Hanzō's death, Amegakure's ninja shaken (parts one and two)

The smoke slowly dissipated.

White water vapor mixed with the smell of earth permeated the air.

Qingyu stood at the edge of the pit, looking down at the damage caused by his punch.

The crater was tens of meters wide and far deeper than he had expected.

The bottom of the pit was filled with murky mud and water, and the churning soil contained broken rocks and tree roots that had been broken into several pieces, with the tree roots stretching towards the sky.

The pit walls were smooth as if a tiger had bitten off half of them, and the cut surface still bore the charred marks of high temperature burning, from which white smoke was rising.

The rain started falling again.

It struck the scorched earth, making a hissing sound.

"I didn't expect it to be so powerful."

Qingyu muttered something to herself, but her voice was mostly drowned out by the sound of the rain.

He was genuinely somewhat surprised.

According to the usage that Might Guy learned from Might Duy, Daytime Tiger is formed by compressing air into a tiger shape using a super-fast straight punch.

The principle behind the explosive projectile is similar to that of the "Morning Peacock," but it is several times more powerful.

But when Qingyu unleashed that attack, he tried to combine it with the burst of "Strength of a Hundred" Chakra.

The "Eight Inner Gates" technique is already a Taijutsu that consumes a lot of Chakra, while "Strength of a Hundred" is the ability to concentrate Chakra into a single point and unleash it instantly.

With the two combined, the power of this "Daytime Tiger" attack more than doubled.

Because the essence of the Eight Inner Gates is to unleash the body's Chakra reserves.

In Metkai's formula book, the amount of chakra is "Jing|10."

In other words, Might Guy actually has more Chakra than Tsunade without using the "Yin Seal".

Unless Tsunade uses the "Yin Seal," she can't overpower Might Guy's Chakra.

With more Chakra, Qingyu, once unleashed, would naturally be even more terrifying.

The resulting damage naturally far exceeded that of Might Guy's original version.

"As expected of the gate preceding the Gate of Death ----"

Qingyu pondered to herself.

He slowly clenched his fist, then relaxed it.

Qingyu could feel pain in her bones, muscles, nerves, and even blood vessels.

I hadn't felt it before, but now that I'm out of combat, waves of tearing sensations are washing over me.

Qingyu took a deep breath and forcibly withdrew from the "Eight Inner Gates" state.

The blue steam slowly dissipated into the rain, and the abnormal dark red on his skin gradually faded, revealing his original fair skin.

"Slug, help me enter 'Sage Mode'."

"Yes, Lord Qingyu."

The Slug nodded.

Immediately afterwards, Qingyu re-entered "Sage Mode".

A pale pink eyeshadow appeared at the corner of his eye, and Natural Energy surged into his body. With the help of the Slug, it quickly merged into a new "Senjutsu Chakra".

He raised his left hand and placed his palm on his right arm.

The medical Chakra manifested as green Chakra Flames.

With the enhancement of "Sage Mode," the effectiveness of Medical Ninjutsu was increased several times over.

He could clearly feel the ruptured muscles rapidly recovering through forced use, while the damaged meridians were also slowly healing.

An injury of this severity would likely require an ordinary person to remain bedridden for several months.

But in his hands, it was a matter of moments.

Am I going to die?

Hanzo of the Salamander thought to himself.

He lay in the muddy water of the deep pit, his hair mixed with mud and blood, its original color no longer recognizable.

His chest was pierced by Qingyu, and most of his ribs were broken and exposed to the air.

The Breathing Mask ripped open completely, revealing the lower half of his face, which was covered in blood.

Hanzo of the Salamander on his back, his unfocused eyes gazing at the gray-black sky.

"I----"

He struggled to turn his eyes and look at the blurry figure at the edge of the pit.

Tsunade was standing at the edge of the pit, looking down at him.

Her blonde hair was soaked by the rain and clung tightly to the sides of her face.

His brown-gold eyes held a complex expression, as if through him he saw the man who had bestowed the names of the Sannin upon him in the rain many years ago.

"It seems I'm the only one who's stagnating."

