https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-604-Konoha-s-Eradication-of-the-Ninja-Sect-/12558887/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-606-You-ve-Been-Enhanced-Now-Move-/12558889/
Chapter 605: An Unavoidable Battle
Chapter 605: An Unavoidable Battle
When Hanzo left Amegakure, he did not inform anyone and secretly departed on his own.
Hanzo spent the day deep in thought.
Danzo Shimura's plan was indeed beneficial to Amegakure; it could help them eliminate the Ninjutsu Sect, a potential formidable enemy, in advance.
However, the death of a powerful ninja like Sosuke would be a significant loss to the overall strength of the ninja in the Land of Rain.
Not only was Sosuke strong himself, but he also had the ability to make those around him stronger.
Moreover, Sosuke held considerable influence in Amegakure, and the village's initiative to tear up the peace treaty and take action against him would likely disappoint a portion of the Amegakure ninja.
Whoosh!!
Hanzo unleashed his chakra and pushed his mastery of the Water Instantaneous Body Technique to the extreme, rushing towards the City of Six Paths at incredible speed as if something terrible would happen if he slowed down even a little.
For a ninja, the distance between Amegakure and the City of Six Paths was not considered far; one was in the central region of the Land of Rain, while the other was in the southern region.
With Hanzo rushing with all his might, he soon caught sight of the town he had visited not long ago.
Hanzo quickly bypassed the Ninjutsu Sect guards, relying on his memory from his previous visit, and entered their base.
"Will he still be in his office at this time?" Hanzo pondered how he could find Sosuke directly.
He only knew where Sosuke worked and not where he usually resided.
"Hatake, what brings you to the Ninjutsu Sect for moon viewing at this hour?"
Just as Hanzo was still thinking about Sosuke's whereabouts, a familiar voice reached his ears.
Hanzo looked in the direction of the voice and saw Sosuke standing on the flat ground, smiling at him.
Hanzo subconsciously looked around and, upon seeing no one else, jumped down from the rooftop, his face grim as he said, "I'm not Hatake."
"With that getup, who else could you be but Hatake?" Sosuke asked, leading Hanzo into his office with a smile.
At this time, Hanzo had disguised himself and was not in his original appearance.
Hanzo recalled that embarrassing incident and silently followed Sosuke into the office without saying a word.
"He indeed has the ability to see through my disguise," Hanzo thought to himself, feeling somewhat relieved.
During the second lecture, Hanzo had contemplated testing whether Sosuke's ability to see through his disguise the first time was a coincidence or due to his own skill.
However, Hanzo had not put his idea into action because he felt that Sosuke was unfathomable, and it was better not to test him lightly.
"Take a seat. Coming to find me at this hour must be about something important?" Sosuke asked as he sat down on a wooden chair in the office.
When Sosuke discovered Hanzo, he had already begun speculating about his purpose for coming.
For Hanzo to come alone to the Ninjutsu Sect at night, it must be a matter of great significance.
Moreover, with the previous discovery of the Root ninja in the City of Six Paths, Sosuke's first guess was that it was related to Danzo Shimura.
"Konoha intends to make a move against the Ninjutsu Sect," Hanzo said bluntly, getting straight to the point.
"Konoha? Where did you get this information from?" Sosuke asked, feigning mild surprise.
As soon as he heard "Konoha," Sosuke could basically conclude that Danzo was up to his old tricks again.
Because Hiruzen Sarutobi's stance was to take a breather and consolidate their strength after their overwhelming victory over Iwagakure, Konoha would only retaliate if they were provoked and would not take the initiative to attack.
"Danzo Shimura, the Fire Shadow's assistant."
The answer was as Sosuke had expected.
"That's quite interesting. So, Konoha actually revealed their plan to you."
"Because they want me to help them. They want me to kill you," Hanzo replied.
Sosuke couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Danzo was truly shameless, repeatedly using the same trick.
"So, what are your intentions now? Will you help the Ninjutsu Sect?" Sosuke asked, looking at Hanzo.
Sosuke couldn't fully understand Hanzo's thoughts at this moment.
This was because Hanzo was currently in a very complex state.
In his prime, Hanzo was a demi-god in the ninja world, revered by countless ninjas.
Even the Second Ninja World War could not completely dim Hanzo's brilliance, for while Amegakure had lost, Hanzo himself had never been defeated by any ninja on the battlefield.
However, the current Hanzo was aging, and the remnants of his former glory had become a stepping stone for Sosuke's alias to gain fame in the ninja world.
In his heyday, Hanzo had the audacity to challenge the five great ninja villages and the magnanimity to let go of a genius from an opposing force.
