The moment the Water Severing Wave was shattered, Hanzo of the Salamander's hands wove together into another seal.
"Water Release: Heavenly Weeping!" Hanzo barked.
The water from the shattered wave, which had scattered like fireworks, instantly transformed. The spray coalesced into a multitude of water needles, Senbon, fine as cow hair, raining down upon Nagato once more.
"No ninjutsu is ever flawless!" Hanzo said solemnly.
Perhaps, as Orochimaru noted, Hanzo was no longer the "Demigod" he once revered. And as Diarmuid observed, the man had long since fallen from grace. Yet, one could not deny that Hanzo remained a shinobi at the pinnacle of the ninja world. He might have lost the spirit and magnanimity of a Demigod, but his technique, experience, and combat prowess remained at their peak.
At this early stage of the confrontation, he wasn't about to let his mental state collapse. On the contrary, he was brimming with confidence. His movements were precise and technically masterful.
Nagato had used "repulsion" twice: first to deflect the barrage of kunai, and second to crush the Water Severing Wave. Hanzo surmised that such a technique could not be perfect, as nothing in this world is, so his primary tactic was to launch a continuous stream of attacks to gauge the rhythm and limitations of the ability.
Hampered by his mangled legs, Nagato couldn't dodge. However, Hanzo had underestimated the Rinnegan. While he noticed the eyes were unique, he had no concept of what they actually were.
In the original timeline, when the Deva Path Pain used Almighty Push (Shinra Tensei), there was a "cooldown" due to chakra consumption; the greater the output, the longer the wait. But here, Nagato was using his own body. Using the Rinnegan directly, he faced no such delay.
As the needle-fine Senbon rained down, Nagato remained stationary. He thrust his palm forward, releasing another powerful burst of repulsive force. In an instant, every water needle was repelled and pulverized.
Surprise flickered in Hanzo's eyes. His sequence of attacks had been relentless, yet this red-haired youth had deflected them with ease. Still, Hanzo was undeterred. Though surprised by Nagato's strength, he had cautiously prepared for his opening salvos to be blocked.
Sure enough, as soon as "Heavenly Weeping" was negated, Hanzo's hands formed another set of signs.
"Water Release: Venomous Water Dragon Bullet!" Hanzo roared.
Typically, the Water Dragon Bullet condenses chakra from an external source, unlike Fire Release which is usually spat from the mouth. However, Hanzo's version erupted directly from his throat.
It was as if an entire ocean resided in his gut; the water was inexhaustible. Furthermore, as it left his mouth, the water turned a deep, sickly purple, clearly saturated with a massive amount of toxins.
Because it was! Hanzo of the Salamander was a living vessel of poison.
"Is he Magellan?" Diarmuid chuckled.
"Who's Magellan?" Orochimaru asked, his interest piqued.
"In our world, many possess abilities similar to a Kekkei Genkai," Diarmuid explained, choosing his words carefully.
"Like that darkness of yours that devours everything?" Orochimaru asked pointedly.
"Exactly. And I have a subordinate named Magellan whose ability is poison. Though, his is far more terrifying than Hanzo's," Diarmuid said with a smirk.
On the other side, Nagato had considered testing a new power that was stirring instinctively within him: the ability to absorb ninjutsu, the power of the Preta Path.
But seeing Hanzo lead with a venomous dragon, Nagato held back. While the Preta Path's Blocking Technique Absorption Seal is formidable, able to absorb almost any chakra-based attack, it doesn't guarantee the user can "withstand" the physical properties of what is absorbed. Just as the Preta Path absorbed Jiraiya's Senjutsu but eventually turned into a stone statue, absorption is one thing; endurance is another.
If Nagato absorbed this toxic dragon, he would successfully nullify the chakra, but the massive amount of biological toxins attached to the water would likely kill him on the spot. Hanzo's poison wasn't chakra-based; it was a natural, biological toxin from the venom sac of a rare black salamander transplanted into his body.
This was outside the scope of what Nagato could safely internalize. Like Natural Energy, it didn't belong to the category of pure chakra that could be easily processed.
Another burst of repulsive force exploded outward. Hanzo's venomous dragon slammed into the invisible wall and shattered violently.
Seeing this, Hanzo re-evaluated Nagato. Aside from that terrifying Summoning Jutsu, was this mysterious defensive technique his only other card? No, he had seen Nagato hesitate, a sign that the boy had other methods but was restricted by some factor.
Piecing it together, Hanzo realized that his unique trait was the bottleneck.
