In the southern part of Rain Country, a deep, secluded forest.
A tremendous explosion shattered the tranquility, followed by earth-shattering battle cries, startling birds and beasts into a frantic escape.
"Swish, swish, swish!"
Countless figures darted back and forth through the trees, as a myriad of shuriken and senbon needles "xiū xiū xiū" tore through the air, interweaving amidst the pattering rain, occasionally punctuated by muffled groans, with sporadic splashes of blood staining the rain-soaked scene.
The torrential rain relentlessly washed away the crimson stains, seeping them into the soil.
Just then, a gray figure pierced through the rain, traversing the crowd at an unimaginable speed, its body flashing with wū jīn-colored sharp light. Each time it passed, a life was reaped.
Such a formidable reaper naturally attracted the attention of others.
The wind howled as three figures clad in black robes emerged from the thicket, intercepting the reaper with equal speed. They raised their slender arms, and a sword, axe, and hammer assailed from different angles!
"Clatter, clatter, clatter..."
As they raised their hands, their joints began to twist into bizarre angles, accompanied by the mechanical whirring of gears. Cold, merciless blades slashed down, severing the reaper's strikes.
With a "clang," sparks flew in all directions.
The reaper coldly grunted. Only then did the crowd realize that the weapon in his hand was a scythe entwined with a long chain, exuding a chilling aura.
Two of the black-robed figures simultaneously opened their mouths, unleashing a torrential downpour of poison needles, forcing the reaper to retreat.
The reaper performed three consecutive backflips, creating distance. Beneath the gas mask, a pair of sharp eyes scanned the approaching figures.
His gaze passed over the black-robed figures—merely three puppets—and pierced through the dense rainforest, locking onto a petite, middle-aged woman.
The woman moved with nimble steps, directly emerging from the shadows. She gently raised her hand, and the three black-robed puppets slowly levitated, flanking her on either side.
"Chiyo, as a Puppet Master, hiding in the shadows is the best choice," the reaper slowly spoke, his voice deep and cold.
"Hmph, would you have me sit idly by while my subordinates are killed off one by one by you? Hanzo!" the woman coldly retorted.
Hanzo shook his scythe, the chain rattling. "Your Sand Ninja act recklessly, invading my country's territory. Even in death, they deserve it."
Chiyo remained unmoved, her words sharp. "The law of the jungle prevails, it is the law of the Shinobi World. Rain Country is rich in water resources, what harm is there in ceding a portion to us?"
"So, the law of the jungle! Is that the reason you turtled during the Second Shinobi World War?" Hanzo narrowed his eyes slightly. "You and I both know how undeserving Hidden Sand Village is of its status among the five great shinobi villages."
Chiyo's face darkened, and the black-robed puppets behind her vibrated in unison, emitting a "creak, creak" sound. "I must say, as the leader of Hidden Rain Village, your tone is quite arrogant, but! No matter how pathetic the Sand Ninja you speak of may be, it's more than enough to deal with you upstarts!"
"Are you joking?" Hanzo's voice contained undisguised mockery. "Since I formally declared war, I've already eliminated dozens of your bases. Before long, you and your band of stragglers will be driven out of Rain Country."
He tilted his head slightly, his breathing behind the mask rough and heavy. "Perhaps, on a whim, I might even invade the Land of Wind."
Hearing these provocative words, Chiyo laughed instead of getting angry: "Invade our Land of Wind? Are you really that capable? Aren't you afraid that your allies will take advantage of your army leaving the country, and suddenly launch an attack to destroy Hidden Rain Village?"
Hanzo fell silent, his face behind the mask shifting uncertainly.
"Do you really think those Hidden Leaf Village guys are good people? They are just a bunch of thugs who claim to be righteous, using the guise of peace to invade everywhere. Their essence is no different from ours!"
Chiyo's voice gradually rose: "Completely entrusting the western battlefield to Hidden Leaf Village, and completely trusting them to resist the Stone Ninja, is the most wrong decision you've ever made!"
Hanzo's voice turned cold, "Chiyo, it seems that you only learned Puppet Technique from your Master, and nothing else."
"What?"
"Hmph, don't you even understand the simplest tactics? At times like these, the more you try to sow discord and attack the mind, the more it shows... that your Hidden Sand Village is about to collapse!"
As soon as he finished speaking, his foot stomped on the ground, and the puddle rippled outwards. His entire being transformed into a streak of afterimages, violently shattering the rain curtain as he charged towards Chiyo, the chilling scythe raised high!
May of Hidden Leaf Year 37, Hanzo officially joined the battlefield, declaring the official start of the Second Shinobi World War.
