Shimura Danzo left the information behind and walked away, taking with him any tangible evidence of their meeting. Hanzo was furious, his face contorted with rage.
**Who does he think I am? His subordinate?**
Hanzo wanted nothing more than to cut Danzo down or douse him with poison, but he couldn't afford to make that move. Danzo wouldn't have come to the Rain Village without ensuring he had leverage or an escape plan. His confidence made it clear—Hanzo had no real choice.
"Unless you're willing to watch the Land of Rain become a battlefield and let its people suffer the consequences of war, you have no option," Danzo said as he walked out. "I expect good news soon."
"Damn it!" Hanzo spat, seething. His fists clenched as he thought of how he was being manipulated.
"Leader, should we go after him?" one of Hanzo's subordinates asked.
"Get out!" Hanzo roared.
This was not just a regular trap—it was an open one. As Danzo said, Hanzo had no choice. If he refused, he'd be facing the might of the Sand Village, the Rock Village, and Konoha all at once. The Land of Rain was precariously situated between these powerful nations, leaving Hanzo with limited options.
"Danzo!" Hanzo muttered, gritting his teeth. The indignity of being cornered by Konoha's schemer burned him to the core.
He took a deep breath to calm himself before picking up the scroll Danzo had left behind. The contents detailed information on the target: Hyuga Shinki.
**Bloodline disease?**
Bloodline-related diseases were not rare in the shinobi world. Clans with kekkei genkai often had cases of these illnesses, from the Uchiha to the Hyuga and beyond.
**Why would Danzo go to such lengths over a mere medical ninja?**
Hanzo's eyes narrowed as he skimmed through the details. Shinki was supposedly not very strong, just a medical ninja with some recognition in Konoha. But if he were so insignificant, why wouldn't Danzo deal with him directly? The explanation that Danzo couldn't act due to political reasons seemed hollow.
**Danzo is afraid of something, which is why he's passing this to me. But what?**
It was infuriating that Danzo left without elaborating. If the target were truly trivial, Danzo wouldn't have needed help. And claiming he couldn't act because of Mito-sama's protection was likely only part of the story.
**This feels like a trap. But refusing means letting the Rain Village become a pawn in a larger conflict.**
Hanzo's frustration grew. The Land of Rain was already vulnerable, stuck between powerful nations. If it became a battlefield, Hanzo's dream of elevating the Rain Village would be crushed before it could materialize.
"Danzo, you'd better keep your word," Hanzo whispered, his eyes narrowing as he resolved himself.
---
That night, a puppet crow fluttered into the camp and perched on the windowsill of Shinki's medical room. He opened the window, letting the puppet in, and untied the intelligence scroll from its leg. Although his eyes were still covered, Shinki used the puppet's vision to read the message.
**It was from Tsunade, their trusted means of communication.**
"An emergency meeting? Why did the Sand Village provoke Konoha now?" Shinki muttered.
**Could the Second Shinobi World War be starting sooner than expected?** The timeline seemed off; in the original accounts, there were still years before the war erupted. War wasn't something that could just start overnight—it required significant catalysts.
**Why is the Sand Village making a move now? Are they so desperate for resources that they're targeting the Land of Fire?**
The Fire Country was rich in resources, much more so than the desolate Wind Country, which struggled economically. Konoha's prosperity had always been an allure for neighboring villages, especially for those like the Sand Village, which harbored long-standing grudges and ambitions.
Shinki's eyes skimmed the rest of the message. **Nara Shikako's strategy had aimed to redirect attention to the Rain Country, an indirect yet effective counter to the Sand Village's aggression.**
It was a cunning move: respond to the Sand Village while curbing Hanzo's ambitions and limiting the Rain Village's growth. If executed well, it could prevent a united front against Konoha. Even if the Rock Village got involved, it would be a chaotic multi-front scenario with no clear alliances.
**Danzo must have seen this as an opportunity. Knowing his methods, he likely approached Hanzo to exploit the situation.** Hanzo's ambitions and Danzo's machinations made for a dangerous combination. The self-styled demigod had been manipulated by Danzo before and might fall for it again.
**"Danzo knows how to play his cards."** Shinki sighed, realizing how well-timed Danzo's moves were. Using the village's strategy as leverage, Danzo would press Hanzo into doing his dirty work. And with Hanzo's powerful combat and poison skills, he was a formidable weapon. He could strike, retreat, and leave no evidence.
**No matter what happened, Danzo could deny everything.**
"Looks like I need to be ready for anything."
Shinki destroyed the scroll, watching as it disintegrated in the small flame he lit. The ashes blew out the window, disappearing into the dark, rain-drenched landscape.
He knew that he needed to stay vigilant. If Hanzo decided to act, the attack could come without warning. The Rain Village was close enough for Hanzo to strike the camp swiftly, and his combination of speed, taijutsu, and poison would be devastating.
Shinki clenched his fists, feeling the pulse of his Tenseigan still resonating in his body. He needed to be prepared. The Sand Village's provocations and Konoha's response had given Danzo the perfect cover to move his pieces.
**"Hanzo, let's see if you take the bait."**
>>>>>
Up to Chapter 100 available on Patreon.com/c/GGFanfiction :)
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