Hui hadn't planned to reveal himself to Hanzō of the Salamander, who had yet to reach his peak strength.
Yet fate had other plans, and the two ended up meeting.
Within Amegakure, Hui wandered aimlessly, observing the lives of its people.
Though the village was embroiled in chaos due to the death of its leader and the ensuing conflict over succession, the lives of ordinary people seemed largely unaffected—or perhaps, they had simply grown accustomed to such instability.
For many common folk in the shinobi world, survival was the priority. As long as they could live, no matter how dire their circumstances, they endured.
Hui strolled through the village until he arrived at a secluded, empty area.
"Come out," he said, turning around.
He had sensed someone tailing him for some time.
As his words fell, a figure stepped into view.
Recognizing the individual, Hui's lips curled into a faint smile.
The strong chakra and vibrant life force emanating from this person left no doubt, as to who it was.
it was none other than Hanzō of the Salamander, the future leader of Amegakure and the man known as the Demigod.
While Hui recognized Hanzō, the latter couldn't identify the cloaked figure before him.
"Who are you, and what is your purpose in Amegakure?" Hanzō asked warily.
Despite the stranger's unassuming appearance, Hanzō could sense an unfathomable depth to his strength. This was no ordinary individual.
Hui replied with calm indifference, "Who I am is irrelevant. You may consider me an observer of the shinobi world."
"An observer? It seems you hold yourself in high regard," Hanzō said, his suspicions growing.
To speak of the shinobi world as a whole suggested either immense strength or sheer arrogance.
"I told you, my identity is unimportant. I hadn't planned on meeting you, but since you've sought me out, let's have a conversation."
Hui said, his gaze steady as he continued, "I know you're vying for the position of Amegakure's leader. If you succeed, how do you intend to lead the village?"
Hanzō was momentarily taken aback by the unexpected question but composed himself.
Though he didn't know who this figure was or what his intentions were, Hanzō was a man of conviction and wasn't afraid to share his ideals.
"I will lead Amegakure to accumulate strength and ensure lasting peace for the Land of Rain," Hanzō declared.
In the original timeline, Hanzō had dreamed of unifying the Five Great Nations to eradicate war.
However, in this world, with Konoha having Hui—the Demigod and future God of Shinobi—Hanzō lacked the confidence to pursue such an ambitious goal.
Thus, his vision had narrowed, focusing on securing peace solely for the Land of Rain.
Hui, however, shook his head. "I'm not interested in hearing meaningless dreams. What I want to know is how you plan to achieve those dreams.
"For instance, this so-called accumulation of strength—how do you intend to do it? Through war with other villages? Or by fostering internal development? If it's development, how will you proceed? These are the answers I'm seeking."
Hanzō's expression grew tense.
The truth was, he hadn't given much thought to the specifics of Amegakure's development.
His initial reaction was to envision strengthening the village through conflict with other smaller nations.
This realization caused his face to pale.
For a ninja who claimed to seek peace, his first instinct for development was war, a direct contradiction what he wanted. It was ironic.
"Such matters pertain to the village's secrets. Sharing them with you would be inappropriate," Hanzō replied, suppressing his inner turmoil as his guard rose.
Hui, noting Hanzō's response, couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment.
By avoiding a clear answer, Hanzō had revealed his willingness to consider war as a means to an end.
"What a pity," Hui said. "It seems this conversation won't yield much."
Hanzō remained silent, his mind racing as he debated whether to attack this mysterious figure.
"Perhaps we'll meet again, Hanzō of the Salamander," Hui said, turning to leave.
Despite his caution, Hanzō's nature got the better of him. Unable to shake the suspicion that he might be letting an enemy slip away, he decided to act.
The ground beneath Hui's feet suddenly gave way, triggering an explosion.
Hui leapt into the air, only for Hanzō to appear mid-strike, wielding his scythe with deadly precision.
For an ordinary shinobi, this swift, well-timed attack would have been nearly impossible to evade.
But Hanzō's target was Hui, a man standing at the pinnacle of the shinobi world.
With a speed that left Hanzō stunned, Hui caught the blade mid-swing and delivered a powerful punch that shattered Hanzō's form into a spray of water.
It was a water clone.
Cautious by nature, Hanzō had never intended to confront such a powerful opponent directly.
Hui landed gracefully, his gaze shifting to where Hanzō's true body was concealed. After a brief pause, he turned and walked away.
Only when Hui's figure had completely vanished did Hanzō emerge from hiding, drenched in cold sweat.
Staring at the spot where Hui had disappeared, Hanzō muttered to himself with lingering fear, "That level of power… there's only one person in the shinobi world who could possess it: Mochizuki Hui, Konoha's Demigod."
No wonder he claimed to be an observer of the shinobi world. With such strength, he truly had the right.
"An observer, huh? It seems this future God of Shinobi has grand plans.
"Let's hope his ideals don't lean toward the destruction of the shinobi world," Hanzō thought, replaying Hui's words and questions in his mind.
Once, Hanzō had harbored dreams of unifying the Five Great Nations to eliminate war. Though wary of Hui, he had still held onto a measure of pride.
But today's encounter shattered that pride.
The ease with which Hui had obliterated his water clone was proof enough to the vast difference between their powers.
For the first time, Hanzō fully understood the phrase that had become legend in the shinobi world:
"Mochizuki Hui's will is the future of the shinobi world."\
join my patreon for 100+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/HyppoTL