The violent power of the Lightning Chakra burst out without reservation, forming a light ball several meters in diameter, almost enveloping the entire rock giant. The blazing orb of light resembled a miniature sun, its radiance covering a significant portion of the battlefield.
"What is that light?"
Nearly a thousand meters away, at the gathering place of the Sand Ninja troops, the perpetual rain of the Land of Rain usually obstructed vision, but the light from Sakumo's ninjutsu was so intense that it was clearly visible even from afar.
"It seems the battle is reaching its climax," Chiyo observed the light and smiled lightly. She then turned and commanded, "Pass the order—prepare for battle!"
"Yes," a Sand Ninja behind her responded softly and quickly relayed the order to the hundreds of ninjas gathered there.
"Lightning Release Ninjutsu... Hatake Sakumo?"
On the battlefield between Konoha and Iwagakure, there was no one else who could wield such powerful Lightning Release Ninjutsu except Konoha's Hatake Sakumo.
As the light of the Lightning Release Chakra gradually dimmed, the battle between the leaders of both sides drew the attention of many ninjas near their battle circle. Although it was taboo to be distracted on the battlefield, everyone wanted to know how this confrontation would end.
When the light finally faded, the rock giant, which had stood several meters tall, was completely obliterated. The rocks within a radius of more than ten meters around it were reduced to powder. The battlefield was flattened, with only a chakra short sword left standing in the empty ground, still flashing faint remnants of dissipating lightning.
Swish!
Sakumo appeared in front of the short sword and pulled it from the ground. A few meters away, a lone figure stood, injured but still upright. Tsuchiguki's face was filled with fear. If he hadn't realized what was happening and left the rock giant's body in time, casting several defensive techniques, he would have been turned to ashes by now.
"What tricks do you have left?" The blood on Sakumo's lips had dried, and his eyes were filled with murderous intent. The previous sneak attack by the Rock Ninja and Tsuchiguki's callous disregard for his subordinates had pushed Sakumo to the limit of his patience. If he could take down Tsuchiguki, the morale of the Rock Ninja Corps would suffer a severe blow.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Kai had completely suppressed the insect controller from the Kamizuru Clan. The strength of the insect controller depended on the insects he commanded, but under the Uchiha Sharingan, any chakra-infused bees couldn't escape. At this moment, Konoha had fully gained the upper hand on the battlefield.
Swish!
Sakumo charged at Tsuchiguki with his short sword, and the battle resumed. Though Sakumo was injured, and his earlier Lightning Release had consumed a significant amount of chakra, he was still in much better condition than Tsuchiguki, who had been severely wounded in the explosion. Sakumo's strength surpassed that of his opponent, so at this moment, Tsuchiguki stood no chance.
Buzz.
As Sakumo's blade fell, Tsuchiguki, at the end of his rope, was forced to defend himself against the chakra short sword. His arms had transformed into rock, but even stone was as fragile as paper under Sakumo's sharp blade.
Bang!
One of Tsuchiguki's arms was shattered by Sakumo's sword, and the lightning coursed through his body, charring his chest.
"Ah! Ah!"
Just as the battle reached its conclusion, several ninjas on the edge of the battlefield—from Konoha, Iwagakure, and Amegakure—screamed in agony before collapsing, foaming at the mouth, their faces turning purple and black within seconds. Dozens more ninjas suddenly fell, drawing the attention of the entire battlefield.
The continuous screams caught Minato's attention. Realizing what was happening, his expression changed drastically as he extended his sensory abilities.
"Everyone, hold your breath and evacuate quickly!" Minato shouted anxiously. "The air is poisoned!"
Minato glanced in the direction where Jiraiya and the others were battling Hanzo. In the darkness, hundreds of meters away, stood a massive black beast—Hanzo's summoned creature, the salamander.
Its poison had spread hundreds of meters through the air, reaching the front lines of the battlefield. This was a dire situation.
Upon hearing Minato's warning, many of the Rain Ninjas were the first to retreat, fully aware of the salamander's deadly poison. In the Land of Rain, there had once been an armed force that attempted to oppose the rule of the Rain Village. Hanzo had personally suppressed it, and hundreds of people perished from the poison. There was almost no chance to resist.
This was the true power of Hanzo. No matter how strong a ninja was, it was nearly impossible to completely resist the poison of the salamander—unless they could fight without breathing.
Soon after, the ninjas of Konoha and Iwagakure also began fleeing the battlefield. The fighting between the two sides was forced to halt as both sides scrambled to escape. Hundreds of meters away, under the shadow of the salamander, Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya were nearly at the end of their strength.
"Haha, where are you going?" Hanzo, perched on the salamander, chuckled as he watched the ninjas fleeing the battlefield. The salamander opened its mouth slightly, reducing the poisonous fog in the air. It seemed Hanzo no longer needed to release more poison.
Jiraiya, one of the three, was covered in scars, and blood flowed freely from his wounds. Tsunade, beside him, frowned, still reeling from the trap Hanzo had set. If Jiraiya hadn't seen through it in time, she would have perished in the explosion.
"Did you want to kill Tsunade, the only one among us who can counter your poison gas?" Jiraiya asked, struggling to stand.
"Boy, you may seem slow, but you have a sharp mind in battle," Hanzo replied with a faint smile.
"Haha, of course," Jiraiya chuckled, though his body was weakening. He could feel his strength fading before he could finish speaking. He had taken the full brunt of the explosion to protect Tsunade. Even with ninjutsu, he was injured, and his blood had come into contact with the poison in the air. The pills he had taken earlier were no longer enough to resist the toxicity.
"Now that your team's coordination has been broken, what else can you do?" Hanzo asked condescendingly, his eyes filled with indifference.
"Let's retreat for now; this guy is too strong," even the proud Orochimaru admitted. Despite their combined efforts, they were no match for Hanzo.
"Tsunade, give me the medicine you mentioned earlier," Jiraiya, struggling to remain upright, said to Tsunade. His body swayed unsteadily.
"But..." Tsunade hesitated, her pupils contracting slightly.
Orochimaru, usually indifferent, shouted for the first time, "Are you crazy, you idiot?"
"Hehe, my companions, disciples, and comrades are fighting bravely on the battlefield behind me. If I run away, how can I face Sensei?" Jiraiya laughed and looked at Tsunade beside him.
Tsunade was taken aback, but she had never intended to retreat in the first place—her brother was also on the battlefield. She took out a pill from her pouch and swallowed it first under the watchful eyes of Jiraiya and Orochimaru. Then, she handed a pill to Jiraiya, who swallowed it without hesitation.
His previously weakened demeanor quickly improved.
"I didn't expect you to be so brave in a moment like this," Tsunade remarked with a sideways glance at Jiraiya, chuckling.
"Hehe, interesting... two desperate little ones," Hanzo still laughed, but his eyes focused on Orochimaru.
Orochimaru met his gaze and spoke slowly, "Human life is fleeting. When people die, everything ends. I despise battles that threaten my life."
"But," he continued, looking at Jiraiya and Tsunade beside him, "I will not leave until you two are dead!"
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