Konoha and the Hidden Sand Village agreed to a ceasefire and formed an alliance.
Of everyone who heard the news, Hanzo was the most astonished.
The fighting on the front lines had been evenly matched, and neither side had made any major moves over the past month.
Hanzo had assumed both sides were holding back, preparing for a major battle.
Instead, the Third Kazekage had personally stepped onto the battlefield to duel one of the enemy's rising stars!
And he had lost!
How could they treat war like such a joke?!
Hanzo began to seriously doubt the competence of the Hidden Sand Village's leadership.
But there was nothing he could do. The world always had a way of defying expectations.
Hanzo had no choice but to withdraw his army from the Land of Iron and make the long trek back to Hidden Rain by way of Takigakure and Kusagakure.
When he reached his home base, things were exactly as he had expected.
The armies of Konoha and the Hidden Sand Village were already in position!
But Hanzo the Salamander had become renowned throughout the shinobi world for more than just his formidable strength.
He also possessed exceptional courage and strategic insight.
"Trapped between the great nations, we'll never get a chance to rise!
Konoha and the Hidden Sand Village have allied? I'm not afraid of them!"
Because of Amegakure's unique circumstances, its leadership lacked the depth of that of the Five Great Nations.
So after Hanzo took power, his rule had been virtually dictatorial.
Still, his ambition and strength had attracted a large following of young Hidden Rain shinobi willing to follow him to their deaths.
Xuanhui actually admired the young Hanzo. Everyone had their own dreams and plans for achieving peace.
But Hanzo's methods were somewhat extreme. He belonged