Beware the Spectators (2)

What's going on?!

The Salamander was scared off by that brat with just a look?

Hanzo's mind went completely blank. He had fought alongside the Salamander for decades and had never encountered such a situation.

"Here's a piece of advice for you, Hanzo."

Uchiha Sōgetsu raised a finger to his lips, a playful smile on his face as he spoke in a thought-provoking tone, "Be careful of the spectators~"

"???" Hanzo froze for half a second, then felt the other party was toying with him. He gritted his teeth in hatred. "You brat from the Uchiha, I don't know what trick you used, but don't think I'll let you slaughter me just because the Salamander is gone! You're too naive, brat!"

Besides the Salamander, he, Hanzo, had another title. The current master of Water Release!

"Water Release: Water Colliding Wave!"

As he spoke, cracks suddenly appeared on the ground in front of Hanzo.

The next moment, he formed hand seals, and waves of water surged from the cracks, piling up to form a tsunami several meters high.

"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"

Uchiha Sōgetsu responded with a ninjutsu of his own.

BOOM!

The colossal flames and the tsunami collided, and the scorching heatwaves that rose distorted the very air.

"You're angry, but you're also afraid, aren't you?"

From within the smoke, Uchiha Sōgetsu's voice echoed, "As you get older, your physical functions and chakra decline, making you feel increasingly powerless against everything in Amegakure. More and more people are starting to resist your rule in secret."

"Shut up!"

Hanzo's teeth gnashed, veins bulging on his forehead. "Damn brat, I'm going to tear you to shreds!"

He had never hated anyone so much.

Every word the other party spoke was like a sharp knife, piercing the deepest, most forbidden, and vulnerable parts of his heart.

He had dedicated everything to Amegakure!

He would never allow anyone to trample on his ideals or insult his will!

"Brat, I'll make you regret being born into this world!" Hanzo formed hand seals, and streams of water swirled around him. "Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

BOOM!

The swirling water formed a waterspout.

Then, the water dragon roared and descended, stirring up wave after wave of furious torrents as it surged forward.

"Oh, you're angry now? It seems I hit the mark." Uchiha Sōgetsu continued to provoke him. "You rule Amegakure with an iron fist, forbidding anyone from resisting your will. But are your choices truly correct? Has Amegakure truly gotten better because of you?"

"Ahhhhhh."

Hanzo became like a madman, his blood-red eyes erupting with a chaotic killing intent.

He swung his scythe, unleashing sharp gusts of wind with every strike, each one deadly. He even abandoned some of his defense, solely focused on killing the incredibly foul-mouthed Uchiha brat before him.

"You were once the protector of Amegakure, but now, you've become an obstacle to Amegakure." Uchiha Sōgetsu effortlessly dodged the attacks, faint whirlpools appearing in his eyes as he continuously used 'suggestion' and 'hypnosis' to twist Hanzo's emotions.

"Ahhhh, I told you to shut up, brat!"

Hanzo felt as if a string in his mind had snapped.

The emotions he had suppressed deep within his heart, amplified by the words of the young man before him, detonated like a bomb.

His last shred of sanity completely crumbled, and he plunged into the abyss of rage.

"What are you afraid of, Hanzo?" Uchiha Sōgetsu saw that the time was right and slowly guided Hanzo's emotions, saying, "Is it that new organization? Is it that person named Yahiko? Why are you afraid of him? Your wishes were, after all, to make Amegakure better."

"Only I am correct!"

Hanzo's eyes were bloodshot, and he panted heavily.

On his face, etched with countless wrinkles, dark veins bulged, and his blood-red eyes were filled with intense killing intent. He looked like a wild beast trapped in madness. "They don't understand anything! I'm doing this for Amegakure's own good!"

"Look, Hanzo, you're already old."

Uchiha Sōgetsu deliberately lowered his voice, his tone seductive like a devil's. "It won't be long before they realize that the invincible Hanzo of the Salamander is no longer the Hanzo he once was. And when that happens... what do you think will occur?"

"Kill! Kill! I'll kill you all!!!"

In an instant, a terrifying killing intent surged, as if dyeing the surroundings blood-red.

"Yes, they will kill you."

At this moment, in Hanzo's mind, he seemed to see countless Amegakure ninja baring cruel smiles, mocking him, jeering at him, and trampling on him!

He was like an old lion king.

Covered in scars, his fur and claws no longer sharp, relying only on his residual might to intimidate the ambitious young lions within the pride.

But. Eventually, his disguise would be torn away.

The gradually growing new lions would use their sharp fangs to snap his neck, hold his head high, and prove themselves the new lion king.

"Hanzo! Look at my eyes!"

Uchiha Sōgetsu let out a shout, utilizing the power of spirituality, like thunder exploding.

Hanzo, already mentally disoriented, heard a thunderclap in his mind. He instinctively raised his head and obediently looked into the other's eyes.

Within those scarlet eyes, three tomoe spun rapidly!

Genjutsu: Hypnosis!

The Sharingan's illusion technique, combined with 'Combat Hypnosis,' instantly broke through Hanzo's mental defenses.

Buzz!

Hanzo's eyes went blank, and he stood rigidly in place.

"I already warned you to be careful of the spectators."

Uchiha Sōgetsu pushed up his glasses, the Sharingan in his eyes vanishing. He said calmly, "Unfortunately, you didn't take a single word to heart."

While it might be morally questionable to use Talk no Jutsu on a highly stressed old man.

But, I'm sorry.

This is the 'Spectator's' way of fighting!

Suddenly, Uchiha Sōgetsu froze for a few seconds, his expression turning strange. He thought to himself, If this continues, will I turn into a 'Talk no Jutsu' ninja?

Never mind, Talk no Jutsu it is. The Spectator path is too weak in the early stages.

Uchiha Sōgetsu shook his head and then stared at Hanzo, implanting a 'Psychological Suggestion' directly into the depths of his subconscious.

"After going through all this, I hope you won't disappoint me later, Hanzo of the Salamander." He muttered to himself, his gaze playfully shifting to a certain spot as a faint smile slowly spread across his face. "The timing is perfect, just as I estimated. I'll be counting on you next, Lord Hanzo~"

The next moment, Hanzo's eyes suddenly cleared, his sharp killing intent like a blade.

"You little brat from Konoha, let this old man send you to your death!"

A cold glint flashed across the sharp scythe as it slit Uchiha Sōgetsu's throat before his astonished eyes.

Splat!!!

Blood spurted out like a fountain.

Uchiha Sōgetsu clutched his neck, his eyes filled with terror, and he made gurgling sounds mixed with blood.

"Kid, don't blame me."

Hanzo's eyes were defiant as he held the scythe and said coldly, "If you're going to blame anyone, blame Danzo. He's the one who ordered me to take your life!"

I've caught a bad cold, so I'm shamelessly asking for recommendations and reads. Please stay for a bit longer when you click in, about twenty to thirty seconds should be fine. Thank you!