Simu gripped his mace tightly, his rising body temperature causing steam to evaporate from his skin, forming wisps of white smoke.
He looked up at Ōnoki, who hovered in mid-air.
Even though he knew this was just a psychological tactic from the enemy, there was no harm in listening.
"Go on."
A cunning glint flashed in Ōnoki's aged eyes.
"It was that old fox, Danzo."
"He had his Root operatives provide Iwa Shinobi and Suna Shinobi with intel on Konoha's forces. That's how we were able to ambush you so precisely."
Simu's expression remained unchanged, as if this was nothing new.
"Elder Danzo, huh? Figures. That old schemer is always like this."
The way this so-called loyal Konoha ninja protected the village was simple—eliminate all the rising stars of the new generation so that he could secure his position as Hokage.
It was no surprise that others had joined forces to take Simu down.
Seeing that his revelation had no impact on Simu, Ōnoki's heart sank.
He decided to drop a real bombshell.
"Do you think Sarutobi Hiruzen knows about Danzo's plan?"
"And what about your teacher, Jiraiya, one of the Sannin?"
For the first time, Simu's expression shifted. He raised an eyebrow and said casually,
"Jiraiya? That guy isn't smart enough to pull off something like betraying me."
"As for the Third Hokage… whether he knows or not doesn't really matter. Either way, he'll stay in the dark."
Onoki sneered. "Although i hate you kid, but I must say, your evaluation of Sarutobi Hiruzen is quite accurate."
A flicker of admiration crossed his aged eyes.
"What a shame… If only you were born in Iwagakure."
Onoki's greatest regret was the lack of a true successor.
"But since you killed my son, Kitsutchi, and stole Iwa's two Tailed Beasts, you'll pay with your life today!"
His eyes narrowed.
"Did you really think I was the only one after you?"
Simu cracked his neck.
A large force of heavily armed ninjas was rapidly moving into range.
Amegakure ninjas.
Leading them was a huge salamander.
Standing atop it was Hanzō of the Salamander—the leader of Rain Shinobi, known as a demigod.
"It looks like I can finally stretch my muscles this time," he said, rolling his shoulders.
Meanwhile, Konoha's forces had just finished wiping out Iwa Shinobi's underground troops.
Through the Katsuyu clones attached to all Konoha shinobi, Simu and Onoki's conversation was relayed word for word.
At that moment, every Konoha ninja's face darkened.
"The village actually sold us out just to get rid of Lord Simu?"
"That's the lives of two thousand comrades!"
"And after all the victories he's won, why betray him by working with the enemy?"
Someone sneered.
"Heh, that's exactly why they want him dead. His success is too great—if they don't stop him now, he'll be the next Hokage for sure."
As they spoke, a dark purple mist drifted from the forest.
The expressions of the nearest ninjas changed drastically.
"Careful! Poison gas!"
But the warning came too late.
Many had already inhaled the toxin, collapsing to the ground in violent convulsions.
A huge black shadow loomed over the forest.
Hanzo stood atop a giant salamander, with two thousand Rain Shinobi behind him, all wearing gas masks.
"It's the Rain Shinobi..."
"Aren't they our allies?"
The Konoha Shinobi quickly stepped back, their faces tense with caution.
Hanzo gazed down coldly, his voice filled with killing intent.
"Konoha... blood must be repaid with blood."
He drew the sickle from his back as the salamander beneath him opened its mouth, ready to unleash poisonous gas.
Suddenly, a golden light shone in the sky above.
"Hanzō of the Salamander, your opponent is me."
Simu's tall figure emerged from the golden flash. His mace, crackling with dark red lightning, came crashing down like divine judgment.
Though Hanzo had aged, he was once one of the strongest warriors in the ninja world. His reflexes remained as sharp as ever.
In an instant, Hanzo infused his sickle with a high concentration of chakra, slashing upward to meet the descending mace.
Dark red Conqueror's Haki clashed with light blue chakra, unleashing a violent explosion of energy that tore through the surroundings.
Feeling the immense force surging through its body, the giant salamander let out a pained cry. The ground beneath Hanzo crumbled under the pressure.
Suddenly, a beam of white light shot across the battlefield.
Simu had no choice but to abandon his attack, vanishing into golden light and reappearing in front of Konoha's forces.
The beam streaked past Hanzo, its energy crackling ominously. His expression darkened.
"Onoki, don't tell me you're trying to get rid of me too."
Floating in the air with his hands behind his back, Onoki smirked.
