Chiyo noticed Kakuzu, and with her keen eyesight, she naturally discerned some of Kakuzu's thoughts.
Although he was introduced by Hidden Rock as a Bounty Hunter, Chiyo did not expect such a character to fight desperately for Hidden Sand.
After all, Hidden Sand and Hidden Rock are different, and such a Bounty Hunter listed as a fugitive would not be granted trust.
She quietly sent a few Jonin to lurk over, hoping for peace on both sides. If Kakuzu desires Hanzou's corpse to trade for money, then Hidden Sand wouldn't hesitate to deal with him as well.
Previously, one of her Puppets was destroyed by Hanzou, leaving Chiyo with only nine Puppets to control.
Chiyo was in no rush to achieve victory; her focus shifted from Hanzou, her icy gaze now targeting the Hidden Rain Ninja around Hanzou with intense bloodlust.
Unlike Hanzou, this group of Hidden Rain Ninja was quite weak in battle. First, eliminate these Hidden Rain Ninja, then free up resources to finally resolve the biggest problem, Hanzou.
Thus, Chiyo's fingers moved deftly, and the nine Puppets dressed in white robes broke free from gravity's constraints, their feet leaving the ground like lightning as they flew towards the Hidden Rain Ninja in the crowd, revealing their murderous fangs.
Thunder resonated, and lightning darted through the dark clouds.
The earth was filled with the sounds of slaughter; despite the rain's cleansing, a thick scent of blood lingered.
The number of Hidden Rain Ninja sharply decreased. No matter how desperately they fought, the overall power of the Ninja was apparent, and they were utterly overwhelmed in numbers. This was not an equal battle.
For every death of a Hidden Sand ninja, there were three, four, or even five Hidden Rain ninja lost.
Among the Hidden Rain Ninja, some cried out, while others shouted to dispel the fear of death, yet none escaped, for escape meant death. It was better to fight bravely and become a hero who gloriously sacrificed for the village and the Country.
Faces were stained with blood grime as they sprinted across the battlefield, only to be struck down by Kunai, slashed open by blades wielded by Puppets, consumed by flames from Explosive Tags, or sliced by Wind Escape.
The relentless rain pounded on everyone's bodies, and even their hearts.
Salamander Ibuse was also besieged by a large number of Hidden Sand ninja, covered in blood grime, belonging to both enemies and himself.
A section of its tail was cut off, continually oozing poisonous blood.
There were just too many enemies.
Even for the swift-moving Salamander, it couldn't evade all these attacks.
Hanzou couldn't afford to pay attention to anything else, focusing solely on dealing with the enemies in front of him.
"Water Style: Rain Pellet Bullet!"
Raindrops surrounding Hanzou suddenly halted in mid-air, then reversed direction, flying towards the Hidden Sand ninja around him.
The sound of swooshing was incessant.
The unremarkable raindrops struck bodies, sinking directly into the flesh of the Ninja. In an instant, countless bloody holes appeared on the bodies of the dozen or so Hidden Sand ninja at the forefront, causing them to fall dead.
The Hidden Sand ninja further away were also affected, but because only parts of their bodies were hit, they were merely wounded, not directly killed.
"Cough, cough."
Hanzou coughed, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but he didn't pursue the victory.
It seemed he had the upper hand on the battlefield, but his stamina was weakening, and the wounds inside reopened, showing signs of worsening. This reality gradually reminded Hanzou that he was already journeying towards the path of death.
"Hanzou is almost done for, don't let him catch his breath!"
Seeing Hanzou suddenly cough and blood flowing from the corner of his mouth, the Hidden Sand Jonin in charge understood that Hanzou's health was deteriorating, or he wouldn't have missed such a good chance to chase after the victory.
Thus, the Hidden Sand ninja seized this opportunity with unstoppable momentum, launching a relentless offensive.
Hanzou looked up, seeing water bullets as hard as steel, a hurricane filled with chakra having cutting capabilities, and Kunai tied with Explosive Tags, Kunai infused with Attribute Chakra, all flying towards him.
With his current body's condition, relying on Instant Body Jutsu to evade seemed difficult.
Hanzou had to perform a One-Handed Seal.
"Water Style—"
"Almighty Push!"
This voice appeared abruptly, making Hanzou's eyes widen in an instant.
That voice... belonged to the boy named Nagato, who possessed the Rinnegan.
All the deadly attacks the Hidden Sand ninja prided themselves on came to a standstill before him, as if time and space had frozen.
Subsequently, a more powerful Repulsive Force was expelled, immediately eliciting cries of horror from the Hidden Sand ninja.
The water bullets and hurricane flew back, the Kunai with Explosive Tags exploded among the Hidden Sand ninja, causing chaos in their formation, with some unable to dodge the blasts, leaving blood marks all over their bodies.
A large number of Kunai imbued with Chakra also returned on their original path, slicing the bodies of the Hidden Sand ninja.
All the deadly techniques they unleashed had become lethal weapons against their own comrades.
This scene shocked the Hidden Sand ninja.
Since when was there an elite ninja among the Hidden Rain, aside from Hanzou?
Only to see around Hanzou, Hidden Rain ninja appeared, wearing attire different from the standard Hidden Rain Ninja Suit.
They uniformly wore pure black robes, none of them older than twenty. Both men and women were present, led by Yahiko.
"Lord Hanzou, are you alright?"
Nagato stood beside Hanzou, asking worriedly.
"Nagato, you shouldn't have come here..."
Hanzou understood these young people's ideals for peace.
Yet, ultimately, it was just an illusionary ideal.