But when Kakashi Hatake rushed in, he found Naruto completely unharmed, with Hanzō standing right in front of him.
The two simply looked at each other, neither making a move.
Naruto spoke gravely:
"Why did you do that?"
Hanzō gave a smile of relief instead:
"I just wanted to teach you a lesson. No matter the circumstances, never underestimate your opponent, even if he can no longer fight back. No one knows whether he still has another trump card. You cannot afford the consequences of failure. I hope you remember that!"
But Naruto's brow remained tightly furrowed as he asked again:
"Why did you do that?"
At that moment, Hanzō was like a kindly elder as he said calmly:
"Because you are the junior that person chose. Let us bear all the evil. You only need to stay true to your heart and keep walking forward without wavering. I hope you can lead the ninja in creating a different Shinobi World!"
As Hanzō finished speaking, his body suddenly began to crumble, countless flecks of ash drifting from him.
The doubts in Naruto's heart only deepened. He wanted to ask more, but Hanzō smiled once again before disappearing.
Kakashi Hatake was also filled with questions. Seeing Naruto still standing there in a daze, he asked:
"What happened?"
At his words, Naruto came back to his senses and shook his head, looking just as puzzled:
"I don't know either. The instant the explosive tags went off, Hanzō summoned a thick earth wall in front of me. That's why I wasn't hurt. I just don't understand why he did that!"
Kakashi Hatake was equally puzzled. Hanzō seemed to harbor no ill will toward Naruto, and even held some special hopes for him. That "person" he had mentioned was especially baffling.
Looking at the