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Ninjas kept dropping one after another under Hayato's blade, but he wasn't coming out unscathed either. Cuts and gashes had started to stack up on him—not the kind that would kill him outright, but every weapon that had struck him was laced with some nasty poison. His condition was starting to look pretty rough, and faint black streaks were already crawling across his skin. If this kept up, it wouldn't take long before the poison finished him off.
Still, even without turning into the Hulk, Hayato's body healed faster than most people's, and his ability to purge toxins was way above average. That meant the poison wasn't going to kill him anytime soon.
As he kept cutting down Ame-nin and taking hits in return, Hanzō of the Salamander finally stepped out of the building, flanked by several elite jōnin. The guy really valued his own skin, apparently.
"Stop! Hayato!"One of the jōnin at Hanzō's side glared coldly at him. Ame had never had many top-ranking shinobi to begin with, and now several had already died by Hayato's hand—including a few the man considered good friends. His eyes were practically screaming for Hayato's blood. Still, remembering Hanzō's orders, he couldn't help but sneer to himself.
The Ame-nin surrounding Hayato froze at the command, but Hayato wasn't one of Hanzō's men—why would he stop just because some stranger shouted at him? If anything, he used the hesitation to launch an even faster, deadlier attack.
In just seconds, several more ninjas went down without a chance to fight back.
The jōnin blinked, momentarily thrown off by Hayato's complete disregard for "rules." Even Hanzō himself paused, just for a second, before his face hardened into a glare.
"Bring them here," Hanzō said, his voice steady but dripping with coldness.
Moments later, Hayato—still cutting down enemies—saw three children dragged forward by three Ame-nin.
"Konan!"He froze. He hadn't expected this. Konan, Nagato, and Yahiko… they'd been captured.
Truth was, the moment Hayato had taken out those four jōnin earlier, Hanzō had realized he wasn't some ordinary threat. Killing four elite ninja in one go? That was the kind of thing that made a leader nervous. So as a countermeasure, Hanzō had ordered his men to snatch the three kids.
"Big brother Hayato!"Konan's eyes welled up the moment she saw him—bleeding, battered, and with that faint black tint from the poison creeping over his skin.
"Hayato!"
"Hayato!" Nagato and Yahiko both shouted, struggling to break free. But the ones holding them were all chūnin, far stronger than the kids could handle.
"Heh… what's the matter, Hayato? Why'd you stop?" The same jōnin from before grinned nastily. "Go on—attack! The moment you make a move, I'll slit their throats." His smugness was practically oozing out.
Hayato ignored him entirely. His eyes left the kids and locked on Hanzō.
"Let them go," Hayato said, taking a deep breath and forcing his rage back down. It was getting harder and harder to keep it contained. But transforming now… he couldn't risk hurting Konan in the process.
"Let them go? Sure," Hanzō said coldly. "But I have one condition."
"Say it," Hayato replied, his voice like ice.
"I want you dead," Hanzō said, almost casually. "Your choice—either you die… or all three of them do." His tone stayed calm, but there was something strange in his eyes, a flicker of something unreadable in his expression.
Ninjas were dropping one after another under Hayato's hands, but he wasn't getting out of it unscathed. Cuts and gashes began to cover him—none fatal, but the weapons that made them were laced with nasty poison. Black veins were already creeping faintly along his skin, the toxins eating away at him. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before the poison finished him.
Even so, Hayato's body healed far faster than a normal person's, even without shifting into his Hulk form, and his resistance to poison was way above average. The venom was dangerous, sure, but it wasn't going to kill him quickly.
As Hayato kept cutting down Ame-nin, taking wounds in return, Salamander Hanzō finally stepped out of the building. Several jōnin guarded his sides—clearly, the man valued his life above all else.
"Stop! Hayato!" one of the jōnin barked, glaring at him. Several of their own had already died at Hayato's hands, including a few of the man's close friends, and the rage in his eyes was almost murderous. But remembering Hanzō's orders, he could only give a cold, mocking smile.
At his shout, the surrounding Ame-nin pulled back instantly. But Hayato wasn't one of Hanzō's men—why the hell would he stop just because some random ordered it? If anything, the pause in attacks gave him the perfect opening.
In a blur, several more ninjas dropped without even getting the chance to fight back.
The jōnin froze, stunned that Hayato was just ignoring the script entirely. Even Hanzō was caught off guard for a moment before his expression twisted into cold fury.
"Bring them out," Hanzō said, his deep, icy voice cutting through the air.
A moment later, Hayato saw them—three kids being dragged out by three shinobi, each with a blade to their throats.
"Konan!" Hayato's chest tightened. He hadn't expected her, of all people, to get caught—and along with her, Nagato and Yahiko too.
The truth was, after Hayato had taken out four jōnin in one go, Hanzō knew he was no ordinary opponent. A threat like that couldn't be left unchecked. So, as soon as the fight started, he'd sent men to snatch the three kids who meant the most to him.
"Big brother Hayato!" Konan's eyes filled with tears the moment she saw him—bleeding, bruised, and with black poison marks snaking under his skin.
"Hayato!""Hayato!"
Nagato and Yahiko both struggled hard, but their captors were chūnin, far stronger than the two boys. They couldn't even break free.
"Heh… what's the matter, Hayato? Why'd you stop now?" the earlier jōnin jeered, his voice dripping with smugness. "Go on, keep fighting! The second you make a move, these three are dead!"
Hayato didn't even glance at the man. His eyes locked onto Hanzō instead.
"Let them go," he said through clenched teeth, fighting to keep his voice steady. His anger was bubbling to the surface, threatening to explode—but he forced it down. If he lost control and transformed, Konan might get caught in the chaos.
"Let them go? Sure," Hanzō replied coolly. "But I have one condition."
"Say it." Hayato's tone was like ice.
"I want you dead," Hanzō said flatly. "So, your choice—either you die… or those three do." His voice was calm, but his eyes had shifted, a strange, unreadable glint flashing in them.
"....."