"Without a doubt, it's the poison!" Hanzo concluded in a heartbeat. As the venomous water scattered, he wove his next signs.
"Water Release: Mist of Poisoned Souls!" Hanzo hissed.
The venomous water droplets still hanging in the air underwent a sudden change in state. They atomized with incredible speed, turning into a thick, purple fog that drifted toward Nagato.
This showcased Hanzo's mastery over ninjutsu, particularly Water Release. Aside from the initial Fire Release trap that crippled Nagato's legs, Hanzo had stuck entirely to Water Release, chaining his jutsus perfectly without a single opening.
"Though his spirit lacks the weight of a Demigod, I must admit he's even stronger than he was back then," Orochimaru remarked with a hint of nostalgia. "Especially his Water Release; it's always been his greatest specialty."
Diarmuid nodded. Looking across the decades of the shinobi world, he knew many were talented in Water Release. He hadn't met the Second Mizukage, Hōzuki Gengetsu, but knew of his reputation. He had fought Karatachi Yagura, a true master, and then there was Hoshigaki Kisame. Later on, Terumī Mei, the Fifth Mizukage, would prove to be one of the few capable of suppressing Madara with Water Release.
Then there was the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, the man rumored to have a contract with the ocean itself. Despite being Hokage, his Water Release was divine, clearly developed out of an obsession with countering the Fire-loving Uchiha.
Regardless, in the official databooks, it was stated clearly: in the realm of Water Release, none surpassed Hanzo. He was the true "Strongest in Water Release."
As the toxic gas closed in, Nagato's eyes grew solemn. Truthfully, his mastery over the Rinnegan was still rudimentary. If it weren't, the moment Yahiko died, he could have used Rinne Rebirth to bring him back. Unfortunately, he hadn't learned that yet. Currently, his repertoire consisted of the invisible repulsive force, the faint inkling of the Preta Path, and the Gedo Mazo.
Hanzo's assessment of Nagato was based only on the shock of his eyes; he didn't truly respect the boy he had just seen as weak and powerless. But he didn't realize that Nagato, whether due to the Rinnegan or other factors, was a genius. At age ten, he had mastered all six basic chakra natures, including Yang, under Jiraiya. He knew nearly every mainstream ninjutsu!
He had only seemed weak because Yahiko had always stood in front of him.
Nagato took a deep breath, steadying his fractured spirit. Before the toxic mist could reach him, he chose not to use repulsion. Instead, he formed two simple signs.
"Earth Release: Moving Earth Core!"
The ground beneath him surged upward, lifting him high into the air. As the pillar stopped, Nagato whispered again:
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A massive surge of chakra turned into a howling gale, blowing the surrounding toxic mist far away.
Hanzo raised an eyebrow, surprised by Nagato's versatility, but his flicker of admiration was instantly suppressed by malice. At that moment, Nagato formed the "Tiger" seal. He inhaled deeply, molding chakra in his throat.
"Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet!"
A massive ball of fire erupted from his mouth, hurtling toward Hanzo. Hanzo sneered, preparing to use Body Flicker to dodge.
But before he could move, a powerful, invisible suction force erupted from Nagato's direction. Because the massive fireball obscured their line of sight, Hanzo couldn't see what was happening.
Orochimaru, however, saw it clearly. Nagato had extended his arm. Hanzo, who had been about to dodge, was suddenly being dragged, against his will, directly toward the oncoming fireball.
This... this is Diarmuid's technique!
Indeed, Nagato had used the fireball to mask his use of Universal Pull (Banshō Ten'in). He was attempting to force-feed Hanzo the attack in one go.
But after a moment of panic, Hanzo made the right call.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Biting Explosion!" Hanzo roared.
The powerful Water Release technique manifested instantly. Before he could impact the Great Flame Bullet, the two jutsus collided. Both powerful techniques exploded simultaneously.
The collision neutralized the flame, and though Hanzo was still being pulled by the suction, he had already uncoiled his kusarigama.
The explosion created a thick shroud of steam. Hanzo burst through the mist, riding the momentum of the suction. The moment he caught sight of Nagato, he hurled the chained sickle.
The counter-response was flawless. Nagato's lack of combat experience was showing; Hanzo had turned a forced pull into an "active charge," catching Nagato off guard.
Instinctively, Nagato released a powerful burst of repulsion, blowing the sickle away.
But with that move, the suction on Hanzo vanished. A smirk touched Hanzo's lips; he had just gathered a crucial piece of intelligence...