"He's actually coming towards us? Could this be a diversion?"
"Could it be that Tsunade and the Gojo kid were exposed? They haven't returned yet; did something happen to them?!"
At the Land of Fire's border base headquarters, Orochimaru and the others received this news immediately as well.
Since the beginning of the year, Hanzo the Salamander had been the most dazzling existence in the Ninja World. His every move was watched not only by the three surrounding major powers but possibly even by the distant Land of Lightning and the Land of Water, which wasn't on the Ninja Continent, all sending out large numbers of spies to monitor the situation in this area.
Even burrowing underground couldn't shake off the reconnaissance teams and Anbu of various countries, let alone this incredibly high-profile behavior.
The first reaction of Orochimaru and Shimura Danzo was the same as Chiyo and Onoki, thinking it was a diversion created by Hanzo the Salamander.
After all, the ones who attacked and slaughtered were from the Land of Earth. How could he not take revenge on them and instead provoke the strongest country and ninja village in the Ninja World?
Jiraiya, on the other hand, was concerned about the safety of Tsunade and Gojo Yoru.
Seeing his anxious face, Orochimaru frowned and comforted him: "Don't be so nervous. At most, they were just exposed. If something really happened, the one coming over wouldn't be Hanzo."
"They haven't returned yet; something must have delayed them."
Orochimaru, knowing well what trump cards Gojo Yoru was hiding, was undoubtedly the most reassured person present.
Even a powerhouse like Phantom Rain Tokiya died from the first encounter with the Dimensional Slash.
In the entire Amegakure, the only person who could pressure Gojo Yoru was Hanzo the Salamander.
Gojo Yoru, whose personality was as cautious as Hanzo the Salamander's, would definitely not arrogantly challenge the Demigod of the Ninja World.
If he were really driven into a corner by Hanzo the Salamander, even if he died, he would choose to perish together with the opponent.
Now that Hanzo the Salamander was fine and on his way here, they must be safe and sound too.
Jiraiya felt Orochimaru's words made sense and felt slightly relieved.
"Whether they were exposed or something happened, and whether Hanzo's move is a diversion or not, we need to be prepared." Shimura Danzo said coldly, "My idea is to do what Sunagakure did against Hanzo: disperse the combat units completely, leaving only a few Sensing Squads, Barrier Squads, and Wind Release Squads capable of blowing away poison smoke, along with one or two commanders to guard the border base."
"If Hanzo is really here to declare war on us, wait until the anti-poison equipment fails, then choose to abandon the border base and retreat to protect the nearest town."
"If Hanzo dares to go deeper, we'll take the opportunity to attack the Land of Rain and Amegakure to exchange pieces with him."
This was the tactic developed by Sunagakure and the best response currently.
Orochimaru and the others couldn't come up with a better method either.
"Orochimaru, you guys leave with the combat units. I'll stay behind to guard the base alone." Jiraiya volunteered.
"I'll stay with you."
Orochimaru couldn't abandon his companion, although he wouldn't admit that he was a bit worried about Jiraiya.
"No, you can't stay." Jiraiya suddenly became firm, giving his reason, "Just as you said, if Tsunade and the Gojo kid were delayed by something else, when they return, they will definitely choose to teleport to your side just like when they came."
"What if Hanzo is really targeting us? If Tsunade and the Gojo kid suddenly teleport back while we are fighting him, what then?"
"That's simple."
Orochimaru took out a Flying Thunder God kunai from his ninja tool pouch and said to Hatake Sakumo, "Sakumo-senpai, please exchange Flying Thunder God kunai with me."
Hatake Sakumo didn't agree but also volunteered: "Why don't I stay? My Lightning Release combined with the Wind Release Squad's Wind Release will make it difficult for Hanzo to poison me."
"No, neither you nor Danzo-sama are suitable to stay at the base. You have more important things to do." Orochimaru shook his head and refused, his gaze deep. "If we really fight Hanzo, the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind might take the opportunity to attack us."
"Normally, with the base as headquarters, combat units can defend in time."
"Now that combat units and support units are forced to disperse, it is undoubtedly an excellent opportunity for them. Assuming Onoki's target really is us, he will definitely not let this opportunity pass."
