Chapter 484

The three summoning beasts of the Sannin, while all legendary-level, had no means of counteracting the situation and were instead affected by the poisonous mist.

Therefore, Orochimaru and Jiraiya made a prompt decision to cancel their summoning techniques, sending Manda and Gamabunta back to their respective habitats.

Only Tsunade, after leaving a portion of the Slug Sage's body to reside on the three of them, also canceled her summoning technique.

This was because the Slug, with its miraculous healing abilities, also possessed a natural resistance to toxins; leaving a portion of its body could effectively help the three resist the erosion of the deadly poison.

The three also took the antidote developed by Tsunade. Under the dual effect of the antidote and the Slug, although the three were still severely affected by the toxins, they did not collapse immediately.

Among the three, Tsunade, who had profound attainments in Yang Release, was slightly better off.

Under the influence of the Salamander’s deadly poison, Jiraiya and Orochimaru felt dizzy and weak in their limbs; every part of their bodies was sending signals of discomfort, and even their lungs were transmitting waves of suffocation, making it extremely difficult for them to even stand.

....0

Seemingly sensing the distress of her two companions, Tsunade reached out to support them. The three stood shoulder to shoulder, gazing at the Salamander Hanzo on the opposite side with unyielding eyes.

On the other side, Salamander Hanzo, carrying his kusarigama, was in no rush to act, also watching the three young people before him with calm eyes.

Thanks to his previous failure when facing Sunagakure, this time, while fighting Konoha, Salamander Hanzo had learned from his mistakes.

To prevent his trump card from being exposed early and countered by the opponent, Salamander Hanzo had deliberately hidden the use of the Salamander’s deadly poison, fearing that Konoha would obtain samples of the toxin in advance and develop an antidote.

Once that happened, the threat of Salamander Hanzo’s trump card would inevitably be greatly diminished.

Although the toxin had inevitably leaked during his previous battle with Jiraiya, it had been of no consequence at the time.

Because even for Chiyo, the poison master of Sunagakure, it had taken several months to develop an antidote for the Salamander’s deadly poison.

Salamander Hanzo did not believe that Tsunade could develop an antidote for the Salamander’s deadly poison in just a few limited days.

The reality was much as Hanzo had expected; although Tsunade had developed an effective antidote in a few days, its efficacy was still insignificant compared to Hanzo’s toxin.

Watching the Sannin struggling in the poisonous mist, Salamander Hanzo’s seemingly calm heart was actually already filled with mixed emotions.

"Juniors, in the name of Hanzo, I acknowledge your qualifications as opponents."

"To have fought me until this moment, yet I have not formally asked for your names; that is my discourtesy."

"State your names, juniors."

"Because beneath my sickle, I never slay nameless enemies!!"

Salamander Hanzo, who had completely transformed into a "poison man," spoke to the Sannin in a hoarse voice. Having removed the respirator he had always worn over his mouth, Hanzo’s voice was uncharacteristically clear.

"Hmph!!!"

"You remember this well, I am the one who will surely become famous throughout the ninja world in the future!!!"

"Regardless of east, west, north, or south, the peerless white-haired boy, the toad summoner, the handsome man who makes even crying children stop their tears—Lord Jiraiya is my name!"

Hearing this, Jiraiya was the first to respond. He grinned with difficulty, forcing a loud laugh.

The long string of "self-proclaimed" nicknames sounded comical and bizarre, but in such a situation, this attitude fully demonstrated Jiraiya’s optimistic personality.

"Orochimaru."

In stark contrast to the fun-loving Jiraiya, Orochimaru, looking like a cold-faced gentleman, only coldly stated his name, his snake-like eyes still watching Salamander Hanzo with full vigilance.

Finally, only Tsunade remained silent. Salamander Hanzo on the opposite side also looked at Tsunade’s beautiful face, which was full of resilience and stubbornness.

With the words on the tip of her tongue, Tsunade suddenly didn't know how to speak.

Because she knew that this might very well be the last sentence she would ever speak in her life.

This suddenly imbued what would have been an ordinary sentence with extremely significant meaning.

What should she say?

Should she state her identity, carrying the glory of her clan, and proudly declare that she was the princess of the Senju clan, the granddaughter of the God of Shinobi, the First Hokage, so that this powerful enemy would remember her?

Or should she, like Orochimaru, just coldly report her name to avoid unnecessary entanglement? This left Tsunade struggling in her heart.

