Naruto: Starting with Infinite Chakra-Chapter 193: Hanzō of the Salamander

Killing Jiraiya would bring far greater benefits than drawbacks.

Of course, doing so would plunge Amegakure into a dire crisis. The Land of Fire would retaliate with unrelenting fury. But even if they refrained from taking action against Jiraiya, the Land of Fire would not simply let Amegakure be.

There was no reason to hesitate.

Things couldn't possibly get worse than they already were.

As for the threat posed by the Land of Wind should they take the Tailed Beast, Hanzō wasn't the least bit intimidated. If they stripped away external factors and pitted the Land of Wind against the Land of Rain in a direct confrontation, the Land of Wind wouldn't have the ability to wipe Amegakure out so easily.

Killing Jiraiya now meant securing a Tailed Beast. While they wouldn't be able to control its power right away, simply possessing it would serve as a deterrent. An unsheathed blade, even if not yet wielded, commanded fear and respect.

"You all stay put. I will deal with Jiraiya personally," Hanzō ordered.

Jiraiya's attacks were too overwhelming. In all of Amegakure, only Hanzō himself could withstand them. Any other Ame-nin caught in the crossfire would be annihilated instantly.

In battles between Kage-level shinobi, lower-ranked ninja were irrelevant. The same had been true when Hiruzen Sarutobi fought Orochimaru—his elite Anbu could do nothing but watch. Against a shinobi of Jiraiya's caliber, ordinary ninja had no place.

"Please, my lord, be careful! If the situation turns against you, withdraw immediately. We must return to the village at all costs," one of the pro-peace Ame-nin pleaded, worried about what would happen if Hanzō fell.

They hadn't wanted Hanzō to fight Jiraiya at all. But now that he had made up his mind, there was no stopping him. All they could do was urge him to take care.

If Hanzō were to be injured or worse, Amegakure's future would be lost.

Both the war faction and the peace faction of Amegakure relied on him as their leader. He was the backbone of the entire nation. Without Hanzō, they would have no strength to resist the oppression of the great nations.

"Shut up! Lord Hanzō will crush Jiraiya with ease. There's no need to worry about setbacks," one of the pro-war Ame-nin retorted.

They had complete faith in Hanzō's victory. That was why they had always advocated for all-out war against the Land of Fire.

Hanzō ignored their bickering.

With a sudden burst of speed, he launched himself forward like a cannonball, streaking through the rain-swept battlefield toward Jiraiya.

Jiraiya, seeing Hanzō approach, grinned and charged forward to meet him.

"I've always wondered if the title of 'Demi-God of the Shinobi World' is just an empty boast," Jiraiya said, his voice laced with challenge.

The sharp sound of chains echoed through the rain.

Hanzō swung his weapon—a peculiar combination of an axe and a scythe, connected by a long iron chain. With a flick of his wrist, the chain shot toward Jiraiya.

Clang!

Sparks flew as metal struck metal. Jiraiya had deflected the attack with his Lightning Flame Blade, knocking the scythe away with a single stroke.

Hanzō surged his chakra into his weapon, gripping the chain tightly. The axe and scythe whirled through the air as he swung them in unison, slashing toward Jiraiya with deadly precision.

From the very first move, he attacked with lethal intent. His strikes created powerful shockwaves, distorting the air itself.

A single flash—a decisive strike that determined victory or defeat. In the shinobi world, this was the pinnacle of swordsmanship.

Though Hanzō's weapon was not a sword, his mastery of it made no difference. His technique was devastating all the same.

Jiraiya felt a sharp, prickling sensation on his skin—an instinctive warning of danger.

He took a deep breath, channeling chakra into his Lightning Flame Blade. With a simple motion, he swung the blade forward in a seemingly effortless slash.

It was a straightforward attack. No elaborate technique, no unnecessary movements. Just pure, concentrated power.

But the chakra within the Lightning Flame Blade roared to life. Energy surged and compressed within the blade before exploding outward, forming a massive, glowing arc of chakra.

The chakra blade stretched over ten meters in length.

Boom!

The clash sent shockwaves rippling across the battlefield. The impact was so intense that the earth trembled beneath them.

For a moment, the two forces struggled against each other. Then, Hanzō's axe and scythe were forced back. At the same time, Jiraiya's chakra blade began to dissipate, the energies canceling each other out.

Jiraiya's technique was not refined—it relied purely on raw chakra output.

"Lady Tsunade, should we assist Jiraiya? He just finished sealing Shukaku, and now he's facing Hanzō—it's too dangerous!" a Konoha shinobi asked urgently.

"That so-called Demi-God actually had to resort to a sneak attack?" another muttered bitterly, watching the battle unfold.

"No," Tsunade replied firmly. "This level of combat is beyond us. If we get too close, we'll just be throwing our lives away."

Despite her concern for Jiraiya's safety, she knew they couldn't interfere.

Hanzō retrieved his weapon, his expression unreadable.

"You will soon understand whether or not I am worthy of my title."

He formed a series of hand seals, and a surge of water chakra erupted around him, merging with the storm clouds above.

The already gloomy sky darkened further.

What had been a light drizzle turned into a torrential downpour.

Jiraiya's expression grew serious.

Hanzō wasn't just a master of poisons—he was also a formidable taijutsu user and a water-style specialist.

Rumor had it that his mastery of Water Release rivaled that of the Second Hokage.

Jiraiya couldn't say for certain whether that was true, but one thing was clear—Hanzō's Water Release was on an entirely different level.

The battle was only beginning.

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