Chapter 277: Assault
Chapter 277: Assault
Hanzo of the Salamander was still a formidable force. Without a high-level opponent to hold him back, the average Konoha ninja stood no chance of stopping his advance.
Now, with a growing number of Konoha casualties, Hanzo spearheaded a surprise attack force that had successfully broken through Konoha's defensive lines.
Beyond them lay the vast and fertile lands of the Land of Fire.
These rogue shinobi would swarm over the land like locusts, plundering the resources and wealth of innocent civilians.
And in such a vast territory, once they went into hiding, rooting them out would be a costly and near-impossible endeavor.
Even if Konoha emerged victorious in this war, these invaders could still inflict devastating losses on the Land of Fire.
The cost of capturing them would far outweigh the benefits.
Standing atop his giant salamander, Hanzo surveyed the expansive landscape of the Land of Fire, his confidence soaring.
Since the Second Shinobi War, he had dreamed of setting foot in these lands—not as a mere guest, but as a conqueror.
Back then, he had believed himself invincible.
Yet the combined forces of the Great Hidden Villages had shattered his pride, forcing him into an alliance with Konoha just to ensure the survival of Amegakure.
At the start of the Third Shinobi War, Hanzo had intended to remain neutral, hoping to watch the great villages weaken each other.
He had even ceded much of Amegakure's land to avoid direct confrontation.
But then, his carefully laid plans had been disrupted.
Tonari had forced his hand by implicating Amegakure in the disappearance of the Third Kazekage.
Though it seemed that Suna had orchestrated the attack, Hanzo wasn't a fool.
Suna had held the advantage at the time—why would they suddenly provoke Amegakure?
The only party that stood to gain from such a move was Konoha.
Though he didn't know how they had done it, he was certain Konoha was behind it.
Faced with a choice between siding with Suna or Konoha, he had chosen Konoha.
Danzo had then personally negotiated with him, promising ample rewards in exchange for Amegakure's continued alliance.
But after Tonari had seized control of Root, all contact with Konoha had ceased.
Sensing an opportunity, Suna's Hai Lao Zang had intensified efforts to sway Hanzo, offering him even greater benefits.
At first, Hanzo had intended to wait for Konoha's response, hoping to leverage the situation for a better deal.
However, with no word from Konoha, he ultimately accepted Suna's offer.
Thus, the sudden betrayal.
Once Suna had secured Hanzo's allegiance, they wasted no time launching an all-out assault.
They were well aware of Iwagakure's recent peace treaty with Konoha and feared that if Konoha had time to recover, Suna's offensive efforts would have been for nothing.
Thus, they struck at the final moment, ensuring that Konoha remained weakened.
"Rain shinobi, listen up!" Hanzo's deep voice echoed across the battlefield from atop his salamander.
"Yes, sir!"
The Ame-nin were brimming with confidence. Having overwhelmed Konoha's defenders, they felt invincible.
"We will take everything of value from the Land of Fire! Seize all you can and retreat to Amegakure as swiftly as possible!"
Hanzo had no illusions of permanently holding Fire Country's land.
His goal was plunder, not conquest.
Even if he occupied the territory, he knew he couldn't hold it.
Such an act would only provoke a relentless counterattack from Konoha.
But if they only raided and withdrew, Konoha—already exhausted by war—would likely choose to swallow their losses rather than launch a prolonged counteroffensive.
If that happened, Amegakure could recover from its wartime losses and emerge stronger.
"Yes, sir!"
The rain shinobi cheered, unconcerned with how Suna would react to their actions.
At the forefront of the battle, Namikaze Minato and Nara Shikaku kept their eyes locked on the movement of Hanzo's forces.
Hearing his orders, they clenched their fists in frustration.
Minato could teleport to Hanzo and attempt to stop him.
But if he did that, Rasa and Chiyo would be free to massacre the remaining Konoha forces.
The front lines would crumble.
Though it pained him, Minato knew that Suna posed the far greater threat.
Unlike Hanzo, they had the ability to seize and hold Fire Country's land.
Faced with two threats, he had to prioritize the greater one.
Even so, the sense of failure gnawed at him.
They had fought so hard and come so close—only to fall short at the final moment.
He had heard of Konoha's impending treaty with Iwa.
If only they had held out a little longer…
Just a little longer…
Minato and Shikaku exchanged dark, weary looks.
Hanzo, meanwhile, had no such worries.
If he had known their thoughts, he would have laughed.
"Move out!" he commanded, raising his signature scythe.
The Konoha shinobi braced themselves, their expressions grim.
But then—
"Move out, my ass!"
A voice rang out across the battlefield, silencing everyone in shock.
Who dared to challenge Hanzo, the 'Demi-God' of Amegakure?
Only two people recognized the voice instantly.
Minato and Shikaku's faces lit up with relief.
Before anyone could process what was happening, a deafening explosion erupted.
BOOM!
A white blur streaked across the battlefield, moving at blinding speed.
In the blink of an eye, Hanzo and his massive salamander were sent crashing into the ground, leaving a massive crater in their wake.
The enormous beast had no idea what had just happened.
For the first time in its life, it had been overpowered.
Though Hanzo managed to block the attack with his scythe, the sheer force had still injured him.
"Who—?!"
Hanzo growled, leaping out of the crater.
Blood dripped from his lips, confirming that he had not escaped unscathed.
As the dust settled, the figure of his attacker became clear.
A man in flowing white robes, calmly adjusting his wrist, his expression ice-cold.
"The Fourth Hokage," Tonari stated flatly.
The inscription on his back—'Fourth Hokage'—was unmistakable.
Hanzo's eyes narrowed.
He could feel it.
The danger.
His gaze flickered to Tonari's left eye—
A Sharingan?
Before he could react, the world around him twisted and shifted.
"Genjutsu…!"
A searing pain tore through his abdomen.
Looking down, he saw a massive wooden spike piercing his stomach.
Sweat poured down his face as the sheer realism of the illusion overwhelmed him.
The nearby rain shinobi could only watch in horror as their leader inexplicably collapsed, clutching his stomach in agony.
"It's genjutsu! Don't look into his eyes!" one of them warned.
Before he could say another word, blood spurted from his throat.
His hands clutched at the wound in disbelief as he crumpled to the ground.
A blue-tinged blur moved among the rain shinobi with terrifying speed.
Wielding the Round Dance Blade, his body cloaked in the fiery chakra of the Two-Tails, Tonari became a reaper on the battlefield.
Rain shinobi dropped like flies, their bodies lifeless before they even realized they had been attacked.
He had moved so fast that few could even follow his trajectory.
To the surviving rain shinobi and Konoha forces, the sight was eerily familiar.
A lone shinobi, wielding a short blade, cutting down enemies without mercy.
"White Fang…?"
The name surfaced in the minds of many.
In mere seconds, dozens of bodies lay scattered across the ground.
"Enough!"
Hanzo's voice rang out.
Standing once more, he glared at Tonari.
"I'll show you what a 'Demi-God' is capable of!"
Leaping onto his salamander, he removed his mask.
"Secret Technique—Poison Mist!"
A thick purple cloud spread across the battlefield.
Tonari smirked.
"This is your trump card?"
His body pulsed with blue flames, and two tails of chakra flickered behind him.
Hanzo tensed.
"The Two-Tails…?"
Before he could react, Tonari lifted his hand—
A spiraling orb of chakra forming in his palm.
"Secret Art—Inferno Rasenshuriken!"
Hanzo's instincts screamed—
If he took this head-on, he was dead.
But before he could counter—
Tonari's Mangekyō Sharingan spun.
"Kamui."
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