Jiraiya and Orochimaru's already serious expressions grew even more somber. Their opponent was Hanzo of the Salamander, and their chances of winning were slim to none. This battle truly put their lives at risk. But now, with Tsunade telling them they couldn't engage in close combat or suffer serious injuries, the challenge seemed nearly impossible—especially given Hanzo's incredible Body Flicker Jutsu.
"However, if things get desperate, I have another way to counter his poison," Tsunade added. "I have another toxin that's just as potent as the Salamander's. If you take it, you can fight poison with poison and won't have to worry about his poison anymore."
The expressions on Jiraiya and Orochimaru's faces remained unchanged. Since Tsunade hadn't mentioned this before, they knew it must carry significant risks.
"But there's a catch," Tsunade continued. "The immunity to the salamander's toxin is temporary—at most, it lasts one hour. After that, the two toxins will react within your body simultaneously. If you receive treatment in time, you'll be fine, but if not, you'll die!"
"Is that so?" Jiraiya muttered before charging directly toward Hanzo.
Tsunade was stunned, then shouted, "Hey, Jiraiya, did you hear what I just said?"
To her surprise, Orochimaru, usually the calm and calculated one, followed Jiraiya's lead.
"That guy can hear our conversation," Orochimaru said. "If we start acting cautiously, we'll just end up restricting ourselves. For once, Jiraiya's recklessness is the right move."
A smile curled on Orochimaru's lips. Despite his calculated nature, Hanzo's strength had awakened his fighting spirit.
"Wild Lion's Mane Technique!"
Jiraiya formed a seal while moving, and his long white hair grew rapidly, resembling the head of a ferocious lion. The hair intertwined, like claws reaching out to grab Hanzo. But Hanzo merely smiled and moved at such incredible speed that he weaved effortlessly through Jiraiya's tangled hair, closing in on him quickly.
"Needle Jizo!"
Jiraiya's long hair swiftly recoiled, covering his entire body. The hair stiffened into sharp thorns, making him resemble a white hedgehog. Hanzo drew the kusarigama hanging from his waist and slashed at Jiraiya's hair.
Clang!
The sound of metal clashing rang out. Although Hanzo managed to cut off several strands of Jiraiya's hair, he didn't cause any significant damage.
"Hair Needle Senbon!"
Wrapped in his protective hair, Jiraiya shouted, and the sharp barbs of his hair extended outward. Caught off guard, even Hanzo was hit, though he quickly swung his kusarigama, cutting down the sharp thorns that jabbed at him, and then swiftly retreated.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
As Hanzo retreated, Orochimaru, who had been hiding behind Jiraiya, leaped forward. He threw a shuriken and quickly formed a seal. The single shuriken multiplied into two, then four, and soon turned into a rain of hundreds of shurikens.
Clang clang clang!
Hanzo swung his kusarigama with precision, knocking down every shuriken flying toward him.
"Clever boy," Hanzo remarked lightly. He swiftly re-sheathed his kusarigama, but an indescribable sense of danger filled Orochimaru as Hanzo did so.
"Quick Slash!"
In an instant, Hanzo drew the kusarigama again, the blade slicing through the air with such force that it cut through the rain, slashing Orochimaru, who had no time to dodge. The energy from the strike shattered the remaining shurikens that hadn't yet fallen to the ground.
Orochimaru's body was split in half, and the blade's light even severed part of the falling rain before dissipating.
However, the "Orochimaru" that had been cut turned into a mass of mud.
"An Earth Release Clone?" Hanzo murmured.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
The ground around Hanzo began to tremble, and then, three earth walls, several meters high, rose from the ground in front of Jiraiya and two other locations, surrounding Hanzo like a fortress.
"Orochimaru, do you think something like this can trap me?" Hanzo sneered.
"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!"
Jiraiya, now free of his hair defense, slammed his palms on the ground. The earth flow walls that had risen like city walls on all four sides now encircled a large mud swamp beneath Hanzo. Unprepared, even Hanzo began to sink into the swamp, his movements becoming restricted.
However, while the swamp could delay him, it was impossible to restrain him entirely.
"Boom!"
At that moment, the ground shook violently, and one of the earth walls collapsed, turning into a pile of boulders. The ground cracked, and the remaining walls fell one after another, with countless boulders covering the swamp. Hanzo's figure was buried beneath the rubble.
"Now, you can't use the Body Flicker Jutsu to escape, right?"
Jiraiya and Orochimaru both collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily. Even they were feeling the strain of using advanced Earth Release ninjutsu continuously.
Standing before the swamp now turned into a pile of boulders, Tsunade turned around and looked at them, chuckling. "You two bicker all the time, but your teamwork was pretty impressive this time."
Jiraiya and Orochimaru exchanged glances, and the latter smirked. "It's all because this idiot kept bothering me."
Jiraiya grinned, uncharacteristically choosing not to argue.
"But I'm afraid we haven't defeated him yet," Tsunade said. Orochimaru's jutsu had taken away Hanzo's vision, Jiraiya's swamp had restricted his movements, and she had destroyed the terrain. Under such an attack, it was hard to imagine any ninja surviving. But Hanzo, it seemed, hadn't yet shown his full strength.
Sure enough, a few seconds later, the rocks shifted violently, and a sharp blade slashed through the rubble from below. Hanzo emerged from the debris, calmly re-sheathing his kusarigama.
"Haha, you three are truly remarkable ninjas. I have to commend you," Hanzo said with a light smile. He appeared unscathed, the combined attack of Jiraiya and the others having failed to cause him any harm.
"It's terrifying that someone like him exists in this world," Jiraiya muttered bitterly.
Hanzo's strength had exceeded even their expectations.
"So, allow me to introduce you to the legendary Salamander !"
With a rumble, the swamp beneath Hanzo's feet surged, and a colossal salamander slowly emerged, towering over Jiraiya and the others. Hanzo stood atop the salamander, looking down at them with a commanding presence.
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