"The Land of Wind, having spent an unknown amount of extra military funds to deal with Hanzo, certainly won't let it go either. Previously, they were passively defending because neither we nor the Land of Earth had entered the game, so they couldn't find any opportunity."
"If we are entangled by Hanzo and the Land of Earth, do you think the Land of Wind will choose to retaliate against the Land of Rain or take a bite out of us in the chaos?"
After listening to Orochimaru's analysis, Hatake Sakumo and Shimura Danzo instantly looked solemn.
"I understand."
Hatake Sakumo hesitated no longer, exchanged Flying Thunder God kunai with Orochimaru, and actively said, "I will lead a batch of squads skilled in Nintaijutsu and Kenjutsu towards the buffer zone of the Land of Rivers."
"This old man will also lead a batch of squads skilled in sensing and Lightning Release towards the Land of Grass." Shimura Danzo echoed.
"Then let's act. Leave the reporting to Jiraiya and me."
At this moment, Orochimaru looked more like the supreme commander of the headquarters.
Shimura Danzo saw in him not only the reflection of Sarutobi Hiruzen but even that of Tobirama-sensei.
Sure enough... compared to Hatake Sakumo, Orochimaru was his biggest competitor.
Shimura Danzo's wariness of him deepened a few notches.
To the extent that a dark thought arose in Shimura Danzo's heart.
If Tsunade and Gojo Yoru really had an accident, how great would that be?
This way, he could blame everything on Sarutobi Hiruzen and Orochimaru.
After the war ended, he would have a reason to impeach this master and disciple, forcing Sarutobi Hiruzen to abdicate.
Without Orochimaru as his biggest rival, only Hatake Sakumo could compete with him for the position of Hokage.
He had more than one method to easily defeat this competitor.
Naturally, no one knew Shimura Danzo's thoughts.
With the orders issued, the combat units at the border base immediately mobilized, quickly splitting into three groups.
One group followed Hatake Sakumo, quietly approaching the direction of the Land of Rivers.
One group followed Shimura Danzo, approaching the direction of the Land of Grass.
The last group lurked at the junction of the Land of Rain and the Land of Fire, ready to await orders, either to attack the enemy country or to retreat for support.
The huge border base was left with only two Elite Jonin, Orochimaru and Jiraiya, along with a few Sensing Squads, Barrier Squads, and the Wind Release Squad supporting them.
Since they didn't need to fight, members of the Sensing and Barrier Squads wore not only gas masks but also isolation suits.
Only in this way could they best withstand the poison gas attack of the Salamander.
The Wind Release Squad, which needed to perform Ninjutsu, only wore gas masks and goggles.
This was the strategic deterrence of Hanzo the Salamander.
Without the antidote, human wave tactics couldn't be used against him; otherwise, it would be dying in vain.
With the antidote, it only bought five minutes. If Hanzo the Salamander couldn't be forced back or killed within this time, once the Salamander refilled its poison gas, more antidote would be needed.
To buy more time, besides the antidote, gas masks, goggles, and even protective suits were needed—all huge extra expenses.
Fighting Hanzo the Salamander was burning money.
A protracted war was consuming one's own national strength.
So in this Ninja World, almost no one dared to provoke Hanzo the Salamander, calling him the Demigod of the Ninja World.
Because the previous man with the strongest strategic deterrence, capable of fighting a country alone, or even defeating all countries united, was known as the God of Shinobi... the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.
Departing from Amegakure, Hanzo the Salamander took several hours to reach the western border of the Land of Fire.
As one of the ninjas most skilled in the Body Flicker Technique in the Ninja World, if Hanzo the Salamander used Body Flicker at full speed, he could enter the Land of Fire from the Land of Rain in less than an hour.
The reason it took several hours was that he was also just an ordinary person; a kunai hitting a vital spot would kill him, and being blown up by explosive tags would also kill him.
Reconnaissance teams and Anbu from various countries had been monitoring Amegakure in shifts. Except for being unable to confirm if Hanzo the Salamander was the main body, whether using Water Body Flicker to merge into the rain or burrowing underground, he would be discovered by them.
And a Shadow Clone's Chakra couldn't last long.
After confirming Hanzo the Salamander was the main body, Orochimaru naturally wouldn't let him come to the border base as easily as going home.
