The dust from the explosion gradually settled. By the riverbank, a heavily wounded summon beast turned into smoke and disappeared.
The giant salamander type summon beast, Sanshōuo (Japanese Giant Salamander), not only possessed great strength and special abilities but could also protect its contractor with its massive body. Those hundred explosive tags were enough to blast a person into powder, but it was still a bit insufficient to blow up a giant beast.
The dust dissipated, revealing smoke but no injuries. Hanzo of the Salamander, covered in the dust of battle, walked out from within. He looked at the empty riverbank, the renowned 'Demigod' surprisingly silent. After holding it in for a long time, he finally squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth:
"How decisive."
It sounded like praise from an elder, yet it was filled with killing intent.
Hanzo had already seen that those few people were difficult to kill, especially the red-haired teenager with glasses. With his extensive knowledge, he actually couldn't identify what kind of ninjutsu the opponent used.
Taking a direct hit just now felt like being pushed away by the world itself. No matter taijutsu, ninjutsu, or poison mist, none could get close.
But Hanzo had experienced countless fierce battles in his life and absolutely didn't believe there was any invincible ninjutsu in the world.
If it were truly invincible, as long as that teenager kept going 'biubiubiu', it would be enough to hang the entire ninja world up and beat it.
He didn't rush to pursue. The battle process flashed back in his mind, scene by scene. After a few seconds, his eyes slowly relaxed.
"Is there an interval before each activation? The time is three seconds or more, or five seconds or more."
Hanzo made a judgment within seconds. Looking up at the falling signal flare, he formed seals with both hands and slapped them on the ground.
"Track!"
Several thin streams of water circled around his palms, but after a long while, they didn't pursue outwards. Hanzo of the Salamander stood up abruptly, picked up his scythe, and walked onto the riverbank.
"A bit interesting."
......
Ten kilometers east of the riverbank, ten people had gathered inside a certain giant tree hole. Looking closely, everyone was drenched in a mixture of sweat and rainwater, clearly having experienced a hard battle.
"Damn Hanzo really had ill intentions. Rain Village ninjas were ambushing in the south."
"There are enemies in the east too, Konoha ANBU!"
"What? Hanzo actually colluded with Konoha? Didn't they agree to coordinate a ceasefire?"
"Our team lost three. How about yours?"
"Hirata and Ishida are dead too! Those Konoha ANBU are very strong!"
"How are Pain and the others doing?"
"Don't know, but I heard the sound of Water Release and explosive tags."
Inside the emergency assembly point, various voices clamored together. Even though various countermeasures were taken, the nascent 'Akatsuki' was fundamentally powerless against two ninja villages, and they never expected the enemy was determined to eliminate them.
Yahiko stood blankly at the innermost side, his expression uncertain. Besides anger, his heart was filled with remorse.
Otonashi had warned him long ago that Hanzo couldn't be trusted, but he still insisted on trying, resulting in this outcome.
'Jiraiya-sensei, you were wrong. Before people understand each other, they will first consider their own interests! And this interest, no one can satisfy!'
The setback shook his beliefs. Sometimes, one failure is more useful than a hundred verbal arguments.
He understood instantly. To make someone like Hanzo of the Salamander cooperate, one must display absolute power, giving him a reason he couldn't refuse!
Konan, Nagato, you must be okay.
Just as Yahiko was about to speak, the barrier was triggered. The entire tree hole fell silent. Everyone quietly drew their weapons, staring intently at the entrance, swallowing hard.
Swish—
The camouflage cloth was lifted, but another Yahiko strode in. Everyone's tense nerves instantly relaxed.
"Pain, you're finally back!"
"What should we do now?"
A group of people immediately surrounded him, clinging as if to a life-saving straw. Without his arrangements, Akatsuki probably would have been wiped out entirely in this rainy weather.
Otonashi didn't speak, silently stuffing a handful of military ration pills into his mouth to replenish stamina. Seeing the crowd disperse, Yahiko walked forward, ashamed and annoyed.
"Pain, you were right, I..."
"Don't say anything. The most important thing now is to break through." Otonashi raised his hand to stop him, decisively walking to the map in the center of the tree hole.
