Chapter 204: Hanzō, Someone Asked Me to Beat You Up

There were many things Hanzō probably understood — but… As the leader of Amegakure, there were some matters he simply wouldn’t consider. For example: the Land of Rivers. It was a country without any shinobi villages. Why would he ever stop to think about what kind of harm this plan might bring to a nation with no ninja presence? But… if you were considering the entire Small Shinobi Village Alliance, then without a doubt, the interests of the smaller villages and nations had to be taken into account — not just Sunagakure. They could afford to sour relations with Sunagakure, but the small villages… they were Hanzō’s foundation. No matter what, they could not be allowed to collapse. “I just don’t want to see you all get swallowed up by Sunagakure, that’s all,” Kyoichi said with a calm smile. Hanzō gave a slight nod, not saying much, then sat down again. “You brought those four people with you — planning to have an exchange with Amegakure?” “Just a side errand,” Kyoichi nodded. Hanzō thought for a moment and quickly realized: Kyoichi must have some kind of arrangement or setup going on back in Konoha, and this trip was simply meant to stir up some internal conflicts. This man looked young — but he really wasn’t someone you could underestimate. Such subtle cunning! Hanzō couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. If Yahiko had even half the craftiness of Kanda Kyoichi, Hanzō would probably be overjoyed. But then again… if Yahiko really did have even half of Kyoichi’s ability, it probably wouldn’t be Hanzō sitting in this seat right now. That thought made him chuckle softly, a hint of resignation creeping in. The news of the Third Hokage stepping down and Tsunade taking over — of course Hanzō knew. Even though Sarutobi Hiruzen didn’t represent the entire era, he was still a symbol of it. And even the once-mighty Third Raikage had now returned to dust. Hanzō could feel the tide of the times pressing in. Perhaps… in the not-so-distant future, he too would have to face the same choice: step down, and hand power over to the younger generation. But not yet. Yahiko was still too green. He needed to watch a while longer. His thoughts settled, Hanzō’s mind cleared. He now saw the path forward. Stabilize the Small Shinobi Village Alliance! As for how to expand it later — that wouldn’t be his problem anymore. That would be Yahiko’s task. “Every time I look at Yahiko and the others,” Hanzō murmured, “I feel like Amegakure’s future is full of hope. But then when I see you… I can’t help but feel like Amegakure’s future might still lie in someone else’s hands.” There was a trace of emotion in his voice. He’d wanted to meet Kyoichi for a while now — to see just what kind of person this young Konoha ninja really was. In the end… this brat didn’t waste any time. The moment they met, he gave Hanzō a sharp show of force — a “greeting gift” that left Hanzō no choice but to admire him. “Hanzō-sama, you’re exaggerating. I’m just an ordinary jōnin from Konoha. How could I possibly hold anyone’s future in my hands? Besides, hasn’t every choice Amegakure’s made always been your own decision?” Kyoichi smiled innocently. Hanzō shook his head slightly. He vaguely sensed that Kyoichi had some plans brewing behind the scenes, but he couldn’t guess the exact details. He could only broadly speculate — it probably had something to do with this whole “Shinobi Village Alliance” concept. Still… at least for now, this concept was nothing but beneficial to Amegakure. Even the newly forming villages in the Land of Birds and the Land of Rivers stood to gain. Without this “Shinobi Village Alliance” idea, Sunagakure would never have just stood by and watched their mission counts plummet all the way down to “zero” without retaliating. War would have been inevitable. But now… like a frog slowly being boiled, Sunagakure had no choice but to grit their teeth and endure — and even they were gaining some benefits: Northern climate and environmental improvements. The effects on the Land of Wind were immense. Kyoichi stretched, standing up to loosen his body. Hanzō watched, puzzled. “…What are you doing?” “Oh, someone asked me to help out and beat you up. Since we happened to meet today, I figured we might as well get it over with. Otherwise, I might not get another chance later.” Kyoichi casually drew his blade. The Demi-god, Hanzō. He’d wanted to test himself against this legend for quite some time. “Hah! Was it Tsunade?” Hanzō couldn’t help but laugh. Who else could have made such a request… It had to be her. That woman ninja. Back then, when she, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya had fought against him, though the political situation forced him to spare them — and even give them the title of “The Legendary Sannin” — he had to admit… Those three were all genuine prodigies. As for Tsunade… Hanzō smirked slightly, then asked, “Her gambling luck — is it really as bad as they say?” “Mm… in a sense, you could say there’s no such thing as a nickname given by mistake.” “Haha! ‘The Legendary Sucker’ — even I’ve heard that title all the way over here in Amegakure. Honestly, that’s a kind of talent in itself.” Hanzō let out a genuine sigh. He rarely left Amegakure, and yet the nickname “Legendary Sucker” had still reached his ears. Not through the ANBU, but because… so many people inside his own village had made money off Tsunade. “Shall we change locations?” “Sounds good…” Hanzō nodded. He opened the window, and in the next instant, the two figures vanished from the office. Their speed was astonishing! Even after all these years, Hanzō’s agility hadn’t dulled. In terms of pure Body Flicker Technique, he was still a force to be reckoned with. Of course… he wasn’t even all that old yet. That helped. Kyoichi secretly observed, his heart holding a trace of respect. To achieve this level of strength in a small village — Hanzō truly deserved the title of Demi-god. And the poison sac he’d transplanted… wasn’t that one of the earliest known body modifications? In a way, even Orochimaru hadn’t done it that early. Of course… later on, this kind of trick became mere child’s play for Orochimaru. Searᴄh the NôᴠeFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. They darted through the village at breakneck speed. For the average person, they’d be nothing but a blur, completely untraceable. However… there were always exceptions. For example — Nagato. While experimenting with a new jutsu, he just so happened to sense two ninja moving at extreme speed. When he focused his perception, he realized one of them was none other than Hanzō. And the other one — Kanda Kyoichi. They’d met a few times before, but never really crossed paths. Thinking it over, he followed along out of curiosity. As for Minato, he was simply worried. The only reason he’d noticed was because Kyoichi carried one of his Flying Thunder God marks. In any case… A short while later, Kyoichi trailed behind Hanzo onto the battlefield — and both of them realized they had a tail. The battlefield’s location… Wasn’t this the same place where the Legendary Sannin once fought Hanzo? Kyoichi understood immediately. “There are two following us. Should I clear them out?” Hanzo looked toward Kyoichi. