Dozens of seconds later, that person raised his head and firmly said, "The Ame ninja are no threat. Right now, the biggest threat to us is Konoha, and those three individuals will be the future leaders of Konoha in the next decade. Hunt them down at all costs."
Clearly, a decision had been made. As to why, Onoki had realized upon discovering Orochimaru and the other two: these three were on the verge of surpassing the Kage level, and his jealousy toward Konoha's fortune burned deep.
Driven by the mindset "if I cannot obtain it, then destroy it," he issued orders to the frontlines while secretly dispatching an Anbu squad to join the battlefield, determined to eliminate the trio—even taking down one would still count as success.
"As for the Legend of the White Fang, leave behind a squad for surveillance; everyone else will follow me," commanded the team leader. Clearly, he underestimated Hatake Sumao, believing the latter's strength to be only comparable to any one of Orochimaru's group. Therefore, his mission objective naturally targeted Orochimaru and his companions. Besides, there was also the unpredictable factor of Sanshouo Hanzo siding with Sumao, which made things uncertain.
Then, the nearly hundred-strong unit swiftly mobilized, showcasing top-tier combat readiness. They were all Tokubetsu Jonin-level experts, some even Jonin—a force so strong that even during Ame Village's prime, they couldn't match it.
At this point, Hatake Sumao and Sanshouo Hanzo had only used their respective Shifting Body Technique and signature sword techniques, without resorting to any other Ninjutsu. Yet, the danger level of their fight far exceeded that of ordinary ninja battles.
Considering their current speed, unless hit by large-scale area attacks, it was practically impossible to land a blow on these two swift fighters. Even a Tailed Beast Ball, the full-power strike of a Tailed Beast, couldn't reach them—it would allow enough time for them to escape from the explosion core, leaving only minor shockwaves at the edge, incapable of dealing effective damage.
Of course, if they faced something like consecutive Tailed Beast Balls from the Nine-Tails, that would pose a serious threat to their lives.
Thus, Hanzo hadn't yet resorted to his specialty Water Release techniques against Sumao. The time required to form hand seals and release B-rank or higher jutsu could have allowed Sumao to slash him several times already.
As for Sumao, he wasn't skilled in Ninjutsu. He and Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi represented two extremes of ninja: one focused, the other versatile.
Returning to the battle between Hatake Sumao and Sanshouo Hanzo—the latter, although aging, proved resilient and gradually reversed his initial disadvantage using experience accumulated over the years, eventually gaining the upper hand.
On the contrary, as Sumao began falling into a weaker position, he sensed death drawing closer. If he couldn't reverse the situation soon, not only would he lose, but he would die. Despite Hanzo's concerns about Konoha's retaliation afterward, he wouldn't hold back like he did when facing the Sannin (Legendary Three Shinobi) previously. Given how powerful Sumao was, if he hesitated even slightly, it would cost him his life instead.
But at this moment, as death drew near, not a trace of fear stirred in Hatake Sumao's soul, nor did he even entertain the thought of failure. Under this pressure, his mind became increasingly clear, his Blade Intent growing purer, refining itself through life-threatening pressure until it began to evolve.
At that moment, Sumao's blade felt as if it had gained a soul of its own, allowing him to perceive a higher realm of Sword Techniques. Viewing both his own and Sanshouo Hanzo's Sword Techniques from an elevated perspective, he detected flaws in Hanzo's style while simultaneously creating a unique new sword technique.
Thus, Hatake Sumao seized the opportunity and used his self-developed sword technique to strike at the flaw in Sanshouo Hanzo's swordplay. With disbelief in his eyes, Hanzo watched as Sumao's White Fang slashed a seemingly unimpressive but precisely angled blow that perfectly countered his attack—simultaneously breaking through all defenses and cutting off any potential counterstrikes. This single strike brought Hanzo face-to-face with death's call.
Faced with such deadly pressure, Sanshouo Hanzo chose to retreat. Unexpectedly, this time Hatake Sumao didn't chase. Instead, remaining in place, he contemplated the evolution of his sword techniques before turning to gaze at Sanshouo Hanzo and speaking: "Let's call it a day today. I'll look forward to another lesson from your sword arts next time."
After saying this, Sumao activated his Body Flicker Technique, pursuing the direction where Orochimaru and the other two had gone. At this moment, he finally remembered his three companions. Taking advantage of Hanzo's retreat, he broke free from the oppressive weight of his Blade Intent.
Leaving only Sanshouo Hanzo standing on the battlefield, watching Sumao's departure without reaction. His mind kept replaying Sumao's final strike, as if he had grasped something profound, yet when trying to analyze it further, found himself unable to articulate anything concrete. Finally, he could only sigh deeply, slightly venting his frustration.
Reflecting again on how Konoha still teemed with talent, even though Orochimaru's trio was already impressive, there remained someone surpassing them—the Legend of the White Fang of Konoha. It convinced him that the next thirty years still belonged to Konoha.
Thinking again about his own Rain Ninja Village's slim chances of rising prominence, Hanzo realized that placing his hopes upon the village might prove an impracticable path. With another heavy sigh, he turned back toward his village.
As for why Hatake Sumao was so extraordinarily powerful despite his young age, it mainly stemmed from achieving Man and Blade Unity—when he transformed the Will of Fire he had cherished since childhood into his own Blade Intent. The battlefield of the Land of Birds allowed him fully to embody this Will of Fire, enabling extremely rapid progress. After winning the war, he had even acquired the strength capable of challenging the Third Kazekage.
After a year of consolidation, he met his ultimate opponent in Ame—plenty of preparation enabled him to exceed his limits under life-or-death pressure, ultimately grasping a higher level of Sword Techniques and defeating Sanshouo Hanzo.
The three—Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya—who had retreated early, could feel the pursuing enemies behind them. However, their current retreat wasn't particularly quick. This was mainly due to the fact that Jiraiya had been gravely wounded by Sanshouo Hanzo when he stayed behind to buy time for Tsunade's escape. He had also been poisoned. Tsunade had to focus all her efforts on treating him as they fled, to stop the poison from reaching his heart and further slowing them down.
Therefore, Orochimaru, having recovered a certain amount of chakra, decided that Tsunade should take Jiraiya and move ahead first while he stayed behind to cover their retreat. This decision came after Orochimaru sensed Sumao's determination—he had already mentally prepared himself for sacrifice.
Orochimaru then separated from Tsunade and Jiraiya first. Before parting ways, Tsunade used the Summoning Technique to summon Katsuyu, a giant slug, onto Orochimaru's shoulder.
Quickly, Orochimaru set up several hidden traps. Their purpose wasn't to inflict heavy damage but to cause chaos, creating a suitable opportunity for attack and slowing down the enemy's advance.
Sure enough, eager to press forward, the Iwa-nin failed to detect the traps immediately, resulting in their formation being thrown into disarray. Then, Orochimaru activated the Summoning Technique, summoning a swarm of snake-type summoned beasts. While retreating, he fought the Iwa-nin with hit-and-run tactics.
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