The Salamander's Trait (Parts One and Two)

Hanzo of the Salamander stood in the rain, letting the raindrops slide down his long hair.

"But at best, you're just a second Tsunade."

Hanzo of the Salamander slowly raised the Chain Sickle in his hand.

"Sage Mode can indeed boost your power to that extent, but that state cannot be maintained indefinitely. I've seen Jiraiya, and I've also seen the records left by your First Hokage Konoha. Natural Energy is exhausted, you will revert to your original form."

He shook his head slightly.

"At that time, I will show you what a true 'Demigod' is."

"I possess more than just 'Strength of a Hundred'."

Qingyu spoke calmly.

The moment he finished speaking, his figure vanished from the spot.

The raindrops remained where he had been standing, while he himself had transformed into a sky full of sword shadows.

Leaf Village Style: Willow!

Qingyu's figure was like a willow catkin blown by the wind, bursting forth with countless sword lights in the gloomy rain.

"S-rank swordsmanship, is it?"

Hanzo of the Salamander's pupils contracted.

As a recognized master of swordsmanship in the Shinobi World, his eyesight was naturally far beyond that of ordinary people.

He could tell how powerful Qingyu was the moment she made that move.

Genjutsu is hidden within the sword's shadow, and sword intent is wrapped within the Genjutsu.

The real and the illusory are intertwined, making it difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood.

This is no ordinary swordsmanship.

"That's all there is to it."

Hanzo of the Salamander snorted coldly, but dared not be careless in the slightest.

He closed his eyes, no longer relying on sight, but on the instincts he had developed over years of fighting to perceive everything around him.

He quickly detected an extremely subtle killing intent.

Behind me.

Hanzo of the Salamander suddenly turned around and swung his Samurai Sword.

Pfft!

However, he only hit an afterimage.

"Ibuse!"

Hanzo of the Salamander shouted.

The ground beneath my feet suddenly began to tremble violently.

Upon hearing its master's call, the enormous Ibuse spirit immediately charged towards them.

The rocks and trees along the way were crushed to pieces in its charge.

Uchiha Style Swordsmanship: Flame Flash!

Flames danced wildly on Qingyu's Sword of the Thunder God, forming a flaming longsword.

Pfft!

The flaming sword slashed down from mid-air, cleaving fiercely into the Ibuse's left forelimb.

The blade sank into the flesh, deep enough to see the bone.

The Ibuse roared in anger.

Unable to hold back, it spewed out a large amount of purple poisonous mist and blood mixed with venom, enveloping Qingyu entirely.

[Collectible trait detected: Salamander Poison]

[C-Rank Trait: Salamander Poison]

[Effect: The toxin you concoct will contain some of the toxins from the Ibuse.]

[Crafting: Killing Ibuse will upgrade the trait to a higher level.]

"A new trait?"

Upon seeing this, Qingyu knew that it had been collected from Ibuse.

I wonder if we can still collect anything related to antidotes.

Qingyu pondered to herself.

For Qingyu, both the Ibuse and Hanzō are treasure chests.

Qingyu was very curious about what kind of traits would emerge.

"Oh no!"

Seeing this from a distance, Hyuga Ginka's heart tightened.

If Qingyu gets soaked in this, even with the Antidote, she won't fare well.

The concentration of these toxins is too high!

"Too slow."

In Qingyu's eyes, all of this was like a scene in slow motion.

Despite having the Antidote prepared by Tsunade and his own Poison Resistance Trait, he wouldn't be foolish enough to try and withstand the concentrated toxins of the Ibuse.

That stuff is completely different from ordinary poisonous fog. If you inhale it at close range, even Kage Level expert's lungs will be burned through.

Internal organs have always been a weakness for most ninjas.

Wherever the purple poisonous fog passed, vegetation withered and turned black rapidly.

"Trying to run away?"

Just as Qingyu retreated, a jet-black chain flew silently from behind him.

Hanzo of the Salamander has made his move.

The chain wrapped around Qingyu's wrist.

Bang!

"We got it!"

With a flick of his wrist, Hanzo of the Salamander tensed all his muscles, concentrated his Chakra Qingyu him.

At the same time, he raised his other hand and slashed at Qingyu's neck with his Sickle.

"Trying to stall me?"

Qingyu's Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun in the rain.

He did not resist the pull of the chains; instead, he used the force to charge towards Hanzo of the Salamander.

The flames on Sword of the Thunder God surged again, reaching almost three meters in length.

"So---- Elementalization ----"

Qingyu's wrist transformed into azure arcs of electricity, piercing straight through Hanzo of the Salamander's chains.

"What!"

Hanzo of the Salamander had never seen such a "substitute method" before, and for a moment, he was almost caught off guard.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Qingyu brandished her longsword.

The scorching heat wave brought Hanzo of the Salamander to his senses, and relying on his combat experience, he instinctively dodged.