Combat units couldn't engage him, but they could set various traps on Hanzo the Salamander's inevitable path.
The Byakugan's long-range vision and X-ray vision were their greatest advantages.
Unlike Sunagakure, which lacked powerful sensing ninja clans, Konoha's traps, placed with foreknowledge of the route, indeed caused considerable trouble for Hanzo the Salamander, consuming some Chakra.
However, with soldier pills, this consumption could be recovered while traveling, just wasting a bit more time.
Hanzo the Salamander, who triggered probing traps at the beginning, didn't use the universal hand signs of the Ninja World to explain his intentions and show goodwill to the reconnaissance teams and Anbu monitoring him from kilometers away or through summoning beasts and animals in the air.
This clearly showed ill intentions and could already be labeled as an enemy!
Thus, the traps Hanzo the Salamander encountered and triggered multiplied continuously on the rest of the journey.
When night fell, Hanzo the Salamander finally reached the outskirts of the Land of Fire's border, still within the rocky terrain of the Land of Rain. Ahead was the forest terrain unique to the Land of Fire.
It was a landscape completely different from the Land of Rain, like two different worlds.
The Land of Rain side was a barren rocky zone full of potholes, with light rain still falling from the sky, dark clouds and rain curtains obscuring the stars.
The Land of Fire opposite was dense with forests, the night sky studded with stars, and a round moon hanging high.
Standing on top of a rock resembling a fake mountain, Hanzo the Salamander could see the building standing in the forest like a central tower even from a distance.
That was the western border base of the Land of Fire.
The subsequent forest traversal was the final obstacle.
The traps there must be countless times more than before, and his every move might be captured by invisible sensing barriers.
This was nothing to mention for Hanzo the Salamander.
His figure disappeared from the top of the rocky mountain, and Hanzo the Salamander flew towards the forest.
Boom—
Coincidentally, Hanzo the Salamander triggered another explosive tag trap. A mushroom cloud several meters high rose, with hidden weapons shooting out from within.
In a puddle some distance away from the explosion, water suddenly defied gravity and rose, condensing into the form of Hanzo the Salamander.
Water Body Flicker Technique!
This was one of Hanzo the Salamander's signature skills and a basic derivative technique that all Amegakure ninjas must master.
This technique allowed the user to instantly liquefy and disperse their body when attacked, then reassemble in another body of water, possessing the dual effects of teleportation and escape.
In the Land of Rain, a country with a perennial rainy season, this technique was a divine skill.
Relying on this technique, Hanzo the Salamander set up explosive tag barriers in various places in the Land of Rain.
These Rain ninjas skilled in Water Body Flicker, as long as they were vigilant, didn't fear explosive tag traps at all.
Such traps would at most consume their Chakra.
Konoha ninjas seemed to know this well; when setting traps, they didn't place many explosive tags, mainly focusing on hidden weapons.
Unfortunately, Hanzo the Salamander's Body Flicker speed was too fast. Before the explosive tags detonated, he had already escaped the range of the hidden weapons.
After reassembling his body, Hanzo the Salamander continued to speed towards the border base.
Hiss hiss...
Passing by a rock, Hanzo the Salamander suddenly heard the sound of a snake flicking its tongue.
Without looking in the direction of the sound, Hanzo the Salamander instinctively drew his ninja sword, covered it with nature transformation, and then slashed wildly in that direction.
Slash slash slash... Clang!
First, a series of sounds like tearing fabric rang out, then a loud bang of metal colliding exploded in the rocky area.
A dozen long snakes drilled out of the rock, trying to bite and entangle Hanzo the Salamander, but were slashed by him.
Then a figure emerged from the rock, throwing a wind blade with the other hand, which was still blocked by Hanzo the Salamander's ninja sword.
The strong wind formed by the wind blade blew away the rain curtain. The sharp aura contained within was like invisible blades, forcing both of them to leap backward into the air, landing on a rock several meters high, sizing each other up.
Looking at Orochimaru, who wore a gas mask on his face and goggles on his eyes, Hanzo the Salamander couldn't help but mock: "Using Hiding in Rock Technique and Hiding like a Mole Technique so excellently. If one didn't know better, they'd think you were Onoki's disciple."
