After reaching an agreement with the Daimyo, Hanzō returned to Amegakure Ninja Village. To keep Besa from growing suspicious, he and the nobleman who had served as their intermediary fabricated an assassination mission to account for his trip. Judging by what followed, Besa had indeed suspected nothing.
Although Besa had already resolved to kill Hanzō and gathered his trusted followers to devise a thorough plan, Hanzō's formidable strength and repeated displays of vigilance left him unable to find an opening.
Why won't you just be a good boy and die, Hanzō?
Besa bitterly repeated Hanzō's name in his heart. Once, Hanzō's strength had pleased him. Now, he felt he had raised a rebellious hunting dog that would tear out his throat the moment he let his guard down. If he could return to the past, he would never have given Hanzō any resources.
But Besa clearly could not return to the past. He could only face Hanzō's continued existence. Though each wanted the other dead, they constantly crossed paths and still had to greet each other with smiles.
This atmosphere gradually spread to the others in the village. Hanzō's faction and Besa's faction began fighting both openly and in secret, each trying to win over the village's uncommitted ninja. Both sides moved with extreme caution to avoid alerting the other.
Hanzō had grown weary of all the scheming, but he could not stop. If he did, he might be the one who died. Besa was not a merciful man. Once Hanzō ended up on the losing side, Besa would surely wipe him and his followers out.
Fortunately, Hanzō had gained the Daimyo's support, while Besa remained completely unaware. That was Hanzō's advantage, and thanks to it, his opportunity soon arrived.
One day, a letter arrived from the capital, summoning Besa,