Bang!
Hanzō learned that during his absence, the patrolling Amegakure Ninja had been massacred, and the low table in front of him was smashed to pieces.
This time, the Konoha team consisted of six exceptionally strong Ninjas, with Orochimaru being just one of them. As for their precise strength, the scout who reported this lacked the power to assess it accurately.
Hanzō had already fought Orochimaru before and considered him a defeated opponent. There was also a Taijutsu master with parted hair wearing a tight suit, Ishikado had spoken to him previously. Alongside them were two Kenjutsu masters, a strange-looking Kunoichi, and a man with an afro and white hair.
Hanzō fell into deep thought. With six of them, he doubted his ability to handle the situation.
"These Konoha pests."
After a long silence, Hanzō cursed sharply, his mind forming a plan.
"Kandachi."
"Lord Hanzō."
Kandachi approached respectfully and gave a slight bow.
"You..."
Hanzō leaned closer and whispered his instructions.
"Your subordinate will see it done."
With that, Kandachi left, and Hanzō returned to his meditative state.
If he couldn't defeat all six, he would take them down in smaller groups.
As the Konoha team drew closer to Amegakure, now just two days away, they began moving cautiously toward the center of the region.
The decisive battle loomed. Saving strength and avoiding direct confrontation was now a luxury they couldn't afford.
Worry marked everyone's faces. The unspoken fear lingered—would they leave the Land of Rain alive, or was this their grave? Facing death with composure was easier said than done.
Kawakaze had already joined Orochimaru and the others, while a small group of Jōnin was still on its way to bolster the team.
"If we don't contain Ibuse, we can't win this battle."
Orochimaru fixed his gaze on Ibuse. Though Hanzō was stronger than him, the real threat lay in the Summoning Beast.
"It takes Ibuse five minutes to gather venom for its poisonous mist before it can unleash it."
At that moment, Kawakaze revealed information he'd gleaned from other sources.
"Is the information reliable?"
Tsunade's spirits lifted slightly. This was crucial intelligence, yet she had never heard it before.
"Well, didn't my Big Brother come to the Land of Rain on a mission?" Kawakaze replied hurriedly. "He learned it from an Amegakure Ninja."
In a bid to avoid suspicion, Kawakaze shifted the credit to Sakumo.
It was entirely his own fault for never having been to the Land of Rain on a mission before—if he had, explaining it would have been simple.
Everyone's attention now turned to Sakumo. A moment ago, they had been idle observers, but now their focus landed squarely on him.
Sakumo, caught off guard, looked confused.
When did I find this out? Why don't I remember?
Kawakaze cleared his throat, coughing twice. He believed he and Big Brother still shared an unspoken understanding. After all, they were blood brothers, bound by the same lineage.
"It's true. If Kawakaze hadn't mentioned it, I might've forgotten," Sakumo said through gritted teeth, laughing as he took responsibility and closed the matter.
"In that case, we stand a better chance against Ibuse."
The group nodded, placing their trust in Sakumo's words. Even Orochimaru seemed to regain a bit of confidence. The humiliation of their last encounter lingered, but this time, revenge was within reach.
"I'll hold off Hanzō. You deal with Ibuse as quickly as possible," Kawakaze declared. He was eager to face Hanzō—a challenge he had never encountered since coming to the Naruto World.
"Are you sure?" Jiraiya asked, visibly uneasy. Orochimaru himself had admitted to being no match for Hanzō.
"No problem. I'll start with my Shikkotsu Forest Senjutsu," Kawakaze replied confidently.
Jiraiya nearly choked at the words. Kawakaze's Senjutsu wasn't yet battlefield-ready, requiring more time to prepare than combat would allow.
"That's good, then," Jiraiya muttered, choosing not to argue further.
Talented, powerful, and reliable—Kawakaze had earned their respect. All Jiraiya cared about was Tsunade's happiness.
"Once we've dealt with Ibuse, we'll back you up," Duy said, brimming with youthful confidence. He was the kind of man who never admitted defeat.
"Haha, sounds good." Kawakaze patted Duy's shoulder, reassured by his optimism.
The Konoha forces assembled and marched toward Amegakure, but their movements were soon discovered.
Contrary to Kawakaze's expectations, Hanzō didn't wait for them to arrive. Instead, he boldly confronted them, accompanied by Amegakure's ninjas.
"Orochimaru, we meet again," Hanzō said, addressing him directly.
"This will be the last time," Orochimaru's words, laden with hidden meaning and delivered in his chilling voice, sent shivers down people's spine.
"How dare you, a defeated opponent," Hanzō snarled, anger rising as he swung his kusarigama. Yet, he didn't give the order to attack.
Both sides were ready to fight, tension thick in the air, awaiting their commanders' signal.
"He's come to us. Let's not waste time," Tsunade said sharply, her irritation evident. Despite everything, Orochimaru was her fellow tem member and now a close ally of Kawakaze too.
"It's a good opportunity to test the so-called Demi-God of the Ninja World," Kawakaze said, gripping his Eight-Sided Han Sword, his enthusiasm unmistakable.
"Then let's fight," Jiraiya and Orochimaru agreed in unison.
"Let's go."
With a single command, the Konoha ninja surged forward, and the battle erupted.
The battle began with brutal simplicity—no elaborate Ninjutsu, just raw, bloody hand-to-hand combat. As the two sides clashed, a squad of Amegakure Ninja surged into the fray from another direction.
The leader of the Amegakure reinforcements was exceptionally skilled, managing to block a combined assault from both Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
Tsunade, landing a devastating punch to send an Amegakure ninja flying, rushed to assist. If any of these top fighters fell, Konoha's casualties would skyrocket. The group needed to hold the line until Ibuse appeared.
Meanwhile, Sakumo and Duy tore through the enemy ranks. Green whirlwinds and gleaming white blades carved a bloody path, dispatching dozens of Amegakure ninja in moments.
Kawakaze, sword in hand, advanced with an electrifying aura as lightning coursed around him.
"Hanzō of the Salamander, summon Ibuse now—this is your last chance!" Kawakaze taunted, his words a calculated provocation.
Hanzō, however, remained calm. He stood motionless, kusarigama in hand, seemingly unmoved. Then, without a word, he vanished, reappearing in an instant to strike.
The attack caught Kawakaze by surprise, but the outcome was startling—Hanzō's body was sliced cleanly in half, dissolving into water.
A Water Clone.
Realizing the feint, Kawakaze quickly vacated his position, expecting an imminent ambush. Yet, Hanzō was nowhere to be seen, disappearing into the chaos.
The battlefield was still engulfed in relentless combat. Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru were locked in a fierce struggle with the Amegakure leader. Despite repeatedly coming close to defeating him, the enemy always slipped away at the last moment.
None of the three noticed that the battlefield had divided into two fronts—Kawakaze leading the charge against Hanzō, while they fought the formidable Amegakure commander.
Both sides were inflicting and suffering heavy losses, but Ibuse was still nowhere in sight.
Finally, the Amegakure leader, frustrated by mounting casualties, disengaged. "I'm not wasting any more time here. We'll settle this another day," he declared, skillfully evading the trio's attacks.
"Retreat!"
He led the remaining Amegakure ninja away from the battlefield.
Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru exchanged glances, their frustration palpable. Victory had been within their grasp, but their opponent had slipped through their fingers.
Determined not to let them escape so easily, they rallied the Konoha ninja and gave chase.