"As long as it works. After all, a powerhouse like you still uses poison and explosive tags, right?" Orochimaru smiled indifferently.
"Just you alone?"
Hanzo the Salamander asked knowingly, his hand inside his sleeve already prepared to form seals.
"And this great one! Ninja Art: Needle Jizo!"
Unlike Orochimaru's silent assassination, this shout was full of high-profile and orthodox aura.
Then countless white hairs shot up from the ground. Each strand was as hard as steel. The penetrating power generated by the shooting instantly shattered the rock under Hanzo the Salamander's feet, enveloping him from bottom to top like a large white net.
Leaping into the air again, Hanzo the Salamander rapidly formed seals, but not the Summoning Technique to summon his partner. Instead, he performed Water Release.
Because the white-haired man below was releasing a Ninjutsu charged in advance.
"Fire Release: Flame Bullet!"
"Water Release: Water Formation Pillar!"
Jiraiya on the ground and Hanzo the Salamander in the air simultaneously spat out a huge fireball and water ball like falling meteors from their mouths.
The two collided with a boom, generating a massive area of high-temperature steam that engulfed the surrounding white hair.
Even the high-temperature heat wave generated by the collision of B-rank Water Release and Fire Release containing powerful nature transformations couldn't destroy those hair strands as hard as iron.
Instead, the spreading steam mist provided cover for these hair strands, shooting towards Hanzo the Salamander like thousands of arrows fired at once.
Having failed to use the Water Body Flicker Technique to escape in time just now, and now being in the air without flight ability, Hanzo the Salamander's only chance to use a technique wasn't to summon the Salamander but to use Water Release to collide with the Flame Bullet.
He could no longer dodge!
Thinking this, a smile couldn't help but appear on Jiraiya's face, as if he had already seen the scene of the Demigod of the Ninja World being killed or bound by him.
Splat!
The sound of a sharp weapon entering a body rang out from the steam mist.
Before Jiraiya's smile could widen, a poof sound like a popping balloon followed closely.
Before the steam mist spread and covered everything, a figure had already flown out.
It was Hanzo the Salamander, who used a Shadow Clone to escape that predicament.
As soon as he landed, Hanzo the Salamander realized something was wrong.
Because his feet sank into a swamp.
The surrounding ground, almost in an instant, turned from hard rocky terrain into a swamp.
"Roar..."
With a roar that deterred all living things, an earth dragon emerged from the swamp, opening its bloody mouth to swallow Hanzo the Salamander.
However, the Demigod of the Ninja World was a Demigod not only because his strategic deterrence was the strongest in the current era but also because his Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu had all reached the pinnacle of the Ninja World.
Otherwise, the person called the Demigod of the Ninja World wouldn't be him, Hanzo, but the Salamander.
This combo was fast, but Hanzo the Salamander's reaction was faster.
Still forming seals with one hand, and only forming four, Hanzo the Salamander chanted a technique name.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
The rain curtain and moisture in the air all gathered, condensing into form faster than the earth dragon, turning into a water dragon even larger than the earth dragon to collide with it.
Seizing this opportunity, Hanzo the Salamander used the Water Body Flicker Technique to escape easily.
"Damn it, this great one finally managed to coordinate with you once, and it was neutralized so easily."
"It's normal. If we succeeded, Sunagakure wouldn't be so passive."
When Hanzo the Salamander's figure landed on top of a rock.
The scene of facing each other appeared again.
Looking at Orochimaru and Jiraiya, both wearing gas masks and goggles, a trace of appreciation and regret flashed in Hanzo the Salamander's eyes.
Amegakure might not produce such outstanding juniors in ten years.
Yet the Five Great Ninja Villages only needed a few years to cultivate one, or even several.
This was the gap between small and large countries!
If he had such outstanding juniors on his side, he wouldn't be fighting alone, afraid to share the Salamander summoning scroll.
Remembering his purpose for declaring war, Hanzo the Salamander quickly cleared his thoughts.
Didn't he choose to declare war on the major powers precisely to break the situation where small countries could only be oppressed and couldn't produce talents in abundance?
Thus, Hanzo the Salamander took the initiative to speak: "Just you two? Where are Princess Tsunade and that Flying Thunder God user?"
