Rewind time by one day.
February 2nd, Land of Rain, Amegakure.
Just as Konohagakure was an urbanized metropolis, Amegakure was not merely a village, but a massive city of steel.
The Land of Rain had no Daimyo; the leader of Amegakure was nominally the master of the entire nation. Currently, the man sitting in this seat of absolute power was named Hanzo.
During the early period of the Second Shinobi World War, Hanzo mobilized the entire strength of the Land of Rain, allying with surrounding small nations to declare war on Sunagakure and Konohagakure. He attempted to use the war to force recognition from the international community, establish the Land of Rain as the Sixth Great Nation, elevate Amegakure to the status of the Sixth Great Shinobi Village alongside the Five Great Shinobi Villages, and earn himself the title of "Kage."
He fought Mifune of the Land of Iron, Chiyo of Sunagakure, and the Legendary Sannin of Konohagakure one after another without suffering a single defeat. On the battlefield, he was a one-man army, invincible, and was thus crowned with the title "Demi-God of the Shinobi World." However, despite his brilliance, the Land of Rain still lost that war.
Even though Hanzo's personal strength stood at the absolute pinnacle of the shinobi world at the time, the national power of the Land of Rain could not sustain his grand ambitions. After the war, the country suffered even greater trauma, losing a massive number of mission requests both domestically and abroad. The once-mighty Amegakure shinobi force suffered heavy casualties, the economy took a severe hit, and countless civilians were left displaced and homeless.
And that war also permanently changed Hanzo.
In the center of Amegakure, inside a towering steel structure built from countless intertwined pipes and shaped like a giant demon's head, the letter Hanzo had sent via an envoy to Konohagakure a few days ago finally received a response.
At this moment, several Rain ninja quickly passed through one heavy steel door after another, arriving at the top floor of the tower. On the outdoor observation deck—perched right on the protruding tongue of the giant demon head—a tall figure sat cross-legged. With his back to the hall behind him, he looked down at Amegakure, which was entirely shrouded in a torrential downpour.
He seemed to be waiting for something, his gaze drifting aimlessly through the thick curtain of rain, his brows furrowed tightly.
"Lord Hanzo!" An Amegakure ninja rushed over, keeping a respectful distance of over ten meters. Looking at the tall figure who, unusually, was not wearing his iconic respirator mask, the ninja anxiously shouted, "The envoy sent to Konohagakure has returned with a reply!"
"He met with Konoha's Danzo Shimura!"
This sinister, ominous name instantly snapped Hanzo out of his drifting thoughts. His wandering gaze narrowed into a sharp focus, and he turned his head, revealing a resolute, weathered, yet deeply exhausted face. "Danzo Shimura... what did he say?"
A few days ago... or even earlier, upon receiving intelligence that the Battle of Kannabi Bridge had concluded and Minato Namikaze had forcefully crushed Iwagakure's offensive, Hanzo had anticipated that the Third Shinobi World War was drawing to a close. At this stage, the overall intensity of the war began to decline, and the various nations started preparing for post-war settlements. This included crucial matters such as how to divide the spoils of war, establish the post-war geopolitical order, and allocate mission shares.
The core of the negotiations between Konohagakure—who held the definitive advantage—and Iwagakure would inevitably involve the Land of Rain. Whichever side the Land of Rain decided to lean toward, positioned directly between the three great nations, would determine the geopolitical landscape of the entire shinobi world for the next decade.
During this Shinobi World War, Hanzo had intentionally scaled back his forces and maintained strict neutrality, letting the other nations fight to the death within his borders. He had done this precisely to wait for this exact moment.
However, at this moment, the expression on Hanzo's face shifted slightly, his eyes narrowing with a trace of urgency.
According to the original trajectory of the war, he wouldn't have needed to be this anxious. The Land of Rain, having preserved its combat capabilities during this conflict, could easily hold out for the highest bidder, waiting for Iwagakure and Konohagakure to offer their terms. And indeed, that was exactly what Hanzo had been doing.
But... ever since the collapse of Kirigakure occurred, everything had changed.