The flames grazed his mask, tearing a hole in the Breathing Mask he was wearing.

"Ha, it's nothing more than—"

Before he could finish saying "so," a bloody gash suddenly appeared on Hanzo of the Salamander's chest.

Hanzo of the Salamander's pupils suddenly dilated.

"When----!"

He looked down in disbelief at the bleeding wound on his chest.

He had clearly dodged that sword strike.

"No, this brat used a special technique—"

The intense pain did not Hanzo of the Salamander's judgment.

He quickly figured out the key to it.

"So-called Natural Energy— "

Hanzo of the Salamander raised his head, the contempt in his eyes fading, replaced by utter solemnity.

"You have good observation skills."

Qingyu gave a compliment.

They secretly thought that the other party was indeed quite capable.

Qingyu just used is actually based on the principle of the [Frog Kata]. In the original work, Naruto wrapped Natural Energy in his fist to deliver this attack.

Qingyu was simply changed to be wrapped around the sword.

"Lord Hanzō!"

"Hanzō is injured!"

The Amegakure Ninja in the distance, witnessing this scene, all changed their expressions drastically.

In their minds, Hanzo of the Salamander is the symbol of invincibility and the undisputed god of the entire Land of Rain.

However, at this moment, this god was being forced into injury by a boy from Konoha.

"Protect Hanzō!"

Someone let out a scream.

Hundreds of Amegakure Ninja simultaneously changed direction and charged frantically towards Qingyu's location.

Water Release: Water Chaos Waves!

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

A large number of Water Release Ninjutsu were released from their hands.

The rain falling from the sky mixed with the water created by Ninjutsu, forming wave after wave of giant waves that swept towards Qingyu and the Akatsuki.

Behind the waves, a large number of Senbon are hidden.

Those Senbon were coated with a special toxin from the Ibuse.

"Ah!"

Screams of agony rose and fell.

Despite being prepared, the Akatsuki members were still hit by many of the Senbon that shot out from the waves.

The situation on the battlefield became even more chaotic at this moment.

"Everyone be careful!"

Konan's voice rang out in mid-air.

The paper wings behind her suddenly unfolded, like a giant paper umbrella, shielding the seven or eight Akatsuki members around her.

The Senbon shot at them struck the paper wings.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Formation!"

Yahiko also made his move.

A thick wall of water rose from beneath his feet, encircling another group of his companions.

After the Senbon were shot into the wall of water, their speed decreased sharply, and they eventually fell helplessly to the ground.

Nagato stood behind the wall of water, her long red hair soaked through by the rain, clinging to her pale cheeks.

He slowly raised his hands.

Shinra Tensei!

An invisible circular shockwave emanated from his body.

Those Senbon that pierced through the water wall were all blasted away by the repulsive force before they even touched his body.

"What kind of Ninjutsu is this?"

"Who exactly is that red-haired guy?"

The Amegakure Ninja looked at Nagato with suspicion and uncertainty, but their attacks did not stop.

The rain, which had stopped for a moment, started falling again.

It's getting bigger and bigger.

Rain poured down from the gray-black sky, washing the blood on the ground into red streams.

The corpses were submerged in blood, and severed limbs and broken ninja tools were scattered in the mud.

The air was filled with the smells of rust, earth, and the nauseating pungent odor of Ibuse toxin.

Qingyu glanced at the battlefield out of the corner of her eye.

The Akatsuki ultimately had too few members.

Although Yahiko's companions were fearless, their casualties were inevitably increasing as they faced a number of Amegakure Ninja.

Fortunately, there was the slug that Qingyu had summoned earlier.

The tiny Slug scattered around the Akatsuki members, constantly supplying them with medical Chakra and pulling the injured ninjas back from the brink of death.

"Lord Slug, how is the situation?"

Qingyu asked the Slug beside her shoulder.

"The situation is not optimistic, Lord Qingyu."

The Slug's voice rang out, still soft and gentle, but with a hint of anxiety.

"Moreover, there are too many types of toxins. Lady Tsunade and the toxins you prepared cannot all be used to detoxify them, nor can I eliminate them all in a short time. I can only slow down their onset. If this continues, I'm afraid many people will not be able to withstand it."

"Hang in there a little longer."

Qingyu took a deep breath.

"The battle will be over soon."

He looked up at Hanzo of the Salamander, who had readjusted his stance.

But further back on the battlefield.

Although Tsunade had her eyes closed, she clearly grasped the situation of the entire battlefield through her senses.

She could "see" the clash between Qingyu and Hanzo of the Salamander of the Salamander, and she could "see" the Akatsuki members fall one by one.

Down.

"Untie!"

Tsunade a low shout.

The purple diamond-shaped mark on his forehead suddenly lit up.

Yin Seal - Released!

A large amount of Chakra surged out of the seal and poured into her entire body.

"Lord Slug, please help hold off Hanzō's summoned beast."

"No problem, Lady Tsunade."

Tsunade summoned an even larger Slug.