Unlike the chaotic free-for-all that Primitive Space was, the Hidden Sand Village and the Hidden Stone Village had formed an alliance, simultaneously launching invasions into the Rain Country from the south and west respectively, attempting to disperse the Rain Ninja's forces. Their goal was to quickly sweep across the Rain Country's territory, establish military bases, and prepare for future plans.
However, with the Hidden Leaf's assistance, the Stone Ninja forces that had entered the country were quickly intercepted in the western part of the Rain Country, and Hanzo was able to divert his energy, concentrating all his firepower to target the Sand Ninja.
The four sides split into two major battlefields in the west and south, with over a dozen smaller battlefields carved out around them. Each side sent out elites, with various reconnaissance units, combat units, and decapitation units emerging one after another. After months of fierce fighting, the Land of Wind alliance gradually faltered, and the scales of victory seemed to be tilting towards the Land of Fire and the Rain Country...
"Iai Slash!"
A faint, slender ray of light cut through the rain, splitting three puppets in half along with it. Black robes tore, and parts scattered.
Chiyo abruptly lowered her body, dodging the slash with a pounding heart. This Iai Slash was truly fast to the extreme. If the target hadn't been her puppet, she probably would have died on the spot.
But if Hanzo had chosen to kill her, he would have been struck in a vital spot by the puppet, completely trading life for life.
It seemed that the opponent was not only powerful but also extremely cautious. In her mind, Hanzo's level of danger rose another notch.
Thoughts raced through her mind, but Chiyo's movements didn't hesitate. While dodging the blade, she waved her sleeve, and three Kunai shot out in a "pǐn" shape, piercing the air and heading straight for Hanzo's eyes and brow.
Hanzo's scythe was already out, and there was no chance to retract it at this moment, but there wasn't the slightest panic on his face. Instead, he tugged with both hands, using the taut chain to block in front of him.
"Clang clang clang!"
Sparks flashed, and the Kunai were all deflected.
"Soul-Reaping Chain Scythe · Second Strike!"
Hanzo took advantage of the situation to swing the scythe, slashing down fiercely at Chiyo's crown. That wide-open stance was very much like a fisherman casting a net, the blade flashing, a fleeting glimpse!
However, just as Chiyo was about to be split in half, the scythe stopped strangely above her head, its momentum instantly reduced to zero.
Hanzo was surprised. An invisible force was wrestling with him, causing even the chain to tremble.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out that his weapon had been tightly entangled by several chakra threads as thin as ox hair. The source of the threads was Chiyo's hands!
"Could it be the Kunai from just now?" He immediately guessed the reason.
Puppet Technique · Manipulating Throwing Blades, using threads to manipulate Kunai to shoot at the enemy. If the first strike missed, she could still take advantage of the Kunai's impact to attach the threads to the enemy's body, making it impossible to defend against. It was Chiyo's specialty as a Puppet Master.
"Puppet Performance · Flowing Assault Severance!" Chiyo brought her five fingers together, and a blue light flashed in her hands. Then, she suddenly pulled, and five imperceptible threads instantly cut through the air, cutting through Hanzo's neck without any resistance, as easily as cutting through tofu.
But Hanzo's head didn't fall to the ground. What entered Chiyo's eyes was a pool of spilled water. Dozens of meters away, the water flow converged, instantly condensing into Hanzo's body.
"This is... Water Body Flicker Technique!!"
Hanzo didn't hesitate, a cold glint surging in his eyes, "At this distance..."
The moment he landed, he formed hand seals with both hands and slammed a palm on the ground, "Fire Release · Exploding Flame Formation!"
Chiyo was slightly stunned. The ground beneath her feet suddenly wriggled, and the mud mixed with rainwater quickly swallowed her feet.
When it spread to her calves, she suddenly realized that it wasn't mud at all, but rather, burning Exploding Tags!
"Boom!!!"
A blaze of fire suddenly appeared, accompanied by a loud bang, and a whirlwind tore through the rain.
The scorched black smoke gradually dissipated, revealing the scene within.
Chiyo had not lost her legs, nor had she been blown to pieces. On the contrary, she was entirely enveloped in a rich, blue halo.
"Puppet Technique: Mech Light Shield Seal."
Her legs had begun to transform before the explosion arrived, her skin cracking, bearings turning, and rapidly gathering outward to form a shield, supporting a Chakra light shield.
"Hanzo, you really are not simple..."
However, before she could breathe a sigh of relief, a deep, sonorous shout came from Hanzo's position.
"Summoning Technique!!!"
White smoke billowed and dispersed, and a giant salamander with a dark gray body stood proudly on the battlefield!
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