Naruto: Starting with Infinite Chakra-Chapter 196: Standing Shoulder to Shoulder with the Gods

Hanzō of the Salamander had absolute confidence in his poison. Now that Jiraiya had been exposed to it, even if it didn't take his life immediately, it would severely weaken him.

His poison was incurable. Even he had no antidote for it.

In other words, once poisoned, the best-case scenario was losing half your life.

He was called the "Demi-God of the Shinobi World" because others feared his poison. No one had ever found a way to neutralize it, which solidified his reputation.

If the Kage-level shinobi of the Five Great Nations had a means to counter his poison, they would have banded together to eliminate him long ago. There was no way they would have allowed him to continue leading Amegakure unchallenged.

That being said, if the Five Kage truly went all out in a life-or-death battle against him, even if they couldn't cure his poison, they could still take him down in a mutually destructive exchange.

"Your poison is strong, no doubt," Jiraiya said, shaking his head. "But if I really want to purge it, it's not that difficult."

Pressing his hands together, he activated the Universal Poison Seal—a technique that sent his chakra surging through his body, isolating and expelling the venom.

The reddish blotches on his skin quickly faded.

"How is this possible?!"

Hanzō's voice cracked with disbelief. Jiraiya had just neutralized his poison.

Ever since he had implanted the poison sac of a salamander in his youth, his resistance to toxins had been unparalleled. He consumed poisons daily to strengthen his venom. The toxins he exhaled were so potent that even he couldn't formulate an antidote.

Yet Jiraiya had cleansed himself of it. Hanzō couldn't accept it.

If Jiraiya had mastered a method to counteract his poison and spread it to others, his greatest advantage over Kage-level opponents would be nullified.

Hanzō was a top-tier powerhouse among Kage-level shinobi, but without his poison, he would be reduced to an ordinary Kage-level combatant.

For the first time, he felt a tinge of fear.

His greatest weapon had been countered. His trump card, rendered useless.

How could he not be shaken?

At that moment, Hanzō made up his mind—Jiraiya had to die. No matter what, he couldn't be allowed to leave alive.

"Jiraiya actually neutralized Lord Hanzō's poison? How did he do that?"

"The poison Lord Hanzō produces is so potent that even he cannot create an antidote. How could Jiraiya counter it?"

The shinobi of Amegakure were in shock.

For years, their village had conducted extensive research to counteract Hanzō's poison, but all efforts had been fruitless. His venom was an ever-evolving mixture of countless toxins, enhanced daily through his regimen.

Yet Jiraiya had simply dispelled it. They struggled to believe their own eyes.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

Hanzō bit his thumb and slammed his palm to the ground. A massive salamander burst forth from the earth, and he swiftly leaped onto its head.

"Jiraiya, I don't know how you managed to resist my poison," Hanzō said coldly, "but let me make one thing clear—you cannot escape it entirely."

"This entire barrier is now saturated with my toxin. The longer you remain, the more poison you inhale."

"If you surrender now, I may consider sparing your life."

At his command, the enormous salamander spewed a dense, toxic mist, spreading it throughout the enclosed battlefield.

Jiraiya's body, which had just been cleansed, once again developed red blotches.

The salamander's poison, combined with Hanzō's exhaled toxins, caused the poison levels in the barrier to spike dramatically.

However, Jiraiya activated the Universal Poison Seal once more, resisting the effects. The blotches on his skin flickered in and out of existence as his body fought to maintain equilibrium.

"Surrender?" Jiraiya scoffed. "You're not worthy."

In a flash, he created a massive number of shadow clones—over a hundred in total.

"Myriad Thunder Prison!"

"Super Giant Rasengan!"

"Storm Rasengan!"

"Lightning Surge Rasengan!"

"Earthquake Rasengan!"

"Raging Waters Rasengan!"

"Blazing Fire Rasengan!"

...

Each of Jiraiya's clones unleashed a devastating jutsu, hurling them at Hanzō.

The sheer power of the attacks was overwhelming.

"This... this is impossible! How does he have so much chakra?"

Hanzō was aghast as a barrage of jutsu bore down on him.

Jiraiya had already expended a great deal of chakra fighting Shukaku. How could he still unleash such an onslaught?

"Sage Art: Goemon!"

Jiraiya, aided by two of his clones, activated a powerful Sage Technique. A tidal wave of searing oil and fire surged forward, incinerating everything in its path.

"Sage Art: Thousand Hair Needles!"

"Sage Art: Super Giant Thunderstorm Rasengan!"

"Sage Art: Heavenly Thunderfall!"

"Sage Art: Torrential Waters!"

One after another, Jiraiya's clones unleashed mighty Sage Techniques.

He had no intention of prolonging the fight.

Hanzō was undeniably formidable. If this battle dragged on, the accumulated poison would eventually overwhelm even the Universal Poison Seal.

The ground trembled as an ear-splitting explosion rocked the battlefield. The sheer force of the attacks shattered Hanzō's barrier.

"His chakra... it's beyond monstrous. This is even more terrifying than a Tailed Beast!"

"Is this really the power of a shinobi?"

"This... this is no mere man. This is a god!"

"Run! We need to get out of here! Not even Lord Hanzō can survive this!"

"He may be called a 'Demi-God,' but in the end, he is still just a man."

The shinobi of Amegakure looked on in horror as their leader was swallowed by the devastating attacks. One by one, they collapsed in terror, unable to comprehend the overwhelming power before them.

"Jiraiya... he truly is the God of the Shinobi World."

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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