Naruto: Starting with Infinite Chakra-Chapter 198: Unbelievable

As soon as Hanzō of the Salamander finished speaking, a thick cloud of purple mist erupted from his body, surging toward Jiraiya like a tidal wave. At the same time, Hanzō's body began to decay rapidly, dissolving into a pool of toxic sludge within moments.

The man once revered as the "Demi-God of the Shinobi World" had fallen.

Hanzō knew there was no chance of survival, so in his final moments, he detonated the poison sac implanted within him. He had carried it since his youth, and over the years, it had accumulated an immense amount of venom. Now, he unleashed it all in one final act—so potent that even his own body could not withstand it.

Watching Hanzō end his life this way, Jiraiya couldn't help but feel a measure of respect for the man. At the very least, he had lived and died without tarnishing his title. He neither begged for mercy nor lowered himself in the face of death.

The toxic mist spread rapidly, but Jiraiya remained unfazed. He retrieved a storage scroll and pulled out a jet-black gourd. Infusing it with chakra, he activated its power. The gourd released an overwhelming suction force, effortlessly absorbing the deadly poison into its depths.

Hanzō's desperate final gambit had failed to harm Jiraiya in the slightest.

The gourd in Jiraiya's hands was no ordinary item—it was a treasure he had obtained through his sign-in ability, capable of absorbing and sealing any toxic substance. Should he ever need it, he could release the poison back into the world at will.

Its name was simple yet fitting—the Sealing Poison Gourd.

...

With Hanzō dead, the remaining Ame ninja immediately lost their will to fight and fled in a frenzy.

Jiraiya watched them retreat but chose not to pursue. With Hanzō gone, Amegakure no longer had the strength to resist the Land of Fire. Conquering the country was now just a matter of time.

Sealing away Shukaku had been the key to drawing Hanzō out, and while Jiraiya had anticipated a confrontation, even he hadn't expected to successfully kill the legendary shinobi.

Before this battle, Hanzō had been extremely cautious, refusing to leave the safety of Amegakure even when Jiraiya led an army to its very doorstep. The village, after all, had been fortified under Hanzō's rule for decades, making it an impenetrable stronghold.

Had Hanzō remained inside, Jiraiya would have had no immediate way to deal with him. But with his death and the Ame forces now in disarray, Jiraiya knew it wouldn't be long before the remaining ninja surrendered.

Even if some stubbornly held their ground, their dwindling numbers would only make them easier to crush. The Land of Fire's eventual victory was inevitable.

"Jiraiya-sama, should we press the attack and take Amegakure while they're in disarray?" Isamu asked, his tone eager. With Hanzō dead, the village's defenses were likely in shambles—this was the perfect opportunity to strike.

"No need to rush," Jiraiya replied, shaking his head. "For now, take your forces and surround Amegakure. I'll return to the village and bring reinforcements. Even with Hanzō gone, storming the village with our current numbers would be costly."

Isamu nodded in understanding. Jiraiya's decision was sound. Although Jiraiya alone had the power to flatten Amegakure, doing so would destroy valuable resources and structures in the process. Unless absolutely necessary, he wanted to avoid such a drastic measure.

"Understood." Isamu bowed respectfully.

After issuing a few more orders, Jiraiya set off for Konohagakure. With Hanzō dead, he was now in a position to convince the village's higher-ups to fully support his mission to unify the shinobi world. If they refused, he had his own ways of silencing opposition.

...

"What?! Shukaku has been sealed by Jiraiya?!"

At Sunagakure in the Land of Wind, the shocking news had just reached the ears of the village's leaders.

Panic immediately spread among the upper echelons.

They had never anticipated such a disastrous turn of events when they sent Shukaku to the battlefield.

"I told you from the start—Shukaku should never have left the village! He should have remained under our control! But no, you insisted on sending Bunpuku with him! And now look what's happened—Shukaku is sealed, and our military strength has plummeted! Not only have we gained nothing in Ame, but we've also made ourselves vulnerable to attacks on our homeland!"

An elder slammed his fist on the table, his voice full of regret and frustration.

"This isn't the time for blame," another council member interjected. "What's done is done. The real issue now is finding a way to reclaim Shukaku. If we lose him permanently, we'll no longer be able to hold our place among the Great Nations."

"Jiraiya's power is terrifying. He has risen to prominence in just six months, yet he was able to seal Shukaku on his own."

"Not only that," another elder added grimly, "but let's not forget—Hiruzen Sarutobi is still alive and remains a formidable force. With Shukaku in their hands, our chances of reclaiming him are slim at best."

"Kazekage-sama! We have urgent news from the frontlines!"

As the council debated, a panicked Suna ninja burst into the chamber, delivering yet another shocking report.

"Jiraiya has killed Hanzō of the Salamander!"

The entire room fell into stunned silence.

"What did you say?" The Kazekage shot up from his seat, his expression one of utter disbelief. "You're telling me Hanzō is dead? Killed by Jiraiya?!"

"Is this some kind of mistake?" another elder asked in disbelief. Hanzō had been a force to be reckoned with for years—his name alone struck fear across the shinobi world. The idea that he had fallen to Jiraiya, a single ninja, was almost too much to accept.

"The report is accurate," the messenger confirmed. "Jiraiya killed Hanzō without suffering a single injury."

The weight of the words hung in the air, sending chills down the spines of everyone present.

...

Jiraiya's rise was no longer something they could ignore. The balance of power in the shinobi world was shifting—and fast.

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