The Name of the Sannin

War was on the verge of breaking out. On the front lines, flesh and blood flew as horrific scenes unfolded one after another; no one knew just how brutal that war truly was.

"Lord Hanzo, something seems wrong. Their commander, that gloomy guy who looks like a snake, isn't on this side." Hanzo's Right Hand narrowed his eyes, scanning the surroundings before quietly approaching Hanzo.

Hanzo the Salamander's face was grim. As a leader himself, how could he not have guessed the enemy's objective?

He knew they must have headed for the sea near Amegakure, attempting to take the village directly to achieve the swiftest of victories.

"Right Hand, you and Zozo handle the front lines. I am going to take a look at the sea outside Amegakure. I have a feeling they will appear there, and there aren't many Rain Ninja left behind to guard it." As soon as he finished speaking, Hanzo the Salamander summoned his massive salamander, stood atop its head, and immediately submerged into the water.

A long while later.

Moving at high speed through the water, Hanzo suddenly sensed something.

"Chakra? Why are there only three? Do they hold this old man in such low regard?" Hanzo instantly surfaced.

The giant salamander swam toward the shore.

On the shore.

"Damn it!" Tsunade threw a fierce punch, sending a Rain Ninja flying.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!" Orochimaru grabbed a Rain Ninja by the neck and snapped it.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!!

Dozens of Explosive Tag Kunai were fired toward the trio.

"Watch out!" Jiraiya pulled Tsunade and Orochimaru aside.

Seeing the massive figure approaching the shore, the three were suddenly overcome by an ominous premonition; they had been stalled for far too long.

"That is!"

"Hanzo the Salamander!"

"He's here! But this is a terrible time for it!"

At this moment, Hanzo the Salamander was only a few hundred meters away from the three. Tsunade instantly raised her leg and slammed it down, and a nearby Rain Ninja died on the spot!

"Fire Style: Toad Oil Bullet!"

Jiraiya spat out a torrent of oil and fire.

"Orochimaru! Behind you!" Tsunade shouted.

BOOM!!!!!!!

Orochimaru was kicked by a Rain Ninja and sent flying, crashing heavily into the ground. Tsunade and Jiraiya used Body Flicker to reach Orochimaru's side.

"Are you alright?" Jiraiya pulled Orochimaru up.

Orochimaru shook his head, coughing up a mouthful of blood.

Damn it!

The elite Rain Ninja here were too numerous for the three of them!

He never expected Hanzo the Salamander to have left a unit of dozens of Rain Ninja here!

They had intended to draw Hanzo the Salamander's attention and ambush him, but now it was they who looked more like the ones being ambushed!

"Fire Style: Toad Oil Bullet!"

Jiraiya unleashed his jutsu again to repel the nearby Rain Ninja, rainwater dripping from his hair.

"If this continues, we will eventually be worn down and killed here. We don't have much chakra left. Damn it, a miscalculation. I didn't think that Hanzo could even foresee that we would strike at the village from the sea." Orochimaru looked around; in truth, he was guarding against attacks from all sides!

Suddenly, Hanzo spoke: "You three Konoha ninja? To think you could hold out for so long."

"A bit interesting... I suppose I'll warm up a little."

Hanzo jumped down from the salamander.

Whoosh!!!!

His sickle flew straight toward Jiraiya, who had just finished his jutsu!

"I won't let you succeed." Tsunade covered her fists in chakra and met the sickle head-on, immediately leaping high into the air to strike down at Hanzo.

Hanzo simply stepped back, and the spot where he had been standing was instantly cratered by Tsunade's punch.

"Is that all? Too slow." Hanzo's tone was flat, his eyes glancing indifferently at the group.

Hanzo swung his sickle again.

"Snake Swarm Stealth!"

A group of long brown snakes instantly appeared at Hanzo's flank.

"Hmph, boring little tricks." Hanzo swung his sickle in mid-air, round after round! Countless bits of shredded flesh fell to the ground.

Hanzo flickered to Orochimaru's side.

"Lion Mane Jutsu!" Jiraiya's hair wrapped around Orochimaru, causing Hanzo's attack to miss.

"It's useless. You can block one round, two rounds, but what about the third?" Hanzo let out a cold snort, seemingly preparing more Explosive Tag Kunai.

Jiraiya and Tsunade stood to the side, their chakra reserves nearly bottomed out...

Suddenly.

It was just like before!

Countless explosive Kunai were hurled into the vicinity of the three.

They had managed to dodge the last time because they still had some chakra left, but now, with all three of them completely drained, how were they supposed to evade?

In an instant.

Orochimaru lunged forward with a Body Flicker.

Jiraiya instantly used his remaining sliver of chakra to unleash the Lion Mane Jutsu, wrapping his hair around Tsunade to pull her beneath him.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

"Gah!" Jiraiya spat out a mouthful of blood.

"I'm sorry, doing this for me... Jiraiya," Tsunade said, supporting him.

"It's fine... don't say such distant things." Jiraiya's back was charred black; it was impossible to tell if it was armor fragments or blackened flesh.

In the distance, Hanzo the Salamander watched the three with interest.

"To think you can still stand? Your vitality is truly tenacious."

Suddenly, Hanzo felt his legs bound by a swamp. He didn't struggle, instead watching the three with keen interest.

"Use that move!"

"Snake Cage!"

Orochimaru exhausted his final bit of chakra, and countless long snakes rose from beneath Hanzo, forming a cage as they struck.

"Fire Style: Blazing Oil Bullet!"

Jiraiya also squeezed out his very last drop of chakra, releasing the ninjutsu he usually reserved as a finishing move.

Finally!

"Die!!!"

Tsunade's fist, glowing with emerald light, detonated the snake cage! It was a heaven-shaking punch delivered at the brink of her limits!

A massive cloud of smoke dissipated.

What!

As the smoke cleared.

Hanzo stood atop his salamander.

"Our full-power strike, and yet?!" Tsunade's pupils trembled.

"No, his breathing has become much more ragged. It seems he used a considerable amount of chakra as well. If we were in our prime, it wouldn't have ended like this... we were still one move short," Orochimaru said, forcing himself to look at Hanzo.

"Salamander!" Hanzo commanded coldly.

A massive brown salamander instantly burst through the surface of the water, then opened its giant maw!

In an instant! Endless purple poisonous mist swept over the three!

At that moment!

All three were poisoned. Even with the salamander toxin antidote Tsunade had improved, they couldn't regain their mobility in such a short time.

"Cough, cough..." Jiraiya spat out a mouthful of black blood.

"To think you still aren't dead? What are the names of you three?" Hanzo the Salamander looked at them with slight interest. He only knew they were the disciples of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi; he hadn't had the time to learn anything else, including their names.

"If you're going to kill us, do it! Stop dragging your feet..." Tsunade clutched her arm, her chakra desperately shielding her heart to prevent the toxin from destroying her body.

"The power of you three is truly not to be underestimated. Even I had to put in some effort. Give me your names, and I shall spare your lives. Come find me again once you have grown stronger, and we shall fight once more." Hanzo felt a spark of appreciation for their talent; he had always been this way, otherwise, he would not have spared Mifune and abandoned the Land of Iron.

"Jiraiya."

"Tsunade."

"Orochimaru."

Hanzo suddenly began to laugh.

"Very well, then, I shall call you..."

"The Sannin of Konoha."

With that, Hanzo the Salamander turned, stood atop his salamander, and departed...