Chapter 139

The saying goes, "The villain dies because he talks too much!" And on the battlefield, Orochimaru certainly didn't waste time with idle banter or boasting.

For him, once the enemy was confirmed, there was no need for explanations or drawn-out conversations—only action. Hanzo might be the BOSS, but to reach him, the lesser Rain ninja had to be dealt with first. Orochimaru viewed them as mere mobs in his path.

Without hesitation, Orochimaru made his move.

"What speed!" Hanzo's eyes narrowed as Orochimaru dashed into the fray, but he didn't react immediately. In Hanzo's mind, these three were just some upstart youngsters. Why should he be concerned? He had eight capable subordinates with him. Could it be that Hanzo's subordinates were weaklings?

But this time, Hanzo miscalculated.

Orochimaru's speed, enhanced by his wind chakra, was equivalent to opening two of the Eight Gates of the Inner Gates technique. Combined with the enhancements, his physical abilities were truly formidable.

He wasn't quite at the level of the users of the true Eight Gates or the taijutsu masters of the Cloud Village, but he was still a force far beyond what most ordinary ninjas could handle.

*Bang! Bang!*

As soon as he entered the group of Rain ninja, two of them fell instantly, unable to react to his swift and powerful strikes. The others quickly scrambled, jumping back to create some distance.

Seeing Orochimaru take down his subordinates with just two punches, Hanzo frowned.

"Boy, you're quite fast!" he called out, his tone laced with surprise.

*Whoosh!*

Without warning, a chain shot out from Hanzo's hand, its end aimed directly at Orochimaru's back. The chain was a special weapon of Hanzo's, with a scythe at one end and a lock on the other.

Sensing the attack from behind, Orochimaru didn't even bother to look. He simply extended his hand, summoning a snake to intercept.

*Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!*

One of the remaining Rain ninjas, unable to react in time, was pulled directly in front of Orochimaru by a snake, intended as a shield. But just as Orochimaru was about to use the ninja as a block—

"Don't underestimate me!" the Rain ninja shouted, struggling to escape Orochimaru's grip.

*Clang!*

Jiraiya arrived just in time, kicking the chain away before it could strike. Simultaneously, he formed hand seals and took a deep breath.

*Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!*

*Summoning Jutsu!*Jiraiya shouted, preparing for the next phase of their strategy. The three of them had worked together for years, and each knew what to do at this moment.

A massive fireball roared toward Hanzo, while Tsunade moved quickly to a safe distance, summoning Katsuyu to tend to the injured Konoha ninja. Katsuyu split into smaller slugs, attaching to the five downed shinobi, stabilizing their condition.

Hanzo, dodging the fireball, saw Tsunade's actions out of the corner of his eye and frowned. "Impressive coordination… It seems you three might actually be worthy opponents after all."

"Hah!" Jiraiya shouted, still full of spirit. "As long as we're here, you're not leaving this place!"

Hanzo's eyes narrowed. "I see. So this is for the war, then? But…"

He turned to Orochimaru, who still held one of the Rain ninja by the throat. "That boy over there, let go of my subordinate. Their lives are of no use to you."

Orochimaru, fingers tightening around the ninja's neck, paused and glanced at Hanzo. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Is that so? I just don't like dealing with distractions while I'm fighting."

"Don't worry," Hanzo said with quiet authority. "No one dares interfere when I'm serious."

"Fair enough," Orochimaru replied, kicking the Rain ninja aside and refocusing on Hanzo.

Hanzo's reputation for toxicity was well known. His breath itself was laced with poison, and combined with the venom of his summoning beast, the giant Salamander, Hanzo was dangerous to both enemy and ally alike. No one would dare to approach recklessly once he unleashed his full power.

---

Meanwhile, at Iwa's military base, the situation was becoming dire. Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage, sat reviewing battle reports with a heavy heart.

Iwa's forces had been repeatedly defeated by Konoha. The number of casualties was growing, and morale was at an all-time low.

