"Brother Youmu."
Konan's voice was uncertain, but her sharp mind was already piecing things together.
Earlier, Saigoji Youmu had warned that something was wrong on the battlefield.
Now, the ground was collapsing, swallowing Konoha's forces—yet their reactions remained calm.
Konan turned to him.
"How did you know this would happen?"
Saigoji Youmu didn't answer immediately. Instead, he bent his knees and placed a hand on the ground.
"I'll explain later."
His eyes remained fixed on the battlefield below.
At the heart of the battle, Hanzo stood before Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru, his presence unwavering.
Jiraiya glared.
"Hanzo!"
The shinobi demigod remained unfazed.
"So young." He shook his head. "Do you think war is a child's game?"
Jiraiya tensed, his fists clenching.
"You—!"
He was ready to charge, but—
"Don't be reckless, Jiraiya!"
Tsunade's hand caught his arm, stopping him.
Orochimaru, standing beside them, spoke calmly.
"With Youmu here, we have nothing to fear."
Jiraiya's anger stalled.
"What...?"
He looked between Tsunade and Orochimaru. They weren't afraid. They were... waiting.
Then it hit him.
A slow grin crept onto his face.
Hanzo, however, was frowning.
Something was wrong.
Konoha's forces should be devastated right now. Their reactions should be panic and despair.
But they weren't.
His eyes narrowed.
"Could Konoha have a backup plan?"
A feeling of unease crawled up his spine.
Back at the Konoha camp—
BOOM!
The ground gave way beneath dozens of shinobi.
"AHH!"
They braced for the inevitable impact.
But it never came.
Instead, a sudden chill filled the air.
"Huh?"
The falling shinobi looked down—
The pits were filled with ice.
Their descent was halted.
More collapses followed—but in every instance, ice formed at the last second, saving the troops.
The damage to Konoha's army was minimal.
Hanzo's pupils contracted in shock.
"What?!"
He hadn't accounted for this.
"Hahaha! Good job, kid!"
Jiraiya laughed, triumphant.
Tsunade's lips curled into a smirk.
"You miscalculated, Hanzo."
For the first time in the battle, Hanzo felt uncertainty.
His voice remained composed.
"Who is responsible for this?"
Inside, his thoughts raced.
"Ice Release... This level of control… Could it be the Yuki Clan? No—Shui Wu Yue? But they belong to Kirigakure..."
His mind was already constructing potential alliances.
But Jiraiya simply grinned.
"Does it matter?"
With a swift set of hand seals, he took a deep breath.
"Fire Style: Big Flame Bomb!"
BOOM!
A massive fireball roared toward Hanzo and his black salamander.
The battle resumed.
Kunai flew.
Ninjutsu clashed.
Explosions rippled across the battlefield.
Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru fought with everything they had.
But Hanzo remained unyielding.
Minutes passed like hours.
Finally—
Both sides broke apart, panting.
"Haa… haa…"
The Sannin were exhausted.
But Hanzo… stood as if untouched.
Tsunade bit her lip.
"Damn it."
Hanzo slowly exhaled.
"You three… have earned my respect."
His voice was calm, but there was a weight behind his words.
"You are still young. But to fight me to this extent at your age… That is worthy of praise."
His next words stunned them.
"Konoha has won this war."
Silence.
Then—
"What?!" Jiraiya's voice was sharp.
Hanzo's expression remained impassive.
"I will let you live."
Jiraiya's fists clenched.
"We don't need your pity!"
He stepped forward, but—
"Enough, Jiraiya!"
Tsunade's voice cut through his rage.
She looked at Hanzo with narrowed eyes.
"You're not giving up out of mercy."
Hanzo's lips curved slightly.
"Sharp, as expected."
He turned his back to them.
"This war is over. But we will meet again, Sannin of Konoha."
With that—
Hanzo and his forces vanished into the mist.
The battle was over.