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, their minds echoing with a single thought: this man… is way 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 acknowledged strongest Hokage of Konoha, would never dare speak to Hanzo of the Salamander in such a tone.
Yet Ryujin stood there—calm, composed, utterly unfazed. His voice didn't sound like a question. It sounded like a statement of 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, buy time for the Hidden Rain, and strengthen his position.
A perfect outcome.
A single victory with multiple gains.
But now—
This sudden appearance, this calm and disdainful 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, as if mirroring its master's rage.
Ryujin sighed softly, shaking his head with faint disappointment.
"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 price.
His eyes weren't eternal.
Not yet.
Every use of that power chipped away at his vision, dragging him one step 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 multiple times.
Others?
Severely limited.
Take Kotoamatsukami, for example—a technique so powerful it demanded an immense cooldown. The stronger the ability, the heavier the price.
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 mockery.
Like he was looking down on the so-called Demigod.
And that—
Was unforgivable.
"Arrogant brat!"
Hanzo roared, his killing intent surging. In an instant, he leapt from the salamander, chain-sickle spinning violently in his grasp as he charged forward.
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 light blooming along its edge. The chain whipped through the air, accelerating the sickle into a blur.
A strike so fast—
It was almost invisible.
"One Flash!"
Shhhk—!
The blade swept across Ryujin's waist. The air itself was torn apart with a sharp, violent screech, followed by a thunderous boom as the ground split open. A massive scar carved through the earth, rocks shattered, and trees in the distance were severed cleanly, collapsing in unison.
Even shinobi dozens of meters away felt the cutting pressure lingering in the air.
This strike—
Was powerful enough to cleave through anything.
A signature technique.
A single, decisive blow.
Speed and power condensed into one lethal instant.
Even the elite samurai of the Land of Iron might struggle to match such a strike.
And yet—
After the attack passed—
Hanzo's eyes narrowed.
There was no resistance.
No sensation of impact.
Ryujin—
Was gone.
Three steps back.
That was all it took.
With a light tap of his foot, he had already retreated, effortlessly evading the strike.
Clean.
Precise.
Perfectly calculated.
Not luck.
Not chance.
This was control.
Absolute control.
Hanzo's expression grew serious.
The suspicion in his heart solidified into certainty.
This man…
Had been hiding his true strength all along.
It was absurd.
Unbelievable.
A shinobi who might already stand at Kage level—
Yet held nothing more than the rank of a mere Chūnin?
Who would believe such nonsense?
And yet—
The truth stood right before him.
Ryujin wasn't reckless.
He wasn't arrogant without reason.
He had the power to stand against him.
Hanzo 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 entire battlefield fell into chaos.
Even Jiraiya's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Ryujin.
"…No wonder… I knew something felt off about him."
"To think he's already surpassed me…"
Orochimaru's gaze gleamed with intense interest, a rare trace of genuine admiration surfacing.
"Remarkable…"
"Even among prodigies… this is something else."
Around them, 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 no explanation—
Other than genius.
A monster among monsters.
And the most terrifying part?
He belonged to Konoha.
Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Danzo Shimura.
The rising legend—the White Fang of Konoha.
And now—Ryujin.
Four Kage-level powerhouses.
Four.
What kind of monstrous force was Konoha becoming?
The Rain shinobi felt their confidence collapse instantly.
Moments ago, victory had seemed within reach.
Now—
The tide had turned completely.
This war…
Would be far more brutal than expected.
No—
At this point, even the hope of victory was beginning to fade.
Far away, within the guild's live broadcast, the watching members fell into stunned silence.
What they were witnessing—
Had completely exceeded their expectations.
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