"That's Hanzo of the Salamander! Orochimaru, retreat!"
The instant Tsunade saw Hanzo appear, her composure shattered into alarm.
"Body Flicker Technique!"
Hanzo clasped his hands in a seal. In the blink of an eye, he and his giant salamander materialized in the center of the battlefield.
"I let you go once already," he said coldly, his voice echoing through the rain. "Why are you still here? Did you really think being the Third Hokage's disciples would make me hesitate to kill you?"
The appearance of Hanzo caused a surge of morale through the Suna ranks.
"Then, Lord Hanzo," the Suna commander called out, "we'll leave these two and their summons to you. We'll continue the pursuit of the Konoha remnants."
Hanzo nodded. "Very well. The Ame shinobi will assist you. Go."
The combined forces of Suna and Ame swept around the battlefield, leaving Orochimaru and Tsunade behind. Neither of them dared to move rashly—one misstep before this man could mean instant death.
"Tsunade," Orochimaru said quietly from atop Manda's head, "looks like we're going to break our promise to Jiraiya."
"It's fine," Tsunade replied, forcing a grim smile. "That idiot will make up for it later."
Gamabunta managed to rise, the two Katsuyu clones on his back healing some of his wounds.
The four giant summons faced one another across the blood-soaked field—each pair of eyes locked, tension thrumming in the air.
The Suna and Ame armies moved to encircle, but the Sannin had no attention to spare for them.
Gamabunta was the first to act. Without Jiraiya to maintain the summoning contract and his chakra nearly depleted, his time in this world was limited. He had to make his last stand count.
"Oh? Jiraiya's not here?" Hanzo raised a brow. "Left because of his injuries, then? Hmph. From what I know of him, that's out of character. Did you assign him a more important task?"
"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"
As Gamabunta charged, Hanzo formed a single hand sign. A roaring dragon of water coiled upward and slammed into the toad mid-leap.
"Toad Oil Bomb!"
Caught in midair, Gamabunta spat a jet of sticky fluid, splattering onto the salamander's feet.
Ibuse tried to pull free, but found its limbs glued to the ground as if by molten resin.
"Good," Orochimaru called. "That'll keep his Body Flicker in check. Manda—your turn!"
Manda lunged forward with a roar, fangs bared.
"You worm," Hanzo sneered. "Not everything on this battlefield is yours to devour. Poison Mist!"
At his command, Ibuse opened its jaws and unleashed a torrent of purple gas. The venom engulfed Manda's head, swallowing Orochimaru along with it.
But not before the serpent's fangs sank deep into the salamander's flesh. Ibuse screamed in agony, slamming its tail down in fury.
Manda refused to release its bite. The salamander's shrieks grew louder as its flesh began to tear.
From afar, a jet of sizzling acid arced through the air—Katsuyu had joined the fray.
"Fire Style: Exploding Flame Formation!"
"Water Style: Water Wall!"
Hanzo tossed dozens of explosive tags, channeling chakra to launch them straight into Manda's open mouth. At the same time, he raised a massive wall of water to block the acid spray.
The battlefield shook with a deafening explosion. When the smoke cleared, Manda's jaws were a ruin of blood and mangled flesh.
"Aaaagh!"
The serpent could no longer form words—only a howl of pain.
Several small Katsuyu clones crawled into its mouth, trembling. "M-Manda, I'm here to heal you! Please don't swallow me by mistake!"
Orochimaru staggered nearby, coughing violently. Tsunade's eyes widened. "You inhaled the poison, didn't you? Damn—it's too late, and I've used up all my antidotes."
Thinking quickly, she pressed her palm to his chest. "Poison Extraction Jutsu!"
Her chakra pulsed, drawing a faint purple mist from Orochimaru's body. "Katsuyu, Manda, Gamabunta—hold him off as long as you can!"
Manda's body convulsed like a struck wire, muscles seizing uncontrollably. Even the tiny Katsuyu clones inside its mouth went limp.
