With the retreat of the Land of Wind, Konoha Ninja Village no longer had to bear as much pressure. Masaki believed it was sufficient to lead only a few elite teams. As a result, some medical ninjas were freed from the front lines, and it was time to fulfill the promise that Masaki had made to Hanzō.
Under orders from the Hokage, a group of medical ninjas was sent to the Land of Rain. Their mission was to treat local civilians suffering from an epidemic. More importantly, they were tasked with testing new medical models, recording data, and providing insights for medical development.
Since this mission took place in another country, a handover with Amegakure was necessary. Hanzō soon learned of the medical team's arrival and felt relieved. Although he had received assurances from Fumori Masaki, he still harbored concerns that Konoha wouldn't follow through. Now, it seemed his worries were unfounded.
Most people in Amegakure were pleased, as the epidemic had long been a headache in the Land of Rain, and they had found no solution. Konoha's goodwill gesture was well-received by the public. The dissatisfaction caused by previous negligence on the part of samurai and ninja alike seemed to diminish.
However, some remained suspicious, thinking that Konoha had ulterior motives. They believed that Konoha's medical ninjas were there to gather intelligence by infiltrating the country under the guise of aid. To a certain extent, these suspicions weren't unfounded. Konoha did have purposes beyond charity, but they harbored no ill will towards Amegakure. At this time, Hanzō had yet to rise to become a threat that could concern the five major nations, so Amegakure wasn't worthy of Konoha's focused attention.
Hanzō found these suspicions understandable. After all, smaller countries had long been oppressed by the larger ones. Though the Land of Fire was now more amicable in its dealings, Hanzō understood that this was a political move to win over the Land of Rain, not an act of pure goodwill.
However, Hanzō believed that Konoha was bringing tangible benefits to the Land of Rain, solving problems that had plagued the country for years. As long as he could protect his people, he was willing to pay a certain price. The Land of Rain, being a small nation, couldn't expect to be on equal footing with a large one. For Hanzō, securing the protection of a major power like the Land of Fire was an advantage.
At this point in his life, Hanzō hadn't yet grown desperate from the relentless oppression of the larger countries. He hadn't yet taken it upon himself to try and change the dynamics of the ninja world. Therefore, as long as the Land of Fire maintained a friendly stance, Hanzō felt it was in his country's best interest to pursue an alliance.
With that mindset, Hanzo personally took charge of Konoha's medical ninjas, ensuring that no one disturbed their work. Despite being a ninja of Amegakure, he prioritized the well-being of his people.
In the unrelenting rain, Hanzō and his subordinates welcomed Konoha's medical ninjas and quickly arranged accommodations for them. Hanzō understood that medical ninjas were valuable assets and, although not as formidable in combat, they were indispensable. He took great care to protect them, knowing that in the war-torn Land of Rain, anyone could pose a threat.
The medical ninjas were surprised by the warm reception. Initially, they had seen the mission only as a duty, but Hanzō's hospitality stirred a sense of obligation in them. They felt they should work even harder.
Medical ninjas are often regarded as some of the most compassionate among shinobi. Though trained as fighters, they also studied the art of healing, which instilled in them a sense of kindness. Especially when faced with civilians suffering from an epidemic, their consciences were deeply affected.
Although these medical ninjas had lived through war and were not strangers to hardship, what they witnessed in the Land of Rain shocked them. The suffering in smaller nations was different from what they had seen in the wealthier Land of Fire.
Some of the medical ninjas pitied the civilians, others were horrified by the severity of the epidemic, and still others saw the challenge as an opportunity to improve their skills. Regardless of their feelings, they all had one goal: to cure the sick.
Even though there were occasional diseases in the Land of Fire, they paled in comparison to the illnesses ravaging the Land of Rain. Konoha's medical ninjas took no chances. They used all available protective measures, carefully isolating and treating civilians, while working to develop new treatments.
As he observed the medical ninjas hard at work, Hanzo felt moved. Even if Konoha's true motivations were more complex, at least for now, the medical ninjas were risking their lives to help his people. Some of them even fell ill due to unfamiliarity with the local conditions, but instead of retreating, they allowed their comrades to perform clinical trials on them, ensuring the efficacy of their treatments.
Though Hanzō himself wasn't a medical ninja, and his toxic salamander poison prevented him from healing others, he did whatever he could to support the team. He helped improve their living conditions and gathered whatever supplies they needed, even if it meant intimidating others into cooperation.
When the leader of Amegakure learned of Hanzō's actions, he wasn't pleased. As the head of the village, he didn't believe in showing such kindness to foreigners, even if they were from Konoha. Though he didn't actively sabotage their efforts, he refused to offer any further assistance. Hanzō, however, stood his ground, insisting that helping the medical ninjas was the right thing to do.
The Amegakure leader was annoyed, but he couldn't challenge Hanzō's authority. Hanzō's strength had earned him a high position in Amegakure, and the leader had no choice but to let the matter go.
Hanzō was aware of the tension between himself and the leader, but he didn't care. He believed the leader was too focused on maintaining power and not enough on the welfare of the people. A rift was beginning to form between them.
Beyond supporting Konoha's medical ninjas, Hanzo also sought to assist Konoha in other ways. His first target was the Land of Wind. With his knowledge of war intelligence, Hanzō knew that the Land of Wind was retreating, and he suspected that Konoha was planning to strike again.
Thus, Hanzō decided to launch an attack on the Land of Wind. After handing over the care of the medical ninjas to his trusted subordinates, he led a team to raid a logistics supply station. Hanzō's efforts were successful, delivering a severe blow to the Land of Wind. His prowess in battle further established his growing reputation.
At any other time, this loss might not have been enough to cripple the Land of Wind, but with Konoha's pressure mounting, it became the final straw.
The Second Kazekage had hoped to maintain the balance of power between the two nations, believing this would give him an advantage during peace talks. However, under the combined weight of Masaki and Hanzō's assaults, the Land of Wind could no longer hold out.
In response, peace advocates gained influence within the Land of Wind's political circles. With their recent defeat, the Wind Daimyo issued orders to pursue peace talks with the Land of Fire. Sunagakure and Konoha prepared to negotiate and sign a ceasefire agreement.