Just as Rasa marveled at the potential being drawn out of him, his eyes remained fixed on Hanzō's whirling kusarigama. He thought that if he could just hold out for another two exchanges, the Kazekage would be able to reinforce him...
Hanzō suddenly spat several densely packed water needles from his mouth!
The water needles contained an enormous amount of poison and moved at tremendous speed. The gold dust hovering in midair to protect Rasa couldn't react in time at all, and every needle pierced directly into his Chakra Pathways.
Rasa collapsed instantly. The poison already inside his body was rapidly triggered, and his entire body arched like a shrimp as he convulsed uncontrollably.
"Let's take him alive..."
"We can trade him for Rōran! If we tried to take it by force, the Daimyō of the Land of Wind would lose face. That guy has given us an absurd amount of gold, and he knows how to read the situation."
"If the circumstances line up, the Daimyō of the Land of Wind should seize the opportunity to kneel before Hiruzen..."
"Then Hiruzen will be Shōgun of three nations!"
Hanzō kicked Rasa into the air, sending him flying straight into the arms of a distant Rain shinobi.
"How despicable..."
"You actually resort to tricks like this? And people once called you a shinobi who stood at the very peak!"
Before the Third Kazekage could even find an opportunity to separate Rasa from Hanzō, he saw that his beloved disciple had already been captured.
The Third Kazekage looked absolutely furious.
"What are you talking about? That was perfectly legitimate Water Release!"
"It's the Second Hokage-sama's Water Release: Heavenly Weeping. Haven't you heard of it?" Hanzō said with a perfectly straight face.
And technically, he wasn't lying. It really was the truth...
The Third Kazekage laughed from sheer anger. "You just said it's Senju Tobirama's technique, and you're still calling it legitimate?"
Hanzō laughed it off, but in the very next instant, his offensive suddenly became ferocious.
He vanished into a watery blur and instantly appeared beside the Third Kazekage.
Hanzō drew the kusarigama at his waist and whipped it toward the Third Kazekage's neck. The weapon cut through the air with a shrill whistle, its blade somehow already coated in deep-purple poison.
Magnet Release: Iron Sand Bind"
The Third Kazekage's gaze sharpened, and black iron sand surged out instantly.
Before the kusarigama could even touch it, the magnetic force carried by the iron sand firmly locked Hanzō's weapon in place.
The Third Kazekage sneered coldly as the kusarigama was swallowed by the iron sand.
"Rasa's skills are still lacking. I must have given you quite a laugh. Now let his sensei show you..."
"Metal is meaningless in front of me!"
"Is that so?" There wasn't the slightest trace of panic on Hanzō's face.
Water Release: Double Water Gun!
Two high-pressure bullets of poisonous water shot simultaneously from Hanzō's fingertips!
The Third Kazekage remained expressionless. Iron sand formed a shield in front of him and easily blocked them.
Magnet Release: Giant Iron Sand Pillars!
Dozens of black iron-sand pillars, each several meters in diameter, erupted from beneath the water!
Furious beyond measure, the Third Kazekage unleashed his chakra at full force and used Magnet Release to forcibly break the restraint that the "Starch Syrup Capturing Field" had imposed on his stockpiled iron sand.
Enormous iron-sand pillars came crashing down from above, pounding madly toward the direction Hanzō was fleeing.
The thunderous impacts were deafening!
Every giant pillar that struck the ground blasted out a crater more than ten meters deep.
But Hanzō had already mastered his Water Release Body Flicker to an extraordinary degree.
Like an impossibly slippery loach, he twisted and darted between the densely packed iron-sand pillars, easily avoiding every lethal impact.
Hanzō never confronted the Third Kazekage head-on. He simply kept changing positions.
Sometimes left, sometimes right, sometimes abruptly doubling back, keeping the Third Kazekage's attention firmly locked on himself.
It had to be admitted that, as a master swordsman, the Third Kazekage's Magnet Release had already reached a level far beyond anything Rasa could compare with, and it severely restricted Hanzō.
Even when Hanzō used Water Release, densely packed iron sand was naturally one of the best forms of defense.
And with his ability to fly through the air, the Third Kazekage possessed exceptional mobility as well.
"'Strongest Kazekage,' huh? At least in terms of large-scale destructive power on a battlefield, the title isn't undeserved..."
The more Hanzō fought, the more he appreciated how powerful Magnet Release truly was. It was a versatile composite Kekkei Genkai; developed properly, one ability could easily do the work of two...
'I wonder how Fugaku will develop his in the future? I can't shake the feeling he'll take it in some bizarre direction...'
A strange thought flashed through Hanzō's mind.
Even though Magnet Release covered an enormous area, catching Hanzō in an environment filled with water was exceptionally difficult given his speed and Body Flicker.
