Snake Talisman

"You brat, how dare you!"

The moment the drainage pipe exploded, Hanzo used the Water Flicker Technique to dodge the baptism of sewage in advance.

At this moment, his eyes were filled with nothing but killing intent. First, his village had been invaded for no apparent reason, then he had been ignored as if he were nothing, and finally, they had even destroyed the spire of Amegakure.

The repeated provocations of the Shadowkhan had pushed him to the peak of fury. Hanzo ripped off his outer garment, baring his upper body, and entered a combat stance he had not adopted in a long time.

--Swish!

Hanzo dissolved into water mist, catching up to the Shadowkhan in an instant and arriving beside the lightning rod at the top of the tower.

"Witness my full power!"

Hanzo held the bladed end of his Kusarigama high, bent his body slightly, and as his pupils trembled, he began to spin like a top.

The cold-glinting Kusarigama whirled around him, slicing and shattering everything it touched. The speed was so great that the Shadow Ninja were cut in half at the waist before they even had time to react.

Seeing their companions fall one by one, the battle became meaningless, and the Shadowkhan knew it was time to retreat.

Ignoring Hanzo's pursuit, the remaining Shadow Ninja charged directly toward the pre-set location of the Snake Talisman.

Although Hanzo did not understand why the Shadowkhan were so interested in a lightning rod, he pursued them without hesitation.

"That is... a stone?"

As the Shadow Ninja pried the Snake Talisman from the groove at the base of the lightning rod, their figures vanished completely under the dark clouds, leaving not even a trace of their presence behind.

(Due to the fact that the abilities of the talismans in the original Jackie Chan Adventures are inconsistent and abstract, this book will make certain adjustments; for example, the invisibility ability of the Snake Talisman is changed to have a range.)

"They ran?"

Hanzo stepped forward, scanned the surrounding high-rises, and calmed his mind to perceive his surroundings. After confirming that the Shadowkhan had escaped, he put away his Kusarigama.

The moment he let down his guard, several shuriken suddenly flew at him from all directions. Even though he reacted quickly and jumped back to dodge, he could not avoid having his skin grazed by the blades.

"Who is it?!"

Hanzo covered the stinging wound with one hand and looked around vigilantly, but other than the rain ninjas who had just arrived, there were no suspicious individuals in sight.

"Does anyone among you have a problem with me?"

After leaping down and landing steadily, he looked sharply at the arriving rain ninjas, his Kusarigama swaying slightly in his hand as if he were ready to attack at any moment.

"No... we dare not! Lord Hanzo, everyone present is loyal only to you and reveres you!"

Hanzo only had to reveal a sliver of his aura to make the rain ninjas' legs tremble uncontrollably. Each of them acted obsequiously, terrified that Hanzo might be dissatisfied and cut them down.

"..." Seeing his subordinates acting in such a disgraceful and cowardly manner, Hanzo said nothing; after all, finding out who was secretly shooting arrows at him was a higher priority.

--Puff!

Just as Hanzo turned around again, he felt a sharp pain in his lower abdomen, and his body was sent flying uncontrollably for several meters, landing heavily in a trash can.

"Lord Hanzo!"

Seeing their respected leader keeping company with the trash, the rain ninjas immediately rushed over, attempting to help him up.

But Hanzo held the title of "Apex of the Ninja World"; how could he endure the humiliation of being ambushed twice in a row? He immediately swung his Kusarigama and roared at the sky:

"Who the hell is it?!"

Now was the time for the Shadowkhan to reappear. While Hanzo was in a rage and his emotional fluctuations were at their peak, they could earn more Dimensional Points. Moreover, with so many people around, it was time to "close the net."

Rain fell suddenly, and the Shadowkhan revealed their true forms beneath a dark cloud. They stood atop utility poles, their scarlet pupils fixed on Hanzo below.

"It was... you lot?!"

Hanzo could never have imagined that the ones ambushing him were the very Shadowkhan he had been pushing back step by step. Could it be...! Did they just use that stone to make themselves invisible and undetectable to him?!

"You asked for this!"

With that, Hanzo placed his hand on his gas mask. This slight movement alone made the hair of the rain ninjas stand on end.

"Lord Hanzo! This is the center of the village, you cannot... ah!"

Before he could finish his warning, the rain ninja was slashed across the throat by the enraged Hanzo and fell into a pool of blood.

As the blood spread with the rainwater, the other rain ninjas lost all desire to advise Hanzo further; they scattered to begin evacuating the civilians.

"Ha..."

As the gas mask fell away, Hanzo's face saw the light of day for the first time in years. He habitually exhaled, and deep purple poison mist began to drift through the air.

Having obtained the talisman and earned the Dimensional Points, the Shadowkhan had no intention of remaining in a stalemate with Hanzo. Before the poison mist could cover them, they dove into the Shadow Empire and fled.

Because the highest tower of Amegakure had been blown up by the Shadowkhan, the returning Hanzo had no choice but to work temporarily in the second-highest tower. Of course, this also meant a reunion with his "partner," Danzo.

Unlike last time, Hanzo's office was filled with guards on both sides, all of them armed. Danzo sensed that the atmosphere was wrong and could not remain as relaxed as before.

He spoke cautiously: "Lord Hanzo?"

The moment the words left his lips, Danzo felt the sharp blade of a scythe touch his neck. The icy chill made him imagine what would happen if the blade moved even an inch further.

Consequently, Danzo immediately suppressed his arrogance and adopted his most respectful tone: "Lord Hanzo, what is the meaning of this? I am here representing Konoha, with a sincere heart to discuss our cooperation."

"That is a lie!" Danzo only brought up Konoha because he feared that the old man Hanzo might truly be senile and actually strike, hoping to make him weigh the consequences.

Hanzo made no attempt to hide his intentions. After shooting Danzo a sharp look, and holding to the belief that if one must die, they should at least die knowing why, he spoke slowly:

"Danzo, are you still going to play dumb?!"

"Your Konoha ninjas have even run onto my mountains to take a dump!"

Hanzo slammed his hand against the table in a rage, listing off the misdeeds committed by the Shadowkhan one by one. This massive pot of blame dropped on him nearly scared Danzo to death on the spot, and he immediately began to defend himself:

"Lord Hanzo! Forgive my bluntness, but this is a conspiracy!"

"A conspiracy?" Hanzo raised an eyebrow slightly, pausing his movements to signal for Danzo to continue.

"The current Hokage of Konoha, Sarutobi Hiruzen, is my dearest friend and brother-in-arms!"

"As a high-ranking official of Konoha, how could I possibly commit the foolish act of ordering my subordinates to infiltrate your village and cause mass destruction while I am here on a diplomatic visit?"

"So you mean... someone is trying to frame you and Konoha?"