The tension on the battlefield grew. Hanzo of the Salamander, leader of Amegakure, watched Uchiha Ying Yue and the Konoha Sannin with cold eyes.
He could tell at a glance that Ying Yue had just fought a fierce battle and spent a tremendous amount of chakra. That meant he could use more aggressive tactics to suppress Konoha's powerful shinobi.
Hanzo stepped forward, chakra surging from within him.
He decided to stop holding back.
Though he had gone easy on the Konoha Sannin in their earlier fight, now that Uchiha Ying Yue had activated Susanoo, he realized this was no longer a simple battle. It was a clash between two top-tier shinobi.
"Looks like I'll have to get serious," Hanzo muttered to himself, then began unleashing his fearsome Water Release Ninjutsu.
Rain gathered around Hanzo and, in the blink of an eye, formed several enormous water dragons. They roared as they lunged at Ying Yue and the Konoha Sannin.
Uchiha Ying Yue's Susanoo immediately swung its sword, cleaving one of the water dragons in two.
But that was only the beginning.
Hanzo followed up with Explosive Flame Formation. Countless explosive tags suddenly burst from the ground, and the flames quickly spread, turning the area into a sea of explosions.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!" Hanzo shouted, unleashing a powerful Water Release that transformed the entire battlefield into a churning expanse of water.
The mingling of water and fire filled the battlefield with billowing steam, plunging visibility.
Amid the chaos, Hanzo darted around like a specter, appearing and disappearing as he assailed Ying Yue and the Sannin with swordsmanship, poison, and ninjutsu.
Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade each used their own strengths to keep Hanzo at bay.
Jiraiya countered with summoning techniques, calling forth Gama Yu to fend off Hanzo's Water Release