During the clash of air currents, the scorching heat generated by Shiraishi's Sage's Blade caused sweat to pour down Hanzo's face.
However, as the "Demi-god" of the shinobi world, he naturally refused to allow himself to fall here.
"The title of 'Demi-god' is a disappointment," Shiraishi remarked coldly.
His words caused an uproar among the Rain ninjas. Many glared at him with fury, but Shiraishi ignored them. He kept his gaze fixed on Hanzo.
"The Demi-god who once stood single-handedly between the three Great Nations and kept the Land of Rain standing... now, you are nothing more than a withered old man afraid of death. Do you still have any conviction?"
During the Second Great Ninja War, the small Land of Rain was sandwiched between three Great Powers and served as the primary battlefield.
Such a small nation could have been easily wiped out, yet Hanzo had relied on his own strength to keep the Hidden Rain standing. It was during that war that he faced the Sannin in their prime.
Even while being besieged by the Sannin and other Leaf ninjas, Hanzo effortlessly dispatched the rest and eventually bestowed the "Sannin" title upon Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru.
At that time, Hanzo was at the absolute peak of the ninja world. However, after allying with the Leaf, he gradually lost his edge and became complacent. His suspicious nature left the internal state of the Land of Rain in a mess.
Shiraishi's words caused Hanzo's pupils to shrink. He retracted his sickle and rapidly initiated a Summoning Jutsu, calling forth his venomous Ibuse the Salamander!
As soon as the Salamander appeared, a terrifying, toxic mist began to permeate the moisture in the air. Seeing Hanzo summon Ibuse, the Rain ninjas quickly donned their gas masks and retreated.
"The Salamander's poison... standard gas masks won't last long. Those Sand ninjas are finished!"
Under the Salamander's control, a toxic domain composed of mist and water vapor spread from all directions.
At that moment, Shiraishi rotated his Sage's Blade. Under the radiance of intense heat, he reactivated the power of Scorch Style: Great Sunny Day.
The heat currents converged into three massive fireballs. Like three suns shining simultaneously, they formed a high-temperature zone that quarantined all the toxic mist.
Fighting poison with fire!
One Rain ninja almost forgot he was in the poison zone: "Impossible... this is the Salamander's venom, and it's being purified by mere sunlight..."
"Perhaps this is the advanced form of Scorch Style—using that radiance to purify and drive away toxic vapors..."
Controlling three high-temperature suns simultaneously put a heavy strain on Shiraishi's chakra. However, Hanzo was in no better state. As the two locked eyes, they gripped their weapons tightly.
Conviction...
"A person's end is not when they die, but when they lose their conviction." The words Hanzo had once spoken to Mifune flashed back to him. Looking back at himself, it seemed his conviction had long since vanished.
I've truly been looked down upon!
In an instant, Hanzo's sickle spun with a sound like a metallic explosion. It swirled around his body as he lunged at Shiraishi with an incredibly fast Body Flicker.
Hanzo's speed had increased!
Sensing the change in his opponent, Shiraishi rotated the Sage's Blade. The intense heat transformed into rushing energy, forming a rotating vortex of fire that blocked Hanzo's attack. Simultaneously, a massive Water Encampment Wall erupted from beneath Hanzo's feet.
The impact of high heat against the water created a dense cloud of steam.
This move caught Shiraishi off guard; as he retreated, the Demi-god exhaled a blast of toxic mist that struck Shiraishi's sleeve.
Seeing his sleeve corrode away, Shiraishi realized the situation had become tricky. A Hanzo with his fighting spirit reignited was not only stronger but had a far better grasp of timing.
In the "Great Sunny Day" mode, Shiraishi's other techniques were limited, and fighting with Water Style or Sand Control in this environment would be disadvantageous.
I need to increase my processing power...
With that thought, the sensor instructions deep in Shiraishi's brain were activated. His pupils flashed with light as the power of the Circular Pupil and the Regeneration Core analysis were fully engaged. The supercomputing device began to operate at full capacity.
In Shiraishi's underground laboratory—vastly improved from two years ago—fifteen auxiliary Human Puppets and a supercomputer were linked to create a massive computational network.
As Shiraishi leaped back to create distance, a flood of data points converged into images in his mind. The sensor was also linked to every cell and nerve in his body. Under the stimulation of electrical currents, Shiraishi entered a state of perfect synchronization.
With a Body Flicker, just as Hanzo leaped forward, Shiraishi took a step back with millisecond precision. The distance between them didn't shorten by even an inch; they moved with the eerie coordination of dancers.
Stimulated by the current, Shiraishi flipped his wrist. The Sage's Blade fell, carving a trail of high-temperature light through the air like a bolt of lightning breaking through the darkness.
Hanzo's scalp tingled. He forcefully thrust both arms upward, and two water dragons surged forth, only to be swallowed by the trail of light.
Under the radiance, the Sage's Blade glowed like erupting magma. Shiraishi thrust the silver blade into the soil. Instantly, pillars of berserk, high-temperature light erupted around Hanzo and the Rain ninjas.
Carrying debris and earth, they shot toward the sky, resonating with the three suns above.
With his computing power pushed to the limit, Shiraishi took flight. A blast of heat surged downward as he integrated himself with his blade, diving toward Hanzo like a living sword.
Crap...
Feeling himself locked on, Hanzo used his remaining strength to let out a massive vortex of air from his sickle, meeting Shiraishi's blade head-on.
I won't lose to a junior! I am Hanzo of the Salamander!
The sickle spun rapidly. Just as Hanzo's mask shattered, a concentrated blast of toxic gas erupted, surrounding Shiraishi. Simultaneously, Shiraishi's blade aimed for Hanzo's vitals.
The two flashed past each other. For a moment, everything went silent.
Seconds later, Hanzo fell to one knee, coughing violently. Shiraishi's final strike had almost pierced his heart; only the distraction of the toxic mist had caused it to veer off, but the blow had stripped him of his ability to fight.
Meanwhile, Shiraishi was bleeding from several gashes, and a large amount of poison was invading his system.
It was a pyrrhic victory for Shiraishi.
Just then, three young figures appeared on the battlefield, interrupting the duel.
"It's them..."
Hanzo's expression became complex as he recognized the three youths—they were the ones he currently feared most in the Land of Rain.
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