Unless the Third Kazekage first neutralized the terrain, Hanzō was confident he could keep leading him around in circles indefinitely—unless, of course, the Third Kazekage possessed the sheer versatility and raw stats of Hanzō's sworn brother, Sarutobi Hiruzen...
But Hanzō wasn't merely wasting time.
With every Body Flicker, he secretly placed another formation mark.
After dozens of exchanges, the Third Kazekage grew increasingly irritated.
Hanzō had absolutely none of the bearing of a great shinobi. All he knew how to do was run around!
'I need to finish this in one move!' The Third Kazekage took a deep breath.
Magnet Release: Iron Sand World Method!
Countless fine strands of iron sand intertwined in midair, forming a gigantic black net that descended from above and rapidly enveloped the entire hundred-meter area around Hanzō.
Its mesh was as fine as gauze, while its edges were as sharp as blades. The instant anyone became entangled in it, they would be sliced into pieces.
Water Release: Water Severing Wave!
A compressed blade of water shot from Hanzō's mouth and tore open the iron-sand net in front of him.
Hanzō quickly slipped through the opening.
Even so, the razor-sharp edge of the iron sand still carved a long gash across his back.
"Is running away all you can do, Hanzō of the Salamander?!"
The Third Kazekage's voice carried towering fury. Hanzō's tactics had completely enraged him.
Magnet Release: Iron Sand Downpour!
Countless iron-sand needles as thick as fingers shot toward Hanzō like torrential rain, packed so densely that they blotted out the sky.
Hanzō appeared utterly miserable as he continually fled.
Yet his eyes remained abnormally calm, silently calculating distance and position the entire time.
He was deliberately drawing the Third Kazekage toward the trap zone he had been setting up all along. Every dodge was measured perfectly—never allowing the Third Kazekage to catch him, yet never allowing him to escape Hanzō's control either.
That way, the Third Kazekage's terrifying battlefield firepower couldn't be redirected toward the other Rain shinobi.
Finally, when the Third Kazekage flew into a certain position, Hanzō suddenly stopped.
The ground abruptly split open in a massive fissure. A gigantic salamander more than twenty meters long burst violently from underground, shooting into the sky with its maw full of sharp teeth stretched wide as it bit viciously at the Third Kazekage.
The salamander's skin was brownish-purple and covered in thick scales, while its two scarlet eyes gleamed viciously.
"Finally showing your trump card?"
The Third Kazekage gave a contemptuous smile.
With a wave of his right hand, the iron sand around him instantly condensed into an enormous black spear and stabbed viciously down at the salamander's head!
At the same time, a dense semicircular shield of iron sand hovered in front of the Third Kazekage.
In his hands, Magnet Release's offensive and defensive capabilities were displayed to their fullest.
The enormous black spear pierced the salamander's skull as easily as if it were butter!
"That's all you've got?"
The Third Kazekage's voice was disdainful. "Hanzō, what else do you—"
His words abruptly stopped.
Because he saw the cruel, eerie smile curling at the corner of Hanzō's mouth.
BOOM—!!!
A heaven-shaking explosion erupted from inside the salamander.
The Third Kazekage's pupils contracted sharply.
The salamander impaled on the iron-sand spear suddenly swelled grotesquely.
Hidden inside its body were Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags manufactured by Konan in imitation of the original technique!
The explosions were chained.
The first explosive tag detonated the second, the second detonated the third...
Like falling dominoes, the salamander's entire body instantly became one enormous powder keg!
Even worse, the massive poison sac inside the salamander was completely ruptured by the explosions.
It was an artificially manufactured gigantic whale explosion!
The blast force sent an enormous amount of poison spraying wildly in every direction. The poison then came into contact with the intense heat of the explosive tags and instantly vaporized into a dense poisonous mist, engulfing the Third Kazekage in the blink of an eye!
The Third Kazekage let out a desperate roar of fury.
He desperately drove his chakra, wrapping his entire body in an airtight layer of iron-sand armor while covering his nose and mouth, trying to rush out of the poison cloud.
But it was too late.
This was the contingency Hanzō had prepared for himself after repeatedly studying Sarutobi Hiruzen's words.
'A strong shinobi's combat system needs its own defining characteristics—and even more importantly, it needs trump cards.'
Hanzō had carefully selected this particular salamander because its poison sac was enormous.
The Third Kazekage's skin began turning bluish-black.
The chained explosions from the explosive tags had damaged his skin barrier, and the force of the blast drove the deadly poison rapidly into his Chakra Pathways through his wounds.
His entire body was also soaked in poisonous mist, allowing the toxin to spread wildly through his pores.
Salamander: Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags: Whale Explosion Technique!
The Third Kazekage barely managed to land on the ground, but his vision was already blurring. His limbs gradually stiffened, and even his chakra could no longer be mobilized properly.
He staggered forward several steps before finally crashing heavily to the ground.
