Chapter 98: Wrath of the Storm – Danzo’s Fall and Hanzo’s End

A shrill whistle tore through the air.

"Wind Release: Great Vacuum Sphere!"

A massive ball of compressed air spiraled violently toward the barrier that enclosed the battlefield. It struck with a roar—only to fizzle harmlessly, not even leaving a scratch.

"Damn Uzumaki clan!" Danzo Shimura growled, eyes burning with fury. "So this was all a setup... A trap! You let it all go so smoothly—because you knew! You knew of my plan and led us straight into it! But it won't matter. Hanzo and his Ame-nin will still crush you!"

He refused to believe it.

"You don't have the chakra to maintain a barrier of this magnitude!" he snarled. "Attack with me! Break it down, or we're all dead!"

"Yes, Lord Danzo!"

The Root and allied shinobi from the four clans surged forward, unleashing jutsu after jutsu against the glowing dome of energy.

Watching through his sensory abilities, Gin smirked coldly.

"If you had swallowed your pride and united with us—even temporarily—I could've respected that. But attacking the barrier? How foolish."

For over two weeks, Gin had painstakingly prepared the barrier's seals. Each carried immense chakra reserves—stored not only from the daily infusions by his allies in the forward camp, but also from elite support back in Konoha. Even members of the pirate world had contributed. The barrier beneath the valley now pulsed with near-limitless energy.

Danzo's assault wouldn't break it. Not in two hours. Even if Hanzo and the Ame-nin joined in, it would still hold for at least one. Long enough for Gin to execute every last one of them—multiple times over.

But he wouldn't need that long.

The ninja of the three allied clans had already taken their antidotes. Without hesitation, Gin hurled a glass vial high into the air.

CRASH!

The bottle shattered in a shimmer of light, releasing a colorless, odorless poison that silently fused into the miasmic fog still being spewed by Hanzo's Salamander.

This wasn't just a toxin.

This was a catalyst.

The special poison bonded with the existing venom, multiplying its deadliness a hundredfold. A unique trait of the compound: it could only exist within other poisons. Once the fog dispersed, the toxin would vanish. That was why Gin dared to use it. Left unchecked in the open, it could wipe out all life in the Shinobi World within days.

Up on the cliffs, Hanzo frowned as the fog thickened.

"What did that boy just do…?"

He activated his sensory abilities—only to reel back in disbelief. The Uchiha, the Uzumaki, and the Senju—all of them stood unscathed in the heart of the venom.

"Impossible! Have they... neutralized my Salamander's poison? Even I couldn't do that!"

Panic flickered in Hanzo's mind, but he pushed it away.

"No matter. I gave Danzo enough antidotes for his whole force. As long as we strike quickly—within the hour—we'll finish them before the antidote wears off."

Danzo, however, was starting to sweat.

The fog crept ever closer. The barrier still held. His people were cornered—and the enemy remained unscathed.

"What's happening!?" he roared. "Takaka! What about the Uchiha? How many still stand? Who's reinforcing the barrier!?"

Takaka's face was grim. "Lord Danzo... None of them have fallen. I can't sense any sign of poisoning at all. I believe... they're immune."

Danzo's fists clenched. "Damn it all. Take the antidote! Now! We attack, together with Hanzo. It's our only chance!"

Bottles uncorked in unison. Danzo and his men downed the antidotes bought from Hanzo himself—each worth millions of ryo. They charged.

But they hadn't made it ten meters when it began.

Labored breathing.

Spinning vision.

Burning veins.

Collapse.

"W–we're poisoned! The antidote—why isn't it working!?" Danzo gasped, clutching his throat.

"Lord Danzo!" Takaka stumbled beside him, trembling. "This isn't Hanzo's poison...! The symptoms are all wrong! We've been—deceived!"

Realization hit too late. Danzo, struck by a crushing wave of nausea and paralysis, fell to his knees. His world dimmed.

"How... could this... happen?"

