Danzo Shimura threw down the documents and left, wiping his hands clean of the situation, leaving Hanzo the Salamander so angry that even his nose was crooked.
What the hell do you take me for?
Am I, Hanzo the Salamander, your subordinate?
But Danzo Shimura had no intention of turning back, continuing to walk away at a leisurely pace.
"You don't have the right to refuse, unless you're willing to watch the Land of Rain become a battlefield, and watch its people suffer the devastation of war. Besides, you don't have much time—I hope to hear good news from you."
"Damn it!!"
Hanzo the Salamander wished he could cut Danzo Shimura down, or poison him to death, but he dared not act.
The fact that Danzo Shimura had dared to come to the Village of the Rain Ninjas meant he had confidence. Moreover, as Danzo had made quite clear, Hanzo had no choice.
Unless he could watch with open eyes as his country turned into a battlefield, as the people of the Land of Rain suffered the scourge of war.
"Leader, should we take him down?"
"Get out!!"
Hanzo the Salamander, furious, roared at his subordinates.
This was both a conspiracy and an overt scheme, just as Danzo Shimura had said—there was no room for refusal.
After all, his adversaries would be Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and even Konoha.
Sandwiched between the three major ninja villages, the Rain Village had no say.
"Danzo!!!"
Limited information, coupled with a verbal promise, had forced Hanzo the Salamander into an awkward position.
Whew~~~
After a while, Hanzo finally calmed down, picking up the documents on the table to read them carefully.
A bloodline disease?
In the ninja world, bloodline diseases were not exactly rare.
Many ninja clans with Kekkei Genkai had such ailments, whether they were the Uchiha, the Hyuga, or other clans beyond Konoha.
Would a mere medical ninja be worth Danzo Shimura making such a fuss?
Hanzo the Salamander didn't believe it could be that simple.
If it were that simple, Danzo would have handled it himself. The excuse that he couldn't act easily was nonsense.
That old fox was wary, and thus dared not make a move himself, which was why he came to Hanzo.
It was too difficult to glean intelligence from it, and Danzo had not explained clearly either.
If Danzo had lost his position for just warning Takashi, only to get played in the end, Hanzo would probably laugh his head off.
To kill, or to watch as his village and country became pawns in the ambitions of the great nations?
What angered Hanzo the most was that Danzo only gave him a verbal promise—regardless of whether the assassination succeeded or not, it would all be on Hanzo's head. Danzo Shimura would bear no responsibility.
No one would admit to meeting him, much less to such an affair.
Being so thoroughly manipulated was infuriating.
His dream of standing equal with the Five Kage hadn't been realized yet, and now the Land of Rain would be the first to fall into chaos. Hanzo could not accept such a result.
"Danzo, you better keep your word, or else..."
Nighttime.
A puppet crow flew into the camp, landing on the window of the medical room.
Takashi opened the window, letting the puppet inside, and untied the intelligence scroll strapped to its leg. He opened the scroll while controlling the puppet, using its vision to examine the contents.
Yes, the blindfolded Takashi could see things using the puppet's vision.
The intelligence scroll was from Tsunade, and the puppet crow had become their messenger, carrying information and letters between them.
"Emergency meeting? Why is Sunagakure provoking Konoha at a time like this?"
Could the Second Ninja War be starting?
No, the timing doesn't add up. According to the original timeline, the Second Ninja War wouldn't break out for another three or four years.
After all, war isn't something that just erupts at the drop of a hat.
It involves too much.
So what was the reason behind Sunagakure's provocation?
Are they really so desperate to bite a piece of meat off the Land of Fire?
The Land of Wind is too poor.
The Land of Fire is resource-rich, excessively wealthy.
This disparity meant that in the same period, Konoha's development outpaced Sunagakure by miles, leaving it far behind.
Since the establishment of the ninja villages, Sunagakure has always yearned to take a piece of the Land of Fire.
The growing strength of Sunagakure's military has emboldened some, such as the Third Kazekage or the siblings Chiyo and Ebizo—who are part of the village's hardline, militant faction.
"Tch, indeed, those who play mind games are never pure-hearted!"
Seeing Shikashin Nara's suggestion to divert the conflict towards the Land of Rain, Takashi couldn't help but grin.
This was a wicked strategy—it responded to Sunagakure's provocation while simultaneously suppressing the growth of the Rain Village. It dealt a heavy blow to Hanzo the Salamander's dreams of becoming a kage and made him realize just how little strength his village truly had.
As for Iwagakure, if all three of the Great Ninja Villages were to truly fight it out in the Land of Rain, Konoha wouldn't suffer too badly.
There was no way Sunagakure and Iwagakure could immediately unite to besiege Konoha.
Add in the Rain Village—a mid-level force—and things would only get messier.
Wait!
Is the village planning to send people into the Land of Rain to divert Sunagakure's attention in response to their provocation?
Konoha's response was timely and crucial—not only for the village but also for Danzo Shimura.
Knowing Danzo, he'd likely use this opportunity to pressure Hanzo the Salamander.
And Hanzo, the so-called "demi-god," had been tricked by Danzo many times before.
Danzo Shimura certainly knew how to manipulate him.
Takashi didn't believe for a second that Danzo would let go of such a golden opportunity unless he had no intention of targeting Takashi anymore.
Otherwise, without involving the village and without showing up himself, Hanzo would serve as a sharp blade—a perfect proxy. Once used, Danzo could simply walk away without a trace, without admitting any involvement.
Don't ask—any questions would be met with denial. This has nothing to do with me.
"He really knows how to pick his timing."
After destroying Tsunade's scroll, Takashi felt he needed to make some preparations, just in case Danzo had succeeded in persuading Hanzo the Salamander.
If Hanzo was convinced, there would be no telling when he might strike.
The camp was very close to the Land of Rain, and with Hanzo's strength, he could easily visit the camp whenever he wanted.
Hanzo's speed, taijutsu, and especially his poison, which even he had to be wary of, were terrifying. If he wanted, he could easily sweep through the camp, leaving a trail of casualties.
Sunagakure's provocation and the village's plan had indirectly done Danzo Shimura a favor, giving him an easy opportunity to manipulate Hanzo the Salamander.
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