Hanzo

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Hanzo (半藏)
Alias(es)	Hanzo the Salamander
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Hidden Rain Village; allied with Shangri-La and its affiliated forces during the war
Occupation/Role	Leader of the Hidden Rain Village; aspiring First Rain Shadow
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 44

Background / History

Hanzo led the Hidden Rain Village from the Land of Rain, intending to elevate it into the Shinobi World's sixth great nation. Three Jonin-level women—Xihe, Poseidon, and Zoya—approached him with an offer of cooperation, including a divine-beast summoning contract that could multiply his strength. Hanzo accepted despite recognizing that a powerful unknown organization stood behind them. 44 45

Through the contract, Hanzo summoned Xuanming, a dual-bodied Divine Beast consisting of Black Tortoise and Nether Serpent. Xuanming accepted him only as a temporary contractor under its master's orders, and Hanzo understood that he lacked the strength to fully control it. 45

Hanzo requested three years to prepare the Hidden Rain Village for war. Yuzuru approved the delay and arranged for The Cleaners to temporarily support Hanzo, supplying high-level combatants, resources, and clone soldiers. During this period, the village's shinobi force expanded significantly. 60 61

After the preparations, Hanzo declared war on the Five Great Shinobi Villages. His troops seized smaller neighboring countries, deployed along three fronts, and advanced toward the Land of Fire with hundreds of Rain shinobi, Purge Faction members, and thousands of beastified clone suicide soldiers. 61 62

Konoha launched a decapitation operation against him, but Hanzo anticipated the raid and used expendable, soulless clone soldiers to blunt the attackers. Backed by Kou and Otsu of The Cleaners, he captured Kagami Uchiha and Kato Dan's Spirit Body. 63 66

When Hyuga Yuzuru entered the battlefield, Hanzo's Water Release could not harm him. Hanzo withdrew from the direct engagement and entrusted the battle to Kou and Otsu, acknowledging that their level of combat was beyond his own. 74 75

Hanzo later confronted Jiraiya while attempting to capture Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade as bargaining chips. Jiraiya defeated him with Sage Art: Demonic Illusion: Toad Song, but Xuanming intervened, captured the three Sannin, and returned Hanzo to the Rain camp. The defeat made Hanzo recognize how dependent his ambitions had become on Shangri-La's aid. 85 86

With the captured Konoha shinobi as hostages, Hanzo compelled Konoha to recognize the Hidden Rain Village as the sixth great shinobi village. He subsequently arranged a meeting with the other great villages to formalize its new standing. 88 89 90

Appearance

Hanzo is a robust man who habitually wears a gas mask. His light-brown eyes are described as calculating. 44

• Gas mask concealing most of his face. 44
• Light-brown eyes. 44
• Wears armor during combat. 63
• Frequently fights from atop his salamander summon, Ibuse. 83

Personality

Hanzo is fiercely ambitious, defining his leadership around making the Hidden Rain Village a recognized great power. He appeals to his followers through promises of glory, wealth, strength, and freedom, and holds considerable prestige among the village's civilians and shinobi. 61

He is also pragmatic and calculating. Hanzo accepted assistance from mysterious organizations despite distrusting their motives, used clone soldiers as disposable military assets, and chose hostages and diplomacy over simply killing valuable Konoha prisoners. 45 63 66 88

Although proud, Hanzo is able to recognize overwhelming strength. He treated Xuanming with humility, retreated from Yuzuru's battle, and privately admitted that his ambitions could not succeed through his own power alone. 45 75 86

Abilities & Skills

Water Release

Hanzo is an exceptionally proficient Water Release user, able to create defensive barriers, large-scale floods, projectile attacks, dragons, clones, and sensory techniques. 85

• Water Release: Water Formation Wall — erects a dense water curtain for defense. 85
• Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave — creates a tsunami-like mass of water to engulf opponents. 85
• Water Release: Water Fang Bullet and Water Dragon Bullet Technique — launches water projectiles and water dragons. 85
• Water Release: Water Spider — spreads microscopic chakra threads through water to monitor the surrounding area. 85
• Water Clones — can create multiple clones to search for and pressure opponents. 85

Water Body Flicker Technique

Hanzo can rapidly evade attacks by using Water Body Flicker. He used it to avoid Kato Dan's Spirit Body invasion and to reposition during his battle against Jiraiya. 63 85

• Allows sudden movement away from direct attacks.
• Can be used to reappear from nearby water sources. 63 85

Summoning

Hanzo commands powerful summoned creatures, though his arrangement with Xuanming remains unequal.

