But Chiyo's worries turned out to be unnecessary.
Barely two hours later, Hanzō of the Salamander returned to the Sand encampment, walking calmly out of the rain as though he hadn't just been fighting an army.
Seeing him, the Third Kazekage froze for a moment.
"You—weren't you leading a strike against Konoha's command center?"
"Just a shadow clone," Hanzō said casually, his tone indifferent. "It can only last a little over an hour. But judging from the commotion they made, I'd say it served its purpose. Looks like you're ready on your end—good. I won't have to worry."
He was right. The Suna's earlier demand that the Ame delay Konoha for half a day had always been more of a formality than a real expectation. Everyone knew half a day of stalling was practically impossible.
"Ah, truly, we appreciate your efforts," the Kazekage replied with a diplomatic smile. "We're fully prepared—just waiting for Konoha to arrive."
"Oh? Sounds like you've set the stage nicely." Hanzō chuckled.
"Choosing to fight within your own camp… that takes guts. If your stronghold falls, you won't last long in the Land of Rain. Even if you win, you'll have no foothold left to advance into the Land of Fire."
The Kazekage merely waved a hand. "No need to worry. We've already transferred all critical supplies and provisions. Our logistics system can rebuild quickly. With your Ame ninja assisting in harassment and defense, we're not concerned."
Hanzō's eyes narrowed behind the respirator. Another fox in human skin, he thought. Lose your main camp, and I'll be the one cleaning up your mess later.
But he said nothing, just smiled beneath the mask.
That smile alone made both Chiyo and the Kazekage uneasy.
"By the way," Hanzō said lightly, "about the supply deal we discussed—two days have already passed. Surely Sunagakure has something to show for it?"
The Kazekage exhaled slowly. "We've already notified the Daimyō. The promised resources are on the way. You understand, with that amount of cargo—and given the security situation—we're sending it in batches. The first shipment will arrive in about five days."
Hanzō's gaze darkened. Five days? He knew an excuse when he heard one.
"Ridiculous," he thought bitterly. You marched this entire army here with all its supplies in one trip, and now you're pretending the route isn't safe? Iwagakure's in ruins—no one's left to rob you. You're just stalling for time.
Then a stray thought struck him. Wait… if I create a giant storage scroll, and store smaller scrolls inside it, I could transport supplies instantly…
The idea made him pause mid-thought, eyes glinting behind the mask. He had just opened the door to a new kind of warfare.
The Kazekage and Chiyo exchanged glances. Seeing Hanzō silently lost in thought sent a chill down their spines. The last time he'd looked like that, he'd filled an entire mountain range with explosive tags.
"I'll go finish preparing my jutsu," the Kazekage said abruptly. "Konoha mustn't realize I'm here yet."
"I'll scout their movements," Chiyo added quickly. Both departed at once, leaving Hanzō alone in the pouring rain.
He tilted his head, rainwater dripping off his mask.
"…What's with those two? Fine. I'll go check on my troops."
---
Meanwhile, on Konoha's side…
The army was racing through the downpour.
"Hanzō hasn't shown himself again," one ninja reported.
"Probably because he's already bought enough time for the Suna," said another.
Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru ran at the front, the rain slicking their flak jackets.
"From here on, things will get tricky," Jiraiya muttered. "But remember—our goal isn't to wipe out the Suna. We hit their main camp, destroy their supply line, then pull back. No pointless bloodshed."
Orochimaru's golden eyes gleamed. "We still don't know who's commanding the Suna's main force. Our intel only confirmed Chiyo's presence, and her puppet stock was already depleted at the River Country front. But if Hanzō himself is guarding their camp…"
Jiraiya clenched his fists. "All the better. I'll kill him this time." His voice trembled with anger. The last encounter with Hanzō had left a scar on his pride.
Tsunade sighed. "If we can take out the camp and cripple their logistics, the Sand won't hold out long. Then we can deal with the Rain afterward."
"Let's move," Orochimaru said. Their pace quickened.
---
Back at the Suna–Ame camp
"They're coming," Chiyo announced upon returning. "Once again, I must trouble you, Lord Hanzō. The Kazekage cannot be seen yet."
"I understand." Hanzō's tone was calm. "Leave the three elite ninja leading the charge to me. You and your troops focus on the army."
He smiled faintly. "I trust the Kazekage will give Konoha quite the surprise."
Chiyo blinked, startled by his cooperation. She had half-expected him to insist on taking over the entire battle. Perhaps she had underestimated him… or perhaps he was planning something worse.
Within the Suna camp, the Kazekage's eyes opened. His magnetic chakra hummed around him like an invisible storm.
"All preparations are complete," he murmured. "Let them come."
Outside, two armies faced each other beneath the torrential rain. Chiyo and Hanzō stood at the front lines.
"I depleted nearly all my elite puppets during the River campaign," Chiyo admitted. "My strength has fallen considerably."
"I understand," Hanzō replied. "Don't worry. The Konoha shinobi you fought before have now joined with the Ame forces on the opposite side. Strike as you wish—I'll ensure no one interferes."
He reached behind him and drew his chained scythe.
"Forward! Destroy the Suna's main camp!"