Hanzo of the Salamander's voice was broken and intermittent; with each word he uttered, a gush of bloody foam would emerge from his mouth.

Now, he has let go of his arrogance.

Only then could one sense that Tsunade's Chakra was far more powerful than it had been over a decade ago.

By that logic, Orochimaru and Jiraiya must no longer be the three brats they once were.

He alone remained stagnant, clinging to the empty title of "Demigod."

He recalled the beliefs he held in his youth.

He thought of the wandering ninjas he had taken in during the downpour, the villagers who called out his name, and the version of himself who was determined to end the chaos of the world.

So, from which day did those beliefs begin to change?

Was this the first time he purged domestic opposition forces in order to retain his position?

Was it when he began to see the Akatsuki as a threat, rather than a potential seed of peace?

Hanzo of the Salamander seemed to want to say something more.

His lips parted slightly, but all that could be heard was the sound of bubbles bursting in the bloody foam.

Then, he finally couldn't catch his breath.

His head lolled to the side, and he lost all life.

The rain is still falling.

Tsunade stood silently at the edge of the pit, looking at the figure who had once shaken the Second Shinobi World War, and was filled with emotion.

The former enemy died such a wretched death.

"It seems I don't need to lift a finger."

Nagato was also an exception.

He also believed that he had to summon the "Demonic Statue of the Outer Path" to resolve this crisis.

Unexpectedly, Qingyu pulled out a big surprise and killed Hanzo of the Salamander in a single move.

This power----

Nagato's expression turned grave; he was considering taking this attack head-on with his bare body.

The outcome will probably be the same----

Nagato.

He also Six Paths Rinnegan, so he won't be as helpless as Hanzo of the Salamander.

"Sister Tsunade, are you alright?"

Qingyu spoke.

He had somehow gotten to Tsunade's side, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Nothing."

Tsunade shook her head.

She subconsciously leaned her weight towards Qingyu.

Qingyu could feel something soft and squishy clamping down on him.

"It's just... a strange feeling inside."

"Normal."

Qingyu spoke.

"After all, when Sister Tsunade faced Hanzō back then, he was much stronger than he is now. The contrast between him and his current state lying here is too great."

Tsunade hummed in agreement.

Then he stopped looking at the blood.

Even though she was terrified of blood, after seeing it so frequently in the Third Shinobi World, Tsunade had become somewhat numb and no longer felt weak in the knees at the sight of it.

However, it is still not entirely without impact.

Seeing that her face was slightly pale, Qingyu changed his hand from her shoulder to her Tsunade.

Nagato simply assumed the two were close friends and didn't think much of it.

Before Qingyu, semi-transparent text quietly appeared.

[Collectible trait detected: Hanzō's Will]

[B-Rank Trait: Hanzō's Will]

[Effect: When using swordsmanship, one can advance without fear; effect increased by 100%.]

[Synthesis: Learning advanced Land of Iron Samurai Swordsmanship will upgrade this trait to a higher level.]

"Belief?----"

Qingyu looked at the line of text and silently recited a sentence in her mind.

He casually closed the special ability panel, revealing nothing unusual to Tsunade.

Then, he supported Tsunade with one hand and formed a hand seal with his free hand.

Bang.

A Shadow Clone appeared from the white smoke.

The Shadow Clone vanished into the pit in a flash, hoisting Hanzo of the Salamander's corpse onto its shoulder before leaping back to the edge.

Qingyu's Shadow Clone held up the corpse and used Chakra to project the sound far away.

"Hanzo of the Salamander is dead, why don't you surrender?"

The sound was like thunder.

The sound rolled through the rain, making the Amegakure Ninja's heart buzz.

In Setsuna, all the sounds of fighting on the entire battlefield ceased.

It was so quiet that only the patter of rain could be heard.

Everyone froze in place.

The Akatsuki members stopped what they were doing and looked in Qingyu's direction with disbelief.

The ninjas from Amegakure also stopped their attack.

"Hanzō... is he dead?"

An Amegakure from Jonin murmured something.

"Impossible!"

"That's absolutely impossible!"

