Land of Rain battlefield, outside the Sand Ninja camp.
Under the drizzling rain, Hanzo of the Salamander stared coldly at Chiyo ahead of him. His icy voice came through his mask. "Chiyo, you've finally shown yourself. I thought you'd keep hiding until I killed them all."
"Hanzo, don't think being called the 'demigod' of the ninja world is some kind of honor. You don't deserve it!" Chiyo said with slight anger.
At this time, both of them were in their prime, at the peak of their physical condition and Chakra reserves!
Hanzo wasted no more words. With a wave of his hand, the Rain ninja roared and charged toward the Sand ninja camp, while Hanzo himself swung his scythe and rushed at Chiyo.
Whoosh!
Chiyo untied the cord binding her hair, shook out her purple hair, and then took out a white scroll.
Bang! Hanzo's scythe was blocked by Chiyo's puppet. It was none other than the masterpiece of Monzaemon Chikamatsu, the Puppet Master Ancestor—the Ten Puppets of Monzaemon, puppet mechanisms that had once conquered an entire city!
Hanzo watched Chiyo warily, not daring to let his guard down in the slightest. A battle of this level required complete concentration. The smallest lapse would expose a weakness and lead to a death without a burial place!
Chiyo used ten Chakra threads to control the ten puppets, making them dance like lotus blossoms!
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!
The Ten Puppets of Monzaemon rode the wind forward and launched an assault on Hanzo.
The coordination between the ten puppets was like an endless river, relentless and without a single flaw!
They were close. Just as the foremost puppet's katana was about to pierce Hanzo, he dissolved into a puddle of water.
"Water Body Flicker Technique!"
Hanzo suddenly appeared beside Chiyo. Sword Technique: Iaido Slash! His scythe instantly pierced through Chiyo's body, and his ferocious grin was clearly visible. But when he turned around, he discovered that the so-called Chiyo had merely been a Sand Clone!
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Puppet Technique: Striking Shadow!
Countless kunai flew toward Hanzo. As his pupils constricted, an Ibuse burst from beneath the ground, swallowed Hanzo whole, and swiftly burrowed back underground, leaving only a black pit behind.
Chiyo vigilantly surveyed her surroundings, then looked into the distance with narrowed eyes.
Boom! A huge pit appeared in the center of the Sand Ninja battlefield.
Poison Spray!
Salamander Ibuse sprayed a wide area of poison from his mouth. Purple toxic fumes began to spread. Caught unprepared and without masks, the Sand Ninja began suffering widespread poisoning.
Chiyo gritted her teeth. She had not expected to stumble here.
While Chiyo was distracted, Hanzo descended from above. The chain in his hand wrapped around three puppets, and his scythe slashed down from overhead.
Sword Technique: Chain Scythe Double Strike!
The scythe, carrying immense force, directly smashed the three puppets apart. Hanzo took the chance to retreat to the side.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
The rainwater across the field rapidly gathered, forming a vicious blue dragon that charged toward Chiyo as Hanzo pressed forward.
"Three puppets have already been damaged. I can't lose any more!"
Chiyo flicked out a scroll, formed hand seals, and shouted, "Sealing Technique: Void Seal!"
Whoosh! Light surged from the center of the scroll. The Water Dragon Bullet did not explode when it touched that light. Instead, it plunged into it and vanished...
Buzz! The character for "Seal" appeared prominently on the scroll.
Chiyo's fingers twitched as she controlled the puppets to fight Hanzo. However, the Sand Ninja on the battlefield were not so fortunate. The poison sprayed now and then by the Ibuse had become their greatest disaster. The tide of battle had shifted, and the Sand Ninja were steadily retreating.
Chiyo panted heavily as she controlled the puppets to counterattack, while also remaining alert for Hanzo's sudden appearances through the Water Body Flicker Technique.
Bang! Hanzo sent one puppet flying. His eyes shifted as he looked around. Within dozens of meters of them, no ninja dared set foot. The attack range was too vast, and the techniques were too powerful. No one dared approach them.
Rumble!
As Chiyo and Hanzo fought, the Ibuse suddenly burst out from behind her and began spraying massive amounts of poison.
"Let's see what you do this time," Hanzo said with a cruel smile.
