Chapter 12 – The Battle Against Hanzo and Chaos on the Battlefield

The battlefield was a whirlwind of chaos. The Village of Rain and Konoha clashed fiercely under the relentless storm, the sound of clashing blades and exploding jutsu filling the air.

At the heart of it all, Hanzo of the Salamander stood alone, facing Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya.

His subordinates moved to assist, but he raised a hand, stopping them.

— "Do you think Hiruzen's disciples are enough to make me need help?"

His voice overflowed with confidence and pride. Hanzo was still a hero, a legendary ninja respected and feared, with an almost divine reputation.

"So this is Hanzo at his peak… A true monster."

Sal watched from afar, his eyes analyzing the battle. His first instinct was to intervene.

"If I can change the outcome of this fight, I'll earn an absurd amount of Change Points."

But as he continued to observe the clash, reality hit him like a punch to the gut.

Orochimaru's strikes, swift as snakes, were deflected with absurd precision.

Tsunade's punches, powerful enough to pulverize boulders, barely grazed Hanzo.

Jiraiya, despite his creativity, was clearly being outmatched.

Hanzo was a ninja demigod.

"No… I'm still far from that level."

His heart pounded as the realization sank in. With his current jutsu, he could take down an ordinary jōnin without much trouble. But against an elite jōnin?

"It would be fatal."

He had been lucky during the ambush. If an elite jōnin had been there, things could have ended differently.

Even Kaito Dan, an elite jōnin, only reached that level when using his forbidden Spirit Transformation technique. In his normal state, he had the strength of a standard jōnin.

Sal made a decision.

"Greed can be dangerous. If I try to interfere, I might end up dead."

He took a deep breath, calming his urge to rack up points by altering the outcome of this battle.

— "I'd better focus on the enemies within my reach."

Turning his gaze to the Rain ninjas, he joined the fray.

---

War in the Rain

The battlefield was ablaze with screams, explosions, and the clash of metal. Sal moved swiftly among the Rain ninjas, dodging attacks with Paper Painting, his newly mastered technique. His body flowed like a leaf in the wind, becoming nearly intangible under the pressure of incoming blows. He glided through assaults, his feet barely touching the ground while his enemies struggled to land a hit.

The fight was intense, and Sal realized this was real war. Every moment of carelessness could mean death. He used Texture Surprise strategically, disguising ordinary kunai as explosive tags to force enemies into retreat. Whenever an opponent hesitated, he struck, using his speed to finish them quickly.

Then, a thunderous roar echoed across the battlefield. Sal froze for a moment and glanced toward the sound.

Another impact followed, then two more.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Raising his head, he saw the towering figures of the summoned beasts.

Hanzo had summoned his colossal Black Salamander, a monstrous creature whose poison could decimate an army. Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru were not far behind. Katsuyu, the giant slug, slithered across the field, exuding an imposing presence. Gamabunta, the samurai toad, wielded his massive blade, while Manda, the colossal purple-scaled serpent, coiled into position, ready to strike.

"This is the peak of the battle," Sal thought, feeling the weight of the moment.

Even from a distance, he knew intervening in this clash would be suicide. Though confident in his skills, facing a monster like Hanzo was an entirely different ordeal.