"How could Lord Hanzō be dead!"

"That kid is definitely lying to us!"

The Amegakure Ninja began to stir.

But the shouts stopped the moment Qingyu's Shadow Clone lifted the corpse, as if someone had grabbed her by the neck.

"It really is Hanzō!"

A young Amegakure Chunin Amegakure murmured.

The man they regarded as a demigod was now being carried limply by Qingyu's Shadow Clone.

"Hanzō is really dead----"

Yahiko's eyes widened as well.

The immense pressure that had been weighing on his mind finally dissipated.

He glanced at the Akatsuki's casualties; they numbered only a few dozen.

Without Qingyu and the others' help, the number of people would likely have doubled, and perhaps only a few would have survived.

In other words—

Kakashi looked at the Akatsuki members whose expressions were softening, and the Amegakure Ninja looked bewildered, unsure whether to continue fighting.

"That's right, we won!"

Yahiko answered Kakashi's question.

"We won!"

Yahiko cheered.

He wasn't just celebrating; he was also trying to further demoralize the Amegakure Ninja.

As expected, after receiving confirmation, the Amegakure Ninja immediately lost their previous momentum.

"Hanzō is dead—"

Hanzō is dead!

"Run! Run! This is hell!"

I don't know who shouted it first.

First, a few scattered ninjas turned and ran away, then a dozen, then dozens.

Finally, the entire Amegakure front completely collapsed.

The ninjas scattered quickly, pushing and shoving each other.

Even though several Jonin tried to maintain discipline, shouting "Don't panic!" and "Protect Hanzō's body!",

It's completely useless.

Because Hanzo of the Salamander's personal prestige was simply too great.

So much so that while he was alive, the Amegakure Ninja regarded him as a pillar of strength.

After his death, those who depended on him could no longer find a reason to continue fighting.

"Retreat!"

"Retreat immediately!"

Several ambitious Amegakure Jonin glances and then led their trusted subordinates away from the battlefield.

They didn't want to be buried here with a dead person.

Moreover, with Hanzō dead, Amegakure is bound to be reshuffled.

Instead of wasting our strength here, we should hurry back and prepare for the upcoming power struggle.

In a short time, the once dense mass of Amegakure Ninja had almost all fled.

All that remained were corpses scattered on the ground, shattered ninja tools, and bloodstains whose original color had been washed away by the rain.

Almighty Push ----

Nagato raised his hand, his Rinnegan fixed on the fleeing Amegakure Ninja, seemingly wanting to give chase.

"Ignore them, Nagato."

Konan landed from mid-air and folded her paper wings.

"Amegakure will fall into chaos for a while until a new leader is elected. This period will be the best opportunity for our Akatsuki to expand."

Konan reminded her.

"That's right, Nagato, stop chasing."

Yahiko also came over.

His clothes were soaked, and his face was stained with undried blood.

But his expression was completely different from before.

"We've won. The next step is to reassure our comrades, treat the wounded, and then get more people to join us."

Nagato remained silent for a moment, then slowly lowered his hand.

"I see."

He said softly.

Yahiko patted him on the shoulder, then turned around and strode towards the others.

"We won!"

He raised his arms high and shouted.

This time, even more Akatsuki members joined in the chant.

We won!

"We survived!"

Long Akatsuki!

The cheers started sparsely, then grew louder, and finally merged into a chorus.

Hyuga Ginka was looking in Qingyu's direction.

"What a monster!"

Hyuga Ginka whispered.

The rain gradually subsided.

Not long after, Yahiko led his men to begin cleaning up the battlefield.

The injured need medical treatment, the bodies need to be disposed of, and the scattered ninja tools need to be recovered.

Although the Akatsuki is small in number, they are very experienced in doing these things.

After making arrangements for everyone, Yahiko, along with Konan and Nagato, quickly headed towards Qingyu and her group.

"Lord Qingyu, Lady Tsunade."

Yahiko used honorifics.

I really don't know how to thank you all this time.

Yahiko was somewhat excited.

"If you hadn't arrived in time, the Akatsuki would probably have been wiped out today. The Akatsuki will forever remember this kindness."

o

Tsunade.