"Danzo Shimura stated that he has no time to entertain your request for a meeting. However... he truly does seem to be incredibly busy. According to our scouts, Danzo Shimura is currently engaged in intensive political activities, meeting with a large number of officials and nobles from the Land of Fire every day, and has even traveled in person to the capital to audience with the Fire Daimyo."
"That old fox..." Hanzo knit his brows, his expression growing even heavier. He then stared at the reporting ninja and asked in a deep voice, "The matters regarding the Land of Rain, and the negotiations with Iwagakure are so critical—is he really just washing his hands of them completely?!"
"No, Lord Hanzo. Danzo Shimura also said—"
"He has fully delegated this matter to... that 'Tennin'!"
Hearing this, Hanzo's face darkened instantly. "That wasn't his attitude before!"
Long before the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, Danzo had established a communication channel with Hanzo and exchanged views regarding an alliance between the Land of Rain and Konohagakure.
But now, Danzo was turning his back faster than flipping pages in a book. Clearly knowing everything in his heart, he put on a shameless, hypocritical front, acting as if he knew nothing about any alliance.
Thinking of this, the frustration built up in Hanzo's chest suddenly deflated. "The circumstances are beyond our control..." He let out a long sigh, then raised his head and asked heavily, "So, who exactly is this 'Tennin'?"
"Has his information been uncovered yet?"
The ninja below nodded. Looking at the staggering intelligence report in his hands, he couldn't help but swallow hard. Suppressing the shock in his heart, he reported in a deep voice: "Yes, Lord Hanzo! This is no longer a secret. With Danzo Shimura's frequent political activities, he has personally confirmed the identity of this Tennin."
"He is the 'Hero of Konoha' who supposedly sacrificed himself on the eastern front during the conflict between Konoha and Kirigakure. He is the member of the Hyuga clan's branch house whose actions of breaking the Caged Bird seal and transplanting a main house Byakugan recently shook the major nations of the shinobi world..."
"Hyuga Yu!"
"This person is only 14 years old, yet he has already mastered almost all types of medical ninjutsu, is highly proficient in the Hyuga Gentle Fist and Konoha's Iron Fist, created an S-rank Wind Style Forbidden Jutsu, and possesses the terrifying power to suppress a Tailed Beast single-handedly."
"Danzo Shimura revealed that Hyuga Yu was secretly saved by him and has been covertly nurtured for a long time. Even that 'sacrifice' was staged just to allow him to better execute the plan to collapse Kirigakure."
"Tennin Hyuga Yu is the successor to Root designated by Danzo Shimura himself. Furthermore, Danzo intends to recommend Hyuga Yu to succeed as the Fourth Hokage in the upcoming election after the Shinobi World War ends!"
Hearing this barrage of information regarding the "Tennin," Hanzo's expression froze completely. His eyes widened slightly as he looked at the reporting ninja in disbelief. "What did you say?"
"Danzo Shimura is letting a mere 14-year-old child... run for the position of Fourth Hokage?!"
"14 years old... mastering almost all medical ninjutsu? And creating an S-rank Wind Style Forbidden Jutsu?"
"And he's that branch house kid who gouged out a main house Byakugan?"
Hanzo muttered over the intelligence, completely stunned for a long moment.
"Yes, Lord Hanzo. After Danzo Shimura spread this information, the head of the Konoha Medical Department, Biwako Sarutobi, suddenly submitted a request to the Third Hokage, demanding that the Tennin be reassigned out of Root. She claimed that the Tennin is a genius nurtured by the Medical Department and has absolutely nothing to do with Danzo... This confirms that Hyuga Yu indeed possesses the surgical capability to break the Caged Bird, just as the rumors say."
"At the same time, in the underground black market, Yagura Karatachi—the commander of the Kirigakure Jonin squad who is about to succeed as the Fourth Mizukage—has placed a bounty of up to 100 million Ryo on Hyuga Yu. This indirectly corroborates that it was indeed this person who launched the assault on Kirigakure."
"Intelligence from all sides confirms that the information on the Tennin is accurate."
