Chapter 9: The Alliance of Senju and Uchiha

A few members of the Anbu were restoring the arena, using Earth Release techniques to mend the shattered ground caused by the battle.

The Third Hokage and several Jonin had left the high platform, with some of them departing the scene under the Third's instructions.

They were heading into the village to maintain order. The intensity of the battle had increased, affecting the village's daily operations.

Hanma stood silently on the training ground, using the entry "Ruthless Growth" to quietly heal himself while strategizing his next move.

In fact, he wasn't entirely confident about facing the combination of Tsunade and Shana.

Although Tsunade was not at her peak and hadn't developed the Strength of a Hundred Seal, she had signed a contract with the Slug Sage, and Katsuyu was a formidable summon.

Moreover, Hanma couldn't withstand Tsunade's inherited monstrous strength from the Senju without getting hurt. If Shana held him up and Tsunade launched a sneak attack, it would be a big problem.

The most puzzling was Uchiha Shana, an old man who had lived since the Warring States period, now challenging Hanma.

Even if he aimed to command the clan's forces, there was no need to compete with Hanma, also a Uchiha.

This situation seemed odd, making Hanma secretly more cautious of Shana.

With over twenty years of experience living among the Uchiha, Hanma understood that this person was suffering from the classic Uchiha obsession.

Dealing with an obsessed Uchiha was truly tricky; he might even use Izanagi to win.

Based on Hanma's accumulated experience, in team battles, priority should be to eliminate the frail and the healer. This was valuable knowledge from bronze to gold level.

But the problem was, this healer was incredibly tough, which was quite vexing.

"What bad luck. Tsunade had to step up. I'll remember this grudge. If I get the chance, I'll make sure you suffer," Hanma thought to himself with venomous anger.

"Alright, we're ready on our end. Are you going to rest any longer?" Tsunade shouted towards Hanma, with Shana nodding along.

Hanma found it speechless; indeed, when women get angry, they can hardly keep their composure.

"Then, let's begin."

With Hanma's declaration, fierce bloodlust surged out, enveloping him and forming a set of dark red armor, gleaming with a sinister red light.

With a powerful push from his feet, he swiftly dashed towards Tsunade in a flash of red light.

Leaping high, Hanma drove a downward punch towards Tsunade, enveloped in a violent gale of fist wind.

Tsunade, with a trace of a cold smile, already had dozens of Katsuyu attached discreetly to her back, replenishing her chakra. The azure chakra engulfed her fists in a vortex.

"Bang——!!"

As their fists collided, the training ground erupted with a cloud of dust.

Hanma felt Tsunade's strength. "As expected, without decades of accumulation from the Strength of a Hundred Technique, her monstrous strength punch isn't exaggerated enough to crack Madara's Susanoo."

Tsunade was knocked back several steps by Hanma's force, her teeth gritting in unwillingness. She shouted loudly:

"Shana, be careful. If it gets close quarters, activate it!"

"Plan A, now!"

Hanma didn't let up, ignoring whatever plan they had, and swept a whip kick towards Tsunade's face, creating a sonic boom.

Shana moved swiftly, throwing several shuriken at Hanma.

Hanma chose to ignore them, determined to take down Tsunade. If possible, he would attempt to eliminate her in this round of melee.

Tsunade took the kick head-on, her fair face flushing unnaturally.

With a low growl, Tsunade gathered a thick layer of chakra in her arms and firmly grabbed Hanma's leg.

"Now!"

"—Boom, boom!"

The exploding tags on the shuriken detonated, engulfing Hanma in flames.

Tsunade formed a one-handed seal, grabbing Hanma tightly with the other.

The ground started sinking, a thick layer of mud emerging, with Earth Release chakra absorbing everything on the surface like a suction cup.

"Fire Style! Majestic Destroyer Flame!"

Shana paid no heed to Tsunade, sending a massive fire that could scorch half a forest towards Hanma, with the roaring fire dragon occupying the ground.

Hanma understood; they were using this method to immobilize him due to his speed, relying on Tsunade's recovery ability with a strategy of trading injuries for injuries.

The fire dragon bellowed into the mud, turning soil into extremely viscous, semi-solid mass. Tsunade still clung to Hanma's leg with a suicidal resolve.

Katsuyu covered her body, providing chakra from the Slug Sage, significantly reducing the impact of Shana's Fire Release.

This was a strategy of self-damage causing greater harm to the enemy, leaving little room for tricks but being incredibly frustrating.

"Useless. Such Fire Release techniques mean nothing to me."

With the smoke dissipating, Hanma stood unharmed, his clothes burnt away, but his body bore no wounds.

Majestic Destroyer Flame, a high-level Fire Release technique known for its wide range and considerable power, was meaningless against Hanma.

Unmoved in the mire, he locked one of Tsunade's wrists with his hand and delivered a crushing elbow strike towards her shoulder blade.

With a cold sneer, Hanma thought, fighting me up close shows you're underestimating my close-combat strength.

Both Shana and Tsunade were shocked; didn't expect such a high-level ninjutsu to be ineffective even for probing!

With a ferocious roar, Hanma's hair bristled, bloodlust surged, his muscles knotted, and his spine arched like a living dragon. Bracing one foot against Tsunade's abdomen, he yanked her arm in the opposite direction with all his might!

Primitive violence erupted as Hanma's stance indicated a will to tear Tsunade apart!

Tsunade grunted in pain, struggling against Hanma's immense force.

Katsuyu wriggled, supplying a vast amount of chakra, but more of it was being absorbed by Hanma amid the bloodlust contamination.

With a loud shout, Hanma's eyes turned frenzied crimson. He could hear her bones groaning under the strain.

No love, no friends, only victory at this moment!

Shana watched solemnly, sighing inwardly, as the blood-red Magatama in his eyes connected, forming a sword-like pattern.

"Susanoo!"

The eerie, cold ocular power seized the moment. Hanma felt an acute sense of danger.

With senses far sharper than others, Hanma always had a peculiar premonition of crises.

Releasing Tsunade's arm, he gripped her back of the head, delivering a fierce headbutt and then a powerful kick, using the recoil to escape.

At this moment, Tsunade's arms dangled powerlessly, her spine distinctly protruding, and from the headbutt and kick, she knelt on the ground, her fair face smeared with blood.

From the spectator area, Jiraiya fumed with rage, cursing harshly, almost jumping out of the viewing area.

Blocking Jiraiya, the Third Hokage deepened his voice, speaking clearly:

"Watch a bit longer. Tsunade isn't that fragile, she's the finest medical ninja."

Danzo's gloomy voice echoed:

"The focus isn't Tsunade now. Hanma can't possibly kill her. The key here is an Uchiha with Mangekyō Sharingan!"

Oddly, the Third didn't counter Danzo, focusing intently as Shana summoned a pillar of white light.

The white pillar fell on Tsunade, the entire space rippling like waves. Had Hanma been a bit slower, he would have been caught too.

Shana's Mangekyō patterns spun rapidly, the pillar emitting intense light.

Hanma observed Shana in silent shock, realizing he had activated the Mangekyō Sharingan!

Shana had hidden this too well!

As the light enveloped the rippling space, exploding in bright flashes, Tsunade slowly got up, all her wounds vanished.

Hanma became wary. This bizarre ability was too similar to Izanagi!

(End of chapter)