"You..."
The Third Kazekage barely raised his head. "Why did you..."
What he really wanted to ask was: weren't these all the underhanded tricks of the original Darkness of the Shinobi?!
But his tongue had gone numb, and he couldn't even finish his sentence.
"The Second Hokage-sama's techniques really are useful..." Hanzō crouched down and gave him a bright, cheerful smile.
"See? I didn't even need swordsmanship to capture you. If a technique works, then it's a good jutsu!"
Hanzō was imitating Minato, the polite young man he was so fond of...
The Third Kazekage felt a knot of rage tighten in his chest.
That smile seemed even more potent than the poison. It was practically going to kill him from sheer anger!
'Would things have been different if the One-Tail had joined the battle?'
'Hanzō and Sakumo attacked too quickly! We didn't have time to deploy it. Even if we released the One-Tail now, it couldn't change the course of the battle anymore. Rasa and I are in no condition to coordinate with it...'
The Third Kazekage could only watch helplessly as the Sunagakure shinobi fled in defeat.
Their Kazekage himself had already fallen. Naturally, most of the shinobi beneath him lost the will to keep fighting.
'Elder Chiyo too...'
The Third Kazekage barely managed to turn his head.
Over there, Hatake Sakumo had already torn Chiyo's Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets to pieces!
But at that moment—
Sasori and Pakura arrived!
Sakumo narrowed his eyes slightly. In the handsome young man's face, he could see the features of old acquaintances.
But what Sakumo hadn't expected was this:
After rescuing Chiyo, Sasori didn't immediately counterattack. Instead, for some inexplicable reason, he winked at Sakumo.
Then Sasori threw out a tea kettle.
The seal shattered, and the One-Tail appeared on the battlefield!
The moment the One-Tail appeared, Sakumo and Hanzō both wore identical expressions of delight.
The two of them had also been tasked with collecting Tailed Beast chakra for Hokage-sama...
And an intact One-Tail was even better!
Hanzō and Sakumo had actually been worried that perhaps they had attacked too fiercely and never given Sunagakure the chance to release its Tailed Beast. They had been rather disappointed about it...
The poison-covered face of the Third Kazekage twitched repeatedly.
Was Sasori insane?!
Why would he release the Tailed Beast now?
Their forces weren't even properly assembled. Wasn't this simply handing the One-Tail over to the enemy?!
And that was exactly what Sasori intended.
Sasori first secured his grandmother Chiyo, carefully protecting her with his puppets, then quickly gathered the shattered pieces of the Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets.
After that, he ordered Pakura to use Scorch Release to isolate the battlefield, while he led the puppet masters in forming a large defensive formation and escorted the collapsing Sand forces in an orderly retreat.
Sakumo made no attempt to stop Sasori...
It wasn't as though this kid had only started acting suspiciously today!
Sasori's actions could be interpreted as "using the One-Tail to cover the Sand shinobi's retreat," and that was exactly how most of the Sand shinobi he rescued understood it.
Their gazes toward Sasori were filled with gratitude!
But from Sakumo's perspective, the kid was clearly using the One-Tail as the "price for Chiyo's life"!
Sakumo couldn't help finding it a little amusing.
It was precisely because Sasori hadn't attacked him on the battlefield that Sakumo hadn't gone all out to kill Chiyo. Instead, he had been trying to capture her alive as leverage.
He hadn't expected to get a Tailed Beast in exchange!
That was an excellent deal!
"I'm gonna start killing people now! Hehehehehe!"
A shrill tanuki laugh echoed across the battlefield.
The fully manifested One-Tail, Shukaku, burst from the seal, its enormous tanuki body trembling with excitement.
"I'm finally out again!" Shukaku let out a hoarse cackle and slammed one claw into the ground.
But a red figure had already shot into the sky.
Nagato had been waiting far too long...
His mission was to wait for the One-Tail, Shukaku, to appear, which was why he had refrained from intervening in the battle.
Nagato had thought he wouldn't get any chance to show what he could do!
Who would've thought the situation would suddenly turn around!
Nagato erupted with his ocean-like reserves of chakra. Adamantine Sealing Chains surged from his back and wound tightly around his right fist, gleaming with an unsettling dark-gold light.
A massive amount of chakra enveloped his fist...
The raw Monster Strength of the Senju Clan intertwined with the penetrating technique of the Hyūga Clan's Gentle Fist!
Nagato's facial features twisted together under the excessive chakra output, and the entire visual style around him seemed to change abruptly...
Shukaku was still laughing when that earth-shaking punch smashed squarely into its head!
BANG!!!
Shukaku's wild laughter stopped instantly. The entire Tailed Beast was driven downward as though it had been hammered into the earth, sinking visibly into the ground.
