A sound of sothing tearing through the air ca from within the poisonous mist.
Bang.
The scythe in Hanzō's hand ca slashing down hard against the wall of gold sand in front of Rasa.
Looking at Hanzō, who wore a respirator mask, Rasa's lips curved into a faint smile.
"Let's see if your poisonous mist can corrode my gold dust."
Hanzō's breathing remained steady, but a flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes.
As expected of the genius ninja from Suna.
With his first strike missing, they pulled away from each other.
The poisonous mist still drifted across the battlefield. The desert winds sped up its flow.
Because of Hanzō's presence, the poison here could never dissipate. His very body was the greatest source of the toxin. As long as he was there, poisonous mist would continuously spread out from him.
It was impossible to clear it from the battlefield entirely.
Hanzō and Rasa stood facing each other within the poisonous fog.
The air felt taut, as if sparks could fly at any second.
Suddenly, without warning, the ground beneath Rasa's feet erupted violently.
Sand burst skyward like a fountain. A massive shadow erged from within the poisonous mist laced with sand.
It was a summoned beast.
The salamander's body was bloated, covered in tough, dark-brown hide. Its short, powerful limbs supported its massive fra, while a thick tail slapped the ground, sending sand whirling into the air.
From its gaping maw, lined with fangs the size of long blades, ca the glint of deadly teeth, and deep in its throat, a dense, dark-purple venom was brewing.
This was Ibuse.
By now, the information on Hanzō was fully known throughout the shinobi world.
Almost no one didn't know that he possessed such a powerful summoned creature.
Roar.
Ibuse let out a deafening roar. Its massive body suddenly lunged forward, and the long-brewing flood of deep-purple venom spewed forth like a volcanic eruption toward Rasa. The venom was far more potent than the mist.
Wherever it passed, even the air sizzled in protest.
Compared to the venom, Rasa's figure looked minuscule, yet there wasn't a trace of panic on his face.
Seeing the oncoming venom, Rasa's pupils contracted sharply as he shouted, "Magnet Release: Gold Dust Imperial Funeral!"
A massive golden torrent, like an inverted heavenly river, surged up before him, eting the onrushing purple flood from Ibuse head-on.
Boom!
The deafening impact shook the entire battlefield.
Both A ninjas and Suna ninjas glanced toward the deepest part of the poisonous mist in the battlefield's center.
Unfortunately, their view was completely obscured.
No one could see what was happening inside.
No one knew who would win or lose.
In midair, the golden sand waves and the deep-purple venom collided with a thunderous roar. The sharp hiss of corrosion rang in the ears of both Hanzō and Rasa.
The gold sand was rapidly dissolved by the venom, its golden light quickly turning black, so of it vanishing into wisps of black smoke.
Yet the torrent of gold sand surged on relentlessly, wave after wave, gradually swallowing the venom.
The expressions on both Rasa's and Hanzō's faces changed.
Rasa thought, He truly is as strong as the rumors say!
Hanzō likewise couldn't underestimate the young ninja before him.
He had to admit, great ninja villages never lacked for geniuses. Still, he believed that his student would one day beco stronger than anyone.
Rasa ford hand seals again.
The raging golden waves crashed forward once more, slamming toward Ibuse's massive body. The heavy impact forced a muffled, pained growl from the creature.
Its enormous fra was driven backward several ters, its thick limbs gouging deep furrows into the sand beneath it. Like a plague clinging to the bone, the gold sand instantly wrapped around its legs, constricting with lethal force.
Under the imnse pressure, the salamander let out a groan of strain, thrashing wildly to break free. Its thick tail swept across the battlefield, scattering large swaths of gold sand. But in monts, more gold sand surged forward in an endless tide.
Hanzō showed no panic despite his summoned beast being restrained. Instead, taking advantage of Rasa's focus on Ibuse, he struck once again.
At so point, his figure had already appeared behind Rasa.
Around him, the purple poison mist suddenly condensed into countless poisonous needles.
Hidden within the fog, they flew silently, as swift as lightning, shooting at Rasa's back, throat, joints, his vital points, from cunning angles.
Rasa's pupils narrowed sharply.
Most of his chakra and attention were locked on suppressing Ibuse.
Gold sand gathered behind him, forming a wall. The poisonous needles struck the wall, corroding the sand into wisps of black smoke.
Rasa couldn't underestimate Hanzō, even with antidotes on hand.
