Hanzo the Salamander… actually survived!?
That seemingly fatal strike earlier—Hanzo had sacrificed his summoned beast to save himself at the last moment.
Just like in the Naruto storyline, when Deidara self-destructed, Sasuke used reverse summoning to escape death. In the end, Deidara's proud final technique, C0, only blew up his summoned beast Manda, while Sasuke remained unscathed and survived.
Now, as Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan rushed to the scene and saw that Shippu had been ambushed and seemingly killed by Hanzo, their faces turned deathly pale and their pupils shrank sharply.
"Ah!"
"The young clan leader… is dead? Hanzo, you—!"
"I'll kill you!!"
Several enraged shouts rang out.
"Water Style: Water Surge Wave!"
Yahiko, seething with fury, took the initiative. His belly inflated rapidly, and from his mouth he unleashed a waterfall-like torrent of water.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Each blast carried tremendous force.
But—Hanzo calmly formed a seal with one hand and used the Body Flicker Technique to dodge them all with ease.
"With just the likes of you three? I never took you seriously," Hanzo sneered, a savage glint flashing in his narrow eyes.
"Once I kill you, the Hidden Rain and the Land of Rain will all belong to me."
"I am the true final victor!"
"Hahaha!"
Unable to contain the joy in his heart, Hanzo felt as if a heavy stone lodged in his chest had finally been lifted. His whole body felt immensely lighter.
Not only had he escaped death—but he had also turned the tide and taken out his greatest threat. As for the remaining Yahiko and the others? Killing them was just a matter of time.
No longer a threat!
But what truly sent a chill down one's spine was the young man who had just confronted Hanzo…
There was something mysterious about him.
Those ever-changing chains—capable of both offense and defense.
A frightening regeneration ability.
Absolute immunity to poison.
And the release of ninjutsu so powerful, it could only be described as divine.
Any one of those abilities alone would be terrifying enough to shake the ninja world.
And yet—they all existed in a single young man.
That lingering sense of dread still hovered over Hanzo's heart.
Luckily… he was still young and hadn't fully matured.
But if left unchecked—
Suddenly, Hanzo's face froze.
He felt an icy-cold killing intent—a chill that pierced bone and soul.
He quickly turned his head.
Yahiko and Konan's faces were filled with panic and fear, their lips trembling.
Their eyes were locked in terror—on the figure standing before them.
Nagato.
Usually unimpressive and quiet—yet at this moment, his aura had completely changed.
His clothes fluttered despite the still air.
His bangs were lifted by an unseen wind, revealing a pair of cold, glowing eyes beneath.
The Rinnegan.
"You killed the young clan leader… absolutely unforgivable."
"Feel pain."
"Universal Pull (Banshō Ten'in)!"
With a single grasping motion, a powerful gravitational force suddenly erupted.
Hanzo's face changed drastically. He struggled with all his strength—but his body suddenly felt light, and he was ripped forward uncontrollably.
SPLURT—!
A mouthful of blood sprayed through the air.
A black rod extended from Nagato's hand and pierced straight through Hanzo's chest—
Pinning him firmly to the ground.
"Ah—!"
Throughout the entire process, Hanzo had no power to resist. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead as he was overwhelmed by disbelief.
That strange black rod carried special sealing properties, blocking the chakra pathways in his body.
He was unable to gather chakra—and thus, had no ability to counterattack.
"This is the power… of the Rinnegan!?"
Hanzo's fury reignited. He cursed furiously:
"If not for the massive chakra I consumed earlier, I wouldn't have lost to this damned eye technique!"
"Enough talk! You're going to pay for Shippu's life!"
At the mention of Shippu, Nagato's heart surged with grief.
Aside from Yahiko and Konan, Shippu was the first person outside their group who made Nagato feel genuinely cared for.
When he had been forced to kill Yahiko—it was Shippu who stepped in to resolve the crisis.
When Hanzo used a barrier to trap and kill them—it was Shippu who shattered it.
When Hanzo released poison gas into the air—it was Shippu who dispersed it with overwhelming ninjutsu.
Now, seeing Shippu killed by Hanzo—
The pain in Nagato's heart nearly suffocated him.
CRACK!
It was as if some mental seal deep in his brain had shattered, and the full understanding of how to use the Rinnegan emerged clearly in his mind.
Thus—Nagato had been able to use the Rinnegan in that moment.
Sensing the killing intent, Hanzo scoffed and laughed wildly:
"Hahaha—! That young man must've been important to you!"
"The more angry, the more sorrowful you become—the happier I am!"
"Even if I die—it's worth it. This pain… will haunt you for the rest of your life!"
Now with a crippled arm, and heavy injuries, Hanzo had no hope of escape.
But just the thought that he'd killed that terrifying young man made it all worth it to him.
Because from Shippu, Hanzo saw a potential even greater than the Legendary Sannin.
"What… did you just say?"
A calm voice interrupted.
Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato all turned their heads—
Shippu stood there, smiling faintly at them.
His expression flickered between confusion and emotion—finally settling into joy.
"Impossible!!"
"That's absolutely impossible!"
"You took a fatal blow—how are you unscathed!?" Hanzo's eyes were bulging in disbelief, his emotions in chaos.
"What you killed… was just a clone." Shippu replied mockingly.
Hanzo jerked his head toward the spot where Shippu had fallen—
Only to see the "corpse" was now clearly just a log, split in half.
"No… no… no! I—I'm a god! There's no way I lost! This has to be a dream!" Hanzo muttered to himself in despair, eyes dull and broken.
"My rule is unshakable! I can't possibly lose—"
Before he could finish, the rattling of chains echoed through the air.
In the next instant, massive chains erupted from behind Shippu and wrapped tightly around Hanzo.
"A god? If you provoke me—then you die."
Shippu's voice was cold and commanding.
The chains snapped tight—and the massive force crushed Hanzo into a bloody mist.
Even in death, Hanzo's final words were:
"I… am a god…"
"It's finally over."
As Shippu spoke, he staggered, and nearly collapsed face-first to the ground.
His face was pale as death.
Although True Several Thousand Hands was a one-time-use item that didn't cost him chakra to summon—
Attacking with it had still consumed nearly all his chakra.
Just swinging one of its colossal arms had almost drained him completely.
It was utterly terrifying.
Smack!
Yahiko and Nagato moved quickly, supporting the nearly-falling Shippu.
"I told you… I'd help Nagato awaken the Rinnegan."
Shippu smiled at them—
Then his vision went black, and he lost consciousness.
Konan immediately rushed to check his condition, her delicate brows furrowing tightly with worry.
"Konan, how is the young clan leader!?"
"Yeah, he used such a massive jutsu, and escaped Hanzo's attack too—he must've paid a terrible price…"
"Quick! Take him for treatment!"
Yahiko and Nagato both shouted in panic.
But Konan turned her head, her beautiful eyes glinting with disbelief.
"His body is perfectly fine… healthier than most normal people."
"He's only severely chakra-depleted."
"And it's recovering… at an absolutely terrifying rate."
As her words fell, Yahiko and Nagato were left dumbfounded.
"He… really is your clan's young leader?" Yahiko asked uncertainly.
Nagato looked completely dazed, and slowly shook his head—he didn't know either.
After a moment of silence, Yahiko said softly:
"It looks like… the entire ninja world is about to change."