The white shockwave gradually dissipated.
Might Duy, who had been radiating energy like a Super Saiyan, had returned to his normal state.
The Seventh Gate of the Eight Gates Formation had taken an enormous toll on his body. After using the Daytime Tiger, he was completely drained of energy and no longer capable of fighting.
Unless he opened the Eighth Gate—the Gate of Death.
But that wasn't necessary to deal with Hanzō.
As the white shockwave fully disappeared, the battlefield came into view, now a scene of utter devastation.
Shattered rocks and rubble were scattered everywhere, devoid of life.
At the center of the destruction lay a massive crater, resembling the shape of a tiger's head.
Tsunade stepped forward, peering into the abyss. Soon, she spotted Hanzō.
He was still alive, but barely. His body was covered in blood, his face pale, and his breathing faint—utterly miserable.
Tsunade jumped into the crater and stood before him. "His name is Might Duy."
Upon hearing the name Might Duy, Hanzō's body involuntarily twitched.
He hadn't expected that an obscure ninja from the Leaf Village could deal him such a fatal blow.
If only he hadn't underestimated him earlier, perhaps he could have avoided this.
But now it was too late.
Hanzō saw Tsunade pull out a kunai. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but blood gushed out instead.
The kunai effortlessly slit his throat. He instinctively clutched his neck, but it was futile.
To ensure the job was done, Tsunade threw two more kunai, precisely striking his heart.
Only after confirming his death did Tsunade let out a sigh of relief.
She calculated silently—ten years had passed since the battle between the Sannin and Hanzō.
How things had changed.
Tsunade took a moment to reflect, then used chakra to lift Hanzō's corpse and tossed it out of the crater.
She leapt out and loudly declared, "Hanzō is dead!"
A heavy silence fell over the battlefield, broken only by the continuous sound of rain.
No one had anticipated that Hanzō, revered as a demi-god, would meet his end here.
"I… I really killed Hanzō?"
Might Duy collapsed onto the ground, sitting in disbelief.
Although his entire body was racked with pain and exhaustion, his spirit was exhilarated.
"Dead… he's really dead?"
Yahiko was in a daze.
Though the previous attack had been earth-shattering, he hadn't truly believed Hanzō would die.
After all, Hanzō's legend loomed too large.
Now, with Hanzō dead, Yahiko felt an indescribable sense of relief.
For so long, Hanzō had been a towering mountain over the Akatsuki, suffocating them with his presence.
"The Land of Rain will finally know peace!"
Nagato's voice trembled with excitement.
With Hanzō gone, the Hidden Rain Village would collapse, unable to resist the Akatsuki.
This was their chance to take over the Land of Rain and realize their ideals.
"Yes!"
Konan looked toward Tsunade, Hanekawa, and the others, then softly said, "We've won!"
The next moment, the Akatsuki members erupted in thunderous cheers, shaking the battlefield.
In stark contrast, the Hidden Rain ninjas were utterly demoralized.
Someone shouted, and they instinctively turned to flee in disarray, like scattered dogs with no direction.
"Should we pursue them?" Nagato asked, his expression tense.
"There's no need," Yahiko replied, shaking his head. "They're no longer a threat. Besides, not all of the Hidden Rain's ninjas were loyal to Hanzō."
"You mean to recruit them?" Nagato asked, surprised.
"Yes." Yahiko nodded. "After all, many of our Akatsuki members originally came from the Hidden Rain."
"Yahiko is right," Konan agreed.
"Fair enough," Nagato said, no longer objecting.
"You two, start organizing the cleanup of the battlefield," Yahiko said with renewed energy. "I'll go speak with the Leaf ninjas."
"Understood," Konan replied, immediately turning to gather people.
Nagato nodded silently.
Though he didn't particularly like the Leaf ninjas, he couldn't deny that their contribution had been pivotal in killing Hanzō.
Gratitude was owed to those who helped, just as vengeance was owed to those who harmed.
At least Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Hanekawa were different.
"Lady Tsunade," Yahiko said as he approached, his tone full of gratitude. "We couldn't have done this without the help of the Leaf Village. The Akatsuki will never forget this."
"It's nothing," Tsunade replied, her spirits high after avenging a ten-year-old grudge. She smiled and said, "After all, the Akatsuki and the Leaf Village are allies."
"Even so," Yahiko said modestly, "we've always relied on the Leaf Village's assistance as allies."
"No need for formalities," Tsunade said, waving her hand. "You have a lot to take care of now. Get to it."
"Lady Tsunade."