From ti to ti, within the drifting purple mist, screams of agony could be heard. His expression grew grim as the second wave of poisonous needles pierced easily through his golden sand. One golden wall after another rose up, once more intercepting the poison that could corrode even the air itself.
And then, from midair behind him, deep-purple venom burst forth from Ibuse's mouth, like a flood breaking through a dam. It tore through his sand barriers from behind.
The viscous poison smashed apart the golden sand and ca crashing down toward the top of his head.
His expression shifted slightly. He quickly leaped backward, gold sand swirling like a tornado to form a massive golden barrier around him once more.
Bang.
The venom struck the great sand shield with a heavy thud.
Rasa gritted his teeth, his face darkening, and the hands controlling the sand trembled slightly.
The surface of the golden shield corroded at an alarming speed, billowing thick black smoke. More venom splashed against the shield, scattering like raindrops, striking the ground and splattering onto nearby Suna ninjas who couldn't dodge in ti.
Hiss, hiss, hiss...
The ground hissed and bubbled, riddled with black, smoking pits.
"Ahhhhhh—!"
Agonized screams burst from the mist. The cries were abruptly cut short. The bodies of the Suna ninjas dissolved in an instant.
Rasa's face was like still water.
Hanzō's figure once again vanished into the poisonous fog.
Rasa narrowed his eyes slightly and spoke in a low voice, "You are indeed strong, but the gap in numbers between Suna and A cannot be closed..."
"You probably don't know yet... The ninjas you sent to the gorge are not coming back..."
Within the poison mist, Hanzō's pupils contracted.
Shiratori...
"Pakura has already led ninjas to reinforce the gorge camp. The shinobi of A are dood to be annihilated..."
Rasa's voice echoed within the poisonous mist.
Hanzō's internal organs gradually tightened.
Scorch Release ninja... Pakura...
He had heard that na before.
If she was leading the Suna reinforcents, then Takigawa was indeed in grave danger...
[Pain detected: Hanzō 5000 points]
[Energy transferred to Kenjaku]
[Developnt progress: 40%]
[Guilt detected: Hanzō 5000 points]
[Energy transferred to Guilt]
[Developnt progress: 18%]
---
Hm?
Resting on Takigawa's back, Shiratori quietly opened his eyes just a sliver.
What could have agitated Hanzō like this?
"Hold on just a little longer! We'll be at the border soon!"
Takigawa's voice ca from near his ear.
Shiratori closed his eyes again. It was not yet ti for him to wake up.
Takigawa still hadn't gotten any response from him.
Their squad had no dical-nin.
No one knew whether Shiratori's condition was just simple unconsciousness. They had to get back to camp as soon as possible and hand him over to a dical-nin.
His figure darted swiftly through the desert.
The gale swept through the sands, wailing with a piercing screech.
Suddenly, he stopped.
The A ninjas behind him also halted at the sa ti.
"What happened?"
His eyes were blood-red. He stared fixedly ahead.
At the Land of Wind border, the camp they had once occupied now flew the banner of Suna. In front of the camp gates lay piled countless corpses.
Vultures circled above the bodies, and when no one drove them off, they descended to perch on the corpses, tearing into the remains of A ninjas.
His bloodshot eyes locked onto that sight.
"Captain!"
A ninja stepped forward, afraid Takigawa might act rashly, blocking his path with a worried look.
Takigawa took a deep breath, lowering his head, his entire body trembling with rage.
"This isn't good, we'll go around."
He kept his composure.
"Yes."
They once again accelerated forward at astonishing speed.
Sweat dripped continuously from Takigawa's forehead, and in his resolute gaze, there was a faint trace of anxiety.
Shiratori's condition was unknown, and the A camp ahead might also already be in danger...
He was utterly exhausted, yet he couldn't stop. He wouldn't stop. Whether for Shiratori on his back or the comrades ahead, he would not stop.
No one knew how much ti had passed.
Sweat stung his eyes.
Blood vessels crawled across the whites of his eyes. He stopped again. In the heat-distorted distance ahead, countless figures appeared.
"Stop."
His voice was hoarse.
The ninjas behind him stopped in unison. Everyone's gaze was fixed on the horizon ahead. The border between the Lands of Wind and Rain had beco a slaughterhouse.
As far as the eye could see, for kiloters, the land was unrecognizable.
