Beware the Spectators (3)

Sizzle, sizzle.

Uchiha Sōgetsu clutched his neck, trying to stop the blood gushing out.

But his carotid artery had been severed. Facing such a severe injury, even Tsunade would be helpless.

"Your eyes, I'll take them."

Hanzo extended two fingers, intending to gouge out his Sharingan.

"Stop, Hanzo!"

"Water Style: Raging Waves Technique!"

Suddenly, a high-pressure water blade flew towards them.

The arcing, high-pressure water blade was incredibly sharp, even splitting the rock layer in two.

Hanzo reacted swiftly, pulling back his outstretched arm and retreating dozens of meters. After establishing a safe distance, he looked towards the source of the voice.

The one who suddenly intervened was his greatest bane. The group of ambitious young 'lion cubs' who sought to overthrow his rule—the Akatsuki!

"It's you!" Hanzo gritted his teeth.

"Lord Hanzo."

Yahiko looked at him with complex emotions, a profound sense of heartache welling up. "You actually allied with Danzo."

"Now, do you believe what I said?" Konan's beautiful, ice-like face flickered with a twisted hatred. "The source of all suffering is Hanzo. He's no longer the protector he once was. If we don't stop him, we'll eventually be killed by him and Danzo!"

"Konan is right, Yahiko," Nagato sided with Konan, his deep purple Rinnegan glinting with killing intent. "That wasn't just a dream; it was a revelation from heaven. It guided us here to expose Hanzo's hypocritical mask and witness the truth!"

"Konan. Nagato."

Yahiko was conflicted and in pain.

"Ugh."

Hanzo clutched his head in agony, his thoughts sluggish, as if he had forgotten something important.

Why were the Akatsuki here?!

No, that wasn't important.

He glared at the three with sinister eyes, his face contorted. "Rats hiding in the sewers, I'll deal with you all now!"

A voice seemed to whisper in Hanzo's ear.

Kill them!

If I kill them, I can preserve my position, and no one will dare challenge me again!

"Amegakure is mine!"

Hanzo ripped off his respirator, spitting out purple poison gas. His hair unbound, he declared fiercely, "No one can take it from me!"

"Lord Hanzo."

Yahiko's heart was a mess of pain and anger. "I misjudged you!"

He had once deeply admired the leader who had strived to protect Amegakure during the war, viewing him as an idol.

But as time passed, the aging Hanzo no longer seemed like the protector he once was. His rule became increasingly brutal, brooks no dissent, and the fear of slaughter permeated the hearts of Amegakure's people, like a perpetual, oppressive cloud.

Having suffered greatly from the war, they believed that military force alone could not change Amegakure, and thus decided to forge a new path.

Before this, despite their constant conflicts, Yahiko had always believed their differences with Hanzo were merely matters of ideology, that both sides fought for Amegakure's future.

But now?

The last shred of fantasy in his heart was shattered, broken!

"Hanzo of the Salamander, you've changed," Yahiko said, gazing sadly at the figure he once looked up to. "You're no hero anymore, just a butcher who has abandoned his ideals, cast aside his dignity, and been corrupted by power!"

"You're just a few stray dogs. What right do you have to judge my actions?!"

Hanzo, seemingly mad, lunged at the three, swinging his scythe.

The chains rattled, slicing through the air like a dark streak. The scythe, coated in salamander poison, swung in a semicircle directly towards Konan.

"Konan, be careful!" Nagato reacted fastest, shielding the other two and forming hand seals. "Earth Style: Earth Wall Technique!"

A thick, sturdy earthen wall rose, blocking the incoming scythe.

"Paper Shuriken!"

From behind the solid earth wall, dozens of white paper shuriken flew out.

"Konan, come back!" Nagato's pupils constricted, sensing trouble.

The nightmare had affected Konan deeply, making her extremely agitated and unable to calm down. Facing a powerful opponent like Hanzo, she had chosen to charge head-on!