• Ibuse — his salamander summon; releases poison mist and can physically strike enemy summons with its tail. 85
• Xuanming — a Divine Beast composed of Black Tortoise and Nether Serpent; Hanzo is its temporary contractor. Xuanming can act independently and reverse summon itself to protect Hanzo. 45 86
• Hanzo admits that he cannot fully control Xuanming despite gaining its assistance. 45

Military Command

Hanzo directs the Hidden Rain Village's war effort and uses both conventional shinobi and supplied artificial forces strategically. 61 63

• Organized a three-year military buildup before declaring war. 60 61
• Commanded more than 3,000 beastified clone suicide soldiers during the Land of Fire campaign. 62 63
• Positioned Kou and Otsu, members of The Cleaners with Wood Release and Mangekyo Sharingan, as his principal elite fighters against Konoha. 63 66

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Gas mask — Hanzo's customary face covering. 44
• Xuanming's summoning contract scroll — granted through Xihe, Poseidon, and Zoya's organization. 44 45
• Armor — worn in battle; was cut by Sakumo's blade during Konoha's decapitation operation. 63

Relationships

• Xuanming — Temporary contractor and Divine Beast summon. Xuanming saved Hanzo after his defeat by Jiraiya, but repeatedly demonstrates that Hanzo does not control it as an equal. 45 86
• Ibuse — Hanzo's salamander summon and a major component of his combat style. 83 85
• Xihe — Shangri-La representative who initiated cooperation with Hanzo and supplied Xuanming's contract. 44 45 60
• Poseidon — Xihe's associate; communicated directly with Xuanming and helped manage the alliance with Hanzo. 45 61
• Zoya — Associate of Xihe and Poseidon who supported the Hidden Rain Village's buildup. 61
• Kou and Otsu — The Cleaners members assigned to support Hanzo's campaign against Konoha; he relies heavily on their Wood Release and Mangekyo Sharingan. 63 66
• Jiraiya — Konoha opponent who defeated Hanzo using Sage Mode and Toad Song; Hanzo was later able to capture him only through Xuanming's intervention. 85 86
• Orochimaru and Tsunade — Konoha's Sannin, captured alongside Jiraiya and used as leverage against Konoha. 86 88
• Hiruzen Sarutobi — Third Hokage of Konoha. Hanzo used captured Konoha shinobi to force Hiruzen's acknowledgment of the Hidden Rain Village as the sixth great village. 88 89

Story Role / Major Arcs

Alliance with Shangri-La

Hanzo receives Xuanming's summoning contract from Xihe's group and accepts their cooperation to pursue his goal of raising the Hidden Rain Village's status. 44 45

Three-Year Preparation

He delays the war for three years, receives The Cleaners' temporary support, and expands the village's military strength with outside technology, personnel, and clone soldiers. 60 61

Declaration of War and Konoha Campaign

Hanzo leads the Hidden Rain Village into war against the Five Great Shinobi Villages, turns Konoha's assassination attempt into a trap, and employs clone soldiers and Cleaners operatives against Konoha's elite. 61 63 66

Battle Against Yuzuru

Hanzo confronts Hyuga Yuzuru's overwhelming Tenseigan power but retreats, leaving Kou and Otsu to handle the battle. 74 75

Defeat, Capture, and Recognition

Jiraiya defeats Hanzo, but Xuanming reverses the situation by capturing the Sannin. Hanzo uses the prisoners to secure Konoha's recognition of the Hidden Rain Village as the sixth great shinobi village. 85 86 88 89

Notable Quotes

“Men, from today onwards, it is the day of the Hidden Rain Village's rise!” 61

“Today, no matter who it was, they couldn't stop him from becoming the ‘First Rain Shadow’ of the Hidden Rain Village!” 83