Hearing this, Orochimaru and Jiraiya felt a chill in their hearts.
Exposed as expected?
At the same time, they breathed a sigh of relief.
Hanzo the Salamander asking this meant they successfully escaped. The reason they hadn't returned was indeed due to some delay.
Orochimaru, eloquent as ever, actively ignored Hanzo the Salamander's question and persuaded instead: "Hanzo-dono, I don't know what you are talking about. Our Konoha has no intention of joining the war. This interception is purely a helpless move. Please do not cross the line."
"Hmph, dare to do but not dare to admit?" Hanzo the Salamander sneered provocatively. "If this old man crosses the line, what can you do to me?"
"Then we can only..."
Orochimaru secretly made a retreat gesture to Jiraiya, about to say the final words "run away."
The next second, two figures suddenly appeared out of thin air, appearing beside Orochimaru without warning.
Seeing these two figures, Orochimaru's eyes lit up instantly. He immediately overturned the original battle plan and said to Hanzo the Salamander: "Experience the power of the Demigod of the Ninja World!"
Jiraiya looked overjoyed: "Tsunade, Gojo kid, great, you guys are really okay!"
These words seemed to ignite a powder keg. Tsunade retorted loudly: "Nonsense, who do you think I am? How could anything happen to me!"
Jiraiya didn't know why Tsunade had such a big temper and was instantly dumbfounded by the scolding.
Looking closely, one would find that Tsunade was also wearing a gas mask and goggles.
Gojo Yoru was the same.
"Orochimaru-sensei, Jiraiya-sama, here are the antidotes." Gojo Yoru took out two tubes of antidote and handed them to Orochimaru and Jiraiya.
Orochimaru's eyes lit up again: "Did you succeed?"
"Don't know. We went to Sakumo-senpai first and haven't checked yet." Tsunade replied.
Orochimaru glanced at Gojo Yoru, and with just one look, he understood everything.
Crack!
Not giving them a chance to continue communicating, the ground suddenly made a cracking sound.
As if sensing something, the Sannin's expressions changed drastically, and they simultaneously leaped into the air to scatter.
Gojo Yoru did the same.
"Roar..."
With a roar, a massive Salamander poked its head out of the ground, spewing a large amount of purple poison gas.
The spread of the poison gas was terrifying. Let alone the four in the air, even if they used Body Flicker on the ground, it would be hard to dodge.
Because this poison mist wasn't coming towards them but spreading in all directions centered on this location.
While forming seals, Orochimaru looked at Gojo Yoru, who was also looking at him.
After nearly a year of getting along, not only had Gojo Yoru and Uzumaki Kushina learned to communicate with their eyes, but Orochimaru and Gojo Yoru, having developed a master-disciple tacit understanding, were the same.
Seeing the attribute represented by Orochimaru's first hand seal, Gojo Yoru understood his meaning and nodded immediately.
His figure disappeared from the air without warning. Gojo Yoru appeared beside Tsunade and Jiraiya successively, bringing the two to Orochimaru's side.
At this moment, Orochimaru had just finished forming seals and spat out a stream of airflow from his mouth.
"Wind Release... Pressure Damage!"
Unlike Wind Release: Great Breakthrough, which required consuming a large amount of Chakra to increase the gale's power.
This airflow contained powerful nature transformation. As soon as it expanded and spread, it possessed disaster-like destructive power, blowing away the spreading poison mist in an instant.
The invisible blades hidden in the gale tore the ground and cut the rocks the gale passed through.
Because Orochimaru's target wasn't the poison mist at all, but that Salamander.
Even various countries had headaches over it, judging the Salamander harder to deal with than Tailed Beasts and Jinchuriki. Naturally, it wouldn't be hurt by this kind of Ninjutsu.
Cautious like its partner, the Salamander immediately burrowed into the ground to escape upon hearing the wind.
Clang!
Before landing, the sound of metal clashing reached the ears of the Sannin.
Just like the coordination between Orochimaru and Jiraiya earlier, taking advantage of their attention being attracted by the poison mist and the Salamander...
The rainwater behind the four suddenly condensed into the figure of Hanzo the Salamander, slashing with a blade.
If the poison mist engulfed them, this slash would be very fatal, easily achieving a first-encounter kill like the Flying Thunder God Technique.