"Since you are Jiraiya's disciples, you already have some connection with Konoha, so there's no need to be so distant."

"Furthermore, if you can establish a foothold here, it might not be a bad thing for Konoha."

Yahiko understood the meaning behind Tsunade's words.

This is Konoha's goodwill, and also a kind of political expectation.

The Land of Rain is located at the crossroads of three kingdoms and has always been a buffer zone between the three great powers of Fire, Earth, and Wind.

If the Akatsuki could take control of the Land of Rain, then Konoha would undoubtedly face much less pressure on the western front.

"Lady Tsunade, rest assured, Akatsuki will never be an enemy of Konoha."

Yahiko said solemnly.

Tsunade smiled and didn't continue the topic.

Yahiko hesitated for a moment before asking, "How long do you all plan to stay in the Land of Rain?"

I'm leaving tomorrow.

Tsunade answered.

"Konoha will not interfere in the affairs of the Land of Rain. How you want to develop is your own business."

Yahiko breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you Lady Tsunade."

Qingyu listened from the side and nodded slightly.

He knew Tsunade was trying to reassure Akatsuki.

Although Hanzō had lost his fighting spirit, he was still an old fox who had been entrenched in the Land of Rain for decades.

Who knows if he left any contingency plans before he died, or if someone within Konoha might try to take advantage of the situation and seize the Land of Rain.

But since Tsunade said that, it means she will go back and communicate with Sarutobi Hiruzen.

At least publicly, Konoha will not attack the Land of Rain.

"Yahiko, don't worry."

Qingyu spoke up, adding a sentence.

"What you should do most now is to stabilize the situation in the Land of Rain as soon as possible. Hanzō's death cannot be kept secret for long. Once the news spreads, the surrounding smaller powers will all be eager to make their move."

"I see."

Yahiko nodded, his expression solemn.

"In addition----"

Qingyu paused, then looked at the corpse on the Shadow Clone's shoulder.

"We must bring Hanzō's body back to Konoha."

"A corpse?"

Yahiko was taken aback.

"He still has a lot of classified information in his mind. Our Konoha has Yamanaka Clan that can read his mind using Mind Reading Technique."

Qingyu explained casually.

Although Hanzō is dead, the information in his brain will not disappear immediately.

If handled properly, at least a lot of useful information can be unearthed.

"I see."

Yahiko suddenly understood and didn't ask any further questions.

Anyway, leaving Hanzo of the Salamander to them wouldn't yield any information.

Yahiko knew that Nagato's Rinnegan could also be used to extract information, but only if it was used on a living person.

Now that Hanzō is dead, there's no use in leaving him to them.

Moreover, it's not impossible for Konoha to obtain some information.

Yahiko doesn't believe that things would have ended this way without Qingyu.

Qingyu had his Shadow Clone put down Hanzo of the Salamander's corpse, then walked to the side of the corpse.

He half-squatted down, flipped his hand, and a Kunai appeared between his fingers.

The sharp blade sliced open Hanzō's abdomen.

Guided by the Chakra, he quickly located the Poison Gland hidden deep within his abdomen.

It was a sac the size of a pigeon egg.

Hanzo the Hanzo of the Salamander had this Poison Gland implanted in him when he was a child.

This is why Hanzo of the Salamander always wears Breathing Mask.

If he doesn't do this, those around him will also be attacked by the toxins with his breathing and speaking.

Now, Qingyu held the Poison Gland in her hand and could feel that the flesh inside was not completely dead and was still twitching slightly.

[C-Rank Trait detected: Poison Gland synthesis requirements met]

[Should we synthesize it?]

"Synthesis."

Qingyu silently recited it in her heart.

The next moment, the text on the trait panel began to change.

[B-Rank Trait: Poison Gland]

[Effect: Increases toxin resistance by 100%]

[Synthesis: Obtain the Poison Gland of three different highly venomous creatures, which will upgrade to a higher-level trait.]

Qingyu looked at the trait panel, her brows twitching slightly.

So, does that mean he's truly Poison Immunity?