Boom—
Winter thunder rumbled. The sky, which had been covered with haze just moments ago, started dropping raindrops again at some unknown time.
From sparse to dense, drenching the clothes of the two opposing groups facing each other.
Gazes collided in mid-air. The agreement was also soaked by the rain. Hanzo squinted his narrow eyes but didn't step onto the river beach. Instead, he frowned and said unhappily:
"Don't you understand what respecting the old and caring for the young means?"
"We certainly respect you. Otherwise, how would we dare to face the Demigod with just three people?" Otonashi replied with a smile.
"It seems your sincerity is still insufficient."
"Caution is also part of sincerity. If there's any deviation, we cannot bear the responsibility."
"With just the four of us here, what mistake could happen?"
"Who knows? What if one of us slips and falls into the water? Wouldn't Lord Hanzo's lifelong reputation be ruined?"
Low tones and smiles went back and forth, words seemingly hiding swords and shadows. Konan and Nagato couldn't interject a single half-sentence, always feeling that every word carried deep meaning.
They couldn't understand how a simple meeting could become so complicated. If it were the real Yahiko here, he probably would have gone over long ago.
After several rounds of exchange, Hanzo grew implicitly impatient. He glanced at the three people on guard and slowly turned around.
"Is that so? Then let's consider this meeting as if it never happened. Come find this old man when you've thought it through."
Saying this, he was about to step into the river. Konan and Nagato became greatly anxious, repeatedly giving Otonashi eye signals.
The headquarters is about to self-destruct; the Akatsuki can't afford to delay either.
Unexpectedly, Otonashi's expression didn't change. He still watched the retreating back with a smile and bowed, "Please take care, sir."
Splash—
The foot stepping on the river surface paused slightly, ripples spreading outwards. Hanzo suddenly turned back, looked at the teenager in the center, and couldn't help but burst into loud laughter.
"Interesting, brat! What makes you think this old man has malicious intentions!?"
"I don't. Please don't speak recklessly." 'Yahiko's' face still wore that infuriating smile. "It's just that you excel in poison and water. We dare not approach the riverside or your side."
"Then why did you still choose the riverside?"
"If not by the river, would you have come?" The smile on Otonashi's face became mocking and meaningful, making Hanzo's laughter even louder and more heroic.
"Very good! If possible, this old man truly wants you to be the next Amekage! Thought about coming over and working with this old man?!"
Konan and Nagato were completely bewildered. Weren't they supposed to discuss cooperation? How did it turn into talk of succession?
Looking at Hanzo extending his right hand, Otonashi knew he was serious but firmly shook his head.
"Regrettably, it's already too late."
"Why?"
"Your allies are too anxious." Otonashi pointed towards the east, where a green signal flare exploded in the air.
After another moment, signal flares rose one after another from the east and south, but they had already turned red.
Green meant discovering other ninjas, red meant under attack. The flashing lights illuminated the faces of the three; the truth was already clear.
"You really intended to kill us!" Konan spoke angrily, her disappointment now as great as her previous hope. If not for the plan made in advance, it would have been unimaginable.
A huge encirclement was closing in!
Hanzo also saw the signal flares, knowing everything was exposed. He released his hand, and the rain-soaked agreement slowly drifted towards the ground.
"Is that so? Truly regrettable."
Since the sneak attack failed, then attack openly!
The moment the white paper landed, without nonsense, Salamander Hanzo suddenly bent down.
Water Release: Water Gushing Technique!!
The three, also watching the white paper land, moved instantly. Just as a water pillar ten meters thick surged from the river, the three immediately formed a single vertical line formation, and Nagato at the very front quickly raised both hands.
Shinra Tensei (Almighty Push)!
Boom!!!
The giant water pillar, enough to destroy a village, seemed to crash against an invisible barrier, instantly shattering into countless water droplets, looking magnificent.
While the water droplets were still dancing in the air, Nagato had already stepped back, and Konan moved to the front.
