Rain continued to fall.
Heavy.
Cold.
Relentless.
The battlefield—
Had already ended.
Jiraiya leaned against a tree, barely managing to keep himself upright. His breathing was uneven, his body battered, his chakra nearly exhausted.
"…As expected of Hanzo…"
"So strong…"
He tried to move.
Even a single step—
But his body refused.
Not because he couldn't fight.
But because he had been allowed to live.
The same applied to Orochimaru.
Severely wounded.
Unable to continue.
Yet—
Not dead.
This wasn't mercy.
It was control.
Hanzo had measured them.
And decided—
They were worth more alive.
High above, standing atop the massive salamander, Hanzo of the Salamander looked down upon the battlefield like a god surveying the aftermath of judgment.
"You've lost."
His voice was calm.
Heavy.
Absolute.
"You are worthy of praise."
"Students of Hiruzen Sarutobi… indeed."
His gaze lingered briefly, assessing them without emotion.
"If your chakra had not been exhausted…"
"I might have needed more time."
A short pause followed.
Then—
"This is where it ends."
"I will negotiate with Konoha."
"You will serve… as bargaining chips."
Jiraiya's hand slammed into the ground.
"WE CAN STILL FIGHT!!"
His voice roared with defiance.
But it lacked strength.
"Orochimaru—"
A weak voice stopped him.
Orochimaru shook his head slowly.
"…It's over."
There was no denial.
No illusion.
Only reality.
They had lost.
Completely.
Despair settled over the battlefield like a suffocating fog.
The remaining Konoha shinobi stood frozen, surrounded on all sides. Outnumbered. Outmatched. With no path left to escape.
Hanzo raised his hand.
"Capture them all."
"This war… is ours."
The Rain shinobi moved forward, smiles spreading across their faces as victory finally settled into their grasp. Chains were prepared. Weapons lowered just enough for capture.
Step by step—
They closed in.
And then—
A voice rang out.
Calm.
Indifferent.
"…Finished already?"
Everything stopped.
Every movement froze.
Every gaze turned.
There, at the very front of the battlefield, stood a single figure.
Dry.
Untouched.
Not a single wound marked his body.
Not even a trace of dirt stained his clothes.
Uchiha Ryujin.
He looked—
Completely out of place.
As if he did not belong to this battlefield at all.
Hanzo's brows furrowed slightly.
"You are?"
Ryujin did not answer.
Behind him, Jiraiya and Orochimaru suddenly realized something.
Something they had completely overlooked.
"…Wait…"
"…He never fought…?"
They had been too focused on survival.
Too focused on Hanzo.
They had never noticed—
Ryujin had never gone all out.
Not even once.
Inside the guild stream, no one dared to speak.
Saeko's voice came quietly.
"…He's being targeted."
Eriri clenched her fists.
"BOSS!! DESTROY HIM!!"
Utaha's gaze sharpened.
"…This is it."
Asuna hesitated.
"…He can win… right?"
Doubt.
Hope.
Fear.
Because what they had just witnessed—
Was overwhelming.
Hanzo was not someone who could be defeated easily.
Ryujin finally spoke.
"Uchiha Ryujin."
Hanzo's eyes narrowed.
"Uchiha…"
The name carried weight.
A clan feared across nations.
Now—
It made sense.
But it changed nothing.
Not here.
Not against him.
And yet—
Something felt wrong.
Hanzo's gaze sharpened as he studied the young man before him.
Too calm.
Too steady.
Too…
Certain.
This wasn't arrogance.
It was something else entirely.
Certainty.
Behind Ryujin, even the Uchiha elites remained still.
They didn't move to stop him.
Didn't speak.
Didn't interfere.
Jiraiya and Orochimaru looked at him—
And for the first time since the battle began—
There was something new in their eyes.
Hope.
"…Interesting."
Hanzo tightened his grip on his weapon.
"Do you think…"
"…you can defeat me?"
Ryujin moved.
Just one step forward.
That was all.
Yet—
No one dared to stop him.
Not Konoha.
Not the Uchiha.
Not even the enemy.
Because in that moment—
Everyone felt it.
That invisible pressure.
That silent dominance.
Ryujin lifted his gaze.
Meeting Hanzo's eyes directly.
And spoke—
Calmly.
Coldly.
As if stating a simple fact.
"Drop your weapon."
"I don't feel like killing you."
Silence.
Complete.
Absolute.
Hanzo: "…?"
Rain shinobi: "…"
Jiraiya: "…"
Orochimaru: "…What the hell…?"
For a moment—
No one could process what they had just heard.
Then—
Shock erupted across the battlefield.
Because no one—
In this entire war—
Had ever spoken to Hanzo like that.
Not even the Kage.
And yet—
This unknown young man—
Spoke as if he were passing judgment.
On a dead man.