The explosion had left an indelible mark on the room. The smoldering remains of Ibuse slowly dissipated, while dust covered the shattered floor, and the silence that followed seemed like a distant echo of the fury that had shaken the battle.
Hanzo, standing in the middle of the room, looked at Kaito with a mixture of fury, disbelief, and something that bordered on admiration.
Kaito stood before him, his face illuminated by a cold yet confident smile. The remains of the clone, though destroyed, were still a testament to the bold strategy he had used to deceive his enemy. The leader of the Rain Village had fallen into his trap, and now Kaito was ready to claim his revenge.
"Impressive... but this isn't over, Kaito," Hanzo said, his voice laced with venom and threat. "You thought that destroying my salamander would be the end, but you have underestimated what I'm capable of. Everything you've done has been a mistake. An illusion."
Kaito crossed his arms, watching his opponent without a hint of hesitation. There was no fear in his eyes. Only determination. The anger on Hanzo's face only fueled his conviction that everything had been for a reason—that the Rain Village would soon be free from his tyranny.
"What you don't understand, Hanzo, is that this game is over," Kaito said with unsettling calm.
"You're nothing more than a man afraid of change, clinging to your power as if it's the only thing that defines you. But you're no longer in control. And that's what scares you the most."
Hanzo gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with rage as he stepped forward, his imposing figure still capable of intimidating. But this time, Kaito did not back down. He was ready to end him, not just as a leader, but as the manifestation of all the suffering the village had endured.
"If you think your words will save you, you're sorely mistaken," Hanzo retorted. "I am the power here. I am the one who keeps this place together. And you… you are nothing."
With a swift motion, Hanzo drew his kusarigama, a weapon with which he had perfected his skill over the years. The chain and sickle gleamed in the dim light of the room, and his stance became even more menacing. Hanzo didn't need to summon more creatures.
With his kusarigama, he believed he was more than capable of facing any opponent—even Kaito.
"This is what has kept me at the top," Hanzo said as he spun his weapon with deadly precision, controlling the chain with terrifying fluidity.
"The Dance of the Sickle Blade: Falling Leaf Descent." (Hagama no Mai: Rakukō no Yaiba.)
It was a Bukijutsu technique Hanzo had perfected throughout his life. His movements were like a storm—a whirlwind of razor-sharp blades spinning and descending like falling leaves, meant to tear his target apart.
Kaito moved quickly, dodging each attack with agility, but Hanzo's chains moved with terrifying accuracy. The sickle cut through the air, grazing his skin and filling the room with the sharp sound of metal slicing through the wind.
Kaito dodged again and again, soon realizing that Hanzo wasn't just fighting with brute strength—he was fighting with the malice of experience and the desperation of a man who refused to be defeated.
Each of Hanzo's moves was lethal, each swing of the sickle faster than the last. His deadly dance seemed unstoppable, but Kaito was not intimidated. The battle had reached its climax, and he would not yield.
With a roar of fury, Kaito channeled his energy and began to unleash his true power.
He closed his eyes for a brief moment and activated Senjutsu Mineral, an ancient power he had mastered during his initial training. His chakra fluctuated, infusing his body with inhuman strength. A mineral armor materialized around him, covering him with a dense, powerful layer of energy, shielding him from Hanzo's attacks.
Hanzo's sickle struck the armor, producing a deafening metallic clang. Hanzo stepped back, momentarily stunned by Kaito's resilience. For an instant, his face froze in disbelief. The mineral layer shimmered with raw power, and Kaito advanced relentlessly—now immune to both poison and his enemy's weapons.
"Did you really think you could defeat me with just your tricks, Hanzo?" Kaito said with a defiant smirk. "I am now invulnerable to your poison."
Enraged, Hanzo tore off his mask, letting his face contort with the venomous fury of his soul. With a twisted sneer, he extended his arm towards Kaito, releasing a wave of deadly poison. But Kaito, encased in his mineral armor, remained unaffected.
The armor repelled the poison, shielding him like an impenetrable wall.
"This is the end, Hanzo!" Kaito roared, advancing with renewed fury.
The leader of the Rain Village tried to defend himself, but the difference in power was too great. With a decisive blow, Kaito disarmed Hanzo and sent him crashing to the ground.
The battle was over.
Hanzo stared up at Kaito from the floor, his body battered and drained. He knew he couldn't win. The Rain Village—his empire of terror—had crumbled.
"You have won, Kaito," Hanzo whispered, his voice barely audible. "But… what have you really won? This village… will always be mine, even if I'm dead."
Kaito looked at him with indifference, his gaze cold. But he would not allow the man who had oppressed his people for so long to keep spewing nonsense.
He raised his arm toward the sky, his chakra concentrating with overwhelming intensity, and a bright light began to shine in his hands.
"What I have won, Hanzo," Kaito said with a resolute gaze, "is freedom. And you will not take a single piece of this village with you."
"Senjutsu Mineral: Dōseki no Yari."
From his hands emerged a spear with a reddish glow—a fusion of copper and minerals, resonating with the power of his Senjutsu: the Lance of Copper Rock, a technique created by Kaito to manipulate minerals and metal with lethal precision.
With the spear in hand, Kaito aimed directly at Hanzo, his gaze locked onto his defeated enemy.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Hanzo tried to move, but his strength had abandoned him. Pain, exhaustion, and his wounds had left him nearly immobile.
Kaito threw the spear with deadly precision.
The impact was instantaneous and fatal.
The spear pierced through Hanzo's chest, shattering even his armor. His eyes widened in shock as the last breath of life left his body.
Kaito watched his enemy's end without a shred of mercy.
The battle was over.
Hanzo—the man who had plunged the Rain Village into chaos and suffering—was dead. And with his fall, the village began to breathe again, finally free from his tyranny.
"This is the true end, Hanzo," Kaito said in a low voice as the copper spear slowly dissolved into the air.
"Freedom is finally ours."
With one last look at his enemy's corpse, Kaito turned and began to walk toward the exit, leaving behind Hanzo's legacy of terror, making sure to eliminate all his remaining confidants.
The Rain Village could finally begin to rebuild and heal.
Hanzo's chapter had ended.
And Kaito's chapter—the true hero of the Rain—had begun.
The next day, word of his victory spread throughout the village.
Days later, it caused a tremendous sensation across the ninja world, even reaching the ears of a certain aged individual.
Today was the day a ninja was born—one who earned the title:
"God Slayer."