"In the end, the final victory of this war… will not belong to Konoha."
"If we run now, we might still make it in time."
Before Tsunade and the others could react to those words, dozens of kunai wrapped with explosive tags flew toward Hanzō.
Several Konoha shinobi landed beside the three Sannin.
"Orochimaru-sama, Tsunade-sama, Jiraiya-sama! We've broken into the Suna ninja camp! They can't stop us anymore—let's retreat while we can!"
Hanzō looked at the incoming kunai with weary eyes. "I already spared you once. Why are you still so tense?"
Forming hand seals, he murmured:
"Secret Jutsu: A Thousand Needles of Death."
Countless fine senbon shot from Hanzō's body, intercepting all the kunai midair.
Orochimaru, however, never took his eyes off him. His mind raced.
Hanzō seems too calm… Why?
Is it because our main target is Sunagakure? Though they're his allies, to Amegakure we're still outsiders. Could he be planning to use us to drive the Suna out of the Land of Rain?
He spared us just now… but based on his ruthless methods, he's not the type to show mercy in a situation like this. So why…?
While Orochimaru pondered, Hanzō turned away.
"Ibushi, that way."
The giant salamander moved, shaking the ground as it charged toward the battlefield.
The Konoha forces already outnumbered them. With Konoha's offensive pressing forward, the front lines quickly shifted toward the Suna ninja camp.
At that moment, Chiyo was struggling to fight off dozens of Konoha shinobi. Several of her puppets circled around her, flinging kunai and poison needles. The corpses beneath her feet already formed a grim carpet.
"Damn it! These Konoha ninja are endless!" Chiyo cursed while parrying another barrage. "They've probably realized all my special puppets have been destroyed, huh? What an honor!"
She shouted in frustration as she fought:
"Damn Konoha! Once I finish my next puppet, I'll make you all regret this!"
"Now! She's at her limit!" a Konoha ninja roared, charging in with several comrades. More Konoha troops pushed forward, forming an unbreakable ring that trapped the Suna reinforcements outside.
"Damn… so close! Konoha's army has already breached the camp—am I going to die here?" Chiyo's stamina was fading; taijutsu had always been a puppeteer's weakness.
"This is troublesome… I'll have to use the forbidden technique again. After this, I might be done for the rest of the war."
Thinking of the cost, Chiyo's fury burned even hotter.
"All because of you damn Konoha!"
She spread her fingers to activate the jutsu—
—but the ground suddenly trembled beneath her. A massive salamander burst up from underground, jaws wide, swallowing dozens of shinobi in one gulp.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"
Hanzō rose from the ground, summoning a roaring dragon of water that tore through the surrounding enemies. The dragon coiled once, clearing the entire battlefield.
"How unsightly, Chiyo. Losing your puppets really weakens your combat power that much?" Hanzō said with a faint smile.
Chiyo knew she was being mocked but couldn't refute him. She simply stomped the corpse at her feet.
"I just happened to be overwhelmed twice by Konoha's forces. Next time they won't be so lucky."
"Speaking of which," she snapped, "why didn't you kill those three from Konoha? With their talent, they'll become huge obstacles later. Isn't sparing them irresponsible to our alliance?"
Hanzō chuckled. "On the contrary—it's precisely because I'm being responsible that I spared them. Killing them would've taken more time, and I wouldn't have made it here to save you. If you died, that would've been irresponsible. How would I explain that to the Third Kazekage?"
"I don't need your help," Chiyo huffed. "I can deal with these weaklings myself. You underestimate me."
"Heh. 'Weaklings'? Funny, coming from someone who was nearly overwhelmed by them."
"You bastard! Are you looking for a fight!?"
The two argued fiercely, their bickering echoing across the battlefield. The nearby shinobi were so intimidated by their presence that no one dared to approach.
---
Meanwhile, seeing Hanzō depart, Orochimaru quickly made his decision. He ordered a squad to escort Tsunade and Jiraiya to safety.
Tsunade was badly wounded, and her chakra reserves were nearly depleted from constant healing. Charging back into battle would make her and Jiraiya easy targets. Orochimaru still had some stamina left, enough to observe the situation.
But he couldn't shake his unease.
What did Hanzō mean by those words before leaving?
The Suna camp is about to fall—why did he sound so calm?
He had planned to rejoin the fight, but something deep down warned him otherwise.
Something's wrong. Did Hanzō deliberately mislead me?
---
"Seems about time," Hanzō said, halting his argument with Chiyo. "Half the camp's already in ruins. Your Kazekage should be making his move soon."
Chiyo's face flushed red. It was the first time she had met someone who could keep up with her in a shouting match. The intelligence reports about Hanzō had clearly underestimated him.
She finally stopped and muttered coldly, "Yes… he's already begun."
She pointed to the ground.
Hanzō glanced down—and then understood.
"I see. When I used Earth Style earlier, I noticed something strange… the amount of iron sand beneath this battlefield is unbelievable. So this is the Kazekage's Magnet Style?"
"Your information network's impressive," Chiyo said with a smirk. "Even Konoha doesn't know about the Kazekage's secret technique yet. One can never be too careful, huh?"
Hanzō merely smiled, offering no explanation.
"Then allow me to enjoy the show."
Even the pouring rain couldn't drown out the faint hiss of "black mist" spreading silently beneath the ground.
"Iron Sand: World Order!"
With that voice echoing from the Suna camp, countless black spikes erupted from the ground, sweeping outward like fire carried by the wind. In the blink of an eye, they covered the entire battlefield.
Hanzō's expression changed instantly. He leapt backward—just in time for an iron spike to pierce the ground where he'd stood.
Landing, he glared at Chiyo.
"What's the meaning of this? Are you declaring war on Amegakure?"
Chiyo only laughed. "Of course not. With a technique this large, even he can't control every part of it. I'm this close myself—I could've been impaled too. Hehe."
Damn it, he dodged that subtle strike too… What instincts! Chiyo cursed inwardly, still irritated from their earlier spat.
At that moment, towering walls of black iron sand rose all around the battlefield, sealing it off completely.
"Iron Sand Wall."
Watching the enclosing walls, Hanzō frowned.
"I'll take my leave before I'm accidentally hit again."
The words barely left his lips before he flickered away in an instant, leaving Chiyo alone.
"What a cunning man," Chiyo muttered.
"Still, he's right… If those three from Konoha were killed, Amegakure would bear Konoha's full wrath. The Land of Rain can't withstand that. By 'saving' me instead, he keeps his hands clean."
---
As the terrain shifted, Orochimaru and the Konoha forces realized the truth.
"It's a trap! Fall back!"
Orochimaru's eyes widened as iron spikes erupted around them and walls of black sand rose to seal the field. Cold sweat drenched his back.
"Impossible… a barrier that covers the entire battlefield? The scale and complexity—how could we have received no warning?"
The once-rain-soaked ground had turned into a sea of blood. Countless shinobi were impaled by iron spikes, their bodies hanging lifelessly. The rain mixed with blood, painting the battlefield crimson.
From afar, it looked like a vision of hell itself.