This was also Hanzo the Salamander's favorite assassination technique; Tsunade was instantly defeated this way.
Even having suffered once, Tsunade still couldn't react.
Orochimaru, whose attention was on the Salamander, was the same.
Only Gojo Yoru, with his powerful neural reaction speed, and Jiraiya reacted.
The latter was just about to use Ninja Art: Needle Jizo to protect everyone when he saw Gojo Yoru holding something, shooting a golden beam to block Hanzo the Salamander's slash.
Hearing the clash of weapons, Tsunade finally reacted. Using Gojo Yoru for leverage with both hands, she kicked at Hanzo the Salamander in the air.
"Don't!"
Gojo Yoru and Jiraiya seemed to discover something and shouted hurriedly.
The former hugged Tsunade directly and teleported away.
The latter used Needle Jizo to wrap himself and Orochimaru.
With a loud boom, Hanzo the Salamander, failing the assassination, actually exploded on the spot, turning into a huge ball of flame.
It was a clone self-destruction!
The intense airflow and shockwave blasted the white hedgehog to the ground, similarly failing to break the defense, showing how hard Jiraiya's hair was.
After landing, the hedgehog returned to its original state, and Gojo Yoru and Tsunade also appeared out of thin air.
The latter's face was slightly pale. Orochimaru comforted calmly: "Don't blame yourself. Even the Byakugan can't distinguish Shadow Clones. Let alone you, even I didn't react."
"Yeah, that guy is the number one assassin in the Ninja World." Jiraiya echoed, "If you and the Gojo kid hadn't come, Orochimaru and I originally planned to just run away."
Hearing this, Tsunade couldn't help but roll her eyes: "I'm not as fragile as you think. It's just suffering twice from the same move, a bit..."
Her tone suddenly paused slightly, and Tsunade's eyes suddenly became fierce, warning Orochimaru and Jiraiya: "I didn't say anything just now, and you didn't hear anything!"
Orochimaru turned his head away, while Jiraiya looked enlightened, then smiled apologetically and nodded repeatedly under Tsunade's murderous gaze.
Beside them, Gojo Yoru, who remained silent and maintained the hand seal gesture, suddenly spoke: "Here it comes again!"
The Sannin's expressions changed slightly.
Orochimaru said, "Use the Shadow Clone Technique."
Gojo Yoru and the Sannin understood instantly, simultaneously creating several Shadow Clones, mixing the main bodies among them and dispersing.
While playing hide-and-seek with Hanzo the Salamander, they discussed tactics.
Orochimaru asked, "Yoru, how is your Chakra consumption?"
"Not a big problem. Orochimaru-sensei, if you have any plan, just say it." Gojo Yoru's smile at this moment seemed so confident.
Because Space-Time Chakra had built-in high-dimensional shielding, even Uzumaki Mito's level of Mind's Eye of the Kagura could only barely see it.
Currently, the only one who could instantly discover something wrong with Gojo Yoru was the Slug Sage, whose split bodies were also its main body.
Without the level of sensing of Uzumaki Mito and the Three Great Sages, no one could sense the Space-Time Chakra in Gojo Yoru's body.
Therefore, neither the Sannin nor Hanzo the Salamander could discover that under Gojo Yoru's clothes, a black tattoo had appeared on his chest.
In his body, the blue energy that originally occupied absolute dominance had been overtaken by black energy.
Gojo Yoru had unsealed... the Space-Time Yin Seal.
Orochimaru suddenly threw out a question that shocked Jiraiya and Tsunade: "We'll cover you. Are you confident in killing Hanzo or that Salamander?"
Jiraiya widened his eyes, looking at Orochimaru in disbelief.
If he didn't know Orochimaru's personality, that he never bragged or did things without confidence, he would really suspect if his good friend had brain damage.
Sunagakure, one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, and their Konoha, the combat unit of the strongest ninja village, all had to avoid Hanzo the Salamander.
The three Elite Jonin combined were almost played to death by Hanzo the Salamander, yet he asked a Genin if he was confident in killing Hanzo the Salamander or his summoning beast?
Was the Flying Thunder God Technique that powerful?
