"Withdraw."
Hanzo waved his hand, signaling the Rain Ninja to disperse. Though hesitant at first, the Rain Ninjas quickly bowed their heads and complied, scattering like birds at the coldness in his gaze.
"It's best to stop this pointless testing," Hanzo said, regaining his composure. He reached for the intact tea table, took a cup, and raised it to his lips.
"The ninja world is not at peace. Go back and tell Sarutobi Hiruzen that this should be the first and last time; otherwise, he should be aware of the consequences."
Despite the intense clash between Hanzo and Tsunade, the tea table nearest to them remained undamaged, with not even a drop of tea spilled.
This highlighted just how formidable a true kage-level ninja could be when it came to controlling their power.
Uchiha Sogetsu observed this and realized he was still a long way from reaching such mastery.
"I will report everything to my teacher," Tsunade replied, setting aside her earlier contempt. She slowly stood and added, "Let us know when you're ready regarding the seal."
Though it had been a brief encounter, Tsunade had learned much about the demigod in front of her. Despite his age, Hanzo's power was still formidable.
"Let's go," she said, turning to call Uchiha Sogetsu and Hikari, indicating it was time to leave.
A Rain Ninja led them out of the room.
Back in their quarters, Tsunade seemed to relax. She sat on the ground, letting her guard down, and remarked, "That was exhausting. If I knew it would be this tiring, I wouldn't have agreed to this. But Hanzo isn't just any ordinary old man."
"Tsunade-sama, your hand," Uchiha Sogetsu said, his eyes narrowing as he noticed something amiss with her right hand. "I didn't realize Hanzo was so skilled with poison; I only noticed it because of my Sharingan."
During their brief clash, Hanzo had managed to poison Tsunade using an almost imperceptible technique.
"Oh, it's been so many years, and he's still playing with the same tricks," Tsunade replied, waving her hand dismissively. "It's fine—I can cure his poison easily. It'll just take a little effort, that's all."
Meanwhile, after Tsunade and her team left, Hanzo sat in silence for a long time. Slowly, he pulled his hand out from his sleeve, revealing a deformed palm that trembled uncontrollably.
The pain from his shattered bones didn't faze him, but he stared at it for a moment, and a look of deep helplessness eventually crossed his face.
No matter how much he tried to hide it, the truth was clear.
Hanzo felt his age creeping up on him. The years had taken their toll, draining him of chakra and sapping his energy and strength. He wondered how much longer he could keep going like this.
His eyes showed a flicker of doubt. He had spent a lifetime fighting, but the Hidden Rain Village still bowed to the will of the five great ninja villages, its people trapped in a constant cycle of war and violence. Even worse, he had become a monster in the process, something he despised.
The sound of approaching footsteps snapped Hanzo back to reality. He immediately buried his feelings of vulnerability, transforming back into the cold and ruthless Hanzo of the "Salamander", the feared leader of the Hidden Rain Village.
"What's going on?" he asked, his voice devoid of emotion as he looked down.
"Hanzo-sama, there's someone here to see you," a Rain ninja reported, half-kneeling.
"What day is it today?" Hanzo asked, frowning slightly. He clenched his bony fist, the wrinkles on his face deepening as he sneered. "Is even that rat from the gutter trying to test me?"
"Send him to Room B," Hanzo decided after a moment. In his underground labyrinth of hideouts, he often switched residences to avoid assassination attempts.
The Konoha ANBU with an animal mask was escorted to Room B by the Rain ninja. The room was sparse, with simple tatami mats and no unnecessary decorations. Hanzo sat with his back to the entrance, facing the wall.
He didn't even turn around when he heard someone enter. "What's the matter?" he asked, his tone indifferent.
The Konoha ANBU was slightly offended by the lack of courtesy, but he kept his composure and spoke in a rigid tone. "I'm Bat. Lord Danzo asked me to convey his greetings and discuss a potential deal."
"A deal?" Hanzo's eyelids lifted slightly, showing interest. "Go on."
"Tsunade and her team should have arrived at the Hidden Rain Village by now," Bat said, lowering his voice. He didn't directly state the purpose of the visit but hinted at Tsunade's presence and what it could mean.
Whoosh!
A sharp glimmer zipped past Bat's mask and lodged deep into the wall behind him.
The animal mask cracked, and Bat's eyes shrank in fear as the hair on his body stood on end.
"I don't have time for your nonsense," Hanzo's voice was as cold as a winter gust. "Next time, I'll take your head off."
"Lord Danzo wants you to capture the Anbu who was with Tsunade." Bat, feeling the chilling aura emanating from the old man facing the wall, spoke quickly, his words tumbling out like beans from a broken stalk.
If Hanzo said he'd take your head, even Danzo wouldn't be able to save you.
So, after a brief pause, Bat hurriedly added, "Danzo-sama also said that if capturing the Anbu doesn't work, you can take his Sharingan. That would still count as fulfilling the mission."
"Sharingan?" Hanzo pondered for a moment and asked, "What's special about his Sharingan?"
"I'm sorry, that's confidential," Bat replied, lowering his head deeply, his expression tense. "It's an order from Danzo-sama. I don't know why."
Hanzo understood and didn't press further. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I can take the job, but the price has to be worth it."
"Ten tons of ore, military ration pills, Explosive Tags, medicinal herbs, and other war materials," Bat rattled off the terms. "Additionally, Danzo-sama also promised to send Root elites to help you eliminate any rebellion in the Hidden Rain Village."
"That's not enough," Hanzo's gaze grew sharper. "If I get involved, Tsunade will definitely find out. Offending a Sannin requires more than this. You need to offer more!"
Bat gritted his teeth. "Danzo-sama can give you a maximum of one hundred tons of supplies. That's the limit. Any more, and the Third Hokage will find out!"
Hanzo finally nodded. "Alright, I'll accept the mission. Now leave."
"Tomorrow, I'll go with you," Bat said respectfully. "I'll do my best to distract Tsunade. The rest is up to you."
Hanzo sat with his eyes closed, appearing to be asleep. This wasn't unusual; he often appeared to drift off in thought. Seeing no response, Bat slowly rose and carefully exited the room.
Not long after Bat left, a tiny black insect, about the size of a grain of rice, crawled out from the tatami mat where Bat had been sitting. It quietly made its way toward the crack in the door.
Suddenly, a thunderous snort echoed through the room.
The air current from Hanzo's breath sent the insect flying into the wall. It flailed briefly, seemingly aware it had been discovered, then began buzzing as it frantically flapped its wings, heading for the door at high speed.
But before it could escape, a kunai flashed like lightning, piercing through the room and nailing the insect to the doorframe. Hanzo, who had been facing the wall, had turned around, watching the pinned insect with cold, cloudy eyes.
"Sending these little bugs, what a pointless trick," Hanzo muttered, his voice laced with disdain. "No wonder Hiruzen always finds a way to crush them."
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