Konoha
The Hokage's office
"Hahahahaha! Excellent, excellent!" Third Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the frontline report in his hands. At last, the tension that had weighed on him for months began to ease. As a disciple of both Hashirama Senju, the First, and Senju Tobirama, the Second Hokage, he had inherited the Will of Fire perfectly. Naturally, his own disciples had done the same.
"Spread this news throughout Konoha." Hiruzen Sarutobi looked toward an Anbu member waiting nearby for orders.
Konoha's Sannin
The title immediately spread throughout the Ninja World. Everyone knew that Third Hiruzen Sarutobi's disciples were powerful, had distinguished themselves on the battlefield, and had even earned praise from Hanzo the Salamander, the Demigod of the Ninja World. It was proof that Konoha was still strong.
Incidentally, after the battle with Hanzo the Salamander, Tsunade had finally developed an antidote to Salamander Toxin—one that neutralized the poison instantly. It was so effective that even Chiyo, the legendary puppet master of Sunagakure, couldn't help drawing a sharp breath when she heard about it.
After the battle with Hanzo the Salamander
the battlefield in the Land of Rain enjoyed a rare period of peace
About three months later
In Amegakure
At the training ground
BANG!!!!
Hanzo the Salamander put away his Kusarigama.
"You've learned everything I can teach you. You may not have mastered it yet, but with hard work, you'll certainly become stronger than me." Hanzo the Salamander glanced at the rain above, then looked at Uchiha Chiba.
"It's not enough. I'm still not strong enough to protect everyone." Uchiha Chiba's expression was icy. Ever since Katsuzuki's death, Hanzo the Salamander had made him train at the training ground. For the past three months, Chiba had done nothing but train. In that short time, he had already reached the middle ranks of Kage Level fighters.
"Kid, don't blame yourself too much... I'm about to withdraw my troops from Konoha. After that, I'll declare war on every nation." Hanzo the Salamander suddenly spoke.
Uchiha Chiba looked up.
He remembered that in the original story, Hanzo the Salamander had withdrawn his troops because... he thought himself invincible. Tsunade had also completely overcome the salamander's poison on the main battlefield, and Amegakure's supply of ninja was running short. These factors had led him to withdraw. But the result of that withdrawal was that Amegakure was left severely weakened and spent a long time recovering.
But why would he declare war on every nation?
Some empress dowager: I know this one!
"Why?" Uchiha Chiba still asked.
"I'm a god now. I don't need to care about anyone else. I held Konoha's forces back on the sea all by myself, and the name I casually left behind has become a title people admire. Chiba..." Hanzo the Salamander paused. Suddenly, he laughed. Uchiha Chiba didn't notice the fleeting helplessness in that laugh.
"Who in the entire Ninja World, aside from me, could do such a thing? Hahahahahaha! I'm the strongest in the Ninja World. So who would dare attack me? I withdraw when I want to, and I fight when I want to. Bullying the weak isn't what I want, so I've chosen to withdraw from Konoha. I'm done fighting. What would it matter if I fought a battle I was certain to win? That's why I've decided to declare war on every nation! That's the only thing worthy of Amegakure's strength." Hanzo the Salamander turned away, speaking arrogantly. It seemed he had deliberately made sure Uchiha Chiba couldn't see his expression.
Uchiha Chiba looked at Hanzo the Salamander.
"Master, have you gone against your own heart after all?" It was the first time Uchiha Chiba had called him master.
With his back to Chiba, Hanzo the Salamander wore a complicated expression. Then he spoke. "Are you unhappy with me, you little wolf?"
"Wasn't your original purpose to protect the Land of Rain? Look at Amegakure... How many people are homeless? How many families have been torn apart? Amegakure's economy is even worse than that of the nameless little countries around us. If you go to war with every nation, Amegakure will never recover." Uchiha Chiba furrowed his brow. He had thought that, in this timeline he'd entered after transmigrating, Hanzo the Salamander might change from the man in the original story and become a true great leader...
As it turned out,
he'd thought too much.
And he'd been wrong.
"Get out, you little wolf. You're just a disciple I took in on a whim, a little thing to pass the time..." Hanzo the Salamander still had his back to Chiba.
"Katsuzuki would never want her most admired father to be a madman who disregarded the village!" Uchiha Chiba tightly gripped the scythe formed from his blood and spoke in anger.
Why couldn't this guy understand?
He'd already laid out all the consequences. Why still couldn't he see reason?
"You want... to fight me?" Hanzo the Salamander didn't respond to what Chiba had said. Perhaps it was guilt over Katsuzuki, or perhaps it was something else. His voice was cold, and muffled breathing came from beneath his mask.
"Forgive me. If it can bring you back to your senses, Master, I'm willing to try." Uchiha Chiba pushed off with his feet and shattered the ground!
BANG!!!!!
The blood-red scythe pressed hard against Hanzo's scythe.
Then
Hanzo shattered the mask at Chiba's waist.
Chiba glanced at Hanzo.
He said nothing.
The scythes scraped against each other, sending sparks flying. The terrifying force didn't let up, and Uchiha Chiba was suddenly sent flying. His strength was still far below Hanzo's!
"Fire Style: Great Fireball"
A fireball wreathed in scorching heat burst from Chiba's mouth and flew toward Hanzo the Salamander with terrifying force.
"Water Style: Water Shockwave"
Smoke billowed and churned.
BOOM!!!!
The massive explosion shattered the training ground. The Rain Ninja outside rushed in.
"Lord Hanzo! What happened?" one elite Rain Ninja asked.
Hanzo the Salamander slowly spoke.
His words made Uchiha Chiba's pupils contract.
"The Konoha assassin, Uchiha, tried to kill me. Seize him." Hanzo the Salamander's voice held no trace of emotion, as if he truly didn't know the Uchiha Chiba standing before him.
Uchiha Chiba wanted to protest.
But
he suddenly realized that whenever he appeared in Amegakure, he wore a mask. Even when he came to the training ground with Katsuzuki, he'd worn one, afraid they would discover he belonged to the Uchiha Clan. Just now, however, Hanzo had shattered his mask. That meant no one knew he was Hanzo the Salamander's personal disciple except Hanzo the Salamander, Youzo the Salamander, and the Three Orphans!
And during the time he'd spent training at the training ground, there had only been two guard ninja from Amegakure. Now, with the rare peace, there were more than ten Rain Ninja... No one knew he'd been training here for months!
Which meant
he had become a true assassin!
Uchiha Chiba stared at Hanzo the Salamander in disbelief.
"Water Release: Water Bullet"
"Wind Release: Gale Palm"
"Lightning Release: Earth Flow"
Countless ninjutsu flew toward Uchiha Chiba.
The Three Tomoe Sharingan spun wildly.
"Hanzo the Salamander!" Uchiha Chiba's enraged roar shook the heavens.
BOOM!!!!!
Countless ninjutsu struck Uchiha Chiba.
His body was riddled with wounds, and a faint green light could be seen healing him!
Then
his figure vanished from where he stood.
The Rain Ninja beside Hanzo the Salamander started to chase, but Hanzo stopped them. His voice was hoarse. "There's no need to pursue him. Konoha's people are cunning. Pass down my order: spread Uchiha Chiba's wanted notice throughout Amegakure. Make sure he can never return."
"Yes, Lord Hanzo!"
After a long while
Hanzo the Salamander sighed.
"I couldn't give you the best resources. Konoha can make you stronger than me in the end... Go ahead and hate me, Chiba..."
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