Yahiko hesitated for a few seconds before saying, "I humbly seek your guidance."
With Hanzō's death, the Hidden Rain Village was now a land without a ruler.
As Nagato had pointed out, the Akatsuki could take control smoothly and bring peace to the Land of Rain.
But what about the Leaf Village?
What were their intentions? Did they have ambitions toward the Land of Rain?
"You've truly grown into a capable leader," Tsunade remarked with a light smile as she glanced at him.
Being seen through so easily, Yahiko felt a bit awkward.
"A stable Land of Rain is more beneficial to the Leaf Village," Tsunade explained after some thought. "Focus on quelling the chaos and taking control of the Hidden Rain Village."
The Land of Rain, under Hanzō's reign, had been like a ticking time bomb for the Leaf Village.
No one could predict when it might explode, triggering another war like the Second Great Ninja War.
Now that Hanzō was replaced by the Akatsuki, the risk was significantly reduced.
Not only were Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan Jiraiya's students, but their personalities and ideals made it clear they wouldn't provoke wars.
Moreover, as allies, the Akatsuki could even offer assistance to the Leaf Village in times of need.
If the Leaf Village were to forcefully intervene in the Land of Rain, it would not only ruin their relationship with the Akatsuki but also provoke concern from the Sand and Stone Villages.
After all, the Land of Rain was situated at the junction of the Lands of Earth, Wind, and Fire—a strategically critical location.
"I understand," Yahiko sighed in relief and said, "Thank you, Lady Tsunade!"
Tsunade nodded and walked over to Hanekawa.
He was sitting on the ground resting, his blood-soaked body mixed with rainwater, making him look utterly disheveled.
Tsunade pursed her lips, her anger dissipating.
She squatted down, raised her hand, and flicked him on the forehead.
"Ouch! What was that for?" Hanekawa looked at her, confused.
He had been distracted by the system notification, so he didn't understand her gesture.
When the salamander died, Hanekawa had unexpectedly gained a new trait.
[B-Rank Talent: Rain God]
Condition to Unlock: Kill the salamander.
Effect: In rainy environments, Water Release techniques are 100% more powerful.
Although limited to rainy conditions, combined with his B-Rank talent "Water Release Special Jonin," which also increased Water Release power by 100%, his overall boost became 200%.
In the Land of Rain, his Water Release abilities would now be terrifying.
Even outside the Land of Rain, he could create rainy conditions using techniques like Sasuke Uchiha's Kirin.
That S-Rank Lightning Release technique required natural lightning, and Sasuke had devised a method to generate it artificially:
By using Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Jutsu, he rapidly heated the air, creating an updraft that formed cumulonimbus clouds, which then produced lightning.
Those clouds could also bring rain, perfectly meeting the rainy condition.
Though it might not always work seamlessly in battle, acquiring a new talent was already satisfying for Hanekawa.
"What do you think?" Tsunade glared at him.
"Look at yourself—what happened to you?"
"Oh, this? It's nothing," Hanekawa replied nonchalantly. "Fights like this, getting dirty is normal."
"Don't think I don't know what you did!" Tsunade said with a dissatisfied expression, though she reached out to wipe his face.
Hanekawa looked at her and couldn't help but smile.
The rain splashed on his face, adding a rugged charm to his appearance.
Tsunade's heart skipped a beat, but she quickly pinched him, saying, "Still smiling? Don't ever do something so reckless again!"
"Yes, Sensei!" Hanekawa replied earnestly, "I promise!"
His daring move this time was purely due to insufficient strength—or rather, lack of time to grow stronger.
Once he obtained the Yin Seal, Wood Release, Lightning Chakra Mode, or more advanced talents, such situations wouldn't arise.
"Still, you did an excellent job this time," Tsunade said softly as she gently touched his face.
"When we return, I'll have the old man reward you."
"You need to understand, that salamander was something even the Leaf Village struggled to deal with in the past."
Everyone knew that Hanzō's most terrifying weapon was his summoning beast, the salamander.
During the Second Great Ninja War, the Leaf Village had made numerous attempts to kill it, but at the cost of many lives, they had failed.
"Got it," Hanekawa said with a nod, blinking as he suddenly noticed something. "Sensei, wouldn't you like to wear a raincoat?"
"No need…" Tsunade instinctively looked down and immediately realized the issue.
In her concern for Hanekawa, she had stopped using chakra to repel the rain.
With Tsunade crouched halfway, her clothes were already soaked by the rain.
Her back was fine, as it was covered by the tea-green outer robe with the kanji for "Gamble" on it.
