"I'll gladly take your life!"
As Salamander Hanzo launched his attack, an iron weight attached to a chain shot toward Tsunade.
Just as Hanzo had said, anyone who put themselves in danger and became a sitting duck for their enemy was undoubtedly an idiot, a fool!
But could Tsunade, a Konoha jonin, the First's granddaughter, and Princess of the Land of Fire, really be a fool?
Obviously not! (Except when it came to gambling.)
"Vortex Style: First Form—Sky Chaser!"
Tsunade tilted her head... and grinned, smoothly using Uzumaki Style Taijutsu to evade Hanzo's attack with ease, then seizing the opening after he finished his jutsu!
"Vortex Style: Second Form—Modified Super Strength Fist!"
Her fist, wrapped in a massive amount of chakra, came crashing down on Salamander Hanzo!
"What!"
Hanzo's eyes widened in astonishment.
He was surprised not only that Tsunade had managed to borrow force from the air, but also by the sheer quality and quantity of the chakra surrounding her fist!
Faced with that "delicate hand" carrying such an enormous amount of chakra, even Salamander Hanzo had to choose discretion and temporarily avoid its edge.
"Water Release: Water Body Flicker!"
"Pfft~"
When her attack missed and fate failed to favor her, Tsunade didn't lose heart. Instead, she altered the flow of her chakra and continued increasing its output!
"Vortex Style: Second Form—Modified Unrivaled Super Strength!"
Her fist, carrying an excessive amount of chakra, fell straight down, instantly gravely injuring the salamander beneath her—the one named Ibuse. It dissolved into a cloud of white smoke, ending the summoning and returning to its habitat.
"Not good!"
Seeing himself "checkmated," Hanzo's heart jolted!
Tsunade's punch had not only deprived him of Ibuse's support, but also taken away the platform beneath his feet!
He plunged straight down from the air.
"Ninja Art: Hidden Multiple Snake Hands!"
As an opportunist, Orochimaru certainly wouldn't miss this rare opportunity. He struck while Hanzo was down, attacking him as he fell!
"Lord Leader! / Lord Hanzo!"
Shinda and Heiji were frantic with rage. They wanted to rush in and help, but Qi Luna had them pinned down so thoroughly that they couldn't break free!
Just as Orochimaru's attack was about to hit Hanzo, Hanzo suddenly removed his mask and spat out a dense cloud of poison.
The poisonous fog rapidly spread, instantly blocking the view around them. Orochimaru furrowed his brow and quickly retreated to avoid being engulfed by it.
Tsunade grew wary, concentrating chakra in her eyes as she tried to see Hanzo through the fog.
Just then, several kunai bearing Explosive Tags shot out of the poisonous fog toward Tsunade and Orochimaru.
"Ninja Art: Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
Orochimaru reacted quickly. He threw a shuriken, then multiplied it into several, intercepting the kunai one by one.
Taking advantage of the opening, Hanzo used Water Release to move quickly under cover of the poisonous fog.
He intended to circle around behind Tsunade and the others and look for another opportunity to attack.
Just as Hanzo was about to get behind Tsunade, Jiraiya, who had been observing from the shadows, suddenly appeared. Countless white senbon shot toward Hanzo.
"Ninja Art: Needle Jizo!"
Hanzo hadn't expected Jiraiya to appear so suddenly. Unable to dodge in time, he was struck by the senbon, his body instantly riddled with holes before he crashed heavily to the ground.
The fallen Hanzo's body strangely turned into a puddle of water, while the real Hanzo appeared some distance away from Jiraiya and the others.
"Water Release: Water Clone!"
Clearly, Jiraiya's attack hadn't hit Hanzo's real body...
And so... the battle continued for an entire day.
It wasn't until the faint light of dawn the next morning, like countless swords, tore open the curtain of night.
A deathly stillness hung over the battlefield. The air was thick with the smell of smoke, and puddles of various sizes dotted the ground—the proof that they had fought from the previous day until now!
Of the seven people at the center of the battlefield, three were panting heavily and looked ready to collapse at any moment;
Another, though in better shape than those three, still looked utterly exhausted;
Only one seemed completely at ease, sitting with casual confidence atop two men piled one on top of the other and bound hand and foot.
"That's enough!"
"I'll count this as a victory for you, Konoha. I'll spare your lives..."
Salamander Hanzo stood atop Ibuse, who had recovered from his injuries and had been summoned once more.
He looked arrogant, but his voice sounded weak as he spoke.
"We don't need your sympathy! We can still keep fighting!" Jiraiya immediately retorted.
"Exactly! It's still anyone's game!" Tsunade agreed sharply.
"That's true. The three of you, and that kid from the Uzumaki Clan, are all quite impressive. You even managed to push me this far! For ones so young, you're truly remarkable!"
"That's why I'm sparing your lives. Come challenge me again once you've grown stronger."
"As the price of my choosing to yield, each of you must tell me your names."
Salamander Hanzo made his demand calmly. Even a formidable leader like him now accepted, with composure, that his victory had become a defeat...
"Jiraiya!"
"Tsunade!"
"Orochimaru!"
Supporting one another, the three answered in turn, their expressions resolute.
"And you, red-haired kid?"
After hearing the three names, Hanzo turned to look at the boy who had subdued his "right and left hands" all by himself.
"Me?"
"Qi Luna! I'm... Qi Luna, of the Uzumaki Clan!"
At first, Qi Luna hadn't realized Hanzo was addressing her. After making sure there wasn't an eighth person present, she grinned.
"I'll etch your names into my mind: Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Qi Luna of the Uzumaki Clan. From today on, I, Hanzo, will call you the Konoha Sannin and the Konoha Red Peak. You may call yourselves by these glorious titles, earned through your own strength!"
With that, Salamander Hanzo turned and stepped down from Ibuse's head, ended the summoning, and even put away his weapons.
His expression downcast, he walked toward Qi Luna.
Qi Luna immediately understood. As she quickly retreated to Tsunade and the others, she withdrew the Adamantine Chains wrapped around Shinda and Heiji.
In the end, the battle came to a close with Salamander Hanzo choosing to yield in order to preserve his subordinates and Amegakure's strength, and granting the titles of Sannin and Red Peak.
With that, Konoha's campaign on the northern Amegakure front in the Land of Rain was essentially declared a victory!
At the same time, in the Second Shinobi World War, Konoha once again demonstrated its might to the Ninja World, virtually standing as one of the victorious nations!
Additional notes:
The major battles of the Second Shinobi World War have more or less concluded here.
As for why Salamander Hanzo had a harder time fighting this time than he did in the original, and why he seemed less arrogant, my personal explanation is that in the original, the Sannin were suppressed by Ibuse's poison, which was why they were nearly overwhelmed.
This time, the protagonist helped deal with the poisonous fog, while Tsunade's ability to close the distance and the power of her attacks had both improved. That's why Hanzo had such a hard fight.
As for his change in attitude, it was because his "right and left hands" had been captured by a boy of only eleven or twelve, and it shook him badly.
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