Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou [111]

"Die!"

Amidst the furious roar in the rain, Tsunade was seen yanking an iron chain with one hand, pulling Hanzo the Salamander toward her. Her other hand was already clenched into a fist, brimming with power.

"Damn it!"

Everything happened too fast. Before Hanzo could react, he was dragged toward her. By the time he realized, all he could see in his field of vision was a rapidly approaching fist.

Tsunade's charged punch was unleashed.

Monster Strength!

Bang!

The sound of an explosion seemed to echo through the air itself. Even Jiraiya, watching from a distance, widened his eyes in shock. Under the rain, the sheer force of the punch created a visible shockwave, accompanied by mist.

Tsunade's fist struck Hanzo squarely in the face. His entire visage visibly caved in. Yet, there wasn't a trace of joy on her face; instead, her pupils contracted sharply as feedback from her punch told her something was wrong.

"Not good!"

In an instant, Hanzo dissolved into a splash of water, his body transforming into mist under the force of her monstrous punch. At that moment, a chilling gust of wind swept toward Tsunade from behind.

"What terrifying strength. If that punch had hit me head-on, I'd already be dead. But now, you've lost your chance!"

It was a water clone, followed by the Water Body Flicker Technique.

Hanzo appeared directly behind Tsunade. From afar, Jiraiya, realizing the danger, shouted in alarm, "Tsunade!"

Simultaneously, Jiraiya began forming hand seals, while Orochimaru unleashed his Hidden Shadow Snake Hands in an attempt to rescue her.

But Hanzo was too fast. His cold, emotionless gaze locked onto Tsunade. Yet deep in his eyes, there was a trace of dread. Konoha was truly an enviable village, filled with far too many geniuses.

"This battle should end now!"

As Hanzo's kunai was about to pierce Tsunade's back, a cold, furious roar erupted from her.

"The ones who will end this battle are us!"

Through the curtain of rain, Hanzo's pupils contracted in shock as he saw a bright, blue sphere of chakra materialize out of nowhere. Without any hand seals, Tsunade unleashed a terrifying jutsu.

At such close range! The hardened kunai was instantly ground to dust by the blue chakra sphere. Before Hanzo could even react, the sphere struck toward his abdomen.

Rasengan!

Under Tsunade's resolute gaze, Hanzo was sent flying by the attack. At the same time, Jiraiya and Orochimaru coordinated their efforts to launch their jutsu.

Needle Jizō

Hidden Shadow Snake Hands

The two jutsu came one after the other, giving Hanzo no room to breathe. Yet, after the series of attacks, all that remained in the distance was a puddle of water.

Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!

Suddenly, eight massive water dragons erupted into existence. Facing the terrifying water-style technique, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade immediately scattered to avoid the attack.

After the deafening roar of rushing water settled, Hanzo stood atop his summon beast. From afar, numerous Rain Ninjas gasped in shock:

"Lord Hanzo!"

Amidst the concerned cries of the Rain Ninja, Hanzo, standing on his giant salamander, panted heavily. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead as he stared grimly at Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru in the distance.

"It seems you've uncovered all my secrets. Even my habitual jutsu and the poison sac on the left side of my abdomen—everything."

The chest plate of Hanzo's armor was nowhere to be seen, and his abdomen bore the marks of the Rasengan, with blood trickling down.

If not for his swift use of the Water Body Flicker Technique and the protective layer of armor, that attack might have seriously jeopardized his life. What's more, Tsunade had targeted the left side of his abdomen—the exact location of his poison sac.

"What kind of jutsu was that!? I didn't see any hand seals!"

Standing atop his summon beast, Hanzo looked down at the three Konoha ninjas. His raspy voice echoed through the battlefield. Even injured, his overwhelming presence made itself known—this was the pressure of true strength.

Tsunade, having just avoided the Water Dragon Bullet, stared intently at her opponent. In response to his question, she coldly replied:

"Rasengan! A jutsu that requires no hand seals. Of course, you wouldn't see any."

Hearing her words, Hanzo frowned deeply. After a moment of thought, he rasped:

"Konoha truly is a cradle of geniuses. So many talented ninjas, one after another. And now, you've even developed a jutsu that requires no hand seals. What an enviable village."

Despite his words of admiration, Hanzo's heart churned with complex emotions, a sour bitterness welling up within him. The Amegakure had so many ninjas, yet aside from himself, there was no one else capable of standing alone as a true powerhouse.

Konoha, on the other hand, had far too many. What began as admiration for the three before him had now turned into a mounting pressure.

