Chapter 31: A Stalemate
Hanzo hid in the water, his face grim as he looked at the massive crater in the distance. Holding his chest, he spat out a mouthful of clotted blood.
"Why doesn't he show any signs of poisoning? Has he countered my poison? Impossible... I need to stall a bit longer."
"Is that the Susanoo of the Uchiha clan that I've heard about?"
"But it's not as massive as the records describe. I need to verify some intelligence; Onoki might know more."
"With that speed and strength, to kill him I'll have to use that move."
Fuma sensed the chakra brought back by the blood aura and locked onto a current in the water, a look of surprise on his face.
"Hanzo, do you have the bloodline of the Hozuki clan? Why not go back to the Mist Village and reunite with your ancestors?"
The recent heavy punch was delivered before Hanzo could adapt to Fuma's increased speed. Normally, it should have hit him squarely.
But Hanzo used the Body Flicker Technique to dodge, turning into water at the last moment. Using the abundant water in the environment and his high-level Body Flicker Technique, he managed to avoid most of the impact.
Hanzo glared at Fuma, his body feeling numb. Fuma's powerful Lightning Release chakra was very effective against his Hydrification Technique.
Now his primary task was to stay calm, carefully analyze Fuma's abilities, and find a weakness.
"I'm telling you, why not go to the Mist Village and become a Mizukage? Over there, whoever has the strongest fist has the final say. That Third Mizukage seems like a pushover. You'd be better off there!"
"You're fighting Konoha to the death here, do you have the strength for that? Don't be confined to your current village. Launch a direct attack on the Mist Village, that's the right move."
"Go out and seek a better future. I'm giving you good advice; think about it!"
"Why not conquer the Five Great Nations and make a name for yourself instead of scheming in a tributary country? Where's your ambition? Why are you so unmotivated?"
Fuma unleashed a torrent of trash talk, using the skills he had honed from bantering with market vendors over the years, trying to disrupt Hanzo's mental state.
It wasn't that Fuma had forgotten the trope of "villains die from talking too much," but Hanzo's potent poison was getting to him as well.
Thanks to his body's [savage growth], Fuma was slowly building up poison resistance. The effects of Hanzo's poison were becoming less severe over time.
But inhaling such a large amount of poison at close range was risky, and Fuma wasn't sure he could withstand it.
The Blood Thunder Armor provided him with defense against Hanzo's chain sickle and explosive tags, which he could ignore.
The only effective means Hanzo had left was the salamander's poison. He needed to buy time; his poison resistance needed time to build.
Hanzo listened to Fuma's half-true suggestions to invade the Land of Water and grew increasingly angry.
What did he mean by scheming in a tributary country?
Damn Konoha, occupying the richest lands and controlling many grain-producing smaller nations, while disregarding others' survival?
Wasn't Konoha's territory won through battles? Why should his Rain Country's attack on the Land of Rivers concern them?
If Konoha wouldn't let Rain Country thrive, then they would fight fiercely!
Hanzo steadied his breath, the purple glow in his eyes intensifying. Ignoring his collapsed chest cavity, he commanded the salamander to attack once more.
Fuma squinted, watching Hanzo's repeated Body Flicker, his chakra flaring as he met the attack head-on.
With the Blood Thunder Armor's enhancement, Fuma's defense and speed had reached new heights. Every punch and kick created terrifying sonic booms, leaving a long white trail of mist behind him.
"Bang—!!!"
Another heavy punch landed. After several rounds of combat, the ground was already covered with deep craters.
Fuma's attacks were now enough to threaten Hanzo. If he could land a solid hit, he would win the battle.
Hanzo, on the other hand, disregarded any notion of dignity or pride, using the Body Flicker Technique to evade Fuma's attacks continuously.
When he couldn't dodge, he would use the Hydrification Technique to turn into water, hiding in the craters and absorbing most of the damage.
Hanzo's attacks had also become straightforward and singular: using his "Water Release Chakra Mode - Poison Form" to continue poisoning Fuma.
Fuma was looking for an opportunity for a decisive blow, while Hanzo was waiting for the poison to take effect. The two entered a stalemate.
Hanzo's face had turned an unnatural deep purple, with broken ribs and arm hanging limply. His internal poison sacs were also causing him pain.
Despite the perfection of his Hydrification and Body Flicker combination, Fuma's sheer power and fierce punches were still deadly.
Fuma held his breath to avoid inhaling the poison, but he couldn't stop his skin from absorbing it, and the poisoning symptoms grew more severe.
The battlefield was so thick with poisonous mist that the ground was barely visible. Under their leader's efforts, the environment of the Rain Village had once again deteriorated irreversibly.
"Who would've thought, a simple assassination mission, and I end up encountering Hanzo. Just my luck."
"That self-destruct technique his son used earlier, probably taught by this father."
"Hanzo shouldn't be able to self-destruct, should he? He has ambitions, he shouldn't."
"But if Hanzo forcibly self-destructs, that would be a real problem."
Fuma deliberately pulled back, observing Hanzo. He didn't have a compelling reason to kill him.
But the dull feeling in his body was growing.
If Hanzo self-destructed and left him half-dead, he couldn't expect Konoha to compensate him.
After all, when his father, Uchiha Kagami, died, the family only received a few boxes of fruit.
Unbeknownst to him, Hanzo had similar thoughts.
"This guy's body is extraordinary. The salamander's poison isn't working. This is troublesome."
"I can't avenge Iga today. I will remember this grudge, damn Konoha."
"Konoha's strength is swelling, this is not good."
This battle had already altered the timeline, subtly changing the dynamics of the Second Shinobi World War.
In the original story, Hanzo intended to show his might by conquering the Bird Country, a subordinate of the Wind Country, and the River Country, a subordinate of the Fire Country, thus making Rain one of the Six Great Shinobi Villages.
But facing Fuma, this Konoha ninja capable of killing him, his invasion plans became a pipe dream.
"To rip a piece off Konoha, it seems I'll need to rally the starving dogs of the Sand Village."
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