"It's not your time yet. Besides, I doubt I can handle this kid alone… truly a terrifying young man."
Under normal circumstances, Onoki would have gladly taken the chance to eliminate Hanzo.
Onoki planned to send an army of Iwa Shinobi into the Land of Rain—but not yet. Right now, their greatest threat was Konoha and the man standing before them, Hanyu Simu.
Hanzo snorted coldly but said nothing.
Simu landed on the ground, swinging his mace toward the swirling Thunder Wolf. A powerful shockwave erupted, dispersing the poisonous mist around him.
The Konoha Shinobi who had been poisoned suddenly glowed green as Immortal Katsuyu began healing them.
"Katsuyu, can you neutralize this poison?" Simu asked.
A gentle voice echoed in his ears.
"It should be possible. Lady Tsunade and I encountered this poison during the Second Ninja War. The salamander's venom hasn't changed much over the years, but I'll need some time."
Simu nodded. As long as it could be cured, that was all that mattered.
Hanzo immediately recognized the Summoning Beast.
"That little girl's slug?" His expression darkened—Tsunade had left a lasting impression on him.
"Boy, die!"
In the blink of an eye, Hanzo vanished from atop his salamander.
Hanzo appeared in front of Simu in an instant.
By the time Simu reacted, the blade was already flashing toward his chest like a streak of lightning.
"As expected of a demigod… that speed is incredible."
Hanzo's reputation wasn't just built on his deadly poison—his mastery of the Body Flicker Technique was even more terrifying.
A dark red light flickered in Simu's eyes.
A burst of Conqueror's Haki erupted from him, sweeping across the battlefield.
Hanzo wasn't overwhelmed by it, but the sheer force of the Haki caused a momentary hesitation in his movements.
That was exactly what Simu wanted.
Dark red lightning crackled around his mace.
With a powerful swing, he brought it crashing down.
"Raimei Hakke!"
Hanzo's pupils shrank as his sickle fell, but he was a step too slow.
The surging Conqueror's Haki erupted into a devastating shockwave—power so overwhelming that even Hanzo couldn't withstand it. The impact sent him flying tens of meters away.
Simu's eyes gleamed.
Just as expected, a white beam of light shot down from the sky.
"Tch, annoying."
Simu used Shave to dodge, his figure flickering away just before impact. Without pause, he activated Shave again to reposition.
But Onoki, a veteran of countless battles, had already anticipated Simu's attempt to engage him in close combat.
Reacting ahead of time, he soared higher using Dust Release.
As Simu closed in, Onoki formed a white cube in his hands.
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
The cube expanded rapidly, radiating a terrifying aura of destruction.
"What a troublesome ability..."
Simu stepped sharply in the air, changed direction and charged toward Hanzo on the ground.
The previous attack had left Hanzo's palm trembling slightly.
Such overwhelming strength and momentum...
His expression grew complicated. Simu's fighting style reminded him of his younger self.
But the battlefield left no time for nostalgia.
A massive mace came crashing down from above.
Hanzo planted his sickle into the ground and quickly formed hand seals.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
Water gushed from the cracks in the earth, rapidly forming a roaring dragon that surged toward Simu.
Without hesitation, Simu swung his mace, shattering the water dragon into countless droplets.
A brief downpour filled the battlefield.
Among the swirling water droplets, a chain shot out, wrapping around the mace mid-swing.
A sudden force surged through the chain.
Hanzo planted his foot firmly on the ground, using the chain's pull to propel himself forward with explosive speed.
In an instant, he was right in front of Simu.
Without hesitation, Simu threw a punch.
But Hanzo skillfully adjusted his trajectory mid-air by yanking the chain, narrowly avoiding the strike.
Then, using the Body Flicker Technique, he enhanced his sickle with a surge of chakra, sharpening its edge to a deadly degree.
Simu instinctively dodged with Observation Haki, but the gleaming white blade still grazed him.
Sparks flew as the sickle scraped against his dragon scales before piercing into his shoulder.
Hot blood spurted out.
This was the second time Simu had been injured since obtaining the Blue Dragon Fruit.
As for why he didn't use elementalization to evade the attack...
A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
Dark red Conqueror's Haki surged around Simu's forehead as he slammed into Hanzo with full force.
A powerful shockwave rippled outward, tearing through the battlefield.
Hanzo was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing through countless Iwa Shinobi.
"The new era has no place for relics of the past!"
Simu's golden eyes gleamed with unstoppable Haki.
.
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TO BE CONTINUED
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