Jiraiya's command cut through the thunder, and Konoha's army surged ahead like a tidal wave.
"Block them!" Chiyo shouted, summoning two puppets to intercept.
In an instant, thousands of shinobi collided — kunai flashing, shuriken slicing through sheets of rain.
"Hanzō of the Salamander! I'll kill you!"
A group of Konoha soldiers rushed toward him, tears and fury burning in their eyes.
Hanzō tilted his head.
"Impressive. Such fearlessness deserves respect… but you'll still die here."
He swung his weapon, slicing through them effortlessly.
"Who needs your respect, you freak?!" a female ninja screamed, lunging at him with her kunai. "Even if I die, I'll take a piece of you with me!"
Hanzō blinked behind his mask. Wait—don't tell me they're still traumatized by that salamander swarm incident…
"Needle Hell!"
"Striking Shadow Snakes!"
"Heaven Kick of Pain!"
Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru struck simultaneously. Snakes burst from the earth, wrapping around Hanzō's limbs, while Tsunade dove from above, heel glowing with chakra. Jiraiya's elongated hair lashed out, pulling their allies to safety.
*"Body Flicker Jutsu!"
In the instant before Tsunade's kick landed, Hanzō vanished in a blur. The black serpents collapsed to the ground as their target disappeared. Tsunade's strike shattered the earth, sending tremors rippling across the battlefield.
"Her monstrous strength…" Hanzō muttered, watching from afar. "One kick from that, and you'd be visiting the Pure Land."
He exhaled slowly. "My chakra's only seventy percent recovered, but even so—these three aren't enough to defeat me."
"Summoning Jutsu!"
With a roar, Ibuse, his giant salamander, appeared amid the chaos. Poison gas wasn't an option here — the battlefield was too crowded — but Hanzō didn't summon it for toxins. He summoned it to clear space… and to look imposing.
Standing atop Ibuse's head, he surveyed the battlefield like a war god.
Yes, he thought. This feeling… this view… not bad at all.
"Earth Style: Earth Dragon!"
The ground beneath him twisted upward into a massive dragon, surging toward Ibuse. Tsunade and Jiraiya leapt onto its back, using it as a ramp.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"
Hanzō formed seals, the rain around him swirling violently. A colossal water dragon burst forth, jaws snapping at the earthen beast.
The two dragons collided, but water overpowered stone. The earthen dragon shattered into debris, forcing Tsunade and Jiraiya to launch themselves skyward toward Hanzō.
"Water Style: Needles of Falling Rain!"
Hanzō spread his arms wide, releasing thousands of senbon from his sleeves, raining them down like a storm.
Orochimaru joined the fray, his serpentine body weaving through the barrage.
"Don't hesitate—charge!" he ordered.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
A violent gust dispersed the senbon, clearing the path for Tsunade and Jiraiya to close in.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Flames roared forward, forcing Hanzō to retreat. Tsunade followed up, her chakra blade slicing toward his throat.
"Ibuse—Earth Submersion!"
The salamander dove underground, shaking violently as it descended. The tremor knocked Tsunade and Jiraiya off balance, sending them sprawling.
"Wind Style: Vacuum Blast!"
A razor-sharp gust from Orochimaru's fingertip sliced across the ground, sealing Hanzō's escape route. The three Sannin landed, encircling him.
"This time, you won't run, Hanzō!" Jiraiya shouted, eyes blazing red with fury.
Hanzō chuckled, twirling his chained scythe.
"Didn't I say I'd fight you properly next time? You really don't know how to be patient, do you? Losing your temper on the battlefield can cost you your life."
With that, he lunged forward, chain spinning like a serpent.
"Let me test my blade on the three of you."
"Careful—his weapon's poisoned!" Tsunade warned, meeting the scythe with a chakra-enhanced strike.
The other end of Hanzō's weapon suddenly came alive.
"Whip of Chaos!"
The chain lashed out toward Tsunade's waist—
"Art of the Raging Lion's Mane!"
Jiraiya's hair transformed into a lion's maw, biting down on the chain. He thrust a kunai at Hanzō while exhaling a stream of flames.
Hanzō sidestepped—
"Striking Shadow Snakes!"
Snakes shot out from behind, blocking his retreat.
"Orochimaru? A shadow clone?" Hanzō's pupils narrowed. "When—"
Before he could react, the real Orochimaru appeared ahead, hurling a shuriken.
"Ninja Art: Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
The weapon multiplied into hundreds, spinning toward Hanzō from every direction.
"Front, back, left, right—completely surrounded…"
"Ibuse!"
The ground exploded as the giant salamander burst upward. Hanzō vaulted onto its head, using the beast's momentum to evade the incoming storm of shuriken.
The attack slammed into Ibuse's armored hide instead, burning and slicing across its scales.
Ibuse roared in pain, eyes narrowing in fury. Spotting the nearest two shinobi—Tsunade and Jiraiya—it lunged forward, smashing them into the air with its massive head.
"Perfect," Hanzō murmured, chakra flaring beneath his feet. He shot upward to pursue—
—but Orochimaru appeared again, hurling a Wind-Enhanced Kunai straight at him...