"Killing intent!"
A thick, murderous aura filled the air. The way Hanzō looked at Aoi Ren grew increasingly dangerous, until he had almost completely made up his mind to kill him.
But just at that moment... "Lord Hanzō! The Daimyō of the Land of Rain has arrived to see you!"
A Rain Shinobi fell to his knees, his eyes filled with a strange mix of struggle and guilt.
Unfortunately, Hanzō noticed nothing. He simply nodded and followed the ninja out...
"This direction..." The moment they stepped out of the Divine Grace Compound, Hanzō frowned deeply.
"Why are we heading into the dense forest? Is the Daimyō not in the village?"
"The Daimyō said the village is too crowded," the ninja replied through gritted teeth. "He wishes to speak with you in private, Lord Hanzō."
Hearing this, Hanzō did not suspect a thing. He already carried a heavy burden of guilt toward the Daimyō.
It was he who had dragged the common people of this land into this Great Ninja War, and he who had allowed Aoi Ren to lead hundreds of thousands of his people to their deaths.
Five minutes... ten minutes...
But after walking deep into the woods for nearly half an hour, Hanzō finally sensed that something was wrong. He stopped dead in his tracks.
"What... is the meaning of this?"
Before the words had even left his mouth, the ninja leading the way spun around. He stumbled backward, begging for mercy with tears streaming down his face.
"Lord Hanzō, please forgive me! I had no choice but to obey the Divine Son's orders! I didn't want to do it..."
With that, the ninja turned and sprinted into the thicket, vanishing instantly.
"..."
After a long silence, Hanzō let out a heavy sigh and called out toward the depths of the forest, shaking his head. "Aoi Ren... it seems you have wanted me dead for a long time."
"Hanzō, why are you so certain it is me?" Aoi Ren stepped out from behind the trees with a smile. "Perhaps it is the Hokage and the others who want you dead?"
"Impossible..." Hanzō shook his head softly.
"They would never do this. Even if they were to lose, they only wanted to teach me a lesson — to make me abandon my ambition of becoming the Sixth Great Village."
"Is that so?"
Aoi Ren chuckled and shook his head. "But that still doesn't prove that I am the one who wants you dead."
"No... because you are different..."
Hanzō swallowed hard, a flicker of genuine fear passing through his eyes. "I can see it in your eyes... that terrifying ambition and greed!"
"I just never imagined you could take control of my own subordinates in such a short time." Hanzō felt a deep sense of despair.
Win or lose, he had become truly alone. Among the shinobi and the civilians alike, there was no place left for him in the Land of Rain...
The power granted by the Curse Seal was simply too great a temptation for these weak people to refuse.
"Sometimes, I truly cannot believe you are only three years old!" Hanzō shook his head, trembling slightly.
"Perhaps only a true demon could possess such..."
"...power to corrupt and manipulate hearts."
Hanzō admitted it — even he himself had fallen under Aoi Ren's spell.
"Don't make it sound so ugly. At the very least, I picked out a nice gravesite for you, didn't I?"
Aoi Ren smiled lightly and drew the Kusanagi Blade. Surrounded by green mountains and clear waters, it really was a beautiful spot for eternal rest.
"A gravesite?"
Unexpectedly, Hanzō threw his head back and laughed loudly at those words. He slammed both palms onto the ground with a cold smirk.
"Too bad for you — you planned for everything, yet you missed just one thing!"
"One thing?"
Aoi Ren frowned. He held absolute control over the Serpent-Cursed Soldiers and the Rain Shinobi.
Orochimaru — the only one capable of removing the Curse Seal — had long since been killed by him. Where was the flaw?
"And that is... my true strength!"
Hanzō summoned his giant salamander with a ferocious grin and pulled off his gas mask.
"In this entire ninja world, there is no one who can defeat me in single combat! This is not my grave... it is yours!"
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