A turnaround battle coupled with the Third Kazekage's revival greatly boosted Sunagakure's morale.
The second day.
The army advanced slowly towards Amegakure.
Rumors about Sunagakure seeking revenge for fallen comrades, vowing to raze everything along the way, reached the towns ahead first, throwing the Land of Rain into chaos. Civilians along the route from Sunagakure's army to Amegakure packed their belongings and began a mass exodus.
The third day.
Sunagakure razed a small town along the way to the ground.
Civilians ahead fled even faster; the entire country fell into panic.
The fourth day.
Sunagakure destroyed another small city.
Hanzo led his troops to withdraw and return to the Land of Rain.
The fifth day.
Sunagakure and Amegakure's armies faced off on a hill in the wilderness.
The sixth day.
Sunagakure submitted completion of the Land of Iron's war mission, receiving generous payment, and prepared to withdraw that afternoon.
Hanzo led his men in pursuit...
Still a rainy day.
Sunagakure and Amegakure's Shinobi clashed on an open plain, cries of battle rising and falling.
Bang! Bang! Bang...
Iron Fortress strode on eight legs, weaving through the crowd. Kunai, shuriken, and ballista bolts fired continuously; giant scythes swung and danced.
Wherever it went, corpses littered the ground.
In the sky, the mechanical bird soared, constantly dropping area-of-effect weapons into dense Amegakure's formations, throwing them into disarray.
Under the covering fire of these two killing machines, Sunagakure pushed Amegakure back step by step.
Suddenly, vast purple mist spread across the battlefield.
Several Sunagakure's Shinobi accidentally inhaled some, immediately convulsing, foaming at the mouth, and collapsing.
Poison mist.
Numerous Amegakure's Shinobi, wearing breathing tubes, charged back under the cover of the poison mist.
Sunagakure's Shinobi without related equipment retreated step by step.
Within the poison mist, a massive black shadow emerged with heavy steps.
It was a giant black salamander, the size of a small house, with a man standing atop it.
Wearing a wetsuit, raincoat over it, breathing tube on the head, chain sickle in hand, weathered eyes filled with authority.
"After ruining my grand plan and wreaking havoc wantonly in the Land of Rain… don't think I'll let you leave so easily!" The man gazed at the fleeing Sunagakure's Shinobi, a cold gleam flashing in his eyes.
Surrounding Amegakure's Shinobi, hearing this, boosted their morale, shouting "Hanzo-sama!" as they charged at the enemy.
But Sunagakure's Shinobi, hearing Hanzo's name, felt fear, fleeing even faster.
Even Rasa and the Third Kazekage showed grave expressions.
"I say, why are you all so afraid of one person?" Ryuji stood on the mechanical bird, the door to his Personal Space open behind him, a thick vacuum cleaner hose dragged out and held in his hands.
"Mere poison mist, watch me deal with it."
Ryuji piloted the mechanical bird over the poison mist. The vacuum hose hummed to life, starting work.
Dense poison mist was sucked away in patches, eventually entering the 3D Printer's material storage.
The vacuum hose's power was immense, absorbing poison mist far faster than the salamander could produce it.
As the mechanical bird swept over the poison mist, the battlefield's poison mist was quickly cleared.
Shinobi on the battlefield, stunned for a moment, were awakened by Iron Fortress's slaughter and plunged back into combat.
Without the poison mist cover, Sunagakure's Shinobi no longer had any fear, turning to fight back.
Hanzo watched the mechanical bird streaking across the sky, falling silent.
Sunagakure's Shinobi were generally stronger than those from other villages. With Sunagakure and Amegakure's Shinobi numbers equal, without poison mist cover, Amegakure's side would surely lose.
But the one who could neutralize the poison mist kept flying high; he could do nothing.
'Will I lose this battle too?'
Hanzo sighed inwardly.
As Amegakure's leader, he had repeatedly led the village to attack Great Shinobi Villages.
Although continuously defeating strong foes increased his fame, earning him titles like the Shinobi World's pinnacle,
He lost every war.
Thud!
A figure landed before the salamander.
She looked up at Hanzo standing atop the salamander, a smile on her face. "I hear you stand at the pinnacle of the Shinobi World. Care for a match?"
Looking at this girl with wine-red shoulder-length hair, Hanzo's expression remained impassive. "Overconfident youths challenge me all the time, but not everyone leaves alive."
"Is that so?"
Aka smiled slightly, bringing her hands together in a clap. [Earth Release: Tooth Forest!]
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!!!
Dense stone pillar spikes abruptly burst from the ground, instantly piercing the giant salamander like a pincushion.
Hanzo sensed the danger in advance, using Body Flicker to leave the salamander.
He landed on the ground, staring at Aka, pupils contracting, killing intent spreading.
"Let me see if you deserve the title of the Shinobi World's pinnacle!" Aka, with a charming smile, turned into an afterimage charging forward, her right hand brimming with erupting Chakra.
"Swift Release? Mere trifling skill!"
Hanzo slapped the ground with one hand.
The ground ahead of Aka suddenly turned into explosive tags rising up, precisely predicting her next landing spot, wrapping around her right leg and climbing upward.
"Explode!"
Hanzo formed a one-handed seal with his left, intending to detonate.
But those explosive tags seemed to lose connection, lying dormant.
Swish!
Aka arrived before Hanzo, fist smashing toward his head, explosive tags scattered behind her from the shockwave.
Hanzo reacted extremely fast too, tapping the ground with one hand, performing several consecutive backflips to dodge the punch.
Boom!
The ground shattered under the fist, rubble and dust filling the air.
A chain pierced through the dust, biting like a venomous snake.