The hardened sand armor covering its body exploded apart in an instant. Countless grains of sand sprayed through the air, the earth shook violently, and even the rainwater was blasted upward into the sky!
Shukaku's head rang violently, and its vision went completely black.
Storm Release: Phantom Sword Dance!
Hatake Sakumo swiftly joined the battle. Countless blue-white blade lights intertwined, continuously slicing across Shukaku's body.
Every slash easily cut through Shukaku's surface, leaving deep wounds behind.
Shukaku screamed miserably in pain and tried to fight back.
But Nagato was using the Hyūga Clan's chakra-release techniques to vent chakra from his back like the exhaust plume of an aerial fortress!
Nagato hammered Shukaku with punch after punch, driving it deeper and deeper into the ground...
At the same time, Hanzō launched his own attack.
Water Release: Poison Dragon Bite Explosion!
Salamander Swarm: Poison Mist!
The salamanders surrounded Shukaku, continuously spewing enormous quantities of purple mist.
A gigantic poisonous water dragon slammed into Shukaku, and the toxin rapidly seeped into the wounds Sakumo had cut open. The normally yellow Shukaku was beginning to look somewhat purple...
Under the combined assault of the three, Shukaku was completely forced onto the defensive. It no longer even tried to attack with its claws and could only crouch inside the crater Nagato had hammered it into, covering its face...
It had barely escaped from its seal when Nagato's first punch left it dazed, immediately followed by Sakumo and Hanzō unleashing attack after attack.
It had essentially opened its eyes only to find itself surrounded and getting kicked from all sides...
The other Amegakure shinobi stared at the scene in stunned silence.
This was way too brutal...
Was no one from the Tailed Beast Protection Association going to speak up?
Sasori, who was covering the retreat, also watched the scene through a small reconnaissance puppet, and even he broke into a slight sweat.
Even though he was already half a human puppet himself...
The sight of Nagato looking like a complete madman—one eye scarlet, the other deathly pale, both hands wrapped in dark-gold chains, chakra erupting from his back as he relentlessly pounded Shukaku—
Even Sasori was numb just looking at him!
Where the hell had this monster come from?
Shouldn't this thing be the one getting seriously sealed away?!
"Retreat! Retreat!"
Sasori rapidly issued orders, unable to help feeling grateful that he had listened to Hi-kun and those old fossils from the Warring States era.
Ignore the wisdom of your elders, and you'll suffer for it right in front of them...
The wartime decisions Sasori was currently carrying out—including trading the One-Tail for his grandmother Chiyo—had all been tailored specifically for him by Hi-kun and several Kage.
The Third Kazekage might have had a few tricks up his sleeve, but there were simply too many people standing behind Sasori...
Pakura was stunned too.
Why did Konoha have so many monsters?!
"Um... are we still going to rescue Kazekage-sama and Rasa?" Pakura asked weakly.
"Of course we're rescuing them."
Sasori answered decisively, then lightly cleared his throat.
"But we'll rescue them slowly. Carefully. When the opportunity presents itself..."
The corner of Pakura's mouth twitched. "Mm-hm. When the opportunity presents itself..."
The two fell into a knowing silence.
...
Under such a brutal beating, even Shukaku's form was beginning to destabilize, its surface continuously breaking apart.
"Hey, hey, hey..."
"Nagato, stop! Stop hitting it!"
Sakumo carefully squeezed in one final slash for good measure, satisfying himself before shouting toward Nagato, who was still throwing punch after punch: "Try sealing it! We can't find that sealing tea kettle anymore, so seal it inside yourself, Nagato! If you keep this up, you're actually going to beat the One-Tail to death..."
Only then did Nagato stop, realizing that perhaps he had gotten a little too excited.
Mainly, he had wanted to show Hokage-sama that he could be useful to Konoha...
After all, that had been his mother's final request before returning to the Pure Land.
And Nagato genuinely wanted Amegakure to be able to bask in the Will of Fire. Since he had finally gotten such a rare opportunity, he had simply put a little too much effort into it.
At that moment—
The Adamantine Sealing Chains wrapped around Shukaku.
Nagato didn't even need to exert much force. Using the power of sealing alone, he dissolved the One-Tail's physical form and transformed it into streams of earthy-yellow chakra...
'He's going to become my Jinchūriki?!'
Shukaku was horrified!
It had originally been supposed to go bully some brat named Gaara!
Now things had gone completely wrong...
While being transformed into chakra and poured into Nagato's body, Shukaku was shocked yet again to discover that this monster also possessed both the Sharingan and the Byakugan—and that the ocular power in them was absurdly strong...
'Who the fuck is this guy the reincarnation of now?'
'Didn't the old man have a brother or something? Did his brother have any kids?'
Shukaku gave up struggling.
It really had no answer for the descendants of the Sage of Six Paths...
Why did it feel like every last one of them was in Konoha?!
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