Chapter 82: The Demigod Has Grown Old

"Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Jutsu: Adamantine Sealing Chains!"

Hanzo, knowledgeable and experienced, immediately recognized the sealing technique Byakuya used, his expression darkening further.

He had originally thought that Nagato was the only Uzumaki descendant within the Akatsuki, but he hadn't expected Byakuya to also be connected to the Uzumaki Clan.

Recalling that Nagato and the others were Jiraiya's disciples, Hanzo began to suspect that all of this might be a Konoha conspiracy.

After all, no matter who won or lost this battle, Konoha would benefit.

However, he knew Danzo well enough to understand that Danzo's personal interests always outweighed those of the village, so the outcome of this battle was still uncertain.

As long as Danzo joined the fight, there was still hope for victory on their side.

Thinking this, Hanzo looked towards Danzo's direction. Following Hanzo, all eyes turned to the cliff, focusing on Danzo.

Feeling the eyes on him, Danzo's face darkened.

He immediately turned and fled, leaving only a few loyal subordinates behind, disappearing from the cliff.

If Hanzo had gained the upper hand, Danzo would have naturally gone to claim benefits, solidify their friendship, and capture valuable prisoners for research.

But the current situation suggested that Hanzo had grown old.

Facing Jiraiya's three disciples was already very strenuous for him, and the hope for victory was very slim.

Byakuya's appearance was the final straw that shattered Danzo's intention to get involved.

In the end, Hanzo, who had his salamander controlled, had lost his value.

Sensing the direction Danzo fled, Byakuya squinted slightly, then turned to Hanzo and said, "Hanzo-sensei, your reinforcements seem to have run away."

Hanzo didn't need Byakuya to point it out to understand that Danzo had betrayed him.

However, he didn't have time to dwell on the betrayal. He was facing four young but powerful elite Jonin.

"Leader Yahiko, Nagato, Konan, you should deal with the rest of the soldiers."

Byakuya stopped Yahiko and the others who were trying to encircle Hanzo and walked straight towards Hanzo himself. He wanted to use Hanzo, the so-called demigod, to test his own strength.

Exchanging glances, Byakuya and Hanzo wasted no words and immediately clashed.

The first round was purely a taijutsu battle. Byakuya felt the pressure from Hanzo's swift attacks. The fierce onslaught left him no time to use ninjutsu.

He had to rely on the passive abilities of his Paper Release to dodge Hanzo's slashes.

The second round was a battle of ninjutsu. The paper-release techniques rained down like a storm, clashing against Hanzo's water-release jutsu. Byakuya felt immense pressure.

Unlike the typical water release techniques that rely on sheer force, Hanzo's water techniques were incredibly cunning.

He timed each water release perfectly, interspersing small, unpredictable jutsus in the gaps of their combat.

Despite his passive paper release abilities, Byakuya was still covered in wounds.

After several exchanges, Byakuya began to understand Hanzo's skills. Hanzo was a ninja who had mastered traditional techniques to their fullest potential, truly deserving of the title of demigod.

First, Hanzo's taijutsu was exceptionally strong, likely capable of instantly defeating an average Jonin in his prime.

Second, when combined with his salamander, Hanzo could release poisonous gas to clear the battlefield, making him a balanced fighter in ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu – the pinnacle of what a 'mortal' ninja could achieve.

The only drawback was that Hanzo didn't possess any Kekkei Genkai. He was merely an ordinary person.

Now, having lost his salamander and expended much of his stamina in prolonged battles, Hanzo was showing signs of fatigue and could no longer afford to sustain any more injuries.

Byakuya, on the other hand, was different due to his Uzumaki bloodline and Wood Release inheritance.

His basic stats were exceptionally strong, and his flesh could regenerate instantly, only requiring minimal chakra expenditure.

Thus, even though his taijutsu and ninjutsu proficiency were not as high as Hanzo's, Byakuya still managed to gain the upper hand.

Seeing Byakuya's wounds heal at a visible rate, Hanzo's lips twitched slightly. He hadn't expected Byakuya to possess such strength.

If Byakuya was this powerful, why did he join the Akatsuki? Wouldn't joining Amegakure have been better?

After pondering for a moment, Hanzo removed his gas mask and began to breathe freely, allowing the poison within his body to disperse around him, holding nothing back.

Clang!

Hanzo and Byakuya clashed once more, their blades striking sparks.

After creating some distance, Byakuya glanced at Hanzo, who had removed his mask, and then donned his own gas mask, covering his body with a sealing jutsu barrier.

Next, Byakuya used the Body Flicker Technique to appear in front of Hanzo, slowly raising his palm.

With a soft squelch, a wooden spike pierced through Hanzo's body. Hanzo looked at the spike protruding from his body, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at Byakuya.

This was no ordinary weapon; it was the long-lost Wood Release Kekkei Genkai.

Byakuya had not only mastered the Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques but also possessed the First Hokage's Wood Release.

Seeing the shock in Hanzo's eyes, Byakuya said calmly, "Hanzo-sensei, you should surrender. If you surrender now, I can guarantee the safety of Amegakure. You wouldn't want to see your villagers and loyal subordinates skinned alive- I mean, to suffer, would you?"

Hanzo remained in a state of shock. The sight of Wood Release had shaken him deeply. Although he considered himself the demigod of the ninja world, it was a title given out of respect, not an indication of true divinity.

As for the God of Shinobi, the First Hokage, it was a title that emerged as invincible after Hashirama Senju, with very high prestige.

After carefully listening to Byakuya's words, Hanzo gradually began to think rationally.

It seemed that his adopted disciple was using the threat of civilians and subordinates to ambush him, lacking the grandeur expected of someone with the Wood Release bloodline, more like a conspirator hiding in the corner.

He, and even Yahiko of the Akatsuki, seemed to have been manipulated by Byakuya.

Byakuya was the mastermind behind all of this, the ultimate winner.

After casting a complex look at Byakuya, Hanzo nodded towards him and then waved his hand towards his remaining subordinates, saying:

"Surrender. We have lost this time..."

Upon hearing this, the Amegakure ninjas who were still in battle dropped their weapons one after another and chose to surrender.

For them, many of the Akatsuki ninjas were former comrades, making it difficult for them to strike hard. Hanzo's words now provided them with a suitable reason to surrender.

Soon, on the battlefield, only the Root ninjas continued to struggle.

But under the onslaught of the Akatsuki, they couldn't make much of an impact and soon, those who could not flee died.

This 'Innocent Trap' orchestrated by Hanzo and Danzo ultimately miscalculated.