Hearing these pieces of cross-verified evidence, Hanzo's lips trembled for a moment, and a sudden sense of daze washed over his mind. In his era and from his perspective, he had never seen anyone more talented than Konoha's Sannin. After clashing with those three young shinobi back then, he had been almost certain that it would be impossible for anyone more brilliant to appear in this world.
But now, reality was telling him otherwise—
Less than twenty years after the Second Shinobi World War, Konoha had not only produced the "Yellow Flash," who made all nations tremble with helpless dread, but now, a 14-year-old "Tennin" had also emerged...
For a moment, Hanzo felt completely out of place. This wasn't just awe at Hyuga Yu's strength, but an indescribable sense of loneliness. Has the era that belonged to me... really passed for so long?
Thinking of this, Hanzo suddenly let out a self-deprecating scoff, lowered his head, and sighed. While he couldn't help but marvel that every generation brings forth new talents, he raised his head slightly with a sense of resignation, looked at the ninja below, and asked, "So,"
"Where is this Tennin right now?"
No matter what, Hanzo had to pull himself together. Konoha had deployed Danzo, and Danzo had deployed the Tennin; the underlying meaning and the dynamics of this political chess game had shifted. What Yahiko could see, Hanzo—who had long since become an expert politician—naturally understood even better. This was precisely why he had been so anxious to contact Danzo Shimura. All he could do now was to find a better path for the Land of Rain to survive in this constantly changing environment!
However, at this moment... "The Tennin... The Tennin, we have tracked his movements, but this... he..."
When asked this question, the Amegakure ninja's face suddenly changed, and he stammered, unsure of how to speak.
Hanzo immediately knit his brows, his eyes narrowing. A terrifying aura unique to the "Demi-God of the Shinobi World" surged from his body!
He barked coldly, "Speak!"
The ninja below squeezed his eyes shut and, as if throwing caution to the wind, forced out the words: "That... That Tennin is currently together with Yahiko, the leader of the Akatsuki organization!"
The expression on Hanzo's face instantly vanished, replaced by a cold, harsh demeanor on his weathered visage. Two piercing, icy rays of light suddenly shot from his eyes!
"Are you saying—"
"The Tennin chose Akatsuki?"
The Land of Rain suddenly fell into a heavy silence.
Only Hanzo's chilling words echoed through the downpour enveloping the city!
Under this suffocating atmosphere, the several Amegakure ninja below dared not even breathe loudly.
However, Hanzo, sitting on the long tongue of the demon head, suddenly raised his head slightly. Looking past the ninja toward the shadows of the empty hall behind them, his brows furrowed fiercely. "Who's there?!"
From the darkness, a flat, emotionless, and detached voice suddenly rang out: "Heh, Senior Hanzo... don't you find it ridiculous?"
"Danzo Shimura actually let a 14-year-old child decide a critical matter that will impact the geopolitical landscape of the shinobi world for the next decade or two!"
As the voice fell, three distinct sets of footsteps—some heavy, some light—echoed through the empty hall!
Tap, tap, tap...
From the shadows, three massive figures slowly stepped forward.
The leader wore the red-and-gray attire of an Iwagakure shinobi. Standing a towering 2.2 meters tall, he had a burly build, a square face, and a steady, composed gaze.
Following behind him were two ninja of contrasting sizes dressed in bizarre attire. The one on the left wasn't particularly burly, appearing somewhat "petite" compared to the other two at only 1.5 meters tall, but he looked incredibly powerful. He wore a purple ascetic monk's shinobi outfit, had a full beard, and wore a brown, wide-brimmed felt hat forehead protector bearing the Iwagakure symbol.
The one on the right was the tallest of the three, standing at 2.3 meters. He wore a custom-made steam armor, a red conical hat, and his face was concealed behind a heavy red armored mask.
Seeing the three people who had suddenly intruded, Hanzo's gaze instantly locked on them. He immediately recognized that these three were none other than the personnel sent by Iwagakure to participate in the second peace talks between Iwagakure and Konoha.
Kitsuchi, the son of the Third Tsuchikage Onoki!