"Absorbed too much venom," Hanzo remarked calmly. "And that bite—Ibuse's skin carries poison too. Now your body is completely saturated. Feel the full extent of the Salamander's toxin."
At that moment, Gamabunta charged again, hurling his body at Ibuse in desperation.
"Body Flicker Technique!"
Hanzo and Ibuse vanished, reappearing several meters away as Gamabunta slammed into empty ground.
Katsuyu moved to attack, spewing another wave of acid, but Hanzo blocked it effortlessly with another wall of water.
Against the Salamander Sage, even Katsuyu's regenerative power was outmatched.
"I'm sorry, Lady Tsunade…"
Gamabunta's form wavered, then burst into white smoke—the summoning time had run out.
"Manda," Orochimaru rasped, his vision dimming, "return to Ryūchi Cave… the White Snake Sage can save you."
The serpent twitched once, then dissolved into smoke.
Only Tsunade and Orochimaru remained. Tsunade kept her hand pressed to his chest, drawing out what venom she could, but his body had already begun to shut down.
Katsuyu stood protectively before them, the last of the summons still active.
"Katsuyu," Tsunade said softly, "that's enough. Go back. Carry word to Konoha—tell them what's happened here. We've spent all our chakra; we can't withstand the strain of Reverse Summoning. Please."
Katsuyu trembled. "Forgive me, Lady Tsunade. I failed to protect you."
"It's all right. You did everything you could. Our enemy was simply too strong."
With visible sorrow, Katsuyu released the summoning, vanishing in a swirl of smoke.
Hanzo gazed down at the two from atop Ibuse. Tsunade's glowing hands never left Orochimaru's chest. Both looked up defiantly.
"Come then, Hanzo," Tsunade said. "Konoha shinobi don't fear death."
She steadied herself, one hand still healing Orochimaru, the other holding a kunai across her chest. Her expression was calm, resolute—so much so that even Hanzo hesitated.
He said nothing more. In an instant, he flickered forward.
Too fast. Tsunade barely saw him move before pain exploded in her abdomen.
My body… it's slowing down. Out of chakra already?
Hanzo's fists rained down like a storm, each blow heavier than the last. When he finally stopped, Tsunade collapsed face-first into the mud.
"You've got quite the willpower for a woman," Hanzo muttered, watching her struggle to rise.
"Never underestimate a woman," she rasped. "I'm a medical ninja. I don't die before my comrades."
She dragged herself toward Orochimaru, who now lay motionless, completely paralyzed by venom.
"Do it, Hanzo. We don't need your pity."
Hanzo's eyes narrowed. Then he struck again—another precise blow, and Tsunade fell limp. He grabbed both her and Orochimaru by their collars.
"What are you doing?" Tsunade demanded weakly. "If you're going to kill us, make it quick."
Hanzo smiled. "Kill you? Why would I waste such valuable assets?"
Tsunade froze, confusion flickering across her eyes.
"You two are walking treasure troves," Hanzo said lightly. "The Ame is poor, you know. It'd be a shame not to… make use of such famous captives."
He lifted Orochimaru's body and jabbed a syringe into his neck, injecting something clear.
Tsunade blinked in shock. "What are you—?"
"Senju Tsunade," Hanzo said, his tone amused, "granddaughter of the First Hokage, princess of the Land of Fire. I imagine the Senju clan's fortune could buy back your life… for quite a price."
"And Orochimaru," he continued, glancing down at the unconscious man. "A once-in-a-generation genius. I have no doubt he'll surpass me one day. Tell me—how much do you think he's worth?"
He poured chakra into their bodies, sealing their tenketsu and locking away their chakra flow completely.
"Congratulations," Hanzo said, smiling faintly. "You're prisoners now. Wait patiently for Konoha to pay your ransom."
He turned away, his voice calm but cutting through the rain like a blade.
"In any case—congratulations on surviving."