Aka had nerve reactions rivaling Minato's; how could she be hit by such a sneak attack?
She tilted her head, dodging the attack, and grabbed the chain, then pulled hard. Hanzo at the other end was yanked forward.
Aka raised her fist, aiming for his face.
Thud!
Hanzo was punched, turning into a puff of white smoke and dissipating.
A Shadow Clone.
The real Hanzo swung his chain sickle, turning into a blade of light slashing over.
[Sword Technique: One Flash!]
Although using a sickle for sword technique seemed improper, when the user was the Shinobi World's Demigod, nothing was improper; its power wasn't diminished in the slightest.
Hanzo looked like a streak of aurora flying over.
Then, he was caught by the throat by Aka.
Minato's nerve reactions and computer-like calculation ability allowed Aka to instantly calculate Hanzo's attack trajectory, extending her hand.
Hanzo seemed like a paid actor, delivering his own neck into the opponent's hand.
"How could this be!?"
Hanzo's eyes widened, seemingly incredulous.
Aka paid no heed, merely chuckling lightly. "The Demigod of the Shinobi World, just this?"
"You..."
Hanzo wanted to retort, but the increased pressure on his neck cut him off.
Suffocation made his face turn red.
"This battle is your victory. I admit defeat, I surrender, spare me."
At the moment of life's end, Hanzo abandoned conviction and dignity, begging the enemy for mercy.
But Aka ignored him, her mocking smile widening further.
Crunch!
Hanzo's neck was twisted, dying with wide, staring eyes.
Aka threw his corpse to the ground, shouting loudly, "Hanzo is dead! Those who surrender will not be killed!"
Chakra-infused voice, that even a loudspeaker couldn't match, echoed continuously through the air.
The battlefield instantly quieted.
Everyone froze, then looked incredulously toward Aka.
When they saw the corpse at her feet, their eyes widened further.
How is this possible!?
This is Hanzo!
The man who never lost even when his village lost wars countless times, the Demigod standing at the Shinobi World's pinnacle!
Such a being is dead!?
Died at the hands of an unknown woman?
How could they dare believe it?
But no matter how incredulous, with the fact before their eyes, they could only accept.
Then...
Sunagakure's Shinobi cheered.
Amegakure's Shinobi dropped their weapons one by one, silently weeping.
For Amegakure's Shinobi, Hanzo was a god, their hero.
He's even more elevated than the Five Kage in the hearts of their villagers and Shinobi.
His death left Amegakure's Shinobi with no will to fight.
"The war is over!"
With the Third Kazekage's declaration, Sunagakure's Shinobi's cheers grew even more deafening.
Their joy had reason.
Sunagakure merely wanted to complete the Land of Iron's mission for generous payment.
But now, not only had they completed the mission, they had thoroughly crushed Amegakure in the war.
Having lost Hanzo and numerous Shinobi, Amegakure had no strength to fight again in the short term.
Not only did this announce their complete withdrawal from the Third Shinobi World War's stage, it also meant they had to accept reparations demanded by Sunagakure as the victor.
This turned a situation where, despite heavy losses in war and only a small profit even with the Land of Iron's generous payment, into a huge gain. How could they not rejoice?
Not only that,
They had also defeated Hanzo's undefeated myth.
Although in past wars, Amegakure always ended in defeat, Hanzo himself remained undefeated.
Now, Hanzo was defeated, losing his life.
This greatly enhanced Sunagakure's reputation in the Shinobi World.
However, just as all Sunagakure's Shinobi, including Ryuji, thought the Suna-Ame war would become the Shinobi World's focal point of discussion for some time, things didn't unfold that way.
Because more explosive news broke out.
First, the Third Mizukage led Kirigakure's Shinobi to land on Sunagakure's coastal territory in the Land of Wind, launching a surprise attack.
Although repelled by the prepared Sunagakure's Shinobi, their action announced to the world that Kirigakure's civil war had ended, formally entering the Shinobi World War.
It made the Shinobi World, which had just seen signs of war ending, even more chaotic.
Second, Kumogakure was defeated.
Yes, Kumogakure, with absolute numerical superiority, who just the day before had been pushing Konoha back step by step, even moving the battlefield from the Land of Rice Fields to the Land of Fire's border region, was defeated.
And it was a major defeat; even the Third Raikage had fallen.
The name 'Yellow Flash' truly resounded throughout the Shinobi World.
Compared to these major events, Hanzo's famed reputation might be greater, but the scale of the two wars wasn't on the same level.
All those not participating in this war were puzzled.
Why did Kumogakure, with absolute numerical superiority, brimming with momentum just the day before, seemingly about to breach Konoha in one go, suffer such a disastrous defeat within a single day?
It all started with Minato's proposal at the Jonin Meeting.
…
[A/N: Aka is strong, but not as strong as you imagine. Chapters 81 and 82 made it clear; she's currently just talented. Converting that to strength requires time. You can think of her like Hiruko from the movie, but Hiruko absorbed Kekkei Genkai, while Aka alters talents. Short-term combat power increase is less than Hiruko's, but growth is higher and faster, becoming more formidable later.
Current Aka should be slightly weaker than Impure World Reincarnation Nagato, roughly just surpassing Kage-level.
And Hanzo is truly strong; it's just not apparent due to limited original work's coverage.
According to the Databooks, he's officially the strongest Water Release user, his Water Release reaching the pinnacle, unmatched.
His Sword Technique: One Flash had defeated Mifune's iaido draw, and Mifune's iaido draw is set at lightspeed, making it so even Mangekyo Sasuke couldn't form hand seals in time. From this, you can imagine Hanzo's strength.]