The moment that enormous body appeared, it brought with it a sense of oppression.

The Slug moved directly toward the Ibuse.

The Ibuse named "Ibuse" had just been slashed on its left forelimb by Qingyu, and blood mixed with venom was still dripping from the wound, making it much less mobile than before.

The Slug seized the opportunity and crashed into it without hesitation.

Rumble!

The collision of the two giant spirit beasts caused the entire earth to tremble violently.

"Hanzo of the Salamander's summoned beast is really powerful."

Hyuga Ginka stood on high ground, observing the battle between the two summoning beasts with her Byakugan.

"However, Lady Tsunade's Slug is not at a disadvantage either."

The Ibuse opened its massive mouth and spewed a thick cloud of poisonous mist at the Slug.

The purple poisonous gas completely enveloped the Slug, corroding her body.

"Tongue Tooth Sticky Acid!"

Without the slightest hesitation, the Slug spat out a glob of highly corrosive liquid from its mouth.

The liquid pierced through the poisonous mist and struck the Ibuse's mouth precisely.

The Ibuse let out a shrill scream, its action of spewing poisonous mist was interrupted, and a large amount of purple blood gushed from its mouth.

The Slug quickly makes a judgment and actively splits off the body parts contaminated by the toxin.

One by one, the tiny Slug detached from their bodies and fell into the mud, but the toxins didn't have time to penetrate their Slug.

The enraged Ibuse let out an even more frenzied roar.

It lowered its head, and with all its might, rammed into the Slug again.

Slug swarmed towards me.

Boom!

The earth cracked beneath their feet, and the shockwave uprooted the surrounding trees. Dozens of Amegakure Ninja who were too close were blasted away and crashed heavily into the mud.

Meanwhile, Kakashi was also traversing the battlefield.

His left Sharingan was fully open.

The eye that Obito left him was now turning, clearly reflecting everything around him in its pupil.

"Purple Electricity!"

Purple lightning crackled around the White Fang Short Sword.

Kakashi's figure flashed through the group of Amegakure Ninja, his blade gleaming, and another enemy fell.

"Is this the world Obito saw? ---"

During a lull in the battle, Kakashi had this thought flash through his mind.

"Obito, I will use your eyes to see clearly."

Kakashi muttered to himself, then charged out again.

We need to go help Qingyu.

Yahiko forced back two Amegakure Ninja with a single strike, then turned to look in the direction where Qingyu was.

He looked at the vast number of Amegakure Ninja, at Hanzo of the Salamander in battle with Qingyu in the distance, and then at his exhausted comrades behind him.

Yahiko gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.

He can't wait here.

"I'll go."

Nagato.

"Nagato!"

Yahiko's expression changed.

"Your body can't withstand that kind of strain, you—"

I can still hold on.

Nagato interrupted him.

He raised his hand and pushed away Yahiko's outstretched arm.

"Only I can help Qingyu now."

Nagato said.

Yahiko looked at him, opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything more in protest.

He knew Nagato's personality.

Once a decision is made, there's no going back.

And that's exactly what Nagato thought too.

After witnessing Hanzo of the Salamander's attitude, the image of "god" in his mind completely collapsed.

Hanzo of the Salamander was once the undisputed pinnacle of the Land of Rain, a figure revered by all the ninjas of the Land of Rain.

Nagato had once respected him.

But now, he no longer has any romantic feelings for Hanzo of the Salamander.

The moment Nagato decided to kill Konan and Yahiko, he had already sentenced Hanzo of the Salamander to death in his heart.

In his view, Hanzo of the Salamander was practically asking for his own death.

"Ibuse is being held back----"

Hanzo of the Salamander his sword to deflect Qingyu's attack, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the other side of the battlefield.

His summoned beast is engaged in a fierce battle with the giant Slug summoned by Tsunade.

The Slug was several times larger than it usually was.

His Ibuse, due to the injury to his left forelimb, was no longer as agile as before and could only passively take hits.

Damn it.

Hanzo of the Salamander, grew increasingly agitated.

Ibuse, that's his biggest trump card.

It was precisely because of Ibuse's power that he was able to withstand the combined might of Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru during the Second Shinobi World War without being defeated.

If he loses Ibuse, his strength will be equivalent to cutting off his own arm.

We can't delay any longer.

A ruthless glint flashed in Hanzo of the Salamander's eyes.

He took a deep breath and extracted the Chakra within his body.

However, just as he was about to unleash his full power, a strong sense of crisis came from behind him.

Shinra Tensei!

Nagato's voice sounded behind him.

Hanzo of the Salamander instinctively tried to dodge.

But that repulsive force came too quickly.

Before his body could react, his Samurai Sword was struck from the side.

Clang!

The Samurai Sword flew out of his hand, twirled several times in the air, and finally plunged deep into the mud in the distance.

"Another annoying brat has arrived."

Hanzo of the Salamander, frowned.