Haruto Saito's words were incredibly reckless!
As long as Terado could still move, he remained an extremely dangerous threat to Haruto. A warrior of Terado's caliber, even when gravely injured, could still unleash terrifying combat strength if he disregarded his worsening wounds and fought desperately.
"You want to kill him?" Tsunade's voice rose sharply, filled with alarm. "Kid, don't act recklessly! Jiraiya and I can take him on together. You just need to be careful and stay out of the way. This guy might be seriously injured, but the fact that he took a direct hit from me and survived means we can't underestimate him!"
There were things Tsunade didn't say outright. In reality, she had sensed it—Terado wasn't just on par with her and Jiraiya. He was stronger. Otherwise, he wouldn't have survived the near-fatal counterattack they had set up!
"I think you've misunderstood me," Haruto said again. "What I mean is, if we manage to render him immobile during our assault, I'll be the one to finish him off. How about that?"
This was Terado!
Tsunade and Jiraiya had only heard of Terado but had never seen him in person, let alone knew what he truly looked like.
But Haruto knew. He could see the information!
If he killed Terado, what kind of card would drop? What kind of reward would he receive?!
How could Haruto not be tempted?
Although Haruto was fully aware that Terado was much stronger than Tsunade and Jiraiya, Terado looked utterly wretched at the moment. His aura was unstable, his injuries severe, and the outer robe he wore was completely shredded, hanging on him like tattered rags. His body was covered in wounds, blood seeping from numerous gashes.
No matter how powerful a ninja was, a serious injury would greatly diminish their strength!
Even if Terado was left with only twenty percent of his power and his injuries continued to worsen, Haruto still wouldn't be his match. But Tsunade and Jiraiya were here as well… Haruto just needed to create an opportunity to land the finishing blow on Terado!
"Kid, don't be reckless!" Tsunade warned again.
"Heh! Hehehe… Hahahahaha…" Terado, kneeling on one knee, suddenly let out a chilling laugh as he slowly stood up. As he spoke, his bloodstained teeth were visible, his voice hoarse and grating like metal scraping together. "You lot? Kill me? Tsunade… Jiraiya… and you, the little dark warrior… you think you can kill me? Hahahahaha…"
Terado seemed deranged!
But as he laughed, an incredibly terrifying aura erupted from his body. Violent currents of energy swirled around him. He raised his hand and suddenly tore apart what was left of his upper robe, ripping it to shreds!
His upper body, though lean, was covered in rippling muscles filled with raw power.
His torso was riddled with wounds, but the bleeding had already stopped. The damage was caused by Tsunade's earlier punch, the force dispersing throughout his body and causing his skin to crack open.
Now that his robe was gone, all three of them could see his face. Tsunade and Jiraiya, standing far apart, exchanged bewildered glances.
They didn't recognize him!
How could they not? A warrior of this caliber couldn't possibly be an unknown figure.
"His internal organs have shifted," Tsunade suddenly said. "He's forcing himself to maintain this aura—he might be bluffing!"
"Be on guard!" Jiraiya called out from near the cave entrance.
Tsunade clenched her left fist and gripped a kunai in her right hand.
Jiraiya raised his hands slightly, ready to form seals.
Both were observing Terado closely, but it seemed they wouldn't wait much longer. They were about to strike! The reason they hadn't attacked immediately was because a severely wounded warrior was the most dangerous—he would fight with reckless abandon, launching desperate counterattacks without concern for the consequences.
"Wait, wait! Hold on, don't attack yet!" Haruto suddenly shouted.
Tsunade and Jiraiya, focused on Terado's menacing aura, ignored Haruto.
Haruto truly felt the need to warn them. They assumed Terado was going to flee, but such underestimation could lead to disaster. Terado wasn't just any elite warrior—Haruto knew exactly who he was, which was why he remained so cautious.
"Wait! I remember now! This aura… I recognize it!" Haruto shouted again.
This time, not only did Tsunade and Jiraiya take notice, but even Terado turned his attention to him.
"You recognize him?" Tsunade asked urgently.
Knowing the identity of this mysterious warrior was crucial. If they knew who he was, they could anticipate his abilities and prepare accordingly.
"You know me?!" Terado sneered, baring his bloodstained teeth in a sinister grin.
Terado didn't expect to be recognized. The ninja world only whispered tales of his assassinations—his true face should have been unknown.
"This aura… I remember! I may have forgotten many things, but I still retain fragments of my past… This presence feels familiar… It seems like… seems like…" Haruto intentionally dragged out his words, making his statement sound plausible.
"Is he from the Hidden Rain Village? Did you remember who he is?" Tsunade pressed.
"Yes… yes… I remember… It seems like… He was always by Hanzo's side… Yes, yes, that's him! Terado-sama!"
"Terado?!"
"Terado?!"
Tsunade and Jiraiya were both shocked. The number one assassin of the Hidden Rain Village—it was him?!
Terado was equally surprised as he stared intently at Haruto. Suddenly, he seemed to realize something and hoarsely snarled, "It's you! You're from the Hidden Rain Village… You're that traitor! The one who defected after being captured by Konoha!"
Terado had figured it out!
Even though Haruto's original body had held a low status in the Hidden Rain Village and had never directly interacted with Terado, any ninja who defected from their village was always placed under special scrutiny. Terado remembered Haruto because he had seen a sketch of him before.
"Hey!" Haruto snapped. "Don't make it sound so bad! A traitor? I prefer to call it seeing the light and choosing the right path!"
"Terado?"
"Is he really Terado?!"
Tsunade and Jiraiya were still grappling with the revelation. This man was too infamous!
"It's me!" Terado confirmed before Haruto could say anything else. His gaze was ice-cold as he scanned the three of them, his hoarse voice dripping with malice. "Surprised? Not only did you survive my assassination attempt, but you even turned the tables on me. Are you thrilled?"
This wasn't thrilling.
It was terrifying!
"Be careful!" Tsunade barked. "Avoid close combat with him if possible. Stall him as long as you can—his injuries are worsening. As long as we ensure our own safety, he'll die on his own!"
Tsunade displayed immense caution.
"Hah!" Terado suddenly sneered. Clapping his hands together, his entire body erupted with an unusual chakra fluctuation. Strange black seals spread across his bare torso, forming a sinister pattern.
At that moment, Tsunade and Jiraiya lunged at him!
Terado blurred into an afterimage, rushing toward Jiraiya!
Haruto tightened his grip on the Mountain Slayer Blade, his eyes locked on the high-speed movement of Terado. He was ready. He was waiting for the perfect moment to strike—using the Black Flash technique to ambush Terado!
Kill him!
He had to kill him!