Within the pale purple air, countless figures clashed, their forms swaying in constant motion. Even from far away, the sound of tal clashing, tools slicing through the air, jutsu detonating, and the screams of the dying... All these sounds rged into a deafening roar, pounding violently against Takigawa and his n's nerves.
Crows circled high above the battlefield, crying out in harsh caws.
Their black pupils turned, taking in every detail of the carnage below.
Wind Release techniques churned the air, thinning the purple poisonous mist in the sky.
At the center of the battlefield, two figures faced each other. Within a twenty-ter radius around Hanzō, no ninja got close.
The roiling poisonous mist coiled around him like venomous snakes.
Yet whenever the mist showed signs of spreading, the Suna ninjas would imdiately unleash Wind Release to disperse it.
Standing opposite Hanzō... was Rasa.
Rasa's hands were clasped in a seal before his chest, not loosening them for even a mont.
Beneath his feet, golden sand surged and rolled in endless waves. His cold gaze locked unflinchingly on Hanzō, and in his eyes, a trace of pride was hard to conceal.
"Suna is one of the Five Great Ninja Villages. A could never hope to contend with us. As long as you sign a contract with us, we can act as though none of this ever happened."
"Never," Hanzō spat out the single word, cold and unyielding.
His stance was as solid as bedrock.
Seeing Hanzō's attitude, a shadow of cunning flickered in Rasa's eyes.
He looked around regretfully. "When you make your decision, perhaps you should take a good look at your comrades."
Hanzō didn't need to look, he already knew that the number of A ninjas was plumting.
The difference in numbers between A and Suna was simply too great.
Rasa had brought twice as many ninjas as A could muster. Under such circumstances, victory for A was all but impossible.
"Your poison is indeed strong, but we have already developed an antidote. Don't be stubborn. Even if you're not afraid of death, are your subordinates not afraid either? Can you really bear to let them all die here on the battlefield? If every last A ninja dies here, all your efforts will have been for nothing. The future of the Land of Rain will only beco more miserable..."
His words were earnest and persuasive, as though he were truly thinking for Hanzō's sake.
The gold sand beneath his feet surged like layered waves, ready to strike at any mont.
Hanzō could not refute him. He had not expected Suna to send so many ninjas against A. After all, wasn't Suna's greatest enemy Konoha?
"We are not afraid to die!"
"Not a single A ninja fears death!"
"Hanzō-sama! Don't agree to his terms!"
From behind Hanzō ca the resolute roars of the A ninjas.
Hanzō was montarily stunned, but his gaze soon grew firm.
Yes!
How could they surrender?
They had co this far step by step, if they surrendered now just to save their lives, they would never again be able to muster their courage.
Determination burned in the A ninjas' eyes.
If they were destined not to return alive to their village, then they might as well take Suna down with them!
Madness crept into their expressions.
With wild, frenzied shouts, the A ninjas charged toward the Suna forces.
During the rush, one ninja had half his body cleaved away by a Wind Release technique, yet he grinned savagely and, without hesitation, detonated every explosive tag on his person.
In the terrified eyes of three Suna ninjas, both sides were swallowed by a blazing explosion.
Far away, Takigawa and the others stood frozen like statues, hidden behind a wind-eroded sandstone outcrop. The horror unfolding in the distance was reflected in their pupils.
"What do we do...?"
A ninja behind Takigawa asked, his voice trembling, tinged with fear.
Takigawa's reply was dry."We assist Hanzō-sama."
"What! But—"
The protest was cut off sharply by Takigawa's stern tone.
"Even if it's a suicide mission, we go!"
His bloodshot eyes locked fiercely onto the ninja.
He gently set Shiratori down behind the rocks for safety.
"If all our comrades die here, what aning is there in us living on?"
He looked at Shiratori's sleeping, weary face, and a faint smile appeared.
"Have you all forgotten? We are already people who were ant to die! Let's fight for A one last ti!"
He rose to his feet, his knuckles whitening, nails digging deep into his palms.
The sight of his comrades' brutal deaths burned into his soul, there was no way he could cower here and watch.
"Captain..."
Voices rose behind him.
"I'll go with you!"
The ninjas spoke in unison.
Takigawa took a deep breath, slowly turning his head to et the eyes of each one of them.
"Good, we move out!"
At his command, the ninjas didn't hesitate for even a heartbeat, they charged without looking back into the slaughter ahead.
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