But in his decline, having lost his former glory, Hanzo might develop murderous intentions towards harmless ninja forces within his own country due to his desire for power, and he might fear retaliation from his enemies, causing him to be guarded by escorts around the clock.
Therefore, even if Hanzo came to him in the middle of the night to reveal Danzo's plan, Sosuke couldn't be a hundred percent sure that Hanzo would side with him.
"Huh?" Mu Yue was a little taken aback by Hanzo's response.
He had rushed to the Ninjutsu Sect's headquarters to reveal Danzo's plot and even declared that he would help Danzo kill Sosuke.
If Mu Yue hadn't used his Identification Technique to confirm that this was indeed Hanzo, he would have thought someone was impersonating him to stir up trouble.
"Danzo Shimura's intentions are indeed malicious, but he's not wrong about one thing. A battle between the Ninjutsu Sect and Amegakure is inevitable," Hanzo explained in a low voice.
"Instead of letting a great war break out between the Ninjutsu Sect and Amegakure that would plunge the Land of Rain into chaos, it's better to settle this now."
"We'll only involve a few of our confidants, and from then on, it's every man for himself. If I win, all Ninjutsu Sect ninjas will join Amegakure.
If I lose, Amegakure is yours. You can either merge them into the Ninjutsu Sect or disband them; it's up to you."
This was the best solution Hanzo could think of. Regardless of who won, the conflict between Amegakure and the Ninjutsu Sect would be resolved, and the Land of Rain would not suffer any loss in ninja power.
Moreover, it could also solve the problem with Konoha.
If Sosuke died and the Ninjutsu Sect ceased to exist, leaving only a stronger Amegakure, Konoha wouldn't dare to make a move against them after their recent collaboration. Their reputation would be in tatters.
If Hanzo died and Amegakure joined the Ninjutsu Sect, the issue of lacking lower-level power within the Ninjutsu Sect would be resolved, and they would possess a strength that even Konoha would fear.
Mu Yue understood Hanzo's train of thought.
No wonder Hanzo had come to reveal Danzo's plot and still said he wouldn't help.
"Actually, this battle can be avoided," Mu Yue refuted Hanzo's claim that a battle was inevitable.
One of the reasons Mu Yue held the lecture was to find a bloodless solution for Amegakure.
He had always wanted to find a way to show the ninjas of Amegakure the benefits of the Ninjutsu Sect and how it could make the Land of Rain better.
If all the ninjas of Amegakure joined the Ninjutsu Sect, there would be no need for a war.
"It's unavoidable," Hanzo said, his eyes fixed on Sosuke.
Surrender to the Ninjutsu Sect and become Sosuke's subordinate? That was out of the question. Hanzo's pride would never allow him to do something so humiliating.
If he were the type to choose survival over his principles, he wouldn't have come to the Ninjutsu Sect in the first place.
"Have you come alone to declare war on me? As expected of the legendary Hanzo, revered as a demigod," Mu Yue said as he poured a cup of tea for Hanzo.
If what Hanzo said was true, then at this moment, he was still the respectable demigod Hanzo.
"Your time will come soon enough," Hanzo said indifferently.
He found it a little surprising himself that he had come alone to the City of Six Paths and spoken those words to Sosuke.
If Sosuke had any murderous intentions, he wouldn't be able to escape.
Sosuke alone was a formidable opponent, not to mention the presence of Kakuzu and Nagato within the Ninjutsu Sect.
"I won't let you down when the time comes," Mu Yue said as he poured himself a cup of tea and took a sip.
If what Hanzo said was true, Mu Yue would definitely keep his word.
According to Hanzo, he was helping Danzo.
With the allure of the Ninjutsu Sect's legacy and the Rinnegan, Danzo himself would likely show up.
This could be a rare opportunity to get rid of Danzo Shimura, who seemed to relish causing trouble.
In the original story, most of the unpleasant incidents could be traced back to Danzo.
Mu Yue felt that Danzo doing the world a favor by committing suicide, as he would spare the world from the multitude of despicable acts he would commit if he lived.
If Danzo continued to stir up trouble and involve Mu Yue, Mu Yue wouldn't mind sending him on his way, ending his sinful life.
"Can this battle truly not be avoided?" Mu Yue took a sip of his tea before setting the cup down and asking.
Mu Yue had no intention of killing Hanzo. If Hanzo were to join the Ninjutsu Sect, Mu Yue would even consider letting him serve in a high-ranking position.
Hanzo drained his cup and said, "As long as I'm alive, it can't be avoided."
He understood what Sosuke meant, but that was impossible.
Mu Yue didn't press the matter further. To do so would be an insult to Hanzo.