Jiraiya suddenly thought of Minato. His disciple's Body Flicker speed was equally impressive, and his neural reaction speed was different from ordinary people, sometimes even faster than him.
He wondered if this talent qualified him to cultivate the Flying Thunder God Technique?
Maybe after the war ended, he should go back to Sarutobi-sensei to exchange for this technique and let him try?
After the shock, Tsunade looked at the master and disciple meaningfully, her curiosity about Gojo Yoru skyrocketing again.
She remembered the Slug Sage's evaluation.
A new miracle of the Ninja World... what kind of ability qualified to be called a "miracle"?
New... then who was the previous miracle of the Ninja World?
Besides her grandfather, Tsunade couldn't think of anyone more suitable for this evaluation.
And her grandfather possessed Wood Release, which pacified the chaotic times.
Could it be that the ability Gojo Yoru hid was Wood Release?
But with his Chakra intensity, even if he possessed Wood Release, he couldn't exert much power.
He wasn't an Uchiha!
Besides Uchiha Madara's Sharingan, what other ability in the Ninja World could contend with Wood Release?
And what kind of powerful ability could make a Genin confident in killing a Demigod standing at the pinnacle of the Ninja World?
Moreover, looking at Orochimaru, he seemed to know Gojo Yoru's hidden ability too.
If the environment allowed, Tsunade really wanted to insert herself into this topic and dig out Gojo Yoru's biggest secret.
No one knew Jiraiya and Tsunade's thoughts.
Gojo Yoru felt the Space-Time Chakra in his body and gave an uncertain reply: "I don't know, but I can try."
"Good, then try." Orochimaru didn't put pressure on Gojo Yoru, whispering, "We'll cover you; find an opportunity to act. If you're not confident in killing them, find a chance to leave a Flying Thunder God formula on the Salamander."
"I understand." Gojo Yoru nodded.
The four looked at each other, simultaneously turned into clouds of smoke, and disappeared.
Like them, the Shadow Clones dispersed in other places did the same.
After receiving the feedback, the main bodies' eyes narrowed, and they stopped running.
"Summoning Technique!"
The Sannin simultaneously formed seals, summoning the immature Manda, Gamabunta, and a split body of the Slug Sage.
Gojo Yoru's main body teleported the Raijin Sword to Orochimaru, then took out the Chakra blade, used Earth Body Flicker to dive underground, and then used intangibility to hide his aura.
"...Disappeared."
Hanzo the Salamander's attention wasn't on the Sannin but constantly on Gojo Yoru, the Flying Thunder God user.
When he sensed Gojo Yoru's Chakra diving underground and then disappearing, alarm bells rang in his heart.
Even his sensing couldn't detect it. This was obviously not ordinary Earth Body Flicker, nor a combination of Earth Body Flicker and Hiding like a Mole Technique.
This brat, besides the Flying Thunder God Technique, had even more powerful extension techniques of Body Flicker and Hiding Technique.
The cautious Hanzo the Salamander instinctively wanted to retreat.
This short exchange was enough.
Gojo Yoru used the Flying Thunder God Technique more than once. Reconnaissance teams and Anbu from various countries must have collected this intelligence by special means.
As long as he went back and announced it, the news that Gojo Yoru was a Flying Thunder God user would quickly spread throughout the Ninja World.
But if he went back like this, he wouldn't know the intelligence of this ability.
If this was a powerful ability, when Konoha also developed the antidote formula, it might put him in a passive position.
Retreat, or continue fighting?
Hanzo the Salamander's brain worked fast, and he soon made a decision.
"Partner, trouble you."
Hanzo the Salamander said to the Salamander under his feet.
The Salamander, almost telepathically connected with Hanzo, made a salamander cry.
Immediately, the Salamander charged towards the three giant beasts opposite.
The three giant beasts instantly lost the momentum they had just displayed upon arrival.
"Jiraiya, you bastard, are you trying to kill me?" Gamabunta drew his short sword while cursing, "That's a Salamander over there, right? You want me to deal with that poisonous thing?"
"Aren't toads poisonous too? Are you afraid of poison?" Jiraiya looked astonished.
"Is that ordinary poison?" Gamabunta shouted, "Ask that stinky snake next to you if he's afraid?"
"Hmph, this great one isn't a useless toad." Manda sneered, "Mere Salamander poison, just need a nap."
