Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Summoning Jutsu!"
As three plumes of white smoke dissipated, three colossal beasts stood in a standoff with Hanzo and his salamander. They were Gamabunta, Manda, and Katsuyu.
Gamabunta appeared somewhat immature, resembling the form Naruto had summoned Gamamaru in during the Fourth Great Ninja War.
Katsuyu had not changed much, only being slightly smaller, likely due to Tsunade not being fully grown.
Manda, not yet the leader of the snake clan, still maintained its arrogant demeanor. "Orochimaru! I want a hundred sacrifices this time, or I'll eat you!" Its purple body writhed on the ground, stirring up waves of energy.
"No problem, but your opponent is that guy." Orochimaru's expression was grim. Being threatened by his own summon, though not the first time, was still embarrassing.
Manda let out a cold snort and looked at the salamander, more than double its size, its gaze sharpening. This deal was a loss.
Standing atop the salamander, Hanzo looked down at the new generation of top three ninjas with a hint of admiration in his eyes. However, it wasn't enough to make him hold back; he thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of crushing talent.
"Go! Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!"
Hanzo's salamander's throat bulged, and it instantly spat out a massive water ball towards Tsunade and the other two. The salamander then quickly burrowed underground, leaving a dark, gaping pit in its place.
"Bunta, use oil!"
"Got it. Don't get it in your mouth, though." Jiraiya's expression was rather awkward, but his hand seals were swift. Puffing out his cheeks, he spewed flames, cooperating with Gamabunta's oil. He shouted, "Fire Style: Frog Oil Flame Bullet!"
The enormous flame produced by the combination of oil and fire style clashed violently with the water ball.
Boom!
The intense heat and water quickly vaporized, filling the surroundings with steam, creating a misty barrier.
"Tsunade, be careful!" Orochimaru yelled, leaping towards Tsunade with a push off the ground.
Alerted by Orochimaru, Tsunade felt a needle-like sensation from behind her. With no time to turn, she unleashed a powerful punch backward.
Bang! Hanzo, wielding his scythe, was sent flying back. He shook his slightly numb arm. "As expected, you are the greatest threat to me."
In terms of ninjutsu, Hanzo was confident that these three could not match him. It was only the woman's brute strength that gave him pause, so he attacked her first.
"Damn it! Don't underestimate me!" To be targeted first by Hanzo meant she was the weakest of the three, to be dealt with before the troublesome two.
Feeling underestimated, Tsunade clenched her slightly reddened fists, her anger boiling. With a surge of speed and strength, she punched Hanzo away again. Before he landed, she blurred and shot into the sky. "This isn't over! Take this, Heavenly Foot of Pain!"
*Poof!* Her scythe was instantly kicked away. Hanzo, unable to dodge, had his chest exploded. Before Tsunade could celebrate, Hanzo before her scattered into water droplets with a *snap*.
Water Clone! A bad premonition washed over Tsunade! Instinctively, she blocked behind her.
Bang!
Hanzo materialized behind Tsunade and kicked her away, sending her flying onto Katsuyu's back.
"Oh? An instinctive defense? That's quite sensitive." Hanzo, not having landed a hit, wasn't discouraged. He slowly said, "But this one, let's see how you block it. Sword Style: One Flash!"
Catching his falling scythe in mid-air, Hanzo flashed instantly before Tsunade. The scythe, a harbinger of death, was coated in potent poison; a mere graze could end a life.
The feeling of impending death enveloped Tsunade. She couldn't dodge this blow and was about to brace for impact when…
A spectral figure flashed forward, kicking Hanzo away and landing beside Tsunade.
"She's not alone," Orochimaru stated coldly.
The battle, though intense, had lasted only a few seconds. Orochimaru had finally arrived to save Tsunade.
Hanzo, kicked away, stabilized himself quickly and brushed off his sleeve with a scornful smile. Before he could speak, a shout came from the side.
"That's right! She's not fighting alone! Ninja Art: Lion Combo!" Jiraiya, who had appeared next to Hanzo without anyone noticing, rapidly extended his white hair, tightly wrapping around Hanzo's body.
Jiraiya urgently yelled to the other two, "Now! Quickly!"
Orochimaru and Tsunade knew it was a rare opportunity. The moment Jiraiya bound Hanzo:
"Shadow Snake Hands!"
"Heavenly Foot of Pain!"
They attacked Hanzo from different directions simultaneously. With a boom!
"Did we succeed?" Jiraiya retracted his white hair, asking with a grave expression.
"No, something's wrong. It didn't feel like hitting a person," Tsunade said, her face pale. She had almost been caught by Hanzo. While it wouldn't have been fatal, it would have incapacitated her.
The white hair retracted, leaving only a puddle of water. Another Water Clone!
Where had Hanzo gone? The three ninjas cautiously scanned their surroundings. The steam from the water and fire techniques obscured their vision, greatly reducing visibility.
Not around, not above… below!
*Rumble!* The ground cracked open, and a massive salamander burst forth, directly impacting Katsuyu. With a *bang*, Katsuyu instantly split into countless smaller slugs that scattered.
Katsuyu's combat power was very poor, or perhaps she was unsuited for battle, but her survival ability was incredibly high.
Not good!
With Katsuyu dispersed, the three had no time to react, falling from the sky.
A blade flashed from below. With no solid ground in the air, this attack was difficult to dodge!
*Slish!* A deep, bone-revealing gash appeared on Tsunade's back. Dark green venom rapidly corroded the wound, flesh turning black at a visible rate.
Tsunade landed, barely supporting herself. Her face was pale, and she gritted her teeth, quickly treating the poison in her wound. She tore a strip from her sleeve, making a simple bandage for hemostasis.
"Tsunade, are you alright? How is it?" Jiraiya landed and immediately rushed to Tsunade's side, his face tense and angry. He hadn't been able to rescue her in mid-air and felt a surge of rage seeing her pale face.
"I'm fine. I can still fight." Tsunade recovered slightly, her expression calming. She could withstand this injury.
Orochimaru's cold gaze fixed on Hanzo, slowly analyzing, "First, he used the water and fire jutsu to create steam to obscure his presence, sent out two water clones to confuse us, and hid within the salamander to go underground and wait for an opportunity. Truly worthy of Hanzo, so cautious and meticulous."
"You all are also quite good, able to withstand several of my attacks without dying. You have reason to be proud," a cold, metallic voice emanated from his mask, grating on the ears.
"Tsunade, Katsuyu is not suited for combat. Have her disperse and support the other ninjas. Leave one behind to relay information," Orochimaru shouted to Tsunade.
"Then the salamander…"
"Leave that ugly thing to us! I'm going to slice it up and eat it!" Gamabunta's massive body landed in front, two streams of white gas puffing from his nostrils.
Manda also flicked its scarlet tongue and charged towards the salamander, having been frustrated by their inability to help in the previous battle.
"Heh heh heh, then let us have a good fight with this 'demigod' of the ninja world."
"Tsunade, don't underestimate him again."
"Bastard! Mind yourself!"
At this moment, Uzumaki Rin'yu had arrived on the battlefield, his three-tomoe Sharingan fixed on the ninjas fighting.