Hanzo stood up and walked towards the door of the office.
Just as he reached for the doorknob, he turned and asked, "Sosuke, how proficient are you in Water Style Jutsu?"
"Slightly weaker than my Fire Style Jutsu."
"Is that so..." Hanzo paused briefly, his footsteps faltering, before continuing on without another word. He soon disappeared into the darkness, leaving the office building behind.
Mu Yue activated his Byakugan and quietly watched Hanzo's departure.
Hanzo claimed that he wouldn't help the Ninjutsu Sect declare war, but in Mu Yue's opinion, Hanzo was actually helping him by doing so.
There was no way Hanzo could defeat him, not even if Mu Yue hadn't displayed his full strength yet.
Mu Yue believed that Hanzo truly intended to try and kill him, but he wouldn't succeed. Their gap in strength wasn't something that could be bridged through effort alone.
Any ninja with even a slight understanding of nature transformations would know what it meant to use fire against water.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Hanzo was resolved to die. In a battle to the death between them, Hanzo was destined to be the loser.
As a modern-day traverser, Mu Yue found himself a little perplexed by Hanzo's actions. It seemed illogical to choose death when there were still options for a peaceful resolution.
Although Mu Yue didn't understand, he chose to respect Hanzo's decision.
...
"What's gotten into me? Why did I do something so impulsive?" Hanzo questioned himself as he made his way back, reflecting on his actions.
Whether it was his solo infiltration of the Ninjutsu Sect or his challenge to Sosuke, both were extremely dangerous endeavors, the latter being almost certainly fatal.
After all, this matter had nothing to do with Amegakure originally.
Was it because he wanted to preserve the power of the Land of Rain? Or was it his pride, urging him to display the might of a demi-god to Sosuke? Or perhaps, deep down, did he believe that Sosuke could make the Land of Rain a better place? Hanzo wondered if Sosuke had subtly influenced his thought processes during the lectures.
"However, I'm not necessarily going to lose," Hanzo shook his head.
He didn't believe he had no chance of victory at all. Perhaps he wasn't as skilled in ninjutsu as Sosuke, but ninjutsu wasn't everything for a ninja; he still had his swordplay and poisons.
The next day.
Hanzo still hadn't agreed to Danzo Shimura's proposal, instead convening a high-level meeting to discuss various matters.
Both Sosuke's side and his own needed some time, so he couldn't agree too early.
After five days, when he saw that Danzo was getting anxious, Hanzo finally gave his response.
"Amegakure can assist Konoha in dealing with the Ninjutsu Sect."
Danzo maintained a calm exterior, but he was delighted inwardly. His trip to the Land of Rain to coerce Hanzo had finally paid off.
Danzo could almost envision the Wood Release, the Ninjutsu Sect's legacy, and the Rinnegan beckoning to him.
"A wise decision, Hanzo. You still have the same passion for peace as before," Danzo commented casually, his mood improved.
Hanzo remained expressionless and silent; his decisiveness was unchanged from the past.
Time seemed to flow backward to that fateful night, and Hanzo might not have had the courage to go to the City of Six Paths again.
But Danzo didn't mind; after all, Hanzo always wore the same impassive expression.
"We've already planned everything on Konoha's side. You can use the pretext of inviting Sosuke and Nagato to an event in Amegakure, and then..." Danzo explained the ambush plan he had devised.
As a qualified conspirator, Danzo naturally wouldn't wait for Hanzo's agreement before formulating a strategy. He had prepared several plans even before coming to the Land of Rain.
Hanzo nodded. This plan wasn't particularly ingenious, but it was practical.
Since Hanzo had just agreed to the Ninjutsu Sect's request for unrestricted lectures, it would be difficult for Sosuke to refuse Amegakure's invitation.
Once Sosuke arrived in Amegakure, things would be simple—they would just have to kill him.
As the plan progressed to the stage of acquiring the Wood Release, Danzo grew tense and excited.
After all, this was the Wood Release, the bloodline limit unique to the Ninja God.
"How will he enable me to possess the Wood Release?" Danzo wondered curiously.
The Root ninja with Wood Release relied on Hashirama cells, but those cells should only be available in Konoha.
"If it's him, having Hashirama cells isn't impossible," Danzo thought, his expression darkening as he recalled the intelligence-gathering capabilities displayed by "Uchiha Madara."
He found it infuriating that "Uchiha Madara" could move in and out of the Root base as he pleased.
With such freedom, stealing some Hashirama cells wouldn't be difficult.
As Danzo ruminated on "Uchiha Madara," a black-and-white figure silently appeared behind him.
(End of Chapter)
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