Hanzo the Salamander: Insolent brat! How dare you!

On the battlefield, Uchiha Chiba's figure danced amidst the flashing Kusarigama in his hands. Every strike precisely claimed the head of a ninja before him, a sight that caused Orochimaru, who had been observing the battle from afar, to furrow his brows before issuing adjustments:

"Ninjas in the central sector, unleash wide-range ninjutsu. Do not let him get close. Be careful," Orochimaru's raspy voice echoed.

At the same time:

"Fire Style: Fire Separation Jutsu!"

A surging wave of heat, like a bloody demon, lunged straight for Uchiha Chiba's face.

Feeling the terrifying heat, Uchiha Chiba's pupils constricted. I've been picking off the weak ones, but have I been targeted by someone at the Kage level?

Mid-air, Uchiha Chiba lunged away with a burst of force.

The terrifying fireball barely grazed his ankle.

The long-haired ninja narrowed his eyes. That ninja was none other than Hannya.

Hannya chuckled, "Very good. Just like that, kill him in the chaos, then find the map... Though, this kid's style doesn't look like a Uchiha's. It's pure, violent slaughter, and he doesn't leave a single opening... Could it be that the Uchiha brat died at his hands? Probably. Heh heh heh."

Hannya formed hand seals, preparing a large-scale Lightning Style jutsu. Though it would affect the Konoha ninjas, who cared? Danzo had only ordered that they not be discovered as Root members or reveal their true objective; he hadn't said anything about not killing a few people along the way. As long as he disguised himself as a ninja from either side, he could kill whoever he wanted. Heh heh heh...

Zzzzzzt!!!!

A terrifying surge of lightning struck the entire area.

Following this, Uchiha Chiba leaped backward.

That long-haired guy... he must be the powerhouse. Once is a coincidence, but twice? Is that guy crazy? Why is he killing his own people? Uchiha Chiba muttered to himself, his brow furrowed. If this keeps up, I won't be able to kill anyone. Who's going to help me build up my combat experience then?

No, I can't leave the battlefield.

My strength is only at the Chunin level. That guy is at least an Elite Jonin. It's safer to stay in the thick of the battle—who knows what kind of lunatic he is? Maybe he's just jealous because I've killed too many people?

If Hannya knew what Chiba was thinking, he would likely be enraged. As one of the twelve members of Root, he had killed more people than Chiba had eaten buns. Jealousy? Impossible! Killing was just a matter of convenience.

"I have to lure this kid out of the battlefield... somewhere with fewer ninjas... Got it. Heh heh heh heh heh heh." Hannya's eyes turned cold, and a bloodthirsty aura radiated from his body. That chakra clearly signaled to the surrounding ninjas that he was a Kage-level powerhouse.

The moment Hannya's chakra surged, Hanzo the Salamander's eyes shifted.

His gaze, cold as a blade, locked onto Hannya.

The next second, he moved, his figure closing in on Uchiha Chiba with eerie speed.

So fast. A crimson hue bloomed beneath Uchiha Chiba's mask as his single-tomoe Sharingan spun wildly, his nerves screaming in warning.

"Fire Style: Fire Barrage!"

Dozens of terrifying fireballs lunged like claws toward Uchiha Chiba's head.

Uchiha Chiba swung his Kusarigama with one hand and hurled it, the blade lodging firmly into a nearby tree as the scorching heat wave slammed into the crowd.

BOOM!!!!!!

As several Konoha and Rain ninjas were blown away, Orochimaru finally realized something was wrong. His raspy voice rang out: "Everyone in the central sector, stay away from that long-haired ninja! He appears to be a Rain ninja infiltrator!"

A smile appeared on Hannya's face. An infiltrator? He wasn't, but being able to use that identity for now was a good thing. At least he could kill a few more Konoha ninjas without having to hold back.

Uchiha Chiba's body landed steadily on the chain of his weapon.

His fox mask was already stained black and red.

Terrifying. If I hadn't been keeping an eye on that guy, this wouldn't have just hit my arm. Uchiha Chiba gritted his teeth and tore open the bandage in his pocket.

His left forearm was charred black, with glimpses of pale bone visible beneath the skin.

Wait, where is he? Something's wrong! Something's wrong! Uchiha Chiba's brain buzzed with warnings, a chilling sensation creeping up his spine.

It felt as if, in the next second, he would be gutted.

Then, just as Uchiha Chiba leaped backward, Hannya's vanished figure erupted from the ground, gripping a strangely shaped short blade.

"It's over... kid. I'm actually quite grateful for the interesting game time you provided," Hannya sneered.

"You wretch, how dare you," Hanzo the Salamander's cold voice reached Hannya's ear, sounding like the death knell of a reaper.

POW!!!!!!

Hanzo the Salamander kicked Hannya away.

This blow caused Hannya to violently spit out a mouthful of blood.

"Water Style: Water Flow Sickle!"

Hanzo the Salamander did not give Hannya any time to react. He swung his spinning sickle, sending one water blade after another flying out to slam heavily into Hannya's body.

Is this... pfft, the demigod of the ninja world? Such incredible speed. Even though I have already stepped into the Kage-level tier, I still couldn't perceive how he moved... His reputation is well-deserved indeed... Since that's the case, time to pull back. Hannya leaped out of the battlefield and sprinted toward the vast forest within the Land of Rain.

"Leave something behind," Hanzo the Salamander said indifferently.

Hannya had just intended to look at Hanzo the Salamander as if he were a fool, but he didn't expect that, in a mere instant, a mouthful of black blood would spray from his throat. He had been struck by the salamander's toxin, and to a degree consistent with the purest portion of the salamander's poison sac.

"Kid, live your life in constant fear. I will come back for you!"

Seeing this, Uchiha Chiba's brows furrowed tightly.

He could not let him go.

Once he let him go, he would never be able to settle his mind no matter what he did in the Land of Rain. After all, if a Kage-level powerhouse from an unknown faction were watching you from the shadows at every moment, wouldn't you be afraid?

Hanzo the Salamander glanced in the direction of Orochimaru.

Then he spoke: "Having been struck by the purest poison from the salamander's poison sac, not even the antidote developed by Chiyo could save him. Go; I know what you are thinking."

Uchiha Chiba nodded.

He drew his sickle and immediately sprinted in the direction where Hannya had just fled.

Meanwhile, in the forest, Hannya was currently weaving through the trees.

Hannya coughed up a mouthful of black blood.

He tremblingly tossed the salamander toxin antidote from his ninja tool pouch into his mouth and swallowed it.

"This poison is truly overbearing... No wonder those three useless disciples of the Third Hokage only just reached this place after a week. If it were Lord Danzo, hmph, I'm afraid he would have finished it long ago," Hannya snorted coldly.