Although Tatsuma had the desire to challenge Hanzo, he was well aware of his own limitations. His Taijutsu, which allowed him to hold his own against most Ninjas—at least for a short while—was completely inadequate against Hanzo.
Even Mifune, who could rely on his speed and Kenjutsu to prevent Ninjas from casting techniques, was unable to defeat Hanzo. This highlighted Hanzo's exceptional skill in Taijutsu.
Ninjutsu was now the only way Tatsuma might pose a threat to Hanzo. However, his current specialty was large-scale Ninjutsu, which was extremely useful in a battle scenario.
But when facing an individual like Hanzo, this was somewhat ineffective. Close combat would only work if a perfect opportunity like the one before presented itself; otherwise, it would be a futile attempt.
While Tatsuma was contemplating, he noticed Jiraiya signaling to him with a secretive look. Tatsuma approached Jiraiya, leaned in slightly, and listened to what Jiraiya had to say.
Jiraiya straightened up slightly and leaned closer to Tatsuma, saying, "Don't fall for it. Hanzo is still too far out of your reach right now. He's stalling the outcome of the battlefield."
With Jiraiya's reminder, Tatsuma quickly suppressed his initial excitement. His "skill allocation" was heavily biased towards group battles and didn't offer much advantage in one-on-one combat.
If Tatsuma ignored this battle, he could more quickly help Konoha achieve victory, and Hanzo would surely be aware of this. Thus, Hanzo was deliberately using his presence to lure Tatsuma in.
The temptation to challenge and even defeat a formidable opponent like Hanzo was incredibly strong. Tatsuma had unconsciously started to take the bait, and without Jiraiya's warning, he might have blindly bitten down on the hook.
"But what about your side?"
Even though Tatsuma now knew the correct course of action thanks to Jiraiya's advice, he was still worried about Jiraiya's current situation and whether he could maintain the balance in this fight.
Jiraiya's face hadn't yet recovered, but he wiped the sweat from his forehead and forced a smile, saying, "Don't worry, I'm injured, but didn't Hanzo also suffer at your hands?"
Tatsuma thought for a moment before nodding quickly. Seeing Tatsuma calm and not acting impulsively, Jiraiya sighed in relief, placed a hand on Tatsuma's shoulder, and then slowly stood up.
After adjusting to the discomfort in his body, Jiraiya patted Tatsuma's shoulder and said, "Go, secure victory for Konoha!"
"Jiraiya-sensei, let me help wear them down first. I'll use Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu, and you and Bunta can use Toad Oil Flame Bullet."
Supporting Jiraiya, Tatsuma whispered. Jiraiya nodded upon hearing this. In the complex terrain of the rainforest, the Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu wasn't very effective, but it was great for exhausting Hanzo and his salamander, Ibuse.
Seeing Jiraiya agree, Tatsuma used Body Flicker to transport Jiraiya to Gamabunta's head. Feeling a stranger's presence, Bunta instinctively shook his head, but Jiraiya quickly said, "It's Tatsuma."
"Tatsuma?"
Bunta found the name somewhat unfamiliar, yet vaguely familiar. Strictly speaking, this was only his second encounter with Tatsuma, the first being when Minato summoned him to sign the Summoning Contract.
In Mount Myoboku, whether it was Jiraiya or Minato, they often talked about Tatsuma. Bunta remembered that he was the successor of Shikkotsu Forest, and the chakra emanating from him made Bunta feel a complex sense of awe and fear. Thus, he chose to remain quiet.
Jiraiya quickly explained the combined Ninjutsu plan to Bunta, who did not object. The two of them, along with the toad, began preparing the Ninjutsu, though they didn't start forming seals yet, as timing the release of Ninjutsu was crucial.
Bunta wielded his giant short sword, constantly creating opportunities. Orochimaru seemed to notice this and slightly retreated, only using Ninjutsu to harass Hanzo.
Finally, after Tsunade's retreat and Hanzo breaking away with the salamander, the opportunity arose. Tatsuma threw the shuriken, and then he and Jiraiya almost simultaneously formed seals. Bunta also used all his strength to throw the salamander away.
"Ninja Art! Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
"Fire Release! Toad Oil Flame Bullet!"
The moment the seals were completed, the shuriken aimed at the salamander multiplied rapidly, filling the rainforest in an instant and overwhelming the salamander.
Bunta opened his mouth, and the toad oil gushed out like a broken oil pump, enveloping the shuriken as it flowed. Jiraiya's Fire Release attack instantly ignited the oil.
Encased in the flaming oil, the Shuriken Shadow Clones maintained their form and flew swiftly toward Ibuse.
"Ibuse!"
Seeing this, Hanzo's eye twitched. Ibuse's poison sac had just finished preparing, and the Poison Mist hadn't yet been utilized. Now it would have to be wasted, and to make matters worse, Hanzo was not beside Ibuse. The salamander, thrown by Bunta, seemingly didn't notice the thousands of shuriken hidden within the flames.
Hearing Hanzo's shout, the salamander Ibuse, upon landing, immediately turned and opened its mouth to spray a dense Poison Mist. The Poison Mist clashed with the flames, and the explosion echoed across the battlefield.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
A series of explosions resounded, but Hanzo's face remained grim. Using all his strength to speed toward Ibuse, he was still too late.
