Land of Rain

A fine, drizzling rain fell from the sky, as if the heavens themselves were weeping.

The Land of Rain, known as the weeping nation, mirrored the ceaseless downpour; its people lived in the depths of misery and suffering.

Amegakure.

Shimura Danzo walked at a measured pace toward the office of Salamander Hanzo.

Ever since receiving the mission from the Third Hokage, Danzo had set out, making his way toward Amegakure with unhurried steps.

Along the way, he had taken the opportunity to inspect various Root bases.

Like a superior conducting a surprise inspection, he had lingered for quite some time, arriving in the Land of Rain only after a tardy delay.

As for the mission in the Land of Rain entrusted to him by the Third Hokage, to Danzo, it was merely a convenient side trip.

In Danzo's eyes, Salamander Hanzo possessed exquisite ninjutsu and formidable strength, yet he ruled a small, impoverished nation that could never stir up any real trouble.

The residence of Salamander Hanzo was heavily guarded, with layers upon layers of ninjas standing watch.

Hanzo sat at the head of a long table in the reception room, wearing his gas mask. He sat with the imposing posture of a warlord, polishing his favorite weapon: a shimmering, cold-blooded kusarigama.

Sensing something, Hanzo looked up toward the corridor just as Shimura Danzo walked in.

Hanzo withdrew his gaze and continued polishing his sickle, whether as a show of force or something else, it was unclear.

Though Hanzo was arrogant and proud, he dared not slight a visitor from Konoha's Root, so he had set aside time specifically for this audience.

Danzo wore his Konoha flak jacket, a long blade strapped to his back, and a bandage wrapped around one eye.

Once outside Konoha, Danzo's limp had vanished, and his hand was perfectly fine. Not only was his cane discarded, but the arm he had previously kept in a sling was now completely unscathed.

"Shimura Danzo, what brings you here?"

Salamander Hanzo lost his patience and asked.

"Hanzo, I would like to ask for your help," Danzo said in a detached tone.

"Oh? For the esteemed Darkness of the Shinobi to ask for help, it must be no simple matter. Let's hear it?"

Hanzo flashed a smile, as if a business deal had just arrived.

"No, you are mistaken. It is a very simple matter, which is why I require your assistance."

Danzo maintained his air of superiority, appearing calm and unruffled.

"Hmph." Hanzo let out a cold snort; he truly could not bring himself to like such an old fox.

"Heh, Hanzo, do not doubt me. I do not mean to belittle you; it is indeed a very simple matter. I need to collect some Sharingan. If any Uchiha ninjas from Konoha come to the Land of Rain, I would trouble you to retrieve their eyes for me," Danzo said slowly.

"Oh? The Uchiha clan is a major power in the ninja world. You call this a simple mission?"

Hanzo remained expressionless, his hands resting on the table, composed and at ease.

"Heh, would the Demigod Hanzo fear the Uchiha of Konoha?"

"Hmph, even if Konoha sent a thousand armies, to me, they would be nothing but ants."

Faced with Danzo's provocation, Hanzo's pride would never allow him to back down.

Danzo's lips curled upward. Without arguing, he said:

"In return, I will help you wipe out the mercenary organizations in the Land of Rain."

Upon hearing Danzo's words, Hanzo's eyes narrowed. The Land of Rain had indeed seen the emergence of separatist forces.

Many ninja organizations were providing aid to the populace and building towns, winning the hearts of the people. Their ranks were growing rapidly, posing a threat to Hanzo's rule over the Land of Rain.

The title of Demigod was not just a tribute to Hanzo's strength; it was because he also served as the daimyo of the Land of Rain, making him the true dictator of the nation, unhindered by nobles or samurai.

Among the mercenary organizations in the Land of Rain, one was particularly mysterious; its three leaders possessed exquisite ninjutsu and formidable strength.

Though Hanzo spoke with bravado, in reality, he was extremely cautious—or perhaps, one could say, he cherished his life dearly.

The ninjas he sent to assassinate them almost always vanished without a trace. When these organizations were not on missions, they disguised themselves as civilians, giving Hanzo a headache regarding these hidden groups.

The reward Danzo proposed was indeed very attractive.