"Yahiko, quickly stop Konan!" Nagato channeled chakra to his feet, shouting to snap the dazed Yahiko out of it, then moved to support his teammate from the other side.

"Don't be rash, Konan, hurry back!" Yahiko finally came to his senses. "We didn't come here to fight!"

Their initial reason for being here was simply to reassure Konan and prevent the nightmares from affecting her too much.

But... things had inexplicably spiraled out of control!

Clang clang clang!

Hanzo swung his chains, wielding his kusarigama, creating a storm around him.

After the white paper shuriken were all blocked, Hanzo spun halfway around, forcefully throwing the kusarigama like a meteor towards Konan.

Buzz buzz buzz—

Three shuriken were thrown by Yahiko, directly embedding themselves in the gaps in the middle of the chain.

The kusarigama was knocked off course. Nagato, like a hyena smelling an opportunity, erupted with chakra at his feet and charged forward. The moment he closed the distance, he formed hand seals and released a ninjutsu: "Wind Style: Gale Palm Technique!"

The ferocious gale was compressed by his palms, emitting a sharp, piercing cry.

Swish!

A thin, transparent blade shot out, aimed at Hanzo's neck.

At the same time, Yahiko on the left also completed his hand seals and took a deep breath: "Fire Style: Flying Flame Technique!"

The wind fueled the fire, and the fire boosted the wind's might!

The two worked together with seamless coordination, instantly sealing off all of Hanzo's escape routes.

"Damn brats!" Hanzo lowered his eyelids, a hint of malice flashing across his wrinkled face. "You're still too young to kill me!"

Water Style: Water Body Technique!

Hit by the wind and fire, Hanzo instantly turned into a puddle of water and vanished from his spot.

However, Hanzo, who had escaped using Water Style, hadn't even had time to launch a surprise attack when he heard the red-haired boy pinpoint his location.

"Konan, fifteen meters behind Yahiko, to the right!"

"Hanzo!!!"

White paper spread out behind her like wings. Konan, who had flown into the air, had a face full of chilling killing intent. "As long as I kill you, as long as I kill you, that future won't come!"

The 'prophecy' from her dream was being proven true, one by one!

She couldn't accept the tragic future where she lost Yahiko and Nagato, and she didn't want to endure that pain again.

If that was the case, then she would cut off that future from its source!

"Dance of the Shikigami!"

Her white paper wings shattered violently, and countless paper fragments transformed into sharp blades, falling like an overwhelming downpour.

Boom boom boom boom boom.

The dense white paper, like sharp knives, fell like a torrential rain.

The hard rock surface was as fragile as tofu, pierced through by countless sharp paper blades, forming a dense honeycomb pattern.

Hanzo, underground, was caught completely off guard and was cut all over by the paper blades, his body covered in blood.

"Ahhhhhh. Damn brats!" Hanzo was now covered in blood, his clothes tattered, showing none of his former 'heroic' demeanor. Instead, he looked more like a cornered beast at the end of its rope, a growing madness in his eyes. "This is... you forced me!!!"

"Be careful, he's going all out!"

Nagato was shaken by the opponent's madness and couldn't help but tremble in his heart as he warned the other two.

"Wait. Hanzo, we don't need to go this far!"

At this moment, Yahiko's expression changed drastically. He immediately realized something was wrong and shouted to stop them. "Konan, Nagato, calm down. Something's not right!"

He vaguely sensed that something was amiss, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was.

But unfortunately... no one was listening to him anymore.

Tormented by nightmares, Konan firmly believed that Hanzo had to be killed to prevent that tragic future.

Nagato, who leaned towards Konan's side, also believed Hanzo had to be killed.

And Hanzo, feeling threatened in his position by the Akatsuki, also felt the need to retaliate and eliminate those who dared to provoke him with swift and decisive action.

Everyone seemed to have their own reasons.

But... it gave Yahiko an indescribable feeling.

Everything was too coincidental!

December 18th, Sunny

Feeling down... The first round of recommendations is probably gone