzo spoke gravely, then whipped the chain around. It moved as if it were alive, winding around Qinglong like a python. At such close range, Qinglong was bound tight.
"Sword Technique: Chain Scythe Second Strike!"
Hanzo roared, his aura erupting. The scythe in his hand broke free and slashed down in a flash of cold light! It seemed as if the very air had been split in two!
The onlookers were shaken by the blade of light. The Amegakure shinobi were astonished and excited. That brat who dared look down on Amegakure was surely about to die beneath Lord Hanzo's scythe!
Tsunade's heart leapt into her throat. Her lips parted slightly as she anxiously watched the boy hidden within the blade's cold, hazy light.
The earth was carved open, leaving a furrow that stretched into the distance. The trench gouged by Hanzo's scythe in front of him was so deep its bottom couldn't be seen.
The blade flashed past, and the boy stood unharmed beside the trench.
"Did he dodge it again?"
"He was tied up in the chain. How did he get out of the way?!"
The Amegakure shinobi were shocked once more, cold sweat running down their foreheads.
"How is that possible? He didn't get hit even from that close!"
"Lord Hanzo can't gain an advantage against him in close combat at all?!"
"Damn it!"
Some of the Amegakure shinobi were already furious. They slapped the tree trunk hard.
A faint smile touched Tsunade's lips. That kid Qinglong was indeed as strong as I expected. He really was fine!
Shizune, holding the little pig Tonton, also breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't want such a good junior teammate to get hurt. Salamander Hanzo's reputation was simply too great, and she had been terribly worried about the boy.
After missing with one slash, Hanzo quickly put some distance between them. He didn't want to engage in close combat again with a boy who had such powerful Taijutsu.
At the same time, he flung out a swarm of Kunai bearing Explosive Tags. They whistled toward Qinglong, blanketing him.
Qinglong landed and quickly retreated to dodge. A swarm of Kunai embedded themselves in the ground, and a series of explosions rang out without stopping.
"That old geezer Hanzo is still as cautious—and as sneaky—as ever!"
Tsunade grumbled angrily.
Taking advantage of the opening, Hanzo formed Hand Seals and slapped his palm against the ground.
"Summoning Technique!"
"Boom!"
With a loud blast, a gigantic salamander, three or four stories tall, appeared. Its body was covered in bumps like a toad's. It was Hanzo's summoning beast, Salamander Ibuse.
"Graaah!"
The salamander opened its mouth and immediately spewed out a huge cloud of poison gas.
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