Chapter 278: Divine Vault
Chapter 278: Divine Vault
Boom!!!
The Rasenshuriken impacted the ground, triggering a massive explosion that erupted like a towering mushroom cloud.
The immense shockwave and scorching heat instantly dispersed and even evaporated all the surrounding poisonous mist.
The rain ninja closest to the blast were outright obliterated, while those further away were sent flying.
Even the distant battlefield, where Konoha's forces clashed with Suna's, was affected by the explosion. Nearly every ninja on the battlefield turned their heads in astonishment.
What kind of terrifying destructive power was this?
Even from a considerable distance, they could feel the overwhelming heatwave, mixed with an eerie and foreboding aura.
Rasa and Chiyo, who were locked in battle with Namikaze Minato, had grim expressions.
They could clearly sense that if they had been caught in that explosion, even they wouldn't be confident in surviving it unscathed.
As the dust and smoke from the explosion gradually settled, many shinobi momentarily shifted their focus to the battle between Hanzo and Tonari.
Because the outcome of that fight could very well determine the final victor of this war.
Suddenly, a figure leaped out from the scorched battlefield, causing a collective sigh of relief among the Suna forces—Hanzo was still alive.
On the other hand, Konoha's shinobi felt their hearts tighten.
Even an attack of such sheer destruction hadn't been enough to kill him? This truly attested to Hanzo's fearsome reputation as the "Demi-God."
Thud—
Hanzo landed firmly on the ground.
But when his full appearance was revealed, the one who reacted the most was Chiyo, her eyes widening in disbelief as she blurted out—
"Impossible?!"
Her face was full of shock.
There was no doubt that Tonari's attack had been devastating. Anyone caught directly in the blast would have no chance of survival.
But Chiyo was confident that she could have dodged or minimized the damage. Even if she got caught in the explosion's periphery, she would be injured but not fatally so.
However, as she looked at Hanzo now, even she was left speechless.
His upper body was completely exposed—his clothing had been burned away by the intense heat. His skin was charred and blistered.
But more importantly...
His left arm was completely gone.
Had it not been for the high temperatures instantly cauterizing the wound, he might have bled to death right then and there.
Yes, Hanzo had landed steadily, but he was clutching his remaining arm, his face deathly pale, gasping for breath.
His mask was tattered, and with each labored breath, he exhaled a faint wisp of toxic gas.
Every Ame ninja stood frozen in disbelief.
For the first time, they had witnessed their invincible leader, their so-called "Demi-God," suffer such a grievous defeat.
Not only that, but in the massive crater created by the explosion, the giant salamander that had served Hanzo for years lay lifeless.
Not a single inch of its flesh was intact.
Hanzo's legendary Salamander companion was dead!
Boom!!!
A surge of emotions exploded in the hearts of Konoha's ninja.
Just moments ago, they had been on the verge of total defeat. Yet now, Hanzo was gravely wounded, and his invincible salamander was slain.
This turn of events was like an adrenaline shot to their spirits.
This was the power of their Fourth Hokage.
Even a so-called "Demi-God" had been unable to stand against him.
A power that surpassed a demi-god… Could only belong to a true God!
If Konoha's forces were reinvigorated, then Suna's morale took a nosedive.
As for the Ame-nin, their will to fight was completely shattered.
Their "invincible" leader—their pillar of strength—had been utterly crushed.
Tonari was not surprised by Hanzo's condition as he approached him, step by step.
Every footfall felt like a hammer against the hearts of the rain ninja.
He stopped before Hanzo, looking down at him with eyes devoid of any warmth.
Shing—
His Round Dance Blade traced an arc of white light, pressing firmly against Hanzo's throat.
One step forward, and Hanzo's head would be severed.
Hanzo, despite the excruciating pain, lifted his gaze, gritting his teeth as he met Tonari's eyes.
"What… is this jutsu?" he asked, his voice hoarse.
Tonari knew he wasn't referring to the Rasenshuriken, but rather the Mangekyō Sharingan ability that had severed his arm.
"Kamui," Tonari replied calmly. "A space-time technique."
"Space-time ninjutsu… That explains it," Hanzo murmured, nodding weakly.
Among all ninjutsu, space-time abilities were the most unpredictable and difficult to counter.
Hanzo had been confident that he could block the attack, but in the critical moment, his left arm had been warped away.
If Kamui had any major drawback, it was the time it took to distort space.
Hanzo had sensed something was wrong and reacted immediately, yet even then, he had failed to fully evade, losing his arm in the process.
Because he hadn't managed to block the Rasenshuriken, he had been caught in the explosion's full force, suffering devastating injuries.
Otherwise, even without an arm, he might have still had enough strength to fight.
"You… You were with Danzo before, weren't you?" Hanzo chuckled bitterly. "I never expected you to be this terrifying. I lost fair and square."
He had once promised Danzo that he could eliminate Tonari, treating him as little more than an obstacle.
Now, looking at the destruction around him, he realized how laughable that promise had been.
But truthfully, he had lost unfairly.
Tonari was strong, but not overwhelmingly stronger than Hanzo.
The real reason for his overwhelming victory was information.
Tonari knew Hanzo's battle style—his abilities, his strengths, and his weaknesses.
He had learned from Tsunade, Orochimaru, and even the late Sakumo Hatake.
He had studied every aspect of Hanzo's fighting techniques.
Hanzo, on the other hand, knew nothing about Tonari.
This made all the difference.
In the ninja world, intelligence was power.
Even Jiraiya had lost against Pain due to a lack of knowledge.
By the time Naruto fought Pain, he had learned everything about his abilities, leading to a completely different outcome.
Now, Tonari held the absolute advantage in knowledge—and Hanzo had paid the price.
"It seems you were prepared to face death when you betrayed Konoha," Tonari said indifferently.
Hanzo's face twisted into a bitter smile.
The truth was—he hadn't been prepared at all.
He had never imagined he would lose this badly.
Slowly, he forced himself to stand.
Despite his pain, despite his exhaustion, he refused to die kneeling.
If he was going to die, he would do so standing tall.
Tonari allowed it.
A true warrior deserved a dignified death.
"Do it," Hanzo rasped.
Tonari did not hesitate.
With a single stroke, Hanzo's head was severed.
Lifting the bloodied head by its hair, he let it hang before the assembled warriors.
Even if he respected Hanzo's strength, he had to die.
This was justice for the Konoha shinobi who had fallen.
This was a warning to those who would betray Konoha.
The shock that rippled through the battlefield was immense.
At that moment, every single Ame-nin's morale was shattered.
The Demi-God of Amegakure had fallen.
All because of the man in the white Hokage robes.
All eyes fell upon Konoha's Fourth Hokage.
This man had just become a living legend.
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