"What's the situation now? Each squad report to me immediately."
Having experienced battles in two lifetimes, he could still distinguish priorities. Besides, he had long foreseen this predicament; he just wanted Yahiko and the others to suffer a harsh lesson from society.
Kyūsuke, Daibutsu, and other squad leaders quickly stepped forward, sketching the battlefield situation with pencils.
"Rain ninjas are in the south, Konoha ANBU in the east. They are searching forward in a fan formation. Finding this place is only a matter of time."
A long series of arcs were drawn. The final assembly point was unreachable. Yahiko and the others managed to break through thanks to comrades sacrificing themselves to cover the rear.
Otonashi didn't speak. The tree hole was also silent. Everyone held their breath, as if afraid to disturb his thoughts.
A mental map of the battlefield gradually formed. Hanzo was to the west, Rain ninjas to the south, Konoha ANBU to the east, and the rushing great river to the north.
It's true that ninjas can walk on water, but the rougher the waves, the higher the difficulty. How many people present could cross the river?
As for abandoning comrades? It would be better to let Nagato go dark than to become weak chickens from then on.
"We are indeed surrounded." He threw down the pencil, saw the pale faces, but smiled lightly: "But we still have a chance."
"Which way do we attack?"
Otonashi cast his gaze onto the table, tapping lightly: "East, attack the Konoha ANBU!"
He was, after all, a Konoha Jonin, and also one of the ANBU. What benefit was there in conspiring with Hanzo to kill Akatsuki? That would naturally be continuing the war.
Otonashi knew the Third Hokage's personality. This time, Konoha initiating peace talks must have been proposed by Sarutobi Hiruzen. Then the matter was simple. Who wanted the fight to continue?
Shimura Danzo!
He thought of the secret unit he had sensed within the ANBU. If he wasn't mistaken, that was Danzo's base of operations, 'Root'.
"Attack them!"
Otonashi made up his mind. Danzo's, or rather, the war hawk faction's personal actions absolutely couldn't be conducted openly. Therefore, his forces would be limited.
"Nagato, Konan, Kyūsuke, Daibutsu, you four form the rear guard, intercept the pursuing Hanzo. Remember, absolutely do not engage him in close combat."
"Understood." Although the thought of fighting the Demigod was somewhat frightening, there was no room for nonsense now.
"Everyone else, follow me." Otonashi deactivated his transformation, returning to the appearance with a conical hat and mask. Without further ado, he brandished his spear and charged first into the rain.
"Let's meet those bastards!"
Still a group operation, as if learning the lesson from another timeline where 'Akatsuki' liked to send members one by one. This made a certain masked man watching coldly from the sidelines frown tightly.
After observing for half the day, still couldn't find an opportunity to strike. It seemed possible to deal with that Pain, but if the Konoha ANBU attacked him along with Pain, it would be troublesome.
Damn it!
Heavy rain slapped wildly against his face. Otonashi led over a dozen people leaping through the forest, right hand tightly gripping the cross-shaped spear (Jūmonji yari).
Crimson eyes scanned all around. Upon leaping onto a certain tree, he stopped abruptly.
"Stop, disperse!"
After the two short syllables, the entire team instantly scattered like blooming chrysanthemums. Otonashi listened to the 'rumbling' sounds of battle behind him, knowing Nagato and the others had already engaged Hanzo, yet he still slowly crouched down.
Several barely perceptible steel wires were stretched across the trees, blocking various heights in upper, middle, and lower sections. No matter how one jumped, they would hit them.
'A composite trap of poison needles and explosive tags? Indeed, ANBU methods.'
He had stayed in ANBU for quite some time, after all, understanding this tactic was meant to inflict huge casualties on enemies in marching formation before launching a surprise attack. Countless enemy troops had been killed this way.
One hundred fifty meters ahead?
"Since you're with Danzo's group, don't blame me."
Forming seals with both hands, a white mist rose within the already rain-obscured vision. Visibility instantly dropped to within five meters.
Water Release: Hidden Mist Assassination Technique! (Kirigakure Ansatsu no Jutsu - adapted name, lit. Hidden Mist Technique)