The four-man team of Hokuto Hyuga, Gekko Clan, Shinya Senju, and Kakashi Hatake had no trouble taking down Hanzo's granddaughter.
All four of them possessed outstanding bloodlines and Kekkei Genkai.
Even without transplanting a Sharingan,
Kakashi Hatake was still the son of the Konoha White Fang.
Before powerful bloodlines,
ordinary people were beneath notice.
A petty trick like an Ibuse poison sac was easily neutralized by the Universal Antidote before Konoha's medical expertise.
This was, after all...
a world where Bloodline Theory reigned supreme.
With that thought, Shimura Danzō spoke. "Lord Hanzo, the Land of Rain has no hope left... unless Amegakure and Konoha join forces and become allies..."
Since they could not take down Hanzo of the Salamander anytime soon,
they would first resort to force, then diplomacy.
Danzo weighed the pros and cons, laying out the many benefits of an alliance between the two countries.
"If we can unite, we can achieve victory in the Third Shinobi World War. It would be a win-win situation..."
As he listened to Danzo's analysis,
Hanzo glanced at the expressions on his subordinates' faces.
Anger, hatred, despair, despondency...
All kinds of emotions appeared on their faces.
It was not just his own will that had withered, but also that of the subordinates who had followed him into battle for years...
"Lord Hanzo, please consider it carefully... If this continues, when will peace ever arrive?"
Danzo took a step back.
This was the greatest concession Konoha could make.
They would not annex Amegakure, but form an alliance with it.
"..."
Hanzo did not answer immediately.
Instead, he pondered for a long time in the rain.
"I need to think it over carefully..."
"That is good..."
The corner of Shimura Danzō's mouth curled upward.
"Rest assured, we will not harm the Demigod's granddaughter..."
Since Hanzo had already shown signs of decline and begun to waver,
it was not wise to press him too hard.
For now, they only needed to stabilize him.
With Kakashi and the other three's strength, capturing Hanzo's granddaughter alive would not be difficult.
Once they returned, they would probably receive good news.
Then,
he would personally untie Hanzo's granddaughter, explain the stakes to her, and send her back to Amegakure.
The alliance... would probably be settled.
"We will await Lord Hanzo's answer... Three days from now..."
After saying that, Shimura Danzō turned and left.
Minato Namikaze looked at Hanzo. In the end, he still voiced what was in his heart. "Lord Hanzo, we share the same goal. I believe Amegakure and Konoha can join hands and welcome a better tomorrow."
Those sincere, unfeigned words
also added weight to the negotiations.
Hanzo said, "The Yellow Flash... Minato Namikaze, Jiraiya's disciple and the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi's grand-disciple. If nothing unexpected happens, he will be a strong candidate for Fourth Hokage..."
Even from a neighboring country,
Hanzo knew Minato Namikaze's name and story.
This young man's potential was no less than that of the Sannin he had named back then.
This was Konoha.
The foremost of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, and the village of Hashirama Senju, the God of Shinobi. That was its foundation.
Compared to it, Amegakure
did not have any young people that formidable at all.
It carried the air of having no successors.
That made Hanzo feel ever more aged inside.
"Perhaps... forming an alliance with Konoha is the only path Amegakure can take."
When Shimura Danzō, known as the Root of Ninjutsu, mentioned his granddaughter,
how could it not have been a warning?
Though he was a Demigod, he could not protect everyone.
His beloved son and daughter-in-law, loyal subordinates, old friends—they had all died one after another in the Third Shinobi World War.
If they kept fighting,
what awaited them was only a fate of being mercilessly cut down by Konoha's outstanding younger generation of ninja, like Minato Namikaze, until none remained alive...
Just as the subordinates began gathering the bodies,
a figure as swift as a gale cut through the rain curtain and arrived before Hanzo.
Ryu panted heavily. Traveling at high speed using the power of Swift Release Kekkei Genkai had consumed a great deal of his Chakra.
Seeing that he had returned alone, Hanzo's heart skipped a beat.
Yet that imposing face concealed the worry in his eyes well. "Ryu..."
But the next second, a smile appeared on Ryu's face. "Lord Hanzo, Asuka Young Lady and we forced back Sharingan Kakashi Hatake! The special Konoha squad that intended to harm the young lady was also dealt with by a Medical Ninja named Shennong!"
Hanzo's Curiosity
A trace of astonishment flashed through Hanzo's heart.
Then he quickly processed the information.
Shennong?
Was he not Amakawa Mingren's master?
"Mm, I understand. Ryu, you have worked hard..."
Hanzo praised his subordinate.
Ryu bowed slightly, then left with a delighted expression.
"Ha~."
Ibuse, whose body was as tall as a two-story building, let out a bored yawn.
Hanzo stood atop its head, thinking carefully.
He had originally believed
that his granddaughter had most likely fallen into Konoha's hands.
Now, it seemed things were somewhat different.
A moment later,
Hanzo summoned a subordinate.
"Chuan, investigate Shennong for me... Especially information on his disciple, the young ninja named Amakawa Mingren... Remember, do not let him notice. Just observe him and gather information."
"Yes, Lord Hanzo."
Chuan, a little over twenty years old, was an Amegakure ninja who had followed Hanzo since childhood.
His father and grandfather had both fought alongside Hanzo.
Thus, it would not be an exaggeration to say his entire family had served loyally.
Water Style: Water Body Flicker!
Wearing a diving respirator, Chuan formed hand seals, and his body swiftly vanished into the puddle beneath his feet.
"..."
Hanzo looked into the distance.
The Konoha side, having gathered their companions' corpses, had already fully withdrawn.
"That young man named Amakawa Mingren..."
Hanzo felt a faint appreciation for talent.
A peer who refused to join the Akatsuki Organization, yet had repeatedly helped his granddaughter.
He was genuinely somewhat interested in him...
By the time night fell,
Asuka and her two companions returned.
"Phew... Phew..."
Asuka steadied her breathing.
What had originally been a day's journey had been completed in half a day.
The reason she had first sent Ryu back to report was not only to reassure her grandfather that she was safe.
There was another purpose as well.
Inside Amegakure's Tower,
Hanzo met his granddaughter.
He stood by the window, showing Asuka only his back.
Then Hanzo turned around and examined his uninjured granddaughter.
"I am very interested in hearing the specific details of Ryu's report..."
The grandfather and granddaughter sat down and began talking within the curtains.
A moment later, Hanzo understood the general situation.
Hanzo said, "So this time, it was that young man named Amakawa Mingren who acted again."
Ryu had mistaken Shennong for the one who acted.
But through Chakra Sensory Mode and her experience from last time, Asuka recognized that Mingren was the one who had truly acted.
He punched straight through the heart of a Hyuga Clan ninja.
He directly smashed apart the body of a Transparent Release Kekkei Genkai ninja.
He casually tore off the arm of a Senju Clan ninja...
Setting aside his still brutal and highly distinctive fighting style,
that enormous, astonishing strength... was it some kind of Kekkei Genkai?
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