This was exacerbated by the strange cursed seals now covering Tsunade and Orochimaru. Their strength and speed had increased, and even their chakra felt wild and uncontrollable.

"It seems I'll have to stop relying on my usual jutsu."

Facing the three, Hanzo's expression turned serious. He would have to treat this battle with the utmost caution, as these opponents were now a real threat to him.

"Watch out!"

At Jiraiya's sudden shout, Hanzo launched his next attack.

Poison Spray!

The giant salamander beneath Hanzo spewed out a massive cloud of purple poison mist. The three hurried to dodge.

"Don't breathe it in too much."

Although they had antidotes, excessive exposure would still lead to poisoning. But before they could react further, the ground erupted with a deafening crash. Hanzo and his summon beast emerged from beneath the earth.

"Hanzo's summon beast takes five minutes to gather poison mist in its mouth!"

Tsunade's urgent shout revealed the salamander's weakness, preventing them from hesitating further due to fear of the poison.

"Damn it!"

Hearing the Konoha ninja expose his secrets, Hanzo couldn't suppress his fury and shouted coldly:

"Don't underestimate me, Konoha!"

Water Style: Water Formation Pillar!

Hanzo spat out a massive water orb, like a falling meteor, giving his opponents no time to evade. The orb struck the ground with a thunderous boom, transforming the area into a miniature ocean. The sheer scale of the jutsu left both sides' ninja stunned.

"This battle is beyond anything we can handle!"

"Even with the terrain advantage, to unleash such terrifying water-style jutsu so effortlessly… it's monstrous!"

"Charge! Help Lady Tsunade and the others fight back against the Rain Ninja!"

Amidst the cries of battle, both sides clashed fiercely, leaving no room for respite. The sounds of ninjutsu roared through the battlefield, echoing like thunder in the storm.

"Jiraiya!"

Under the intense combat, Jiraiya's chakra was nearly depleted. He was barely hanging on by sheer willpower. Just as he dodged another of Hanzo's water-style attacks and landed, Tsunade sensed something amiss with the ground beneath them.

"Heh… brats! Let me teach you today that even when your enemy knows your secrets, a true ninja always adapts!"

Hanzo slammed his hand onto the ground, his voice ringing with rage.

Even if they knew his signature techniques, a skilled ninja could still make them work at the right moment.

Fire Release: Explosive Flame Formation!

The muddy ground beneath Jiraiya and Tsunade suddenly shifted, revealing countless explosive tags. As if alive, the tags surged toward their legs.

"This is!" Jiraiya's pupils shrank as he realized the truth.

"While using water-style jutsu earlier, he secretly used earth-style to bury the explosive tags—and even calculated our landing spots!"

Just as the explosive tags wrapped around their legs, Tsunade shouted and kicked Jiraiya away. Her legs, however, were already entwined, the tags igniting with sparks.

"Tsunade!" Jiraiya screamed in rage and panic as he was sent flying. Orochimaru, meanwhile, was still held up by Hanzo's summon beast.

The Legendary Sannin were still too young. Even with the power boost from their cursed seals, they were no match for the experienced and battle-hardened Hanzo the Salamander, who remained at the peak of his strength.

"Tsunade!"

A cold voice suddenly echoed from behind. Before Tsunade could turn around, a lightning javelin shot through the air directly toward Hanzo of the Salamander. Almost simultaneously, a figure appeared behind her.

Shirou, his body radiating with the glow of Lightning Release, had black curse marks spreading across his face. In an instant, he entered the second stage of the cursed seal.

His hair grew longer, his skin darkened, and his muscles bulged as his body expanded to a height of nearly two meters.

"Shirou!"

In Tsunade's shocked gaze, Shirou appeared behind her, grabbed her, and leaped into the air. At the same time, countless explosive tags affixed themselves to his feet.

Just as the explosive tags were about to detonate, four scrolls suddenly wrapped around their legs.

"Seal!"

From a distance, Uzumaki Kushina shouted as the sealing scrolls tightly bound their legs. Instantly, the explosive tags were sealed and rendered harmless.

Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique

Before they landed, terrifying fire dragons appeared on either side of the duo, bypassing them and heading straight toward Hanzo of the Salamander.

Uchiha Mikoto, her face also marked with black flaming curse patterns, exuded an eerie and captivating aura. Her cold eyes locked on her target as she wove signs and unleashed the devastating Fire Release ninjutsu.

Through a seamless combination of skills, they simultaneously attacked Hanzo while rescuing Tsunade and sealing the explosive tags.

Amid the roaring flames and explosions below, the team landed safely.

Such flawless coordination could only be achieved by companions who had long placed their trust in one another.

"Sister Tsunade, are you okay?!"