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Kyoichi smiled faintly. “You’re the Demi-God. If you lose to me, that’d be a pretty embarrassing story, wouldn’t it?” Trash-talking, huh? He wasn’t afraid of that. A young man losing to a long-famous Demi-God was no shame at all — but if Hanzo lost, well… that would be a massive blow to his reputation. Hanzo fell silent for a moment, then gave a small shake of his head. “Let’s begin…” “Alright.” Kyoichi drew two blades. One was the Thunder God Sword. The other was a weapon forged from chakra steel. He didn’t bother taking out Samehada or the like. Hanzo, as always, wielded his scythe. He settled into his stance, poised to strike. For top-tier fighters, the outcome was often decided in a single instant — and for swordsmen, that was even truer. Iado — Flash Draw. Both moved. Their speed was extreme — far too fast for the naked eye to follow. Minato could only make out two blurred figures, while Nagato, with his Rinnegan, could just barely track their movements. They were operating at the pinnacle of speed. And the key point… Both of them could not only move at that speed, but could still switch techniques and respond fluidly while doing so. Kanda Kyoichi’s strength… Had grown even greater than before. Clang! A crisp clash of blades. The two passed each other, their weapons separating. A flicker of gravity settled on Hanzo’s face. A formidable enemy, indeed! And yet— “I’ve never crossed swords with you before, but judging from that move… you’re not quite as strong as I imagined.” Kyoichi let out a sigh. Hanzo’s swordsmanship was fast — but after all these years, it was still the same old move. No innovation, no improvement. In a river flowing upstream, if you don’t advance, you fall behind. And for shinobi… It was the same principle. A Hanzo like this — when Madara clawed his way back, Hanzo would probably be taught a harsh lesson. So… Kyoichi decided — I’ll go first. “I’m going to get serious now.” “Uh…” Hanzo didn’t reply. With the mask covering his face, his expression was unreadable. But… Kyoichi could feel it. Hanzo had gotten more serious. Good. In the next instant, Kyoichi body-flickered forward. Hanzo was just about to make his move when his skin prickled, hairs standing on end. Instantly, he leapt back — only to see a slicing water column crashing toward him. Fast! And— Electric currents crackled along its surface. Ninja Sword Technique? He rapidly retreated, but— A figure appeared behind him. What speed! Hanzo didn’t have time to think. His hands flashed through seals, detonating a spread of explosive tags beneath his feet as he body-flickered away. However— Boom! The tags exploded, and a wind blade streaked through the ensuing firestorm. At the same time, Kyoichi burst forth, completely unharmed. A flicker of doubt crossed Hanzo’s mind — then he noticed the faint black sheen receding from Kyoichi’s skin. Earth Spear, huh? Hanzo understood. At such high speeds, you couldn’t react perfectly to everything. But when paired with various defensive techniques, you could push through without fear. A smart response. He stepped back, weaving hand seals, and in an instant, a roaring surge of water flooded toward Kyoichi. Meanwhile, Hanzo lunged forward himself. The water didn’t slow his speed at all. But— A heartbeat later, he realized— Kyoichi wasn’t affected either. And as Hanzo’s water jutsu churned around them, it suddenly morphed into a massive vortex, the chaotic currents laced with hidden water blades. Hanzo could control them precisely, but even so, he had to maneuver carefully to avoid cutting himself. Annoying! He couldn’t help but wonder… Did this kid set this all up in advance, just for him? Of course… He’d heard the rumors about Kyoichi’s mastery of Water Release. So soon enough, Hanzo dismissed the thought himself. Comparing them now, he realized that without using his poison techniques, he might not actually have a clear advantage over Kyoichi. However— As Kyoichi burst through the vortex, Hanzo swung his scythe, the chain whipping forward to coil around Kyoichi, the blade circling back in a deadly arc. The key point was— His speed was blistering. Most people couldn’t possibly dodge it. This was his trump card! Yet— In the next moment, he saw Kyoichi’s speed surge even higher, instantly outpacing the scythe’s strike. In a flash… His skin felt an icy chill. That was the sensation of a blade’s edge. It had been a long, long time… Since he’d felt this brush with death! A flicker of astonishment crossed his face. Kyoichi sheathed his blades. Hanzo froze. After so long without experiencing a life-or-death battle, his reflexes had dulled — he wasn’t used to fighting at such high speeds anymore. Of course… Even with his decline, no ordinary person could have forced him into this position. It took someone operating at Kyoichi’s or Minato’s level — this kind of speed and strength — to expose the gaps left by his faded edge. And when top-tier fighters crossed blades, even small flaws could be fatal. No wonder Mifune had managed to defeat him. “Power is a fine thing,” Kyoichi murmured, “but it corrodes a person. Makes them stop growing stronger.” “I’m done here.” In a flicker, Kyoichi vanished, heading back toward Amegakure. …Have I grown weaker? Hanzo stood alone in the rain, silent, with no answer to give. But at this point, Kyoichi no longer needed one.