"Tsunade-sama, it's great that you're okay." The Slug Sage said, "However, this split body of mine can't last long."
"It's okay, just help us hold off the Salamander for a while."
Orochimaru instructed: "Manda, find a way to force it underground."
"This great one can help you, but give me some compensation afterward." Manda stated his demand, "I want some live meat, preferably live animals."
"Done." Orochimaru agreed readily.
At this moment, the Salamander had already rushed over, then opened its mouth to spew a huge cloud of poison smoke, engulfing itself and the three giant beasts.
Hanzo the Salamander and the Sannin were naturally no exception.
Unable to dodge this time, the Sannin didn't have the idea of dodging either.
Wearing gas masks and goggles, they had blocked their five senses. It wouldn't be easy for the Salamander's poison to enter their bodies so quickly.
Thus, a melee broke out between four people and four beasts.
The movement of giant beasts caused the earth to shake and mountains to sway.
When four giant beasts fought, the ground instantly became a mess.
Although the Salamander had "fish" in its name, it was a genuine four-legged beast. Its movement speed was astonishingly fast, and its personality was as cautious as its contractor, Hanzo.
After releasing the poison mist, it didn't foolishly engage in close combat with the three beasts; after all, that toad had a sword.
It opened its mouth, capable of swallowing a giant beast of the same size, constantly swallowing rocks, chewing them up, and spitting them out, shooting towards the three beasts like a barrage.
The three beasts somehow temporarily resisted the Salamander's poison.
The Slug Sage spat out acid-like mucus, blocking part of the barrage.
Manda swung his tail, shattering the rocks easily with his steel-like tail.
Gamabunta drew his sword and leaped up, dodging the attack while launching an attack on the Salamander.
The extremely fast Manda followed, while the Slug Sage moved slowly.
Their contractors had come down from their heads at some point, engaging in battle on the ground in the poison mist.
Tsunade, skilled in Taijutsu, charged ahead. Every punch and kick was heavy and powerful, but the startup was obvious.
Hanzo the Salamander, skilled in Body Flicker, dodged easily every time.
Just as Hatake Sakumo was the nemesis and nightmare of puppetry, a combatant like Hanzo the Salamander was the existence Tsunade least wanted to encounter.
If fighting alone, Tsunade might have already been injured.
But this time, with Jiraiya and Orochimaru assisting, Tsunade didn't need to use her brain, just attack blindly.
The Senju Clan's massive Chakra amount allowed every punch and kick of hers to shatter the earth, creating huge airwaves that blew away the surrounding poison mist.
Whenever Hanzo the Salamander used Body Flicker to dodge an attack and prepared to attack from the side or behind, Orochimaru's Hidden Shadow Snake Hands and Jiraiya's hair would attack.
When distance was opened, the two instantly cast long-range Ninjutsu. Without even communicating, they could create composite Ninjutsu, forcing Hanzo the Salamander to use Body Flicker to dodge or use Ninjutsu to intercept.
This level of Taijutsu, this level of Ninjutsu, and this level of summoning beasts and coordination... Hanzo the Salamander saw the reflection of Ino-Shika-Cho in them.
Those three ninja clans also used the coordination of secret techniques to make opponents of the same level despair, and could even challenge those stronger than them, making stronger ninjas dare not ignore them casually.
And the three in front of him were even more outstanding than Ino-Shika-Cho, who relied on secret techniques for coordination.
Thinking that besides these three, Konoha also had Konoha's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo, who became famous earlier than them, and that junior who mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, Hanzo the Salamander's heart was suddenly filled with jealousy.
The previous generation, this generation, and the next generation... Konoha had flag bearers for decades to come!
And Amegakure only had him, an old guy who had carried the flag for decades.
When he got older and his deterrence weakened, what would happen to the Land of Rain, the junction of three major powers?
Thinking of this, Hanzo the Salamander's gaze towards the Sannin was no longer appreciation for juniors but filled with boiling killing intent.
"Water Release: Hiding in Mist Technique!"
Hanzo the Salamander formed seals with one hand, using the D-rank Water Release that Kirigakure was extremely skilled at, creating a large area of thick mist containing Chakra that even Wind Release couldn't blow away.
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