A Ninja, and a Samurai

"It's fine, sit down and rest for a while. You've been researching for over six hours now; take a break." Orochimaru's expression was grim, his right hand tapping rhythmically against the map on the table.

Jiraiya, standing to the side, sighed. "It's already been a week. The pressure on the Third is mounting, yet we haven't even managed to make a direct entry into the Land of Rain."

"It's my fault for not finding the antidote sooner." Tsunade clenched her fists. As the highest-ranking medical ninja in the entire force, she was frustrated that she couldn't immediately synthesize a cure.

As it turned out, they had launched a surprise attack one week ago at dawn—the very same day the Rain ninja had rescued Uchiha Chiba.

Everything had been proceeding normally until the appearance of that man: "The Demigod of the Ninja World," Hanzo the Salamander.

With one wide gape of the giant salamander beneath his feet, he had single-handedly held back an entire army of five thousand men.

The salamander's toxin had become a critical, thorny problem. If they couldn't neutralize the poison and secure a victory in the battle for Amegakure, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, would face impeachment by the village elders.

Although those elders were fellow disciples of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, and teammates of Hiruzen Sarutobi, their long-held positions had forged deep-seated ambitions. Led by Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, the Council of Elders had been bought off by Danzo.

"How about I lead a team and charge straight in? Don't worry, I've never failed before." Jiraiya's gaze was cold. His plan was simple: use his own life to force a breakthrough.

However, such an act was...

"Fool... Setting aside the fact that it would be meaningless, do you really think that idea alone could force a breakthrough? Do you take Hanzo the Salamander for a pushover? This is their home turf; don't you think they know every inch of this place better than you? Idiot." Orochimaru slammed his hand on the table, his raspy voice laced with irritation. The inability to break through at Amegakure had even this famously calm man feeling frayed.

Then, Tsunade spoke up suddenly.

"Give me three more days. I can break this poison."

Meanwhile, in Sunagakure.

The young Chiyo set down the intelligence report in her hand.

Her eyes, possessing a calmness that belied her youth, swept across the sky. Her peak physical condition and appearance were the foundation of her status as Sunagakure's premier puppeteer.

"That guy is truly terrifying. Not only did he neutralize my puppet's poison while still far away in Amegakure... but now, in just one week, he's on the verge of cracking that disgusting salamander toxin. Lady Tsunade, one day, I will face you in direct combat." Chiyo waved her hand, then pulled a scroll from her ninja tool pouch.

The scroll contained the antidote for the salamander's toxin—a cure Chiyo had spent a month deciphering. While breaking down the poison, she had also discovered a secret about Hanzo the Salamander: every time the creature released its toxin, it required about five minutes to gather and condense the venom. It was precisely because of this vulnerability that Hanzo had retreated and stopped attacking Sunagakure.

"Someone come," Chiyo said flatly.

A Sunagakure ninja appeared outside the command center.

"Take this intelligence to the Land of Rain, to the medical corps of the Konoha forces... If that White Fang discovers you, destroy it. If they can't be helped, that's their own problem... Go." Chiyo closed her eyes and tapped the table.

The ninja's figure vanished.

Shortly after, a man and a woman walked through the door.

"Mother."

"Mother."

At the Amegakure training ground, Uchiha Chiba stood in the pouring rain.

"Don't resist the toxin; it cannot harm you." Hanzo the Salamander was shirtless, holding a Kusarigama in his hand. A muffled voice emanated from beneath his mask.

Uchiha Chiba closed his eyes, struggling to adapt to the poison coursing through his body.

Then, Hanzo tossed an identical Kusarigama toward him.

Clack!

Uchiha Chiba opened his eyes and caught it firmly.

"Kid, do you know about samurai?" Hanzo gripped the chain with his left hand and spoke slowly.

"I do. They generally don't use ninjutsu, but some are capable of rivaling ninja." Uchiha Chiba mimicked his stance, gripping the chain as well.

Then—

BOOM!

The stone tiles beneath Hanzo's feet shattered.

Uchiha Chiba violently activated his Sharingan.

Unfortunately, his single-tomoe Sharingan couldn't track Hanzo's movements at all!

The next second.

A massive force exploded from Uchiha Chiba's abdomen.

Uchiha Chiba flew backward.

As the dust settled.

"Too slow, kid," Hanzo the Salamander said with a chuckle, shouldering his scythe.

"One day, I will be stronger than you," Uchiha Chiba replied, crawling out from the rubble of the wall and wiping the blood from his lips as he let out a breath.

Hanzo the Salamander narrowed his eyes.

He then continued to speak.

"There is a country, the Land of Iron, where everyone is a samurai. I once set foot there, and it nearly became territory of the Land of Rain. Kid, do you know why it didn't?" Hanzo the Salamander twirled his scythe, seemingly preparing for his next strike.

In the original story, when Hanzo the Salamander attacked the Land of Iron, there were many formidable samurai there at the time, but they were so terrified upon hearing his name that their legs went weak, and they fled the battlefield one after another. Only one samurai named Mifune dared to face Hanzo the Salamander, and in the end, Mifune earned Hanzo's respect, allowing the Land of Iron to be spared.

"Bushido," Uchiha Chiba said, staring vigilantly at Hanzo the Salamander. His body could not withstand a second strike; even a blow with restrained force was more than he could handle. The gap in their strength was simply too vast.

"Close enough. There was a samurai named Mifune; he was the only one who didn't run. Because of him, I spared the Land of Iron," Hanzo the Salamander said, grabbing the chain with his left hand and holding his scythe diagonally with his right before lunging forward.

A blurred shadow appeared in Uchiha Chiba's Sharingan.

He couldn't see it clearly.

He couldn't see it at all.

Uchiha Chiba suddenly felt a bone-chilling cold erupt across his scalp, and he jerked his scythe upward.

The next second.

Bang! Clang!!!!!!!

Sparks flew everywhere.

Hanzo the Salamander was seen swinging his scythe with one hand, pinning it firmly against Chiba's blade.

"Oh? Let me guess, it was a reflex, wasn't it? Your muscles are trembling, your stance for generating power is wrong, not to mention your blocking position is off-center... Kid, do you know? If you wanted me to teach you ninjutsu, perhaps I wouldn't be the best choice, but when it comes to taijutsu, I, Hanzo the Salamander, dare say there is absolutely no one more authoritative than me," Hanzo the Salamander said nonchalantly, his hand pressure not wavering in the slightest.

The rain continued to fall.

From time to time, the sounds of shattering stone and objects flying backward echoed through the training ground. It was certain that over these three days, Uchiha Chiba would surely learn a great deal more.