Tsunade narrowed her eyes and threw the kunai in her hand straight at the hammer and chain, intending to pin it to the wall.
Hanzo the Salamander merely sneered and flicked his chain.
He wielded it like a whip, sending the hammer toward Tsunade at a tricky angle.
The earlier attack had only been a feint. This surprise strike was the real killing blow. If it landed, even a serious injury would be the best-case scenario for Tsunade; there was a good chance she'd lose the ability to fight altogether.
No wonder that lecher Yusuke said the three of us were no match for Hanzo. His combat experience is truly formidable.
Chakra gathered in Tsunade's hands as she crossed her arms in front of herself, ready to take the blow head-on.
At the last moment, a greatsword blocked the attack in front of Tsunade.
The hammer struck the greatsword with a clang, and the impact rang out with a deep hum.
Yusuke's hand jolted, and the sword nearly slipped from his grasp.
That old geezer's got a lot of strength!
He didn't stick around to fight. He tossed out a few kunai and quickly pulled Tsunade away.
Hanzo didn't pursue them. He'd spotted several burning Explosive Tags tied to the kunai.
Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!
He formed Hand Seals at lightning speed, and a stone wall burst from the ground in front of him. A deafening explosion followed.
Taking advantage of the moment, Yusuke and Tsunade charged out of the Amegakure Building.
Outside, Yusuke's four teammates were already surrounded.
The ninjas outside had such confidence in Hanzo's strength that they hadn't set a trap at the entrance, even though Yusuke and Tsunade had gone in and were now surrounded. They were all stunned to see the two of them rush out.
Tsunade had been getting the worst of it inside the Amegakure Building and had a lot of pent-up anger.
She kicked the stone steps in front of her, flipping up a boulder the size of a round table.
Gathering chakra in her hand, Tsunade shouted and smashed her fist into the boulder.
All that was missing was a few cries of "Ora ora ora!"
The boulder shattered, its fragments flying in every direction like shotgun pellets.
The Amegakure Ninja caught in the attack fell like wheat before a scythe, while the quicker jonin swiftly used ninjutsu to defend themselves.
Yusuke swallowed. "That's terrifying strength. I've provoked her so many times. What if she settles the score later and smashes me to pieces?"
Screams rang out from the Amegakure Ninja, and a gap instantly opened in the circle surrounding the other four Konoha Ninja.
Water Release: Wild Water Wave!
Water Release: Water Fang Bullet!
Lightning Release: Earth Flow!
Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears!
The four shouted as they rapidly formed Hand Seals. The Amegakure Ninja were caught completely off guard.
The six of them quickly broke through the encirclement and headed for the village entrance.
Hanzo came rushing out just then. Seeing his subordinates lying on the ground, his expression darkened.
He'd spent a great deal of resources raising those ninjas, and now so many of them had been killed with such ease.
"I'm sorry, Lord Hanzo. That woman's strength is terrifying," a jonin said, stepping forward to explain.
"After them!" Hanzo ordered grimly.
The six raced across the rooftops. Number Two had already suffered several injuries. He glanced back at the mass of Amegakure Ninja chasing after them, still shaken.
"I'm really sorry. If I'd listened to you and looked around more carefully, we might not have fallen into this trap."
Number Two looked at Yusuke with a trace of shame.
"Let's talk about this after we get out."
Yusuke's face showed no trace of ease.
"Right, I—"
Before Number Two could finish, a scythe swung around behind his head.
The chain suddenly went taut, and Number Two's headless body fell through the air.
"Bastards! After wrecking Amegakure like this, you think I'd let you leave safely?" Hanzo roared behind them.
Tsunade's eyes blazed with fury, but as the team leader, she couldn't afford to act rashly now.
After seeing Hanzo's strength, she didn't think they could escape the encirclement without Yusuke's preparations.
"Split up and run!" Tsunade shouted. But she herself had slowed down considerably.
"Hey, you reckless woman, what are you trying to do?" Yusuke asked urgently when he noticed her slowing.
"I said, split up and run! That's an order!"
Tsunade didn't explain. She shouted to the remaining four again.
She'd led this team into the village, and the order to infiltrate the Amegakure Building had been hers. She had to take responsibility for them.
As she watched the four run off, Tsunade relaxed.
She rubbed her knuckles, and they cracked.
"Come on!"
Tsunade spun around and kicked the building beneath her with all her strength. A gaping hole burst through its round roof.
The flying rubble hurtled toward Hanzo the Salamander, who was chasing after her.
"Your tricks won't work on me twice."
Hanzo formed Hand Seals. Water Body Flicker Technique!
The rubble passed straight through Hanzo's body, which abruptly turned into a puddle of water. He himself vanished without a trace.
Tsunade narrowed her amber eyes and quickly scanned her surroundings.
A scythe suddenly came at her from her blind spot. A sense of danger made her hair stand on end.
Tsunade dodged, but the tip of the scythe still sliced open her arm.
She clutched her arm, channeled chakra to quickly heal the wound, and leaped away from Hanzo.
"Impressive resolve. You chose to sacrifice yourself so your teammates could escape."
"Women like you are rare among ninjas."
Hanzo's muffled voice came through his respirator.
"Heh. I'm the one who brought them here, after all."
Tsunade's voice held a note of carefree ease. If her opponent wanted to talk, she'd let him. That would give Yusuke and the others more time to escape.
"What's your name? A woman like you deserves to die by my blade," Hanzo said condescendingly.
"Hanzo, aren't you being a little too arrogant? Do you really think Amegakure—"
Before Tsunade could finish, a wave of weakness suddenly swept over her. Her legs gave way, and the arm she'd just injured, along with half her body, went numb.
"Oh? You noticed? But it's too late."
Hanzo hurled the hammer in his hand straight at her other, uninjured arm.
He intended to capture her alive!
"That despicable bastard used poison!"
Tsunade tried to dodge again, but the poison was too potent. Her body felt as heavy as lead, and her eyelids grew heavier by the second, as if they were about to shut.
The rain and shouting around her seemed to vanish. The world fell silent, leaving only the hammer flying toward her, growing larger by the instant.
Am I going to die?
Whatever. As long as the others get away.
I wonder if that lecher will remember me someday.
I'm sorry, Great-Grandfather, Second Grandfather. I did all I could.
The poison was too potent. At that moment, she was holding on by sheer force of will. Just as the hammer drew closer and closer, a greatsword appeared in front of her.
With a clang, all the sounds briefly returned to Tsunade's world.
She stiffly turned her head and looked at the man standing in front of her.
"Didn't I tell you to—"
"I really can't leave a woman to face all this alone."
His familiar voice reached her. The arm supporting her body brought a trace of warmth back to her rain-soaked figure.
"You really are a contradictory fool. You were scared out of your wits, but now you've got the guts to come back." A faint smile curved Tsunade's pale lips.
"Wrong. I call it caution and prudence," Yusuke said without a care.
"Hey, Hanzo, how about a deal?"
"Give me the antidote, and I'll let you go save the Amegakure Ninja forces."
Yusuke looked up at Hanzo the Salamander and continued, "You don't want the force you worked so hard to build getting wiped out on the way to ambush the Land of Iron, do you?"
"How did you find out?"
"Never mind. Even if you know, do you have the strength to stop me?"
"I can still support them after I finish you off."
Hanzo narrowed his eyes and swung his scythe.
"Heh. How will we know if we don't try?"
One-Blade Asura! (Incursio!)
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