Roshi, the Jinchuriki of the Four-Tails from Iwagakure!
Han, the Jinchuriki of the Five-Tails from Iwagakure!
Seeing these three, Hanzo's heart tightened slightly, but he did not show any signs of panic. Even if he had been left behind by the current era, as the "Demi-God of the Shinobi World" who stood at the pinnacle of his own time, Hanzo was not inferior to these three. In a one-on-one situation, even though he was old and frail, Hanzo was confident he could defeat any one of them.
Furthermore, if a battle truly broke out here in the heart of the Land of Rain, the opponents wouldn't have an easy time either.
Hanzo narrowed his eyes, watching the trio warily, and spoke coldly: "Iwagakure shinobi..."
"What have you come for?"
The leading Kitsuchi gave an honest-looking smile, but a shrewdness uncharacteristic of his facial features flashed through his eyes. He spoke with an air of absolute righteousness: "Senior Hanzo, we have naturally come for the matter of an alliance between Iwagakure and Amegakure."
"Is that so?" Hanzo gave a half-hearted, indifferent chuckle, but immediately issued an eviction notice: "The current situation in the shinobi world is clear enough. There should be no need for this old man to tutor you juniors, right?"
"Leave, Kitsuchi—"
"This old man has already decided to ally with Konoha!"
"Oh?" Kitsuchi wasn't angered upon hearing this. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Even if that Tennin of Konoha has already chosen Akatsuki to be the future voice of the Land of Rain?"
Hanzo completely ignored his attempt to sow discord and stated directly, "Correct."
"Given Danzo Shimura's character, the successor he chose might be weak, but it's absolutely impossible for him to be stupid! The Tennin contacting Akatsuki ahead of time must be due to some unforeseen circumstance."
"This old man believes it is merely a misunderstanding."
At this point, Hanzo paused, took a deep breath to compose his emotions, and continued coldly, "Furthermore, Akatsuki are not rogue ninja of Amegakure. We share a common goal, only our paths differ slightly. This is an internal matter of the Land of Rain; there is no need for you all to worry about it!"
Hearing this, the red-haired monk Roshi behind Kitsuchi frowned and said coldly, "Hanzo, are you still going to deceive yourself?"
"Konoha has already abandoned you!"
"Your only choice now is to cooperate with Iwagakure!"
Hanzo knit his brows and interrupted coldly, "Enough! Please leave!"
"Hmph."
Roshi didn't budge an inch. He let out a cold snort, glanced at Kitsuchi beside him, and sneered, "I will naturally leave. Whether you form an alliance or not has absolutely nothing to do with me. However, Hanzo, do you really think this brat from the Onoki family would come here without making any preparations?"
"What do you mean?" Hearing this, Hanzo's gaze sharpened, and the composure on his face could no longer be maintained. He immediately turned his head, staring intently at Kitsuchi, and demanded urgently, "Kitsuchi, what did you do?"
A reliable, solid smile hooked onto Kitsuchi's honest face as he looked at Hanzo with apparent sincerity. "Senior Hanzo, there's no need to be nervous."
"I merely... helped you make the correct choice!"
He looked up slightly at the dark, gloomy sky and smiled. "Calculating the time, they should be arriving right about now."
"Amegakure shinobi... attacking the 'Tennin' who acts as Konoha's envoy."
"I hope you like this gift, Senior..."
Hearing this, Hanzo's face changed drastically. Filled with rage, he pointed at Kitsuchi, his hand trembling slightly. "You! You..."
Kitsuchi nodded and smiled. "Then next, Senior Hanzo, let us begin discussing the subsequent matters."
Kitsuchi narrowed his eyes and said softly, "For instance, helping you eliminate Akatsuki."
"And... eliminating Konoha's Tennin!"
On this day, the sky over the Land of Rain, painted by lies, appeared a few shades gloomier.
Meanwhile, on the other side in Konoha Village, a tempest sparked by Hyuga Yu was also about to unveil its prelude.
On this day, Minato Namikaze, the highly prestigious candidate for Fourth Hokage who had been out executing missions for many days, finally arrived at the day of his return to the village.
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