Ryujin's calm, almost indifferent words struck the battlefield like a bolt of thunder—instant, explosive, and impossible to ignore.
For a brief moment, everything fell silent.
Then—
It erupted.
The Rain shinobi stared at him, disbelief and anger flashing across their faces as a single thought echoed through their minds.
This man… is far too arrogant.
And they weren't the only ones.
Even on Konoha's side, Jiraiya and Orochimaru felt the same shock ripple through them. They had seen pride. They had seen confidence. But this?
This was something else entirely.
Even Hiruzen Sarutobi—the strongest Hokage of Konoha—would never speak to Hanzo of the Salamander in such a tone.
And yet Ryujin stood there, calm and composed, utterly unmoved.
His words hadn't sounded like a challenge.
They sounded like a fact.
And that—
Was what truly ignited Hanzo's anger.
Originally, Hanzo had been in a good mood.
Capturing Jiraiya and Orochimaru alive meant leverage—valuable bargaining chips against Konoha. With them, he could extract resources, stall the war, and strengthen the Hidden Rain's position.
A perfect outcome.
One victory, multiple gains.
But now—
That calm voice.
That indifferent gaze.
That quiet, undeniable confidence—
Shattered his mood instantly.
"You have a death wish."
Hanzo's voice turned ice-cold. Beneath him, the massive salamander let out a furious roar, its killing intent surging in response to its master's anger.
Ryujin sighed softly, shaking his head as if slightly disappointed.
"Looks like talking is pointless."
The truth was—
He hadn't wanted to fight.
Not here.
Not now.
Because facing Hanzo meant one thing—
He would have to use the Mangekyō Sharingan.
And that came with a cost.
His eyes were not eternal.
Not yet.
Every use of that power chipped away at his vision, dragging him closer to darkness.
And his Mangekyō…
Was not ordinary.
It was abnormal.
Overwhelming.
Terrifying.
Which meant—
The backlash was even worse.
Some Mangekyō abilities could be used repeatedly.
Others demanded a heavy price.
The stronger the power—
The harsher the consequence.
If Hanzo had been willing to negotiate, Ryujin would have preferred to avoid using it entirely.
He needed that power—
For the future.
But in Hanzo's eyes—
In the eyes of every Rain shinobi—
Ryujin's restraint didn't look like caution.
It looked like contempt.
As if he were looking down on the so-called Demigod.
And that—
Was unforgivable.
"Arrogant brat!"
Hanzo roared, his killing intent exploding outward. In the next instant, he leapt forward, chain-sickle spinning violently in his grasp as he closed the distance in a blur.
His Body Flicker Technique was terrifyingly fast.
Before anyone could react—
He was already in front of Ryujin.
Chakra surged into the blade, a cold blue glow forming along its edge as the chain whipped forward, accelerating the strike to its absolute limit.
A slash so fast—
It was almost invisible.
"One Flash!"
Shhhk—!
The blade swept across Ryujin's waist.
The air itself split apart with a sharp, violent screech, followed by a thunderous boom as the ground cracked open beneath the force. A massive scar tore through the earth, rocks shattered, and trees in the distance were sliced cleanly in half before collapsing one after another.
Even shinobi standing dozens of meters away felt the lingering pressure of that strike.
This—
Was a killing blow.
Speed and power condensed into a single instant.
A technique capable of cleaving through anything in its path.
And yet—
When the strike passed—
Hanzo's eyes narrowed.
There was no resistance.
No impact.
No blood.
Ryujin—
Was no longer there.
Three steps.
That was all it took.
With a single light movement, he had already retreated, avoiding the attack entirely.
Clean.
Precise.
Perfect.
This wasn't luck.
This wasn't instinct.
This was—
Absolute control.
Hanzo's expression changed.
The doubt in his eyes solidified into certainty.
This man…
Had been hiding his strength from the very beginning.
It was absurd.
Unbelievable.
A shinobi who could already stand at Kage level—
Yet held the rank of a mere Chūnin?
Who would believe such a thing?
And yet—
The truth stood right before him.
Ryujin wasn't reckless.
He wasn't arrogant without reason.
He had the strength to stand against him.
Hanzo slowly raised his sickle, his gaze sharpening.
"…It seems I misjudged you."
"To reach this level at such an age…"
"Konoha truly produces monsters worth envying."
Silence.
Then—
An explosion of shock.
"What?!"
"Kage level?!"
"This guy?!"
"You're joking, right?!"
The battlefield descended into chaos.
Even Jiraiya's eyes widened as realization struck.
"…No wonder…"
"I knew something felt off about him."
"To think he's already surpassed me…"
Orochimaru's gaze gleamed with rare intensity, a trace of genuine admiration surfacing.
"Remarkable…"
"Even among prodigies… this is something else."
Shock spread like wildfire.
Because those words—
Came from Hanzo himself.
Which meant—
They were true.
A Kage-level shinobi.
At such a young age.
There was only one explanation.
A genius.
No—
A monster among monsters.
And the most terrifying part?
He belonged to Konoha.
Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Danzo Shimura.
The White Fang of Konoha.
And now—
Uchiha Ryujin.
Four Kage-level powerhouses.
Four.
What kind of force was Konoha becoming?
The Rain shinobi felt their confidence collapse.
Moments ago, victory had been within reach.
Now—
That certainty shattered completely.
This war…
Would be far more brutal than they had imagined.
No—
At this point, even hope itself was beginning to fade.
Far away, inside the guild's live stream—
No one spoke.
Not Eriri.
Not Utaha.
Not even Saeko.
Because what they were witnessing—
Had completely exceeded their understanding.