[Ding! Host, don't you have the Kusanagi Sword? This system has specially crafted a sword technique just for you. Instead of being grateful, you're actually complaining. Hmph, do you want it or not? If you don't, I'll just reclaim it.]
"Of course I want it! Why wouldn't I? Even a fly is still meat! What's given to me is mine!"
There was no way Gekko Chizan would refuse a reward he'd worked so hard to earn.
Still, he couldn't help but feel something was off about this sword technique. He couldn't quite put his finger on it—maybe it was because of some kind of system glitch.
Very soon, the Five-Tails' roar yanked him back to reality.
"Bastards! I'll slaughter you all!"
"Get off me!"
"Boom!"
A massive toad had come crashing down from the sky, pinning the Five-Tails underneath. That finally sent it into a frenzy—at this point, the one in control was no longer the Jinchūriki Han, but the Five-Tails, Kokuō, itself.
Humiliation. This was unbearable humiliation.
A toad. A toad dared treat her like this? Unforgivable!
Steam erupted violently from Kokuō's body, her power growing more and more terrifying. Even being pinned under Gamaken's massive weight couldn't suppress her strength. Little by little, the Five-Tails began to lift its body.
That terrifying power made both Gamaken and Jiraiya break out in cold sweat.
"Jiraiya, I can't hold it down much longer."
"The power's too strong."
Gamaken had already pushed himself to his absolute limit, but Kokuō was still using sheer brute force to lift him.
"Hang in there, Gamaken!"
Jiraiya would never let the situation turn around so easily. His hands flashed through a string of hand seals, his eyes wide with focus.
As the ninjutsu activated, the ground beneath Kokuō instantly turned into a muddy swamp.
The beast, who had been straining with all her might, suddenly felt her footing give way—her strength had nowhere to go.
"Damn it!"
With the swamp dragging her down, Kokuō became even more restrained. Working together, Jiraiya and Gamaken finally managed to temporarily suppress the rampaging Five-Tails.
Seeing this, Gekko Chizan couldn't help but give Jiraiya a silent thumbs-up. As expected of a man who'd fought countless battles—his mastery of ninjutsu and combat awareness were impeccable.
"Boom!"
An explosion sounded in the distance. He knew that was the Four-Tails' Tailed Beast Bomb detonating.
Now both tailed beasts on the battlefield had been subdued. The only thing left was...
His eyes turned toward the other side of the forest. His opponent was over there.
Suddenly, the ground trembled slightly. Without thinking, Gekko Chizan leapt backward.
A moment later, a gigantic salamander burst from underground, jaws wide open.
A man holding a scythe charged at him at incredible speed.
"Brat, I've been waiting for you."
"Swish!"
That flash of cold light made every hair on Chizan's body stand on end. Without hesitation, he activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.
His entire body vanished in midair—Hanzō's scythe sliced through nothing but air. But Hanzō didn't look the least bit surprised.
The chain attached to the scythe whipped violently toward a marked kunai embedded in the ground.
This was Hanzō's unique sword style—the chain was an extension of his weapon, making his scythe's reach and attack patterns terrifyingly unpredictable.
Even the samurai of the Land of Iron had never been able to match him in swordsmanship.
"Swish!"
The instant Chizan reappeared, the chain was already upon him.
"Damn! He found my landing point?!"
"I'm out of here!"
Unfortunately for Hanzō, Chizan wasn't Minato. He had left himself plenty of backup marks.
As soon as he vanished again, Hanzō's eyes narrowed slightly. Retracting the chain, he scanned the area coldly.
"Hmph. Sneaky."
"Ibuse, fall back."
At his command, the salamander burrowed underground once more.
Hanzō gripped his weapon tightly, steam beginning to rise around him. In an instant, several water clones appeared, scattering in all directions.
"If you won't come out, your comrades will be slaughtered instead."
"Heh... my blade is sharp enough—they won't even feel the pain."
Hanzō's mocking voice echoed through the trees as his clones charged toward the Konoha shinobi.
He didn't believe for a second that Chizan would stay hidden after hearing that.
"Tch, old bastard, using such cheap tricks to draw me out?"
"Fine, have it your way."
A voice filled with irritation echoed through the forest, followed by the sudden appearance of several walls of gleaming crystal.
Crystal Release: Mirror Image Clone Technique.
The crystal clones immediately pursued Hanzō's water clones.
"Hehehe... a kid will always be a kid. A true shinobi does whatever it takes to complete a mission."
"You're still too naïve—"
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
Before Hanzō could finish mocking, he suddenly sensed danger. A wall of water surged around him, enclosing him completely.
A blade came slashing down through the water barrier.
"Old man, your reflexes are impressive."
"But... you're still far from enough."
"Formation of Ten Thousand Snakes!"
Holding his sword in one hand, Chizan slammed his other hand onto the ground.
At point-blank range, a sea of snakes erupted, engulfing both the water barrier and Hanzō inside it.
The area of their battle instantly turned into an ocean of venomous serpents.
"Good grief, that brat really did inherit Orochimaru's legacy..."
"So many damn snakes..."
Watching from afar, Jiraiya's hair stood on end.
The water wall was swallowed by the sea of snakes, but Hanzō had already disappeared.
His water clones, however, were being shredded by Chizan's crystal clones.
"Hmph... as expected of Orochimaru's student—you live up to the name."
"But even your teacher wouldn't be my match. You're still far too green."
The scythe appeared again, slashing forward with even greater ferocity. Moving with Water Body Flicker Technique, Hanzō's speed was astonishing.
Chizan felt the killing intent from behind him but didn't move an inch.
Three serpents burst from his body, each glowing in a different hue, intercepting Hanzō's strike.
Hanzō's eyes flickered with surprise. His scythe—blocked by snakes? And those snakes were glowing?
"Stupid fish, stay away from our Chizan!"
Tagitsuhime opened her mouth, spewing forth crimson flames—her venom fused with fire, forming toxic flames of extreme temperature and deadly poison.
"Sage Technique..."
"I really underestimated you."
The flames consumed the scythe. Without hesitation, Hanzō dropped his weapon and retreated at full speed.
When Chizan turned, his pupils had become serpentine. Horns jutted from his forehead, and killing intent radiated from his entire being like a poisonous miasma.
"Didn't you know I've already completed my training?"
"Come on, the last time you cornered me, that score wasn't settled. This time, it's not you hunting me—it's me hunting you."
As his words fell, the three snake goddesses took their positions. Four pairs of serpent eyes locked onto Hanzō.
"Sage Art: Serpent Transformation Waltz."
Chizan clasped his hands together as a colossal serpent shadow loomed behind him.
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
+100 chapters and support me on Patreon(.)com/Jixo