Shuriken, concealed by the flames and oil, pierced through Ibuse's Poison Mist and aimed directly for its mouth.
"Thud, thud, thud~"
"Ding, ding, ding~"
"Bang, bang, bang~"
A series of sounds came from Ibuse's mouth, causing it to stop spewing the Poison Mist in pain. Meanwhile, Jiraiya and Bunta's combined Toad Oil Flame Bullet attack was not yet over.
"Boom!"
"Sizzle~"
The flames scorched the salamander's skin, and the spreading oil continued to increase the burn area on Ibuse.
"Waa~ Waa~"
Ibuse's strange and mournful cries echoed as it fell to the ground, rolling around. The wet, puddled terrain extinguished the flames on Ibuse, but it revealed black and red wounds.
Hanzo, full of rage, reached Ibuse and gently stroked it, saying, "Go back."
Ibuse struggled for a moment but was pressed down by Hanzo. He continued, "I can handle everything here."
Hearing this, Ibuse hesitated for a few seconds before choosing to dissipate into smoke and disappear.
With Ibuse's summoning ended, Hanzo stood among the salamander's blood, his killing intent growing. He held a chained sickle in his left hand and wiped his right hand across his chest.
"Rip~"
The remaining scraps of fabric were torn away, revealing his strong but scarred upper body. He looked up at Tatsuma on top of Bunta, his murderous intent completely undisguised.
"Go! Quickly, go!"
Jiraiya shouted loudly. Tatsuma nodded and used Body Flicker to swiftly move toward the area with the most Rain Ninjas. Hanzo's eyes followed Tatsuma closely, and just as he was about to move, a giant short sword slammed into the ground in front of him.
At this moment, Manda, resembling an ouroboros, stretched its long body into a circle with its head positioned between Hanzo and Tatsuma. Manda's emerald green eyes stared at Hanzo, and its tongue flicked in and out.
Standing atop the snake's head, Orochimaru had an extremely serious expression. He deduced the reason the village had sent the three of them to deal with Hanzo: Hanzo wouldn't go all out against the three of them, as he had to consider the wrath of their tecaher Sarutobi Hiruzen.
However, this restraint didn't extend to others, including Tatsuma, Sarutobi Hiruzen's grand-disciple. Hanzo wouldn't need to worry too much about them because if anyone sought revenge on behalf of Konoha, it should be Tsunade, the sensei. But Tsunade wasn't yet qualified for that.
Therefore, if Hanzo was determined to kill Tatsuma and succeeded, Tatsuma would die in vain.
From this moment on, their mission was not just to stall Hanzo but also to protect Tatsuma, who had thoroughly angered Hanzo. The best way to achieve this was to divert Hanzo's attention away from Tatsuma.
Once the outcome of the battle became clear, even Hanzo would have to acknowledge it.
Tsunade reappeared atop Katsuyu, now with additional black sealing marks on her face, mostly concealed by her forehead protector, with just a little visible. Her entire demeanor had changed drastically, and any injuries or fatigue from her earlier fight with Hanzo had fully recovered.
"Cough, cough!"
Jiraiya coughed heavily twice, spitting out two mouthfuls of blood, but his complexion became rosy again. He didn't care about the potential aftereffects of this action; he needed to be in his best condition for the fight.
Hanzo glanced at the three of them and understood that they wouldn't let him go after Tatsuma unless he defeated them first. If that's the case, he thought, let's see whether Konoha achieves victory in this war first, or if he, Hanzo, wins this battle.
"Whoosh~"
Hanzo used Body Flicker Jutsu to charge at Tsunade. In group battles or when facing a ninja team, it was common knowledge to first eliminate the medical ninja who could heal themselves and others. However, Tsunade was the one who defied this norm. She was a medical ninja but also one who could fight on the front lines of war and battle.
"Heavenly Kick of Pain!"
"Kenjutsu! Iai Slash!"
Tsunade's downward kick collided with Hanzo's upward-swinging sickle. The blade sliced into Tsunade's lower leg, instantly cutting through her skin, slicing her flesh, severing her Achilles tendon, and lodging into her bone.
For an ordinary person, such an attack would have been crippling. But Tsunade, gritting her teeth, unleashed another burst of power, forcing the sickle down. She then launched a punch at Hanzo.
Hanzo, unaccustomed to such a fighting style, was caught off guard and sent flying by Tsunade's punch. As he flew backward, he saw his sickle being pulled away, and in midair, he clearly saw Tsunade's lower leg being completely severed by the sickle he had retracted.
But as soon as he landed, Hanzo saw Tsunade lunging towards him. Her right leg, which he had just severed, not only was intact but showed no signs of injury. Another kick infused with endless Enhanced Strength came at him, and Hanzo quickly raised his sickle to block.
"Crack!"
The sound of bones breaking came from where Tsunade's right leg struck, but she paid no heed and continued to unleash her power.
"Boom!"
Hanzo, who had just landed, was once again sent flying and crashed into a tree with a diameter of four to five meters, deeply embedding himself into it.
"Until the moment I, as his sensei, die, I will never let my disciples die. This is the belief I inherited from my grandfather."
"Hmph. Belief? You little brats dare to talk to me about belief?!"
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