The news of Hanzō's fall spread like wildfire through the Hidden Rain village. The citizens, long oppressed under his iron fist, found themselves in a state of shock and confusion. Some secretly celebrated, while others feared what might come next. Uncertainty hung in the air like the incessant drizzle that never left the country. Kaito, however, had no time to stop and contemplate the reactions. There was still work to be done. The allies he had contacted in the shadows had done their part, ensuring the arrest and neutralization of Hanzō's most loyal aides. Yet, many other factions remained that could oppose the new order. Reluctantly, Kaito was forced to assume leadership of the village. It was not something he had planned or desired, but the situation left few options. If he left, the village would fall into chaos, and the same opportunists who had once bowed before Hanzō would take the chance to seize control. His allies within the resistance knew this, and that's why they insisted he take the leadership position, even if only temporarily.
"This is a damned problem..." Kaito muttered, rubbing his temple as he looked at the ruins of Hanzō's palace. One of the leaders of the resistance, a battle-hardened man, stepped forward and spoke seriously. "You understand, right? If you don't take control, everything we've fought for will be lost. Hanzō left a power vacuum, and if you don't fill it, someone worse will." Kaito clicked his tongue and looked up at the gray cloud-covered sky. "Tsk... Damn it, how did I end up in this situation? I just wanted to take down that old bastard, not rule this damn village."
The man smiled slightly. "That makes you the best candidate. Unlike Hanzō, you don't want power out of ambition. But whether you like it or not, the people will see you as the savior of the Rain."
Kaito sighed. "You say that as if it's a good thing. But fine, I'll do it… at least until the village stabilizes." The man nodded in respect. "That's enough, for now."
Meanwhile, the shadows of a far greater threat loomed. With Hanzō's death, an even bigger problem threatened the world of ninjas. Before his fall, Hanzō had declared war on the most powerful nations, marking a critical point in the Second Shinobi World War. The Rain had been a battlefield for years, and now that the dictator was gone, foreign powers might see this as an opportunity to invade and take control. Kaito sat at what remained of the meeting hall, reviewing the documents and war plans Hanzō had left behind. The reports confirmed what he feared: hostilities between the great nations were already underway, and the Rain was in the middle of it all. The situation was worse than he had imagined. Hanzō, in his madness, had not only oppressed his own people but had pushed the village to the brink of total war. "Damn you, Hanzō... even in death, you're still screwing up my life," Kaito grumbled, tossing a war scroll onto the table. Now, he had to deal with much more than rebuilding the village. He had to decide whether the Rain would participate in the war, try to negotiate with the other nations, or simply defend its borders and let the rest destroy each other. Any of these options would bring consequences, and not all would be favorable.
But before making any decision, there was something else he needed to do. His parents and Konan were still in the cave where he had left them. He had promised to wake them up when it was all over, and now that the conflict within the village was over, it was time to bring them back. Kaito stood up from his seat and looked at his allies. "I have something to do first. I need to bring my family back."
One of his followers raised an eyebrow. "Family? You mean...?"
"Yes," Kaito replied without further explanation. "I'm not going to let my people be far from me in times like these. If I'm going to face the whole damn world, at least I want them by my side."
The echo of Hanzō's fall spread like wildfire across the ninja world. In the early days, the news circulated with disbelief. No one could believe that the legendary Hanzō of the Salamander, the man who had maintained his rule over Amegakure with an iron hand, had been defeated by an unknown ninja. But as more information leaked, the details became impossible to ignore. The Hidden Villages, especially the five great ones, were on high alert. Konoha, Iwagakure, Kumogakure, Kirigakure, and Sunagakure received fragmented reports: a young warrior had challenged and defeated Hanzō on his own turf. His reign of terror had come to an end in a fierce battle, and the most terrifying part was that the culprit didn't belong to any of the major nations. Fear and curiosity were the first things to settle in. The daimyos of the great nations demanded answers from their kages, who in turn ordered their intelligence units to gather all possible information about this mysterious Kaito. But what caught everyone's attention the most was not just Hanzō's defeat. It was the title that the people of Amegakure began to whisper with fear and respect: "The God Slayer."
"The God Slayer"
In the solitude of the office that had once belonged to Hanzō, Kaito sighed heavily as he rubbed his forehead. He hadn't rested since that fateful night. He'd barely slept a few hours before his "improvised council" burst into the office to inform him of the events shaking the world.
"Kaito-sama, the news has spread faster than we anticipated," reported one of Hanzō's former opponents, who now served as his aide. "The villages are on high alert. There are spies moving throughout the region, trying to find out what happened here."
Kaito rested his chin on his hand, feeling a nagging headache. "Of course, they are. Hanzō wasn't just a leader; he was a key piece in the political game. His death has left a vacuum... and everyone's worried about who's going to fill it."
The aide swallowed before continuing. "That brings us to the next point..." He glanced at the others present before continuing. "People have started calling you 'The God Slayer.'"
Silence fell over the room. Kaito blinked a couple of times before letting out a deep sigh. "Tell me this is a joke."
"I'm afraid not, Kaito-sama," another of the former rebels intervened. "Hanzō was considered almost a mythical figure. Not just for his strength, but for the fear he inspired. By defeating him, you've become something more than just a warrior to the people."
Kaito slumped in his chair, rubbing his eyes in frustration. "Shit... it's the last thing I need. I can barely digest the fact that I'm now the leader of this damn village, and now they're giving me some ridiculous title."
One of the present smiled. "It's not ridiculous to the people, Kaito-sama. To them, you're a savior. The man who did the impossible."
"The man who now has a target on his back," Kaito replied sarcastically. "That damn nickname will only bring trouble."
Reactions in the Ninja World
In Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi read the report with a furrowed brow. Beside him, Danzō Shimura remained silent, but his eyes glimmered with dangerous interest.
"Hanzō is dead..." muttered the Third Hokage. "I never imagined something like this would happen without our intervention."
"A man capable of defeating him is not someone we should take lightly," added Danzō with a calculating tone. "He could be a threat, or a valuable asset for Konoha."
In Iwagakure, Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage, crossed his arms and snorted. "Tch. A brat defeating Hanzō... if I didn't have confirmation from multiple sources, I'd think it's a lie."
In Kirigakure, the Mizukage also studied the reports with interest. "Perhaps he could be useful to us."
Each village debated what to do with this new threat. Some wanted to eliminate him before he grew any stronger. Others wanted to try recruiting him. But what was clear was that Kaito could no longer hide from the world's attention.
As the rain fell over Amegakure, Kaito looked out over the city from the highest tower. He had won, yes. But victory was only the beginning. He had a village to rebuild, allies to trust, and enemies lurking. But what worried him most at that moment wasn't the title or international attention. It was his family. His parents and Konan were still in the cave where he had left them. He had to bring them back.
"It doesn't matter what happens," he murmured to himself. "I'm going to keep them safe. I'm not going to lose them."
With a sigh, he turned around. The storm on the horizon was not just weather-related. The Second Shinobi World War raged on, and Amegakure stood at the center of the conflict. Kaito clenched his fists.
"There's no rest for the God Slayer, huh?" he muttered bitterly. "Shit... this is going to be a headache."