But soon, her heart throbbed violently, and she suddenly thought of something.

Perhaps this was the last trace she would leave in this world, and perhaps she really should take this opportunity to declare something.

But what should she declare?

Was it the cause she had fought half her life to revitalize her clan, or her loyalty to the village she had died for?

Perhaps these things were extremely important to her in the past, but at this moment, Tsunade clearly understood that what she most wanted to declare, what she longed for and could not let go of, was not these things she had pursued in the past.

A shadow carved into the bottom of her heart, above all else—that was the beauty she craved and the true feelings she most wanted to express.

"Hoo."

Tsunade exhaled, her previously wavering eyes slowly becoming firm, and a clear smile appeared on her solemn, pretty face.

"Please remember this as well, Salamander Hanzo."

"My name is Tsunade, granddaughter of the First Hokage of Konoha, and inheritor of the Will of Fire!"

Tsunade said slowly. These words were very standard, without anything out of the ordinary, and Orochimaru and Jiraiya, standing shoulder to shoulder with her, did not show any strangeness.

But soon, the second half of Tsunade’s sentence caused the expressions of her two teammates and the enemy to change drastically.

"And, most importantly,"

"I am here to fight you to the end in the capacity of the future Mizukage's wife!!"

Finally, Tsunade expressed the words she had suppressed in her heart.

It turned out that in the face of death, what she cherished most had long since changed to that deep, unforgettable love hidden in the deepest part of her heart.

Jiraiya and Orochimaru were shocked, both feeling as if the world had gone dark, nearly losing their footing and falling to the ground.

The two simultaneously picked at their ears, suspecting they had misheard.

Then the two looked at each other, both seeing the complexity and horror in the other's eyes.

Not only Jiraiya and Orochimaru, but Salamander Hanzo on the other side was no less shocked.

Surprise was secondary; the most important thing was the impact of this statement, which immediately gave Salamander Hanzo a massive headache.

Whether it was the granddaughter of the First Hokage of Konoha or the so-called "inheritor of the Will of Fire," these were not things Salamander Hanzo cared about.

Senju Hashirama was strong, but he was long dead.

If he were afraid of such things, he would never have started a war with Konoha.

What he cared about most, of course, were the four words "Mizukage's wife."

Anything involving that man required him to be serious.

As for the "Mizukage's wife" Tsunade spoke of, Salamander Hanzo was deeply convinced.

Because the "hero saving the beauty" performed by a certain Mizukage in the Rain Village was still fresh in Hanzo’s memory.

If no one had mentioned it, Salamander Hanzo might not have taken it to heart; after all, it was just his guess, and without evidence, it proved nothing.

Moreover, he knew very well that there was a huge gap in status between that man and the Senju princess, so the possibility of them being together was not high.

But now that Tsunade, the person involved, had personally admitted to this "underground romance," the meaning of the matter was completely different.

As a result, Salamander Hanzo had to consider the influence brought by that man.

This man was no longer the unknown newcomer he once was, especially after defeating Iwagakure; he had become a recognized powerhouse in the ninja world.

Coupled with the fact that Salamander Hanzo had previous contact with him and knew that he was by no means a simple "Kage" level existence, Hanzo understood even more that this person was absolutely not to be provoked lightly.

Most importantly, although Hanzo was somewhat dissatisfied with this man at the moment, all things considered, the two sides were still allies.

With this layer of relationship, Salamander Hanzo felt extremely uncomfortable looking at Tsunade before him.

How could he fight her now? What did he dare to do to Tsunade?

He couldn't just kill Tsunade’s two teammates and spare her alone, could he? That would be better than letting all three go, which would at least leave room for communication with Konoha.

For a moment, a thought long buried in Hanzo’s heart was recalled, and this time, it was likely at a point where he had no choice but to act.

In mid-air, Mizunuki Ryosuke naturally heard Tsunade’s words clearly.

Tsunade’s declaration was also beyond Mizunuki Ryosuke’s expectations.

For a moment, his heart could not help but soften.

How could he not know that Tsunade thought this was her last battle and was expressing her true feelings?

To have such a beautiful woman, what more could a man ask for?

However, moved as he was, upon learning of the relationship between Tsunade and him, Ryosuke could almost conclude that Salamander Hanzo’s fighting spirit had likely been completely extinguished.

— Author's Notes —

·· ····Seeking flowers··· ····