"Yahiko, the founder and actual leader of Akatsuki. An idealist, but very charismatic. He is good at Water Release and Earth Release. His fighting style is mainly frontal suppression."
"Konan, the only female core member. The ninjutsu is mainly Paper Release. It has both reconnaissance and attack capabilities, and its thoughtfulness is far beyond that of its peers."
"Nagato."
He paused, and the corners of his mouth under the bandage twitched.
"Uzumaki Clan orphan--"
He was one of the driving forces behind the destruction of the Uzumaki Clan, so he naturally knew the potential of this clan.
Hanzo was silent.
He stood up, walked to the window, and pushed open the wooden window.
Land of Rain The rain is always falling, and the cold wind comes in with raindrops, blowing the candlelight to the point of falling.
He looked out the window at the gray sky and remembered what happened many years ago.
At that time, he was still a young ninja who had just inherited the mantle of Land of Rain. He was very ambitious and wanted to lead this small country that had been devastated by war to prosperity.
He defeated enemies one after another, conquered cities one after another, and the name of "demigod" resounded throughout Shinobi World.
But what happened later? Later he discovered that the war will never be over, the enemies will never be killed, Land of Rain is still poor, and Amegakure's ninjas are still wallowing in muddy water.
He was tired. The vigor of his youth had been worn away by the years into a thin layer of calluses, wrapping his remaining power and the last trace of security that power brought him.
"They're just a bunch of kids."
Hanzo spoke, his voice was very soft.
"A group of children who want to make Land of Rain a better place. Everything they do is beneficial to this country. What good will killing them do to Land of Rain?"
"Benefits?" Danzo sneered, stood up on crutches, and walked behind Hanzo. His voice was hoarse and sharp, like a dull knife scraping back and forth on a grindstone.
"The advantage is that your position is still yours. Hanzo, you are getting old, haven't you noticed? You have begun to soften your heart. Being soft-hearted is the biggest taboo of those in power. What those young people are doing now is indeed good for Land of Rain."
"But what about the future? When their reputation surpasses yours, and when the people of Land of Rain begin to ask, 'Why is Hanzo ruling us instead of Xiao?', what are you going to do? Give it up? Or wait for them to snatch it away?"
Hanzo has no answer.
Danzo took a step forward and lowered his voice, like a poisonous snake spitting a message in his ear.
"I'll tell you what they will do. They will erode your power step by step under the guise of 'reform'. Today they distribute food, and tomorrow they will ask to participate in decision-making. Today they take in orphans, and tomorrow those orphans will become their private armies."
"Today the people of Land of Rain call you demigod, and tomorrow they will call you Akatsuki savior. By then, who will you Hanzo the Salamander be? An old antique wearing a mask? A stumbling block that refuses to give way?"
"That's enough." Hanzo's voice raised a level, but even he could hear how lacking in confidence this scolding had.
Danzo didn't shut up. He walked around to Hanzo, and his one eye stared directly at the two holes in Hanzo's mask, as if looking directly at the old eyes inside through the mask.
"Do you still remember how Third Mizukage Kutsuki Baidiao died? The four tribes joined forces to first accumulate prestige in the village, win over people's hearts, and finally launch a coup overnight."
"When Kutsuki Baidiao's body was discovered, he had the ninja tools of the four tribes inserted into his body. No one collected his body for him. Do you know why? Because everyone around him was instigated by the four tribes to rebel. No one was left."
Hanzo's hands unconsciously clenched the window frame.
Danzo slowed down his speaking speed and said word by word, "Is there any difference between what Akatsuki is doing now and what the Kirigakure four tribes did back then?"
There is no difference. Hanzo knows it very well.
This is a ticking time bomb, the only difference is when it explodes.
But he still hesitated - not because of morality, but because he was afraid of making the wrong choice.
If he killed Xiao, if the people knew about it, his reputation would be damaged.
If he didn't kill Xiao, if they got the better of him, his power would be eclipsed. Both roads lead to cliffs, and he stood at the fork in the road, unable to move his legs.
Danzo This is reasonable and reasonable, but Hanzo doesn't believe it.
He has known Danzo for too long. Every word Danzo says has a purpose, and every reason he gives has a core that is only beneficial to him.
Hanzo did not expose it, but just looked out the window again.
The rain was getting heavier, and big raindrops hit the windowsill, causing tiny splashes of water.
Land of Rain is his. This sentence has been spinning in my mind for thirty years, from the initial oath with a sense of responsibility to the current whisper with fear.
He remembered what he looked like when he was young. At that time, he was still a fearless warrior on the battlefield, and he dared to draw his sword when faced with the siege of three Kage Level strong men.
At that time, when he heard the name "Hanzo the Salamander", he would straighten his back involuntarily.
But what now?
Now when he heard this name, he only had one thought in his mind - how long can I keep it?
"Yahiko must die." Danzo said.
Hanzo nodded slowly, then realized what his nodding meant, and his fingers clenched on the window frame until they turned white.
He told himself that this was just a temporary measure. For the stability of Land of Rain and the rule of the Hanzo family, necessary sacrifices were acceptable.
When he was young, he sacrificed countless lives to gain victory, and he never hesitated at that time.
His hesitation now just shows that his decisiveness has been blunted by time.
He is no longer the strongest ninja, just an old man who clings to his position and refuses to let go.
"Okay." He said the last word.
Danzo bowed deeply, put on his cloak, turned around and walked out the door.
His crutch hit the floor tiles, making a loud sound that echoed in the empty main hall. The sound was neither fast nor slow, like some kind of cold countdown.
When he walked to the door, Danzo paused, turned his head, and half of his face covered with bandages was revealed from the shadow of the cloak.
"Hanzo. You made a wise decision. A wise person in power does not leave any hidden dangers to himself."
The door was closed. Hanzo stood alone in front of the window, and the sound of rain swallowed him up.
He looked down at his hands - these hands had once wielded the scythe to kill countless powerful enemies, but now they were trembling slightly.
He clenched his fists hard, trying to stop the trembling, but the trembling didn't stop. Since when did Hanzo the Salamander need to kill people to stabilize his seat?
Since when was he old enough to be afraid of a bunch of kids?
There is no answer.
Or maybe the answer was too naked and he didn't want to look directly at it. He only knew that tomorrow, these three young people would wear clean Akatsuki cloak, carry notebooks filled with ideals, and enter this main hall with full expectations Earth Flow.
And he will sit high up, majestic and silent as usual, and at a certain agreed signal, let Anbu close the net.