"Paper Shield!"
Countless pieces of paper formed a pure white shield. An instant later, indeed, several kunai pinned themselves onto the surface. The explosive tags on them formed a special pattern and then exploded violently!
Boom!!!
The second huge explosion, the heavily stacked power no less than an A-rank ninjutsu, added a matryoshka doll of fierce flames to the water droplets filling the sky.
Burning pieces of paper scattered. Otonashi's silent count had just reached 'three'. Meaning, within three seconds, the opponent had launched attacks equivalent to two A-rank ninjutsu, enough to wipe out an entire squad.
"Truly worthy of being the Demigod of the Ninja World! Let me!"
The fourth second hadn't yet passed in his mind. Otonashi seemed able to perceive the enemy's movements through the fire sparks, paper pieces, and heavy rain. He quickly rushed in front of Konan, the cross-patterned spear in his hand thrusting fiercely forward.
Clang—
This time, there was no muffled sound of explosion, but a crisp sound of metal collision. The long spear pierced the rain curtain, happening to graze past the top of the crossed sickles. The sparks between the weapons illuminated two faces.
Astonishment and a smile. Hanzo never expected that none of these three were ordinary Jonin. He didn't even have time to think before the '一' (one/horizontal bar) of the cross-patterned spear struck the intersection of the twin sickles.
Bang!!
He was instantly sent flying horizontally, his feet tapping lightly on the ground. While avoiding the white paper spear, he landed on the ground with a beautiful backflip. Then, without a shred of hesitation, he slapped his hands on the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu! Salamander: Ibuse!"
White smoke rose and dispersed. An ugly and giant summoned beast instantly appeared behind him, its mouth opening, spraying a large cloud of purple mist towards them.
Salamander Poison!
The powerful toxin had become Hanzo's calling card. Who didn't know the strength of this person's poison? But who could resist it? Otonashi even estimated that Tsunade would have difficulty neutralizing it.
But, five seconds had passed.
Voom—
The sound of air exploding. The poison mist instantly crashed against the invisible barrier and flew back.
"Not just ninjutsu, it can even block poison mist?!" Hanzo looked at the teenager wearing black-rimmed glasses, his pupils shrinking sharply.
Not only could it block, but it was rushing towards him rapidly.
What!?
He instantly felt himself crash into an air wall, an air wall that human strength simply couldn't resist! Not just Hanzo himself, even the salamander weighing who knows how many tons was sent flying along with him.
"Konan, do it!"
Otonashi shouted in a low voice. Facing the poison-covered Hanzo, he had no interest in close combat.
Nearly a hundred explosive tags mixed with paper pieces flew over together, like a flock of migrating birds. Hanzo had just landed on the ground when he saw the explosive tags forming a sphere surrounding him.
"Explode!"
BOOM!!!!
The rain curtain seemed to stagnate for a moment. A fireball mixed with countless dust particles shot towards the sky, forming a mushroom cloud dozens of meters high.
One explosive tag was equivalent to a B-rank Fire Release. A hundred explosive tags stacked together—even a large building would be reduced to ruins.
"Did we get him?" Konan, having thrown away a fortune, showed excitement on her face but was grabbed by the shoulder by Otonashi and dragged away.
"No damage if there's smoke, retreat!"
If the Demigod was so easy to kill, he would have died countless times already. Moreover, the enemy this time wasn't just Salamander Hanzo.
Nagato and Konan no longer questioned his orders and quickly followed Otonashi, retreating eastward along the riverbank, excitement still showing in their eyes.
Before fighting Hanzo, they had never felt so powerful.
However, Otonashi, leading the way, felt it was only natural. As long as these two didn't split up and get themselves killed, they were basically invincible until others figured out their abilities.
Shinra Tensei and 'Throwing Kunai and Explosive Tags' (a humorous exaggeration of Konan's paper bombs). So what if it's the Five Kage!?