His final thought was one of bitter disbelief.

Then silence.

"LORD DANZOOOO!" Takaka cried before collapsing beside him, lifeless.

One by one, every shinobi of the four clans and the Root—perished.

From afar, Gin calmly monitored the fallout.

"Danzo's gone. So are the rest. Now..." He turned his gaze skyward. "Time to finish Hanzo."

"No!" Tsunade stepped forward. "I'll take Hanzo. You handle the rest of the Ame-nin. Your lightning jutsu is perfect for mass elimination."

Gin chuckled, sparks already dancing along his arms.

"Fine. But don't complain if I steal the show."

With a stomp, Gin deactivated the barrier. Lightning surged around him. In the next instant, his body turned into pure electricity, streaking into the storm clouds overhead.

"Thundercloud Heaven: Ten Billion Volts!"

The sky split.

Hundreds of lightning bolts, thick as tree trunks, rained down like divine wrath.

Below, thousands of Ame-nin looked up too late.

They never stood a chance.

Only a few elite jonin managed to dodge. The rest were reduced to charred husks.

On the ground, awe froze the shinobi of the three clans.

"Is... is he a god?"

"I've never seen lightning like that in my life..."

"Mr. Gin... is invincible...!"

From the battlefield, Hanzo watched in horror. His army—gone in a flash. His hands shook with rage.

"YOU DAMN BRAT!" he roared. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

But as he turned, Tsunade struck.

CRACK!

Her punch shattered Hanzo's shoulder. His body flew like a ragdoll into a crater.

Bloodied, dazed, Hanzo struggled to rise. But Tsunade was already upon him.

Above, lightning cracked again.

A second wave.

Another thousand Ame-nin fell. Only a handful survived.

Gin descended from the dissipating clouds, breathing heavily.

"Tired?" Mikoto called out, racing over. "Leave the rest to us! Go help Tsunade!"

"Yeah!" shouted another. "We didn't even get to fight!"

Gin smiled, slightly out of breath. "Alright. But be careful. The survivors are the elite. Don't take them lightly."

He turned—just in time to see Hanzo, wounded but furious, charging straight at him.

"GIN! DIE!"

"Be careful!" Tsunade shouted.

Gin raised an eyebrow. "Coming to me? How generous."

Dozens of kunai, all marked with Flying Thunder God seals, flew from his hands toward Hanzo.

"Ha! Child's play!" Hanzo laughed, slicing through the incoming projectiles with his scythe. "What good are tricks if you're out of chakra!?"

But Gin had vanished.

Hanzo barely had time to blink.

"Ittoryu: Dissecting Stream!"

Gin appeared above him, sword gleaming.

SHING.

A silver arc. A cold flash.

Hanzo's world turned sideways.

He saw his body falling, headless.

"So... fast..."

Then nothing.

Gasps echoed across the battlefield.

"Is that… Hanzo!? He's… dead!?"

"Mr. Gin killed him! Just like that!?"

"He used the Flying Thunder God Technique... Incredible!"

"Is... is the war over?"

The remaining Ame-nin froze in shock—and were swiftly cut down by the three clans' shinobi.

Not one survived.

Gin looked up, heart pounding, as cheers erupted around him. His allies shouted in triumph, surrounding him with awe and admiration.

He had ended the war.

With his sensory ability still active, he saw the loyalty of every allied ninja surge—most over 80 points. Total devotion.

"Heh... Looks like I've got a loyal army now."

WHACK!

Tsunade appeared beside him, smacking his shoulder. "Ow!"

"You killed him in one blow! Took me half the battle to get close!" she grumbled. "I envy whoever learns that teleportation technique."

Gin grinned.

"Actually... anyone who signed a contract with me can develop it. The more you use the teleportation amulets, the more your space-time affinity grows. Haven't you noticed?"

He wasn't exaggerating. His mastery of the Flying Thunder God had only sharpened through constant use—and his partners had the same potential.

End of Chapter 98