Chapter 39: Salamander Hanzo vs. Sarutobi Hiruzen (Part 1)
Hanzo's left hand continuously swung the chain, creating an airtight defense around him. The incoming giant shuriken were constantly knocked to the ground, scattering into piles of fragments.
While running, Hanzo's Chakra gradually began to boil. All the Chakra in his body continuously gathered towards his right hand, and then a huge Chakra blade of wind was heavily slashed out towards Sarutobi Hiruzen's direction.
"Sword Technique: Void Severing Drawing Sword Slash!!!"
The surging blade of wind instantly broke through the dense swarm of shuriken, slashing towards Sarutobi Hiruzen with undiminished momentum.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was not flustered at all. This was still the stage of mutual probing between the two. After all, which ninja would use their ultimate move right away? Sarutobi Hiruzen stood still and calmly began forming hand seals. Three hand seals were completed in an instant: Snake - Boar - Dog.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen opened his mouth and spat out a mass of earth-natured Chakra transformation, which quickly turned into a brown earth wall, blocking his front.
"Boom!"
The blade of wind arrived in an instant, slashing onto the earth wall. After a moment of stalemate, the earth wall was shattered, but the power contained within the blade of wind was also almost exhausted.
Hanzo, who had cleared the way with his blade of wind, had also reached Sarutobi Hiruzen's front at this time. He raised the scythe in his hand and slashed fiercely towards Sarutobi Hiruzen's neck. Sarutobi Hiruzen lowered his body to dodge the attack, and then executed a sweeping leg kick aimed at Hanzo's lower body.
At this moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen suffered from the disadvantage of not having a weapon, and could only face Hanzo's scythe with a kunai, desperately defending himself. After several exchanges, Sarutobi Hiruzen's Hokage robe had been cut in several places.
Under Hanzo's relentless pressure, Sarutobi Hiruzen had no opportunity to form hand seals several times. Finally, out of desperation, he deliberately showed an opening to Hanzo, hardening his body with Earth Release and taking a direct hit from Hanzo's slash. Using the force of the impact, he quickly retreated backward.
The onlookers discussed animatedly. Although both sides were only probing each other and hadn't shown their true strength yet, Hanzo's casual demeanor and Sarutobi Hiruzen's rather disheveled appearance still shocked everyone with Hanzo's powerful strength.
Having escaped the attack range of Hanzo's scythe, Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly ripped off the Hokage robe he was wearing, revealing a black tight-fitting combat suit underneath. The combat suit had silver protectors with the kanji for "fire" engraved on them, connected to the back at the shoulders. Two vertical ninja tool pouches were attached to his back, and his waist was tightly bound with a purple silk sash. He wore mesh armbands on his arms and lower legs, and a green layered armor piece on his right arm.
Then, he slowly removed the Hokage hat from his head, revealing a ninja hat underneath with green layered armor on both sides. At this moment, a gust of wind blew past, and the two extra-long straps behind the hat fluttered in the wind. Sarutobi Hiruzen said faintly to Hanzo, "Pointless mutual probing is meaningless. Show your true strength, Hanzo!"
After the brief exchange just now, Hanzo had a slight assessment of Sarutobi Hiruzen's strength.
"Then, round two begins!" As Hanzo's words fell, the ninjutsu he had prepared in his hands was also completed with the hand seals.
"Water Release: Exploding Water Wave!"
"To use such a large-scale Water Release in a place with no water... how strong!" someone among the onlookers exclaimed.
The simple B-rank ninjutsu achieved an A-rank effect in Hanzo's hands. The surging waves of water rushed towards Sarutobi Hiruzen's direction. Seeing the vast range of the jutsu, Sarutobi Hiruzen knew he couldn't dodge anymore, so he decisively stayed in place and began forming hand seals.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Rampart!"
As an upgraded version of the Earth Flow Wall, it normally required several Earth Release ninjas working together to use, but Sarutobi Hiruzen easily used it alone, truly deserving of his title as the "Professor of Ninjutsu."
Wall-like earth ramparts rose from the ground, standing firmly without being washed away, forcing the water flow to go around them. Hanzo looked up and saw Sarutobi Hiruzen standing on top of it.
"Fire Release: Great Flame Technique!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen, standing from a high vantage point, used this secret Fire Release ninjutsu passed down through generations of the Sarutobi clan. Fierce, high-temperature flames rapidly slammed down towards Hanzo's location.
Hanzo, having already created a suitable combat environment, didn't want to directly confront the attack. He held one hand vertically in front of his chest, his Chakra erupted, and then he disappeared from his spot.
"Water Release: Water Body Flicker Technique!"
Seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had used the Earth Flow Rampart to block the attack, Hanzo's vision was also blocked. Sarutobi Hiruzen took the opportunity to create two Shadow Clones, using Earth Release to hide underground.
Hanzo, who had just used the Body Flicker Technique to dodge, had just stabilized himself when one of Sarutobi Hiruzen's Shadow Clones appeared behind him, unleashing a powerful attack at point-blank range.
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"
The Shadow Clone released sharp lightning spears from its mouth, piercing towards Hanzo.
Feeling the violent Chakra fluctuations coming from behind him, Hanzo hurriedly dodged, but he was still grazed on his left arm by the False Darkness. Although he wasn't injured, the paralysis from the lightning still slowed Hanzo's movements.
Having achieved a successful hit, Sarutobi Hiruzen prepared to press his advantage. Another Shadow Clone that had just hidden appeared beside him, and both of them began forming hand seals simultaneously.
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