Secret Discussions in Amegakure

When Katsuki was working as a nanny with two children.

The Land of Rain also underwent a change.

The Akatsuki Organization has been thriving in the past two years, establishing a vast base in the Land of Rain and reaching a point where it can rival Amegakure. Hanzō has repeatedly tried to eliminate these rebellious elements, but his actions have all been thwarted, and even when he personally took action, he did not gain any advantage.

Hanzō's defeat made Akatsuki's reputation grow, and there were even cases of Rain Ninja dissatisfied with the status quo of their country, agreed with Akatsuki's pursuit of peace, and thus defected to the Akatsuki Organization.

The situation in the Land of Rain is very special. Its important geographical location has made it the main battlefield for the clashes between major powers. Therefore, unlike other countries, the presence of the Daimyo in the Land of Rain is extremely weak. Almost all the power is concentrated in the hands of Amegakure. Hanzo of the Salamander is not only the highest leader of Amegakure, but also the actual wielder of power in the country.

This was completely different from other countries, which is why Hanzō was filled with disgust for the Akatsuki Organization, which was trying to reform the status quo of the country.

"Let's take down Akatsuki together?"

Behind the black gauze curtain, a burly figure sat behind a low table, letting out a contemptuous laugh.

"You cowards and cowards dare to join forces with me?"

Outside, eight fully armed Rain Ninja guards stood on either side of the curtain, their eyes fixed on the Pitcher Plant Monster that had suddenly appeared in the room. With just a word from Lord Hanzō, they would chop the monster to pieces.

"Heh heh, Hanzō, why say such heartless things? If you really wanted to kill me, you would have done it already."

Jue laughed.

Behind the black gauze curtain, Hanzō for a long time before finally speaking, "You can join forces, but I need to know if you are qualified to do so. The weak... are not qualified to stand shoulder to shoulder with the strong."

"Rest assured, Genso Master. Genzong, let Lord Hanzō witness our methods!"

Before he could finish speaking, Hanzō's pupils contracted; there were actually two more people hiding nearby, and he hadn't noticed them at all.

However, before he could think much about it, things changed.

"Wood Release: Thorn Killing Technique"

The wooden floorboards creaked, and gray-green vines grew out from them, quickly wrapping around Hanzō.

"Snap!"

The poisoned scythe easily severed the vines, and the lifeless vines fell to the floor with a series of crackling sounds. Hanzō turned his gaze, trying to find the caster behind it all, and... Wood Release! This stirred up a storm in his heart.

"What are you all standing there for? Go find the guy who's hiding..."

Hanzō gave the order, but his men, who were usually willing to go through fire and water, were now motionless, trembling as if possessed.

"This is... Genjutsu?"

The Hanzō was no ordinary person; he instantly sensed the abnormality of his subordinates, and his heart sank further. In a flash, he used Genjutsu to control the eight elite soldiers.

These were two Jonin and six Special Jonin, yet they were suppressed by Genjutsu without any resistance.

"Hanzo, the Hanzō? He doesn't look that impressive!"

Two white, humanoid figures silently appeared to Jue's left and right, then split open like chrysanthemums blooming, revealing the two people hiding inside.

The Sharingan of the man on the left, each with Mitsudomoe, gleamed with an eerie light. Under the gaze of those eyes, the eight Rain Ninja lost control of their bodies and stood frozen in place like clay puppets.

The long-haired man on the right stared coldly at Hanzō, his hands forming a hand Hand Seals, and the wooden room immediately creaked and groaned.

"Wood Release ninja? Sharingan... What is your relationship with Konoha?"

Hanzō tall and proud, his sharp gaze sweeping over the two of them before fixing on Jue.

His intuition told him that although the two boys were quite strong, the one in charge was still this Pitcher Plant Monster.

"It's not a friendly relationship, Lord Hanzō, you can rest assured. Overthrowing Akatsuki Organization is just a prelude. Our real goal is to crush Konoha... We won't have any dealings with Amegakure," Zetsu said with a smile, though his smile looked quite unfriendly.

However, Hanzō didn't care about such a small matter. He had managed to keep Amegakure in the cracks between the great powers for so long, and even earned the title of the strongest ninja village below the Five Great Nations. He could only believe one out of ten of Zetsu's words, and even that one was only half-believed.

"This is really interesting. Wood Release ninjas... Has another Wood Release ninja appeared in Konoha? I didn't know anything about it. Have I been out of touch for too long? Haha!" Hanzō suddenly laughed, put away the scythe and chain in his hand, lifted the curtain, and strode out.

"Uchiha Clan brat, break free of your Genjutsu!"

The cold-blooded man glanced at Jue out of the corner of his eye, and the latter quietly nodded.

"Untie it, Genso!"

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Genso didn't make any big moves. In the blink of an eye, the eight Rain Ninja who had been frozen instantly thawed and knelt down at Hanzō's feet in shame.

"Hanzō, I am incompetent..."

"Get up, all of you. This isn't your fault... The Sharingan of the Uchiha Clan is something that even I find troublesome, and... your eyes seem stronger than Sharingan I've ever seen." Hanzō Uchiha Genso, his eyes holding a rather meaningful look.

"Snort!"

Uchiha Genso's expression was cold, clearly showing he didn't take Hanzō seriously.

"Alright, Zen, Genso, go and prepare yourselves; we'll be getting down to business soon."

The man named Zen glanced coldly at Hanzō before retreating back into the white humanoid object. He and Genso then left the room in this elusive means of transport.

"Now we can have a proper talk, Lord Hanzō."

He smiled in a way that was anything but ambiguous.

"...Okay, but your smile is really annoying, you'd better not smile, lest I lose control and take action." Hanzō waved his men out of the room. "So, what's the deal with this alliance? You guys aren't here out of kindness to help me wipe out those rebels, are you? Just state your conditions."

"That's straightforward." He didn't Hanzō about Hanzo's mockery; what was the point of talking to a dying man? "There's a red-haired guy in Akatsuki Organization; we'll handle him."

"So it really was for that strange brat? Those eyes certainly are extraordinary!"

Hanzō was not surprised by Zetsu's answer. He had clashed with the Akatsuki Organization several times, and each time he had been defeated by Nagato. Nagato's strange eyes and powerful strength had left a deep impression on him.

"You don't need to know too much about this, sir. There are some things it's better not to know."

He said coldly, and indeed stopped laughing.

"How arrogant... Fine, you can handle that red-haired brat." Hanzō did not refuse.