Hanzō's expression faltered slightly; he clearly hadn't expected the Daimyō's entrusted mission to be to assassinate the leader of the Hidden Rain Village. He fell silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Daimyō-sama, what exactly are you talking about?"
"What am I talking about? Hanzō, you're not an idiot. Can't you understand such plain words?" The smile on the Daimyō's face vanished as he spoke.
"The Hidden Rain Village cannot accept such a request. As a subordinate, to assassinate the leader of one's own village—no one would dare to bear such a responsibility," Hanzō said, looking at the Daimyō's expressionless face.
"Perhaps I shouldn't call it a request." The Daimyō shook his head and said, "As far as I know, your relationship with Besa is very poor. There are even rumors that Besa intends to kill you, aren't there?"
"I wonder where the Daimyō heard such rumors." Hanzō's heart trembled, and he couldn't help but wonder who had leaked the internal conflicts of the Hidden Rain Village.
Although ninja villages were subordinates of the Daimyō and had to obey his commands, the Daimyō could not fully interfere with the internal affairs of the ninja villages. This was an agreement between the First Hokage and the former lord of the Land of Fire. Other ninja villages, following suit, also adhered to this rule. Logically, the Daimyō should not have known about this.
—Could it be that the Daimyō had a spy in the Hidden Rain Village? Who would side with the Daimyō and reveal such a secret?
As Hanzō felt a mix of shock and uncertainty, the Daimyō slowly said, "Hanzō, you know, the original purpose of establishing ninja villages was for mutually beneficial cooperation with the country. The country guarantees the ninja villages' funding and living environment, while the ninja villages provide military strength to the country. It's a win-win situation. The Hidden Rain Village was like this at first, but recently, it has become increasingly presumptuous, refusing entry to merchants from other countries, which makes me very unhappy."
Hanzō seemed to understand why the Daimyō wanted him to assassinate Besa. The reason was similar to his own: Besa stubbornly refused exchanges with other countries—especially the Land of Fire. For the Daimyō, he gained nothing from this, so he was naturally quite dissatisfied. Since he had somehow learned of the conflict between Hanzō and Besa, he had summoned Hanzō here, even making a secret incognito visit himself.
"So, Your Highness's meaning is?" Hanzō felt his heart quicken. He knew what asking this question implied.
"Eliminate Besa and set things right." The Daimyō made a beheading gesture, his expression stern. "Once you eliminate Besa, I will issue a document appointing you as the new leader of the Hidden Rain Village. This way, you can legitimately take the position of the Hidden Rain leader."
Upon hearing this, Hanzō felt a sense of relief because he had received the Daimyō's promise. Although the Daimyō could not interfere with the internal selection of ninja villages—for example, the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village was determined internally and then sent to the Daimyō for official certification—regardless, this official certification provided a legal basis. Lacking it would lead to a lack of legitimacy. For Hanzō, the Daimyō's approval would help solidify his position.
Hanzō had long harbored murderous intentions towards Besa, but he still had many things to consider, such as how to assassinate Besa and how to deal with the aftermath of Besa's assassination. Now, the conditions promised by the Daimyō would undoubtedly help Hanzō stabilize his position. At this moment, their interests were aligned. Since they were aligned, there was no reason for him to refuse.
"Are Your Highness's words true?" Hanzō asked.
"They are true." The Daimyō nodded solemnly. "I have investigated your situation. You are the top master in the Hidden Rain Village and are willing to accept merchants from other countries. Having you in control of the Hidden Rain Village is much better than that old-fashioned Besa. As long as you are willing to lead the Hidden Rain Village to fight for me, I am willing to support you."
Upon hearing this, Hanzō remained silent for a moment, then knelt down and said, "Very well, thank you for your appreciation, Daimyō-sama. I will certainly do my utmost to eliminate this traitor to the country."
"Good, good." The Daimyō showed a benevolent smile, reached out, and helped Hanzō up, saying, "Hanzō, as long as you do well, you will be the unshakeable leader of the Hidden Rain Village!"
After the two parties reached an agreement, Hanzō fabricated some false mission details there to have an explanation when he returned. He then bid farewell to the Daimyō and left.
After Hanzō left, the Daimyō waved to the noble beside him, signaling him to leave. Then, alone, he returned to the room prepared by the noble, pondered for a moment, and said, "In this way, the Hidden Leaf Village can also get what it wants, right?"
No sooner had he spoken than two figures, one tall and one short, appeared in the room. They wore simple, sturdy battle attire, looking lean and capable, with masks covering their faces. Aside from their physiques, they were almost identical. The taller figure said, "Thank you, Daimyō-sama, for being willing to persuade Hanzō."