After rescuing Tsunade, Uzumaki Kushina anxiously asked. Tsunade, panting heavily, was visibly exhausted with her chakra nearly depleted.

Looking at the three who had come to her aid, Tsunade's hoarse voice carried relief:

"Looks like we've won this war."

Saying this, a faint smile appeared on Tsunade's tired face, just as Jiraiya and Orochimaru arrived.

"Hahaha! Hanzo, are you still planning to continue this battle?"

Seeing Shirou and the others join the scene, Jiraiya burst into hearty laughter, making it clear to Hanzo that the outcome of the war had already been decided.

Amid the rain, Hanzo of the Salamander, having narrowly avoided Lightning and Fire Release attacks, stood atop his massive summoning beast. He maintained his lofty demeanor, coldly glaring down at them.

"Over?"

Standing on the back of his summon, Hanzo's eyes burned with suppressed fury. From the fading sound of battle in the distance, he knew his elite forces were steadily dwindling.

"This battle may have been compromised due to leaked information, but the outcome of a war isn't just determined by the victory of one's subordinates—it's decided by the success or failure of the leaders!"

His hoarse voice reverberated as Hanzo coldly removed his breathing mask.

"The war has only just begun. Now, the next round of fighting starts!"

As the breathing mask fell, Hanzo revealed a chilling smile.

"Since you, Konoha learned the information about me, you should also know that even my breath is laced with deadly poison."

Some of the Rain ninja witnessing their leader remove his mask were stunned.

"Lord Hanzo's breath—even his blood—is laced with poison. Fighting him only leads to death."

"Fall back! This isn't a fight you can participate in!"

Orochimaru's hoarse and cold voice echoed, making it clear that the battle against Hanzo was not one ordinary Jonin could handle.

However, Uzumaki Kushina smiled at his words—a smile tinged with something eerie.

"Sister Tsunade, I'm really afraid of pain, so I'll borrow a bit of your blood for now. The real fight starts here."

Kushina gently wiped a streak of blood from Tsunade's hand. As her pupils began to change, a terrifying and ominous chakra spread around her.

Summoning Jutsu!

With her hands weaving signs, Kushina slammed them onto the ground. A massive plume of white smoke dispersed, revealing the gigantic form of Katsuyu.

"Kushina used the summoning technique?!"

The reappearing Katsuyu spoke in her gentle voice. This time, her size was even greater, dwarfing Hanzo's summoning beast in comparison.

"Katsuyu, heal our injuries first."

Seeing the summoning beast appear, Tsunade immediately understood Kushina's intent and ordered Katsuyu to split into smaller clones to heal their wounds.

As for the other Konoha ninjas...

Tsunade could only remain silent. If they lost, healing the others would only waste chakra.

"What is this?!"

When Katsuyu reappeared on the battlefield, Hanzo wasn't surprised by the slug. What unsettled him was the young Konoha girl surrounded by an ominous red chakra.

"A Tailed Beast! A Jinchuriki!"

Hanzo's expression darkened as he stared at the girl. He hadn't expected Konoha to deploy their ultimate weapon in this war.

"Jiraiya, fall back and command the other battlefields. Wrap things up quickly. We've got this here!"

Tsunade's stern shout forced Jiraiya, whose chakra was nearly depleted, to retreat from the fight. Though filled with frustration and resentment, he complied.

He was used to being the weakest link, but being unable to contribute in such an important battle filled him with bitterness.

"Mikoto! Three minutes! Retreat after three minutes!"

Shirou's cold voice echoed. His face, covered in curse marks, radiated a chilling aura. Mikoto's eyes widened momentarily before she nodded solemnly.

"I understand, Shirou."

Her cursed seal could only sustain her for three minutes of high-intensity combat. Any longer, and she'd enter a weakened state. Facing such a formidable opponent, Shirou did not take any chances.

Likewise, Hanzo had consumed most of his stamina and chakra in the intense battle.

Standing atop the massive Katsuyu were five figures: Orochimaru, Tsunade, Shirou, Mikoto, and Kushina.

Four of them had activated their cursed seal powers, dramatically boosting their combat abilities.

Meanwhile, Kushina's pupils had transformed into beast-like slits, sharp fangs appeared at her mouth, and two and a half tails of the Tailed Beast Cloak had emerged from her.

The overwhelming power of the Sharingan, cursed seals, and the Tailed Beast Cloak cast a shadow over Jiraiya, leaving him feeling utterly eclipsed.

This battle would go down in the history of the ninja world, marking the dawn of a new era—an era defined by the power of Sharingan, cursed seals, and Tailed Beasts.