"Oh? And why do you say that?" Orochimaru turned to Tsunade with a half-smile, a glint of amusement in his eyes.
"Because I've also been holding back," Tsunade said calmly.
"During the earlier battle, I noticed your strength and speed had increased by nearly twenty percent. Your healing ability is almost on par with mine. Just a couple of weeks ago, you weren't anywhere near this level. Your body might fool others—but not me. I'm a medic. This kind of sudden improvement in such a short time... You must be one too."
"So you noticed," Orochimaru replied. "You're the same, aren't you? That scabbard weapon of yours… doesn't look like something from this world."
"Likewise," Tsunade said with a faint chuckle.
Their rapid exchange of cryptic remarks—one line at a time—felt more like a riddle contest. Any outsider listening would be left utterly confused.
What do they mean by "not from this world"? What this and that?
Of everyone present, only Nawaki—watching this through the mind screen—understood what they meant.
Recognizing one another as Reincarnators wasn't unusual. After all, the most defining trait of a Reincarnator was the sudden, explosive growth in power—completely unnatural by this world's standards.
Listening to Tsunade and Orochimaru's conversation, Hanzo instinctively sensed that something was wrong.
By now, the exchange between Tsunade and Orochimaru had concluded.
"What about Jiraiya?" Tsunade asked.
"He doesn't seem to be one. Oh, and you're not afraid of poison, are you?"
"Without blood, how could I be poisoned?" Orochimaru replied with a subtle smile.
After all, the bloodline he exchanged for had completely transformed him. His blood had reversed course the moment he gained the vampire lineage, condensing into a single blood core at his heart—the true core of his life.
As long as the blood core remained intact, he could not die.
Ordinary poisons were useless against him—unless they possessed corrosive properties, they would have no effect at all.
"Perfect. I'm not afraid of poison either," Tsunade said cheerfully, setting Jiraiya gently down on the ground before raising her fist, smiling brightly.
She had exchanged for Avalon—granting her phenomenal regenerative abilities, immunity to curses, and complete immunity to toxins.
Hanzo's signature poison mist was completely ineffective against the two of them now. On top of that, most of his chakra had already been spent in the earlier battle.
The tide of the battle had clearly shifted.
"Tsunade, Orochimaru, you two…" Jiraiya groaned from the ground, badly wounded after being hit by Hanzo's explosive fire trap. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his face filled with disbelief—as if betrayed by his best friends.
Seriously? You two left me out of the loop?
"Sorry, Jiraiya. This isn't something I can explain…" Tsunade gave him an apologetic smile, then shouted, "Orochimaru!"
Their years of teamwork had forged an unspoken understanding. Orochimaru instantly grasped her intent and sprang into action, his swift movement leaving only faint ripples in the rain mist behind him.
Though the vampire bloodline he'd exchanged for wasn't of particularly high grade—he couldn't shapeshift, summon bats, or even fly—combined with his already impressive speed, it was more than enough.
In the blink of an eye, he reached Hanzo.
From who-knows-where, Orochimaru picked up a discarded shinobi blade and slashed down without hesitation!
Clang!
But Hanzo wasn't caught off guard. His reaction speed hadn't dulled. He intercepted the strike with a chained sickle in his hand, the blade perfectly blocking Orochimaru's sword.
A flicker of admiration passed through Hanzo's eyes. "The Sannin of Konoha… Once again, you've exceeded my expectations."
Orochimaru smiled darkly. "And we've only just begun to surprise you."
Letting go of the blade, he formed a one-handed seal in less than half a second.
Suddenly, a dozen venomous snakes slithered out from his sleeve, hissing and lunging toward Hanzo.
Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!
He still had that much chakra left?
Hanzo was slightly startled. No wonder that girl said Orochimaru had been holding back. So this is what she meant?
With a sweeping motion of his sickle, Hanzo instantly decapitated all the serpents. Without pause, he followed through with a powerful slash aimed at Orochimaru.
Hanzo might specialize in poison, but that didn't mean he was immune to all toxins—only those of the salamander species to which he had developed high resistance.
Orochimaru sneered and made no move to block. Instead, as he dodged, his hands blurred into another round of hand seals.
Just then, Hanzo staggered slightly—off balance.
BOOM!
A heavy impact echoed through the battlefield. The giant salamander let out a piercing screech as it was sent flying three or four meters backward!
Its belly was sunken in, clearly imprinted with the shape of a fist.
Tsunade had stomped forward, closing the distance in an instant, her seemingly delicate fist swinging again with terrifying force.
Monster Strength!
Damn it! How does she still have so much chakra left?!
Hanzo realized things were spiraling out of his control.
Tsunade's surprising stamina was thanks to her enhanced Monster Strength skill. It reduced chakra consumption by 10% with every strike—an invisible but critical advantage.
Over the course of a long battle, this efficiency allowed her to conserve enough chakra to unleash over a dozen more full-power punches.
Hanzo didn't know this detail, but he could read Tsunade's confident expression—and he didn't like what it implied.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru had finished his jutsu. Several massive serpents slithered forward, hissing menacingly as they charged at Hanzo.
Seeing this, a heavy feeling sank into Hanzo's heart.
His salamander's poison mist required five minutes to build up before it could be released again. These two weren't likely to give him that kind of time.
And with his chakra almost depleted, continuing this fight would be suicide...
"Salamander—subterranean escape!"
On command, the giant salamander opened its mouth just in time to catch the airborne Hanzo.
Then—like a carp diving into water—it flipped and vanished underground in an instant.
"Underground again?" Tsunade frowned. That cursed burrowing ability was what had made the Sannin's fight against him so troublesome in the first place.
Once underground, her raw strength was useless.
Just then, Orochimaru spoke calmly.
"Eighty-seven steps northeast. He's retreating rapidly, veering slightly south."
"You can detect his position underground?"
Tsunade's eyes widened in surprise. But she didn't hesitate—she dashed forward, gathering the rest of her chakra into her right leg.
Raising her foot high above her head, she muttered, "If you're going to dive underground—then don't come back out!"
Heavenly Foot of Pain!
A tremendous force exploded from the impact point. The earth shattered, a massive crater forming as the ground caved in several meters deep. Cracks spread outward like lightning across the terrain.
The shockwave transmitted through the rock, nearly dislodging the salamander from its subterranean path and crushing it into paste.
"Status?" Tsunade wiped rain—or was it sweat?—from her face and asked Orochimaru.
"He paused... then started moving again. Much slower now. Looks like he's injured. Can you do that again?"
"…My chakra isn't infinite, you know!" Tsunade growled, clenching her fist as veins popped on her forehead. "If you had just told me earlier you could sense his underground location, this fight would've been a hell of a lot easier!"
"Oh," Orochimaru replied, unbothered.
Just then, the indifferent voice of the Lord God echoed once more.