Thirteen was transformed into a high-level boss, with a glowing circle appearing beneath his feet! However, only Haruto Saito could see it!
Haruto Saito charged back into the battlefield! He didn't coordinate with others and went straight for Thirteen! Wielding the Blade of Urgency in one hand and the Cursed Blade in the other, he unleashed both weapons simultaneously! Compared to his battle with Hattori Ryuya, his swordsmanship had improved significantly—he had absorbed most of Hattori Ryuya's abilities!
Thirteen was still cooperating with Hanzo. Attacking Thirteen meant giving Hanzo an opportunity! Hanzo crouched low, moving like a flash of lightning, bouncing twice within a breath's time, evading Tsunade's entanglement, and charging straight at Haruto Saito!
Haruto Saito swiftly retreated, refusing to engage Hanzo! Hanzo attempted to chase him down, but Tsunade and Hattori Ryuya immediately engaged him in close combat!
Seizing the moment, Haruto Saito swung both hands, releasing hundreds of Flying Thunder God kunai, showering the battlefield like a rainstorm! He then vanished, reappearing in front of Thirteen, unleashing a ferocious blade strike!
"Hundred-Two: Heavy Cannon Slash!" It was that technique again, a forbidden jutsu capable of harming himself, but Haruto Saito didn't care!
"Scattered Blade: Heavy Ruler!" Thirteen swung his scythe, countering with his own blade technique!
BOOM—
A thunderous explosion erupted!
A terrifying shockwave sent Thirteen flying, while Haruto Saito was also blasted back! His black robe shattered, exposing numerous wounds across his body… Thirteen's technique was unique—the dispersed blade energy had wounded Haruto Saito!
Of course, Thirteen was also injured!
Unlike Hanzo, he wasn't durable enough to withstand such an impact without internal injuries!
Thirteen was sent flying over a hundred meters!
Before he could land, Haruto Saito vanished mid-air and reappeared ten meters behind Hanzo—but he didn't attack Hanzo. Instead, he swiftly formed hand seals.
"Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!"
An enhanced Great Waterfall Technique!
A massive surge of water descended from the sky, forming a terrifying flood! Though the main target was Thirteen, the technique's immense range affected everyone indiscriminately!
Of course, Thirteen was at the center of the attack!
The others were merely caught in the spread. Given their strength, they wouldn't suffer injuries, but they were thrown into temporary chaos!
"You little bastard!" Tsunade cursed!
Haruto Saito's sudden large-scale attack caught everyone off guard. All the ninjas present had been restraining themselves from using such wide-area jutsu—even Hanzo himself avoided them whenever possible!
BOOM! BOOM! RUMBLE—
The flood surged, sweeping across the battlefield! Some leaped into the air, others retreated with the current, and some used secret techniques to negate the impact. No one was seriously hurt, but the entire battlefield was suddenly scattered!
Thirteen disappeared at the first sign of the attack! As the flood spread, he reappeared in midair.
Haruto Saito, having completed his technique, used samurai Instant Step to appear right in front of Thirteen!
With both blades drawn, he attacked like a madman, fighting recklessly against Thirteen, even deliberately exposing openings to trade injuries! The two clashed from the sky down to the water's surface. Thirteen's swordsmanship was undoubtedly passed down from Hanzo—sharp and precise! And his scythe, being a special weapon, made things even harder for Haruto Saito!
The flood finally settled, leaving the area entirely submerged in water!
Hanzo steadied himself, quickly scanning the battlefield before vanishing into a blur, charging straight at Haruto Saito!
He aimed to strike Haruto Saito down and assist Thirteen! Not because he feared Thirteen would die, but because their cooperation was the key to maintaining his advantage!
"Stop him!!" Haruto Saito roared!
The moment his voice fell, a figure flickered like a phantom, crossing a hundred meters instantly and blocking Hanzo!
Hattori Ryuya!
He had used his body-damaging samurai Instant Step! As Haruto Saito's puppet, he didn't need to think—he executed commands without hesitation! His obedience allowed him to intercept Hanzo immediately, engaging him in combat alone!
Even as powerful as Hanzo was, he couldn't defeat Hattori Ryuya in just a few seconds!
A few seconds later…
Tsunade, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Kakuzu all closed in! Five against one! Hanzo was now surrounded!
The main reason was Hattori Ryuya. Hanzo could normally escape with his own instant movement techniques or brute force, but every time he tried, Hattori Ryuya kept up with him!
Hattori Ryuya was recklessly spamming his Instant Step!
All because of Haruto Saito's command!
"Hey! Take this seriously, give me five minutes! I just need five minutes! Don't let Hanzo come near me!" Haruto Saito yelled, speaking quickly before suddenly slowing down. "I need five minutes—to kill this guy!"
Haruto Saito had gone mad!
At least, that's what the others thought!
A lunatic's declaration!
Five minutes to kill Thirteen? If Haruto Saito truly had that strength, he could fight Hanzo head-on, and this battle wouldn't have been so difficult!
Under normal circumstances, a rational person wouldn't say something so ridiculous!
Which is why…
Tsunade suspected Haruto Saito had lost his mind!
Hanzo, however, was more cautious than anyone—his heart clenched. He never underestimated geniuses, and he knew Haruto Saito was an extremely unpredictable ninja! Too many impossible things had happened around him!
Hanzo wanted to support Thirteen!
But Hattori Ryuya was relentless! Tsunade was no pushover! Orochimaru spammed his secret techniques, Jiraiya struck at every opening, and Kakuzu had already activated his Earth Grudge Fear technique…
Hanzo was now at a disadvantage!
"Damn it!" Hanzo suddenly roared, his body flickering repeatedly. He continuously used his instant movement forbidden technique—but instead of approaching Haruto Saito, he retreated to a nearby high ground, slashed his palm, and quickly completed a summoning jutsu!
His palm slammed onto the ground!
"Summoning…"
POOF!
A massive explosion of smoke!
A monstrous creature emerged beneath Hanzo—a grotesque, mountain-sized salamander!
Hanzo was called the "Demi-God," but he was also known as "Salamander Hanzo." His title came from his summon!
The Giant Salamander was an integral part of Hanzo's power!
By summoning it, Hanzo signaled that he was going all out!
At this point, Tsunade and the others weren't as strong as they would be in the future. Their lack of powerful summons put them at a disadvantage, while Hanzo's strength was deeply tied to his Giant Salamander—just like how Hiruzen Sarutobi relied on Enma in battle!
The Giant Salamander's most troublesome ability was its ability to burrow underground, making it impossible to predict its movements!
But its deadliest weapon was its poisonous mist—a toxin so potent that even Hanzo, who had built immunity to it, would still be affected!
However, the Giant Salamander needed five minutes to prepare the poison mist attack!
"Stop him! You must stop him!!" Haruto Saito shouted desperately!
He had to finish off Thirteen within five minutes—otherwise, it would be too late! The Giant Salamander's poison mist covered an enormous range, making it impossible to escape once unleashed!