"It has nothing to do with me. Didn't you tell me that Hanzō and Besa already had a rift? Even without me, they would have fought sooner or later. If I took the initiative, I could even gain some goodwill. Because you told me this, I came here incognito," the Daimyō said.
"Precisely. Whether it's the Hidden Rain Village, Daimyō-sama, or our Hidden Leaf Village, everyone can get what they want. It can be considered a mutually beneficial arrangement," the tall one said with a smile.
The Daimyō gently fanned himself, looking at the two individuals in front of him, who were said to be from the Leaf's Anbu. He recalled how they had secretly visited his sleeping quarters a few days prior. At the time, he had thought they meant him harm, but instead, they wanted to discuss a collaboration.
Given the strength of the Hidden Leaf Village, an entity like the Daimyō of the Land of Rain couldn't put on airs of nobility in front of them. Even if the other party were humble ninjas, they were still the ninjas of the Land of Fire's Daimyō, representing the face of the Land of Fire's Daimyō. As the saying goes, the fox borrows the tiger's might; the other party could completely disregard him, the ruler of a small nation, yet they treated him with cautious respect. In this war-torn country, this person had held the Daimyō's position for many years, naturally knowing what was beneficial to him. He had originally intended to accept some conditions the Hidden Leaf Village might propose. However, the conditions they offered were, frankly, generous.
The Daimyō of the Land of Rain was somewhat incredulous. After repeated confirmations, he finally believed that the other party had no ulterior motives, because they spoke a very direct truth: "A country like the Land of Rain, which experiences constant rainfall, gains no real benefit from being conquered. Its only value lies in its strategic transportation location. If you are willing to provide routes, we can compensate you with other conditions. We cannot say that this will make your country prosperous, but at least it can guarantee your privileged life as Daimyō."
Ultimately, the Daimyō was a selfish person. He cared only about himself. As for the people of the Land of Rain, what did they have to do with him? As long as he lived well, that was enough. And the Hidden Leaf Village's meaning was also very clear—our country is rich in resources. Besides the transportation routes, there is nothing in your country for us to covet. Rather than expend effort to conquer you, it is better to cooperate and help each other.
Thus, the Daimyō agreed to the Hidden Leaf Village's request, helping to provide a legal basis for Hanzō to assassinate Besa, the leader of the Hidden Rain Village. Once the Land of Rain began external exchanges, the merchants collaborating with the Hidden Leaf Village would begin large-scale trade through the strategic transportation routes. Even if he couldn't levy large tariffs, the Daimyō of the Land of Rain could still obtain a large sum of money from it, and he wouldn't have to worry about the epidemics brought by the Land of Rain's climate—because the Hidden Leaf Village had promised free medical treatment.
"Can Hanzō truly defeat Besa?" The Daimyō thought for a moment, feeling a little unsure, and asked.
"Please rest assured, this person has strength, ideas, and supporters. It's impossible for him to lose to that Hidden Rain leader who is gradually losing popular support," the tall one said.
"In that case, I can rest easy and just await the outcome." The Daimyō nodded slightly.
"Precisely so. We will also await the good news," he said. The two bowed slightly and then vanished from the room.
A moment later, the two appeared on a certain street, having changed their previous attire into that of ordinary commoners. They walked slowly, making several turns before entering a secret passage in a small alley. This was a specially prepared safe place. Once inside, the two removed their facial disguises, revealing their true faces.
The taller one had delicate features, exuding an elegant demeanor, with almost pure white eyes that gave him an unusual appearance. The other had a youthful face, calm eyes, and long, slender corners that conveyed a sense of coldness. These two were Hyūga Kei and Hattori Hanzō.
After Fumori Masaki became the Third Hokage, he promoted Hattori Hanzō to chūnin and immediately recruited him into the Anbu as his direct subordinate. Hyūga Kei also joined, and his Byakugan ability brought considerable convenience to the Anbu squad. At this time, they were in the Land of Rain on a mission.
"I wonder when Hanzō will make his move. I want to leave here soon; the climate of the Land of Rain is really not very pleasant," Hyūga Kei stretched slightly, feeling uncomfortable in the humid air.
Hattori Hanzō, however, didn't feel that way. Through the arduous training of a traditional ninja, he had grown accustomed to remaining calm in any situation. In comparison, the Hyūga clan's history as ninjas was relatively short, and their pursuit of aristocratic etiquette made them seem somewhat "delicate." But that didn't mean they lacked ninja qualities; it was just that, compared to Hattori Hanzō, a traditional ninja, there was a slight difference.
"Before completing sensei's orders, you should endure a little longer, sir," Hattori Hanzō said concisely, leaning against the wall as he recalled receiving the mission.