Do you really think I, Hanzo of the Salamander, can no longer wield a blade?
With the conclusion of the meeting of Konoha's high-ranking officials, the initial outcome of the game was decided.
But the Land of Rain, a thousand miles away, is a completely different kind of hell on earth.
Autumn of the Konoha Year 36.
The constant, incessant rain washes over this scarred land.
Since the Three Great Shinobi Villages of Konoha, Iwagakure, Sunagakure began their full-scale war in the Land of Rain, the entire Land of Rain has become a battlefield for these Three Great Shinobi Villages.
War raged, villages were burned, and fertile fields were turned into scorched earth.
Countless civilians of the Land of Rain were displaced and left homeless.
Due to the ravages of war in the Land of Rain, most of the young and strong in the country perished in the war. The streets and alleys of the Land of Rain were filled with wails of grief, Land of Rain was littered with lonely graves, a truly heartbreaking sight.
The whole country was filled with sorrow and resentment, and the people were living in misery.
The Daimyo of the Land of Rain, far behind, was already fed up with the disturbance and sent several messages to Hanzo of the Salamander to rebuke him.
He was rebuked for possessing the military power of a nation, yet allowing foreign enemies to trample on the land and slaughter the people, and for watching the Land of Rain become a battlefield for other countries, showing weakness and incompetence, and failing to live up to his own expectations.
The Daimyo's questioning and the people's resentment spread like wildfire throughout the Land of Rain.
Inside the dimly lit and damp Amegakure Assembly Hall of Amegakure.
Hanzo of the Salamander sat quietly in the shadows, his gas mask covering most of his face, revealing only a pair of deep, brooding eyes as he listened intently to the indignant words of his subordinates, the Amegakure.
"Hanzō, should we continue to endure this?"
An Amegakure, Jonin malevolence, clenched his fists, his voice hoarse with grief and indignation.
"The Three Great Shinobi Villages treat our Land of Rain as a battlefield, rampaging and conquering at will, completely disregarding our Amegakure and treating our citizens like Land of Rain, trampling them underfoot."
"If we allow them to continue fighting like this, Land of Rain land will be completely destroyed, and our people will die."
"Once the war between those three kingdoms ends, how many people will be left in our Land of Rain?"
"Without its people, how can there be any talk of revival? The future of the Land of Rain, the future of Amegakure, is nothing but empty talk!"
At this point, the Amegakure became Jonin more agitated. "Lord Hanzō, you are our Demigod! You have already yielded too much and endured for too long."
"Our forbearance has not earned us the respect of the Three Great Nations, but rather their increasingly rampant and wanton trampling!"
Each accusation, each word brimming with resentment.
These words pierced Hanzō's heart like knives.
As the Amegakure Jonin speaking, the entire Amegakure Assembly Hall fell into a deathly silence.
After a long while, Hanzo of the Salamander slowly raised his eyes, and the restraint and forbearance in his eyes completely crumbled.
Yes, he's been holding back for far too long...
As Demigod recognized by the people of the Land of Rain, he had been silent for a long time, for the sake of the so-called greater good, for the sake of so-called stability...
In order to preserve the existence of the Land of Rain and the fighting strength of the Amegakure, he constantly endured and avoided battle, willingly watching foreign enemies penetrate deep into his country and fight, bearing the infamy of being cowardly, incompetent, and afraid of war.
He once thought that as long as he endured and yielded, he could preserve the Land of Rain...
But in the end--
The Ninja Village of other countries were not grateful at all, and instead thought he was cowardly and afraid of trouble; the Daimyo did not understand him either, and thought he was weak and incompetent; the people of the Land of Rain endured the wanton slaughter of the invaders, and the whole nation's grief was focused on him.
As his subordinates' harsh words continued to penetrate his ears, the resentment and humiliation that Hanzō been building up in his heart for years suddenly erupted.
Back then, the Second Kazekage of Sunagakure, Shamon, boldly declared war on Amegakure. Despite having an overwhelming advantage, he spared Shamon's life...
Later, Shamon died tragically from the poison of the Ibuse. He thought that Shamon's miserable end would serve as a warning to the arrogant people of the Five Great Nations, but now it seems that endless forbearance cannot earn the respect of others, and endless concessions cannot protect one's own country.
The more he thought about it, the more the anger Hanzō Hanzang's chest burned fiercely; at this moment, only overwhelming killing intent remained in his heart.
This is absolutely outrageous!
I have already yielded at every turn and even requested the Daimyo to write to both countries for an explanation, but I never expected that these foreign ninjas would still wantonly kill and humiliate our people in the Land of Rain.
Did he really think Hanzo of the Salamander couldn't lift his sword anymore?
Or are they saying that all the ninjas of Amegakure are useless?
He spent half his life in bloodshed, his fame resounding throughout the Shinobi World. Even the Kage of the Five Great Nations would be defeated and crushed before him; anyone who dared to offend him, no matter who they were, would pay a bloody price!
But now, his reputation Hanzo of the Salamander that he can't even protect the people of the mere Land of Rain.
At this thought, the last trace of hesitation in Hanzo of the Salamander's eyes vanished.
Konoha, Iwagakure, Sunagakure, you damned beasts! I've given you all the respect you deserve, yet you're so ungrateful, running rampant in my Land of Rain.
Hehe... I absolutely cannot tolerate this any longer.
Then, a cold, ruthless, and domineering killing intent instantly filled the entire Amegakure Assembly Hall.
"Enough!" Hanzō rose, his deep, hoarse voice, carrying a long-suppressed chilling ferocity, echoing throughout the hall.
"Since the Ninja Village of various countries insist on waging war wantonly on our land of the Land of Rain, and arbitrarily slaughtering our Land of Rain..."
"Then I have decided to no longer tolerate this! These damned shinobi of the Five Great Nations, I will leave them all in the Land of Rain!"
"I had hoped that my restraint and concessions would elicit a shred of pity from the ninjas of those great powers."
At this point, Hanzō's expression grew even colder, and he said in a chilling tone, "I never expected that they would not only not restrain themselves, but would become even more outrageous. Such ungrateful fools!"
"From this day forward, the Land of Rain will no longer yield an inch!"
"All Amegakure ninja, mobilize! If you encounter any ninja from the other Three Great Shinobi Villages, I don't care what methods you use, slaughter these damned invaders!"
As soon as the words were spoken, all the ninjas in the Amegakure Assembly Hall were excited and eager to get started.
Is Hanzō finally going to make his move again...?
Is the Demigod of the Land of Rain finally about to unleash his fury upon all the nations of the Shinobi World...?
Looking at the indignant Amegakure, Hanzō felt greatly comforted. He knew that a desperate army would surely win, and that the army's morale was high.
The Land of Rain is not a land to be trampled upon!
Hanzo of the Salamander was by no means a coward who would be bullied by others.
The war that has raged in the Land of Rain for so many years should finally be ended by him...
It seems the blood of the Second Kazekage of Sunagakure isn't enough...
Ōnoki, Sajie... and Kagami Uchiha!
You three Kage of the new era, come to the Land of Rain! I will use your heads to once again show the entire Shinobi World the consequences of offending the Land of Rain!