At this point, their forces couldn't match Konoha's anymore. "It seems we've lost this battle," Onoki muttered grimly. "Give the order. Iwa Ninja, begin the retreat."

"Yes, Lord Tsuchikage!" an aide responded, rushing out to issue the orders.

There was no other choice. They had been unable to defeat Konoha, and now that Amegakure had entered the fray, things had become even more complicated. Onoki knew they needed to withdraw and rethink their strategy. As for why he hadn't personally joined the battle? A Kage could influence a battle, but they couldn't change the course of an entire war alone. Their strength wasn't enough to singlehandedly turn the tide.

---

As Iwa's forces began to retreat, Konoha's forces let out a collective sigh of relief. With part of their army remaining on alert, they swiftly redirected their forces toward the Sand Ninja battlefield, as Nara Hakushu had predicted.

By the time Hatake Sakumo and the elite teams arrived at the battlefield to face the Sand Ninja, it was clear that the tide had fully turned in Konoha's favor. Seeing the situation take a nosedive, the Sand Ninja had no choice but to follow Iwa's lead and withdraw from the Land of Rain.

With both Iwa and Suna retreating, the battle in the Land of Rain was effectively over. Konoha had secured a hard-earned victory at relatively low cost, boosting morale to new heights.

However, a few within Konoha's leadership, Nara Hakushu and his closest strategists remained concerned about Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade, who were still locked in combat with Hanzo.

---

*Boom!*

Tsunade jumped into the air and brought her heel down, smashing a large crater into the ground where Hanzo had been standing a moment before. But Hanzo easily dodged the strike, leaping back onto the head of his giant Salamander summon.

*Whoosh, whoosh!* Hanzo flicked his wrist, sending several kunai, each armed with explosive tags, raining down toward the three Sannin.

"Move, Orochimaru, Tsunade!" Jiraiya shouted, and the trio swiftly dodged the incoming projectiles.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

Explosions shook the battlefield, filling the area with smoke and the smell of burnt earth. But through the chaos, Hanzo's eyes gleamed with opportunity. Quickly forming hand seals, he called out:

*Fire Release: Detonating Flame Formation!*

The ground beneath Orochimaru began to crack and sink, as hundreds of hidden explosive tags began to reveal themselves, creeping up toward his feet.

"Orochimaru!" Tsunade shouted, eyes wide with alarm.

But before the tags could fully detonate, Jiraiya's white hair shot forward, wrapping around Orochimaru's waist and pulling him out of danger just in time.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

The detonation was deafening, shaking the surrounding hills and sending debris flying in all directions.

Though smoke filled the air, Hanzo's senses told him that none of the three Sannin had been taken out. Their chakra signatures still burned strong. His frown deepened. Not only were these three immune to his poison, but their tenacity was something else entirely.

*Whoosh!*

A sudden gleam of light cut through the thick smoke, aimed directly at Hanzo's head.

"What—?!" Hanzo's eyes widened in shock, reacting just in time to raise two fingers and perform the *Body Flicker Technique*, disappearing from his previous position in an instant.

He reappeared above his Salamander, but his heart raced slightly. That attack had been faster than he expected.

"Impressive," Hanzo muttered to himself. "To push me this far..."

A voice echoed from the smoke below. "We're just getting started!"

Orochimaru, who had been protected by Jiraiya's quick reflexes, smiled coldly as he twisted his hand, revealing a gleaming blade.

*Clang!*

Metal clashed as Hanzo parried the blade with his chain. But his eyes narrowed as he recognized the weapon.

"The Kusanagi Sword?!" Hanzo's eyes widened in surprise.

"Not bad, but—" Hanzo began, but his words were cut short.

*Hiss!!*

A large snake shot out from the blade, its fangs bared as it lunged toward Hanzo.

"What?!" Hanzo's pupils shrank. "And snakes, too?!"