Naruto: I Became a Sword Saint in Konoha

At that moment, Hanzō's expression remained cold and unreadable as he looked at the four Konoha shinobi before him.

"You brats from the Leaf are surprisingly persistent. I'll admit, you're more impressive than the so-called geniuses from the other two villages. But if you're still planning to throw your lives away, don't expect any mercy from me."

"Throw our lives away? You really think that was our full strength?"

As he spoke, Hoshiyomi activated the Body Flicker Technique, vanishing in an instant and reappearing atop Lobo's head.

"You're underestimating the four of us way too much."

Looking at the three others, similarly standing atop their summoned beasts, Hoshiyomi continued, "I admit you did push us into a difficult spot just now, but that was merely because you caught us off guard and launched the first attack. The second round has only just begun."

Hanzō narrowed his eyes at Hoshiyomi's half-smiling face. A sense of unease flickered in his heart. Still, with the battle already underway, there was no turning back.

"Arrogant little fools. If you have any tricks left, you'd best use them now. I'll show you that the title 'Demi-God of the Hidden Rain' is no empty boast."

"We'll see soon enough."

With that, Hoshiyomi patted Robber's neck. The massive wolf let out a high-pitched howl and charged at Ibuse, the giant salamander beneath Hanzō.

Behind them, Jiraiya and the others ordered their own summons—Gamabunta, Manda, and Katsuyu—to follow Lobo into the offensive. Four colossal beasts began to move in unison, their sheer force shaking the heavens and the earth.

From afar, shinobi on both sides of the battlefield felt the tremors and paused mid-fight, looking toward the source of the disturbance.

Though Hanzō remained composed on the surface, he felt a pang of concern as he watched the four monstrous beasts barreling toward him. He was certainly stronger than Hoshiyomi and the others—but the same couldn't necessarily be said for Ibuse.

Ibuse's strengths lay in poison mist and burrowing; its offensive capabilities were otherwise quite limited.

Seeing the oncoming onslaught, Hanzō quickly gave a command: "Ibuse—Mud Bullet Technique!"

Ibuse heard the command and opened its large mouth, rapidly spitting out four massive mud bullets. If struck by this viscous sludge, their speed would undoubtedly be affected.

Lobo's eyes narrowed. As he ran, he ducked low and twisted his body, nimbly dodging the incoming mud bullet.

The others weren't quite as agile. Manda twisted its long, serpentine body to avoid the attack, but both Gamabunta and Katsuyu were struck, slowing their advance.

Lobo reached the enemy first. With a swipe of his wind chakra–enhanced claws, he slashed across Ibuse's slippery skin.

Although the salamander's slick surface minimized the damage, Lobo still managed to leave a deep gash that caused Ibuse to thrash in pain.

Meanwhile, their human partners had launched a new round of combat atop their summons' heads.

Hanzō's sickle clashed violently with Hoshiyomi's Mikazuki Munechika sending a spray of sparks into the air.

The sight startled Hanzō. Sparks from a weapon clash weren't a good sign; they weren't born from nothing. Sparks meant fragments—microscopic bits of metal sheared off during impact. That kind of friction came only from high-speed, high-force collisions.

It also meant that at least one of their weapons was beginning to wear down.

Hanzō quickly glanced at his sickle and, just as he feared, spotted a small chip in the blade.

A flicker of regret crossed his face. This sickle probably wouldn't last until the battle ended.

He had to finish this before his weapon gave out.

With that thought, Hanzō suddenly released his grip, letting Hoshiyomi knock the sickle upward. As he sidestepped Hoshiyomi's slash, he tugged hard on the chain connected to the weapon, pulling it back like a whip.

The sickle came hurtling down from above, aiming for the back of Hoshiyomi's head—a move that had felled many a strong opponent over Hanzō's long career.

But this time, it missed.

Orochimaru had arrived, riding atop Manda. With a sweep of the serpent's tail, the giant sickle was sent flying off-course.

Unlike in the original timeline, this version of Manda was no longer rebellious. After some careful "training" following advice from Hoshiyomi, Manda had been thoroughly tamed. Now fully obedient to Orochimaru, he no longer bartered or dragged his heels in battle.

With his weapon knocked away, Hanzō was forced onto the defensive. Seeing Hoshiyomi twist his wrist, preparing to turn a downward slash into a horizontal one, Hanzō had no choice but to activate his Body Flicker Technique.

To maintain speed, he couldn't bring Ibuse along. Instead, he ordered the salamander to burrow underground.

Lobo lunged, jaws wide, aiming to clamp down—only for his fangs to bite air as Ibuse vanished beneath the ground.

But just then, a sharp voice rang out from above:

"Where do you think you're going?!"

It was none other than Tsunade. Realizing that Katsuyu's slowed pace couldn't keep up with the others, she'd ordered the slug to hurl her into the air.

Mid-flight, Tsunade began gathering chakra, focusing more than thirty percent of it into her right leg. Without holding back in the slightest, she plunged downward at terrifying speed.

Heavenly Foot of Pain!

Her foot smashed into the ground with a thunderous boom. Cracks spread across the earth like spiderwebs, and a massive cloud of dust exploded into the air. Even Lobo, who was some distance away, shuddered from the shockwave and nearly flung Hoshiyomi off his back.

When the dust cleared, a huge crater several dozen meters wide had formed. Tsunade lay exhausted at the bottom, her right leg visibly fractured from the counterforce.

Lying next to her was Ibuse—severely injured and coughing blood. Still burrowed beneath the surface, the salamander had taken the full brunt of Tsunade's monstrous strength and was now on the brink of death.

Hanzō didn't even wait to complete a seal. Fearing for Ibuse's life, he dispelled the summoning contract on the spot, and the creature vanished in a puff of smoke.

As he stood above, staring at the chipped sickle in his hand and the empty space where Ibuse once was, Hanzō's face grew darker than ever. He activated the Body Flicker again, aiming to teleport into the crater and kill the incapacitated Tsunade.

But before he could move—

A flicker of green light flared before him.

Still midair, Hanzō caught the flash in his peripheral vision—and broke into a cold sweat.

It was Hoshiyomi. His entire body was glowing with chakra, and the Mikazuki Munechika in his hands radiated the same energy.

In the cover of the dust cloud, Hoshiyomi had opened the Sixth Gate of the Eight Gates—Gate of View (Gate of Joy).

He'd been waiting for this moment. Normally, even with the Sixth Gate open, it would have been difficult for Hoshiyomi to accurately predict Hanzō's next move.

But not this time.

Tsunade's injury left only one obvious target, and Hoshiyomi had positioned himself perfectly for an intercept.

As Hanzō unwittingly flew straight into his trap, Hoshiyomi unleashed his ultimate technique without hesitation.

Secret Art: Nine-Headed Dragon Flash!