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Hayato fought fiercely against the Legendary Sannin, but even in the middle of battle, he couldn't help admiring them. Not only were their individual powers overwhelming, their teamwork was seamless. Without a single word exchanged, the three of them moved in perfect sync, each strike flowing into the next, making their combined strength far greater than the sum of its parts.
Their joint assault was relentless. Ninjutsu after ninjutsu overlapped, striking with precision. Hayato's body gradually accumulated cuts and bruises.
Of course, Tsunade—who was taking him head-on—wasn't doing much better. Even with Orochimaru and Jiraiya supporting from the sides, she was the one shouldering most of the pressure. Almost every ounce of Hayato's strength was directed at her.
Hayato blocked another one of her devastating punches with his elbow. He had grown used to the raw, terrifying power behind her blows. Sliding his foot back, he redirected most of her force, letting it dissipate. What remained, he absorbed into his own body, standing firm without budging an inch. His other hand shot forward, fist aimed squarely at Tsunade.
She caught the first strike, but the second came immediately after. Unlike Tsunade, who fought with sheer brute strength, Hayato had both speed and power. His fists were fast, sharp, and unrelenting. During his training, he had borrowed techniques from Wing Chun, one of the fastest martial arts in the world. Even if he only used fragments of that method, his attack speed skyrocketed.
Short, rapid, crushing blows poured down on Tsunade like a storm. Each punch was as heavy as hers, yet delivered in quick succession. If she'd been alone against him, she would have been beaten black and blue already. But she wasn't alone—her two teammates unleashed well-timed jutsu that forced Hayato to break his rhythm.
Whenever he broke through Tsunade's guard and was about to land a decisive blow, a jutsu came flying at him. If he pressed forward, he risked being hit, and one clean hit meant the next would follow. Reluctantly, Hayato would disengage to dodge, erasing the advantage he'd just won.
Still, the pressure was mounting on Tsunade. Her chakra consumption was enormous, and she was starting to breathe heavier. At this point in her life, she hadn't yet mastered her Strength of a Hundred Seal or her Byakugō Technique. She didn't have the bottomless reserves she would one day wield. Just like Orochimaru hadn't yet created the Living Corpse Reincarnation, and Jiraiya hadn't yet tapped into Sage Mode.
"Hayato, you're out of options! Just give it up already!" Jiraiya shouted, spitting out a massive stream of oil that almost drenched him. Hayato dodged, only to be met with another crushing punch from Tsunade. He barely managed to block, but then a follow-up jutsu from Orochimaru slipped through and scored a hit. That was when Jiraiya called out again.
After clashing with Hayato for so long, Jiraiya couldn't help but feel some respect for him. Their three-on-one fight reminded him of when they had faced Hanzo the Salamander. Hayato's style was completely different from Hanzo's, but the pressure was the same.
"Shut it, Jiraiya," Orochimaru said coldly, eyes fixed on Hayato. "He hasn't even played his trump card yet." Orochimaru had already tried to rush in earlier, only to be blasted back by Hayato's brutal taijutsu. The strike had left him injured, and though his unorthodox movements were tricky, they were nothing compared to Hayato's raw speed and precision. Worse, his interference had nearly thrown off Tsunade's timing. Since then, Orochimaru had held back.
"Like hell! If he's got a trump card, then so do we!" Jiraiya snapped, biting into his finger and slamming both hands on the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!"
"Tsunade, move!" he shouted.
Tsunade's expression tightened just as Hayato's fist slammed into her stomach. Using the momentum, she pushed herself back to safety.
With a thunderous crash, a giant toad dropped from the sky, slamming into the battlefield.
Hayato's brow furrowed. Just before the toad could flatten him, he flickered out of sight, leaving only a wooden log behind. The log was crushed into splinters beneath the creature's weight.
"Jiraiya!" the toad—wearing a blade at his side—called out.
"Damn it, Gamabunta!" Jiraiya grinned despite himself.
"If that's how it's gonna be… let's all call our partners," Tsunade said grimly.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
At her words, she and Orochimaru slammed their hands down. In a puff of smoke, a massive slug and a towering serpent appeared, joining Gamabunta in surrounding Hayato.
Hayato took a deep breath. Even without transforming, he already had Kage-level power. But his fight with the Sannin had drained him. His stamina and chakra far exceeded most shinobi, yet now he faced not only the three Sannin but also their colossal summons. Against six foes of this caliber, his chances were slim to none.
"Finally," Orochimaru murmured, his eyes glinting with anticipation. "Will you show us? That bloodline of yours… the one that turns you into a green giant?"
"....."