Yunchuan Hyuga offered silent blessings, once again appreciating how useful this tool truly was. If he had done all of this himself, the cost in points and effort would have been far greater. Letting Orochimaru handle it was far more efficient.
"Being pushed this far and still repaying harm with kindness, Orochimaru really is a good person."
With that thought, Yunchuan Hyuga set it aside. Orochimaru would need time, and he himself needed to accumulate more points before manifesting the rules in one decisive move.
He sat on the bed and looked out the window.
From here, he could see the towering structure that symbolized the absolute authority of Amegakure, rising into the clouds like a massive stone pillar standing over the rain-soaked land. The endless rain pressed down on the iron city below. Everything felt heavy and confined.
Kakashi Hatake had already sent word back to the village. Once they received approval from Hiruzen Sarutobi, they would go to Amegakure to meet Hanzo and formally propose an alliance. Given Hiruzen Sarutobi's temperament, there was no reason for refusal, and considering Hanzo's current situation, he likely would not reject it either.
Objectively speaking, it was a solution that benefited both sides.
The Land of Rain would become a buffer for the Land of Fire against the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth. In return, the Land of Fire would supply the Land of Rain with food, weapons, and other resources. On paper, it was a fair exchange.
But then came the real question.
Would the people of the Land of Rain and the ninja of Amegakure truly be willing to become expendable pawns for Konoha? Would Nagato and Obito Uchiha allow the Land of Rain to become a subordinate and a sacrifice for the great nations? And most importantly, would he allow it?
Yunchuan Hyuga smiled softly as shadows stirred beneath his feet. A black robe wrapped around his body, and his figure vanished from the room. Only a single Shadow Clone was left behind.
At the top of the high tower in Amegakure, Hanzo sat cross-legged by the window. He silently watched the curtain of rain outside. The sound of water against stone filled the air.
The Land of Rain was a nation soaked in cold rain, wedged between the great powers of fire, wind, and earth. Throughout history, it had been trampled by wars between those nations. Its land became battlefields, and its people were driven from their homes.
There was no bright sunlight and no fertile soil. There was only endless dampness, cold steel, and pain buried deep in the heart that the rain washed over again and again without erasing. It was a condensed reflection of the cruel reality of the Ninja World.
"Dreams?"
Hanzo recalled the young man named Yahiko and the words he once spoke about dreams and peace. Had the younger version of Hanzo truly lacked dreams of his own? Had he not longed for peace as well?
In youth, one always believes anything is possible. With time, one learns that human strength has limits. Now, as the leader of Amegakure and a hero of the Land of Rain, he carried the lives of countless people on his shoulders.
He could not gamble, dared not gamble, and knew he would lose if he did. With that realization, the murkiness in Hanzo's eyes slowly turned firm.
A knock sounded at the door.
"Come in," Hanzo said calmly, his thoughts interrupted.
An Amegakure ninja rushed inside, shouting that something terrible had happened. Hanzo's voice dropped sharply, telling him to calm down and speak properly, reminding him that the sky had not fallen yet.
Swallowing nervously, the ninja reported that people from Konoha had arrived and wished to meet him.
"Konoha?" Hanzo frowned deeply, unease rising in his chest. Had they really come this quickly?
"..."
The room fell into a dead silence, and the air slowly grew heavy. No reply came from Hanzo for a long time, and the Amegakure ninja kneeling on one knee behind the Folding Screen felt fine sweat gather on his forehead.
"Shenda."
Hanzo's voice was calm to the point of strangeness. The Amegakure ninja called Shenda instinctively raised his head, only to see that the figure who had been behind the Folding Screen had stepped out.
Seeing that familiar, indifferent face, Shenda, known as Hanzo's right hand, suddenly felt that the aged man before him was somehow unfamiliar. His posture was still upright, yet the sense of decline in his bones was something even Root could not hide.
Had Hanzo already grown this old?
"Bring three squads from ANBU and follow me to meet the people from Konoha. Let us see what they want this time."
Hanzo's voice was cold and steady, each word firm, like nails driven into a wall. The sharpness in his tone left no room for doubt.
"Yes, Hanzo-sama!"
Startled out of his daze, Shenda lowered his head and answered at once, pressing his dry lips together. His heart held both shock and relief, shock at Hanzo's age, and relief at his unyielding stance.
Hanzo was still Hanzo, still the hero of Amegakure.
Boom!
As Hanzo led his men out of the High Tower, a flash of lightning split the dim world, followed by a thunderclap overhead. The gray sky seemed to be cut open by a blue seam, and dense rain poured down, crossing before Hanzo's eyes like the veins of leaves.
He had not fought for far too long, nor had he stepped out of the High Tower for a long time. Fear had kept him hidden high in the tower, unwilling to let others see his age.
But since the people of Konoha dared to come to his door, it meant they had already gathered a great deal of intelligence. At this moment, there was no room left for hesitation or retreat.
The envoys from Konoha had requested an audience according to proper customs, and he had no reason to refuse. If he backed down now or showed fear, his reputation would collapse into a lie.
For the current Hanzo, that was more terrifying than death. Because what he still possessed was already very little.
A short while later, Hanzo entered the Watchtower before the gates of Amegakure. The instant he stepped inside, the heavy curtain of rain pressing on his shoulders was cut away.
He finally saw who Konoha had sent to meet him.
"Hanzo-sama."
Kakashi Hatake bowed slightly, his manner flawless and respectful. "Thank you for granting us this meeting. We are deeply honored, and please allow me to convey greetings to you on behalf of the Third Hokage."
This made it clear to Hanzo that the meeting was approved by Hiruzen Sarutobi and was open and proper. Even so, the Amegakure ninja following behind Hanzo still looked at them with open hostility and even hatred.
To these people who had brought disaster and suffering to their country, many under Hanzo bore deep blood feuds. It was natural that they showed no friendliness toward Kakashi Hatake and his group.
"..."
Hanzo looked at the young genius ninja from Konoha before him and felt a renewed sense of sorrow at the gap between Amegakure and Konoha. His gaze then swept over the dozen or so Konoha ninja standing behind him.
A team of more than ten had entered the capital of the Land of Rain, gathered intelligence, and stayed for several days, yet Amegakure had known nothing about it. Thinking of this, Hanzo's suspicious nature flared up again, and his tone turned colder.
"Enough talk. I am here. What do you want?"