But the side facing Hanekawa was partially exposed, and the wet clothes clung to her, revealing outlines that were hard to ignore.
For once, Tsunade felt a rare sense of shyness.
She quickly covered Hanekawa's eyes, her tone annoyed yet flustered. "Close your eyes!"
"I wasn't looking," Hanekawa replied seriously, pulling out a raincoat.
He wasn't keen on letting anyone else notice her current state.
Fortunately, the Akatsuki members were busy clearing the battlefield.
Might Duy, having opened the Seventh Gate, was lying on the ground resting.
The only ones who could approach were Kurenai Yuhi and Rin Nohara, but they were occupied tending to the wounded.
Tsunade took the raincoat and put it on immediately.
She subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief but felt slightly flustered as she looked at Hanekawa again.
She couldn't help but feel that their relationship had subtly changed somehow.
"What should we do with Hanzō's body?" Hanekawa coughed lightly, shifting the topic.
"Bring it back to Konoha and hand it over to the Yamanaka clan," Tsunade replied after a moment, turning her gaze to Hanzō's corpse.
"He must know plenty of secrets."
"Sensei, killing Hanzō is going to shake the entire ninja world," Hanekawa said with a smile. "You might even get a title like 'God Slayer.'"
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Tsunade rolled her eyes. "It wasn't just me who killed Hanzō. Duy was the key."
"That's true," Hanekawa nodded slightly.
---
At the gates of the Hidden Rain Village.
Danzo Shimura stood in the rain, awaiting the outcome.
Although his expression remained calm, there was a faint trace of anxiety within.
He feared Hanzō might fail, though the likelihood seemed slim.
Danzo hadn't joined the battle personally. After all, too many eyes were watching.
If he showed up, it would expose his involvement in everything that had happened.
As for his Root operatives, he could easily shift the blame to Hanzō, claiming they were manipulated without his knowledge.
Just then, a figure approached from the distance.
Danzo's heart sank as he raised his head to see one of his Root members kneeling before him.
"Lord Danzo!"
The Root ninja knelt halfway and reported, "Hanzō is dead, and the Hidden Rain Village suffered a crushing defeat!"
"Wha—what?!"
Danzo instinctively stepped back, shocked. "Tsunade alone couldn't have killed Hanzō. Was it Nagato?"
He had met Nagato before and was aware of the boy's eyes, identical to the Rinnegan of the legendary Sage of Six Paths.
"No," the Root ninja replied solemnly. "It was Might Duy."
"What?"
Danzo's face filled with confusion. "Who's that?"
"Might Guy's father," the ninja explained. "A Genin."
"…?"
Danzo grabbed the ninja by the collar, enraged. "Are you mocking me?!"
"I wouldn't dare," the ninja responded hastily.
"He opened the Seventh Gate of the Eight Gates Technique."
"Someone actually mastered the Seventh Gate?"
Danzo's eyes widened in disbelief.
The Eight Gates Technique was documented in the Scroll of Seals as a forbidden jutsu.
Danzo had read it and even attempted to practice it but quickly abandoned the idea due to its difficulty.
The Root ninja remained silent, unable to provide further explanations.
"We're heading back to Konoha," Danzo said darkly, his face grim.
At this point, silencing witnesses was no longer an option.
His only choice was to shift the blame elsewhere.
He needed to reach Konoha and meet with Hiruzen Sarutobi before Tsunade returned, solidifying his narrative as fact.
Otherwise, he would face severe consequences.
Though his life wouldn't be in danger, Tsunade's personality would likely cause him significant losses.
---
Due to Hanzō's influence, all major ninja villages had spies stationed in the Hidden Rain Village.
When the defeated Rain ninja returned, word of Hanzō's death spread like wildfire, shocking everyone.
In an instant, every intelligence network began mobilizing in the Hidden Rain Village.
---
Konoha, Hokage's Office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at the darkening sky through the window. It was nearly dusk.
Just as he was about to leave for the day, a knock came at the door.
"Lord Hokage," an ANBU ninja entered, handing over a scroll. "An urgent report from the Land of Rain."
"Did Tsunade encounter Hanzō?"
Hiruzen quickly unsealed the scroll, only to freeze as he read its contents.
The message was brief: Hanzō has been killed by Tsunade and Might Duy.
His first reaction was disbelief.
But the ANBU wouldn't dare falsify such critical information.
Could it be true?
Hiruzen's hands trembled slightly as he held the scroll.
__
New entry: This Danzo Is Weird
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