Chiyo controlled three puppets to turn around while the remaining puppets continued their attack. Her fingers hooked.
Clack clack clack!
The three great puppets representing "Monk," "Buddha," and "Dharma" gathered together. "Buddha" stood atop "Monk" and "Dharma," forming a formation.
The three puppets formed different hand seals.
Boom! A formation appeared behind the gap created by the three puppets.
Puppet Technique: Three Treasures Absorption!
Whoosh! A tornado with immense suction burst from the formation. Most of the poisonous mist scattered through the air was sucked away, though Chiyo still inhaled a small amount of poison.
Though it was not fatal, the scales of victory gradually tipped toward Hanzo.
After spraying the poison, the Ibuse burrowed underground again to wait for an opportunity. Hanzo smashed one puppet and retreated, forming hand seals.
Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!
A massive sphere of water poured from Hanzo's mouth and rushed toward the puppets Chiyo controlled.
Crash crash crash!
The enormous torrent battered Chiyo's puppets until they could not move. Chiyo had no choice but to sever the Chakra threads controlling them first, then leap away to avoid the impact of the water.
"Now! Sword Technique: Flash!"
Hanzo vanished in an instant, and his scythe flew toward Chiyo in a slashing arc.
"This is the end!"
"Not necessarily." Chiyo revealed a strange smile.
A sudden change occurred! The instant Hanzo launched his attack, a lion mechanism baring its fangs charged at him, viciously biting down on his path forward.
In midair, Chiyo's lips curled into a smile. "It's finally over!"
She formed hand seals. "Sealing Technique: Lion's Roar Seal!"
Crack!
The sealing formula hidden within the lion's head activated and spread across Hanzo's entire body.
Splash! Hanzo fell to the ground, only to turn into a burst of water!
"Water Clone?" Chiyo was puzzled, but when she looked down, she discovered that her puppets were being destroyed. The mechanisms of four puppets had already been dismantled, reduced to a pile of parts.
"Damn it!" Chiyo instantly reconnected the Chakra threads and controlled the remaining three puppets to counterattack.
Bang! Hanzo sent another puppet flying and showed a wild grin. "You only have three puppets left. Be careful!"
Chiyo frowned tightly. She had little Chakra left, and the poison she had inhaled was eroding her body. Only three of the Ten Puppets remained. She needed a strategy.
Chiyo moved her fingers and forced herself to calm down. Though there were fewer puppets now, their movements became more agile, and their offensive did not weaken.
Hanzo was not in a hurry either. The war favored the Rain ninja. He only needed to drag things out and wait for an opportunity. The Sand ninja would collapse!
There were not many Sand Ninja left on the battlefield, and most of them were injured. Their situation was critical!
"Now!" After sending one puppet flying, Hanzo immediately formed hand seals.
Fire Release: Explosive Flame Formation!
Rustle rustle rustle!
Countless Explosive Tags surged from the mud where Chiyo stood, flowing toward her position.
"Die!"
Boom boom boom boom!!
The flames from the explosions soared into the sky, and the heat even evaporated the rain within a dozen meters!
Buzz! Beneath the thick smoke stood a blue shield. Puppet Technique: Machine Light Shield Seal blocked all the damage from the explosion.
Puppet Technique: Striking Blades!
Chiyo opened a scroll and used her remaining Chakra to launch her final attack.
Countless kunai carrying Explosive Tags flew toward Hanzo. Hanzo dodged and burrowed underground, waiting for the explosions to pass.
Boom boom boom! Boom boom boom!
Countless Explosive Tags detonated, and the spreading smoke obscured the battlefield.
When the explosions ended, Hanzo saw only Sand Ninja corpses on the battlefield. Chiyo and the remaining Sand Ninja had all retreated.
So they had planned it all along? They deliberately waited for me to unleash my final attack before escaping. What a good strategy!
Hanzo stopped the subordinates who were about to give chase, a sinister smile appearing on his face. "No need to chase them. They've been poisoned by me. Without an antidote, they won't live long!"
The Rain ninja did not pursue them either. They began cleaning up the battlefield, counting corpses and spoils.
This battle ended in a crushing victory for the Rain ninja. Though it greatly boosted morale, it had no effect on the overall situation.
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