"I cannot bear to harm the citizens of the Land of Rain. If you can help me resolve this problem, then the deal is struck."

As a leader, being stubborn even when cornered was a basic requirement.

Danzo's lips curled slightly upward:

"I, too, cannot bear to harm the villagers of Konoha. I will have my subordinates provide you with intelligence in Amegakure. When the time comes, I will trouble you."

Danzo played along with Hanzo's words, appearing as a leader who cared deeply for his country and people.

As their gazes met briefly, both men revealed cruel smiles.

Konoha

An underground base outside the village.

In a courtyard of the base, dozens of stakes were driven into the ground. Tied to two of them were a man and a woman. Their heads hung low, clearly in a state of unconsciousness.

Hiruko untied the ropes of one of them, then formed several hand seals.

Uchiha Nara, watching from behind, saw it clearly: Hiruko had cast a genjutsu.

After untying the ropes, Hiruko had cast a genjutsu on the test subject as a precaution. Under its influence, the ninja's breathing became even steadier, and he fell into a deeper slumber.

Hiruko continued to circulate his chakra and began forming hand seals.

Nara had been observing the entire time; he was certain he had never seen this ninjutsu before. It was rare indeed for there to be a ninjutsu that Nara had not encountered.

Before long, Hiruko finished the technique and tapped the unconscious man on the shoulder.

The man suddenly jolted awake, letting out a cry of agony. Amidst his painful screams, a grey-black liquid seeped out from his body, slowly enveloping him.

Once the grey-black liquid had encased the man, the person inside seemed to melt away and vanish.

The grey-black liquid slowly writhed and moved toward another bound person, creeping upward from the feet of the tied-up woman.

After the grey-black liquid enveloped the woman, it seemed to be slowly absorbed by her skin.

In a short while, the grey-black liquid disappeared entirely, having been fully absorbed by the woman. She remained in a deep sleep, showing no signs of waking.

Clap, clap, clap.

The sound of applause reached Hiruko's ears.

"Truly magnificent, Hiruko-kun. Is this a successful fusion? It seems this fusion ninjutsu is nearing completion."

Seeing the results of the fusion experiment, Uchiha Nara could not help but applaud in admiration.

The corners of Hiruko's mouth curled upward; he could not help but feel a sense of pride in the success of this fusion experiment.

"Lord Nara, the initial fusion is complete, but we still need to observe whether there is any rejection, and whether she has acquired the elemental affinity of the person who was merged."

Hiruko's eyes burned with fanaticism, yet he remained grounded and spoke matter-of-factly.

"Mm, that is only natural. Continue the observation! These two—one is Earth-natured and the other is Water-natured, correct? I truly look forward to seeing if this person has inherited the other's affinity."

Nara was somewhat excited. Hiruko's development of the Chimera Technique was progressing rapidly. The animal-creature fusion had already been successfully tested, and this technology could be used to create powerful summoning beasts.

If the fusion between human and animal was successful, then fusion between humans would naturally pose no problem.

After experiencing numerous failures in the early stages, such as bodies exploding, the last two experiments had both been successful fusions.

Now, all that was required was to observe the test subjects for any abnormalities or signs of rejection.

"The test subject's vitals are very stable. All that remains is observation! I expect the Chimera Technique will be ready for the world soon!"

As the developer of the Chimera Technique, Hiruko was somewhat excited, as if he could already see himself striking fear into the world in the future.

Nara did not interrupt Hiruko. The speed at which Hiruko had broken through with the Chimera Technique was somewhat unexpected.

However, Nara was not overly optimistic; such a miraculous forbidden technique could never be created in just half a year or a year.

From conception and design, Hiruko had been at it for three years, and he had been conducting secret experiments for over a year, which had finally given the forbidden technique some direction.

Now, with Nara's support, he had made another breakthrough in half a year; it could be said that the progress was rapid.

But Nara believed that the ninjutsu could not possibly be ready for the world so quickly; there were surely many areas still in need of improvement.

As long as this test subject's vital signs remained stable without abnormalities, and they could live for a few years without issues during check-ups, then the ninjutsu could be considered fundamentally successful, with only refinements remaining.

Nara's lips curled slightly upward as he gazed at Hiruko's back, his expression dark and inscrutable.