Hanzo immediately submerged into the poisonous pool, his body vanishing like a fish in the water. The breathing mask he wore allowed him to move freely without worrying about oxygen. Moreover, the toxins in his poisonous water were so potent that even Orochimaru dared not touch them lightly. Even Chiyo of Sunagakure found them troublesome.
But Tsunade was not among those who feared it.
She placed her hand into the water, and the purple toxins began flowing into her palm as if being siphoned away. The water level didn't drop, but the purple hue gradually faded.
"Ninja Art: Thousand Spider Poison Hand!"
A technique created by Kin, which Tsunade had modified. It allowed her to absorb and seal any toxin directly into her hand, and she could also release the toxins through her fists. She enhanced its power and absorption speed but sacrificed its growth potential.
The Thousand Spider Poison Hand was meant to forge a pair of lethally toxic arms, growing stronger with each added poison. It could even reach the point of manipulating toxins and developing secret poison-based jutsu. However, the technique didn't suit Tsunade's fighting style, so she altered it.
Hidden in the water, Hanzo sensed the purple toxins being absorbed and knew things had taken a bad turn. He surged out of the water, swinging his sickle at Tsunade's arm. The murky poison concealed his movements, making his attack nearly undetectable.
But in an instant, Hanzo burst from the water—only for one of his arms to be severed and sent flying. He flipped backward, landing on the water's surface as his dismembered arm sank, rapidly dissolving in the toxins. Even if reattached, it would be useless.
"This woman isn't as terrifying as Orochimaru," Hanzo thought.
But before he could steady himself, Tsunade was already before him, her supposedly severed arm completely unharmed. Without giving him time to ponder, she drove her fist forward.
"Boom!!"
Hanzo's body shattered like water, leaving only splashes in the air.
"Water Release!"
Hanzo's hands formed seals as his upper body slowly emerged from the water.
"Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
A purple water dragon surged from the pool, roaring toward Tsunade with a piercing howl. Tsunade spun and kicked it with such force that the dragon exploded into droplets.
In the next moment, she appeared before Hanzo as if teleporting, her fist already mid-strike. The sheer wind pressure alone immobilized him.
"Boom!!"
Hanzo's body dissolved into water again, but this time, countless explosive tags burst forth, wrapping around Tsunade's arm and spreading to half her torso.
"Fire Release: Exploding Flame Formation!"
To prevent her escape, Hanzo detonated the tags immediately.
"Boom!!"
The explosion sent shockwaves rippling across the water's surface, obliterating half of Tsunade's body. Hanzo slowly emerged from the poisoned pool.
"Is it... over?"
To his shock, Tsunade turned her head to look at him. Under his stunned gaze, her lost body parts rapidly regenerated. She tore a strip of cloth from her leg and wrapped it around her chest.
"What kind of jutsu is this?"
Hanzo had never seen anything so absurd. With injuries like that, no one should have survived, let alone recovered instantly.
"Go ask hell yourself!!"
Tsunade charged again, her speed so overwhelming that Hanzo couldn't react. Fortunately, a long tongue shot out from the poisoned water, wrapping around his ankle and yanking him under just in time.
Tsunade's punch struck empty air, creating a deafening shockwave. She stood on the water, watching the purple pool as she placed her hand back into it, activating the Thousand Spider Poison Hand once more. The toxins were being absorbed into her palm.
"Ninja Art: Hundred Healings Technique: Modified! Infinite Regeneration!"
When activated, seals spread across her entire body. The moment she sustained damage, her body would begin rapidly regenerating without disrupting her combat rhythm. As long as she didn't lose more than 70% of her body instantly, she could achieve near-immortality—provided she had enough chakra.
The original Hundred Healing Techniques couldn't accomplish this, but Tsunade had modified it by partially integrating it with the Foundation Internal Energy technique. By primarily using the Yang Release chakra, she achieved this effect.
Moreover, she had amplified the Foundation Internal Energy's enhancements to her strength and speed. If anyone in the shinobi world was perfectly suited for this technique, it was Tsunade. Her physical boosts were unmatched, granting her the physique to use techniques like Moonwalk—unlike Jiraiya, who could only manage it temporarily.
Hidden beneath the water, Hanzo pondered his next move. The toxins in the pool were dwindling, but that didn't concern him—he could produce more at will. What troubled him was Tsunade.
Her physical prowess was overwhelming, and that near-immortal jutsu made things worse. She could afford to fail countless times, but he only needed to slip up once to be instantly crushed.
"This woman is far more troublesome than Orochimaru."
Hanzo gritted his teeth.
Why does Konoha have so many monsters? Orochimaru could absorb chakra from ninjutsu, turning any technique used against him into fuel for his own power. At least with him, there was still a chance—one mistake from either side could decide the battle.
But this woman, Tsunade...
That regeneration jutsu is just too ridiculous.
As the water grew clearer, Hanzo knew he couldn't hide forever.
"Water Release: Water Cutting Blade!"
Invisible blades of water formed beneath the surface, shooting toward Tsunade at Hanzo's command. She didn't even flinch, letting the attacks strike her. The wounds they left lasted less than a second before healing completely.
By now, she had absorbed all the toxins in the water. Her once-fair arm was now mottled with purple streaks.
Seeing Hanzo's figure emerge in the distance, Tsunade stomped down, shattering the water beneath her as she closed the gap in an instant. Her purple fist swung toward him with crushing force.
Hanzo, prepared, substituted with a water clone and vanished. Tsunade's punch hit only air.
Standing on the water, Hanzo formed hand seals.
"Water Clone Technique."
One after another, copies of Hanzo rose from the pool, surrounding Tsunade.
He had realized one thing: he was no match for this woman.
His only option now was to stall.
Stall until the others secured victory.
...
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(End of Chapter)