"Even Yahiko and the others can't handle it?" After a brief silence, Nagato asked.
Nagato could sense that Yahiko cared for and respected Mutsuki deeply, viewing him as a guiding direction.
"Not yet. The fewer people know about this, the better. Once it's exposed, it will bring disaster to the Ninja Sect," Mutsuki shook his head and replied.
Mutsuki trusted Yahiko's character, but White Zetsu's intelligence abilities were too strong. Mutsuki had to set up barriers before revealing his identity. To prevent exposure, at this stage, Mutsuki only planned for Nagato to know his true identity.
"Then why tell me? If you didn't say anything, no one would have found out, right?" Nagato looked into Mutsuki's eyes, unconsciously pressing his fingers against the chair.
Mutsuki's Transformation technique was very strong; Nagato couldn't detect a single flaw. He believed Mutsuki had this capability.
Nagato didn't understand why Mutsuki would tell him alone. He didn't think he was any more special than Yahiko, except for those eyes.
"As I said before, I don't want to interact with everyone under a false identity. It's just a helpless measure forced by reality. That's why I think there must be at least one person who knows my true identity. To avoid exposure, that person can only be the one I trust most in the Ninja Sect," Mutsuki explained.
"I feel that if it's you, Nagato, you will definitely be able to keep this secret for me, just like you trusted me enough to tell me about your experiences."
Looking at Mutsuki's warm and friendly smile, Nagato felt trust once again.
This trust did not come from emptiness, nor from his Rinnegan, but because he trusted Mutsuki, and Mutsuki trusted him in return.
"I will do my best," Nagato said solemnly, making a promise.
Mutsuki trusted him so much that Nagato could not afford to disappoint him. He also agreed that Mutsuki was right-Mutsuki's true identity could indeed bring trouble to the current Ninja Sect.
Then Mutsuki began teaching Nagato the Basic Breathing Technique.
Nagato now grasped the six types of chakra nature transformation, but none of them were particularly outstanding. Mutsuki hadn't decided which specific breathing style to teach him yet, so he started with the Basic Breathing Technique.
Teaching the Breathing Technique was the best choice. On one hand, Nagato already mastered many ninjutsu, so he didn't have much need in that area. On the other hand, the practice and application of Breathing Techniques are not immediately obvious, making them suitable for the current teaching situation, and the techniques themselves also held great potential.
[You have taught your disciple the Basic Breathing Technique. Because the disciple is extremely grateful, you receive a critical reward: Four Symbols Seal (Proficient).]
Seeing the message on the panel, Mutsuki nodded to himself.
Revealing his identity a little earlier not only avoided Nagato suffering a major shock but also helped increase trust. This kind of secret known to only two people could greatly promote the development of their relationship.
When Mutsuki first revealed his identity, Nagato's trust level dropped to one. After Mutsuki explained, it rose back to level two. Teaching the technique even triggered a critical reward, so overall, the trust level was increasing.
...
After learning that Mutsuki was willing to cooperate, Hanzo immediately chose a location perfect for laying Mutsuki and the others to rest forever.
It was a valley. Hanzo's plan was to lure Mutsuki and his group into the valley, trigger a trap, and then have his Rain Ninja attack from above.
Hanzo now regarded the Ninja Sect as enemies, so he would use every available method to crush them while minimizing losses among the Rain Ninja.
"Dealing with these ninjas who preach peace but harbor ill intentions should be done this way," Danzo said, very satisfied with Hanzo's plan.
Originally, Danzo thought Hanzo would disdain setting traps, but unexpectedly, Hanzo understood it well, giving Danzo a feeling of "I wish I had met you earlier."
Hanzo nodded calmly; he was not rigid when dealing with enemies.
At that moment, the door to the Rain Ninja leader's office was knocked.
"Enter," Hanzo said.
A Rain Ninja pushed the door open and hurried into the office to report, "Hanzo-sama, ninjas from the Rock Ninja Village want to see you. They seem very angry."
Hanzo frowned. Coming at this time could only be because of the Ninja Sect ninjas killing the Hidden Rock ninjas.
Danzo made an apologetic expression and sighed, as if feeling sorry for his subordinates not doing their job properly.
"Looks like my subordinates missed something," Danzo said apologetically to Hanzo.
Danzo's expression was put on, but he wasn't lying. This wasn't his arrangement; Hidden Rock suddenly getting involved could disrupt Hanzo's plan.
"This isn't your fault. I misjudged the person," Hanzo said in a deep voice.
The Land of Rain had no friendly or cooperative treaty with Konoha, so Danzo wasn't obliged to help. The fact that he had gotten this far was already more than enough, so how could Hanzo blame him?
Then Hanzo looked at the Rain Ninja who had entered the office. "Bring them here."
Hanzo had planned to deal with Mutsuki and the others first and then explain everything to Hidden Rock Village. But since Hidden Rock Village had already come to him, Hanzo had no choice but to clarify now.
"Hidden Rock is still at war with Konoha. I will take my leave for now," Danzo said, standing to leave.
Wanting to sign a peace treaty with Hidden Rock was just an excuse for Danzo, so he had no intention of meeting the Hidden Rock ninjas.
Hanzo nodded in understanding.
Even if Danzo didn't leave voluntarily, Hanzo would have to ask him to go. Otherwise, if the Hidden Rock ninjas saw Konoha's second-in-command talking with Hanzo in the Rain Ninja leader's office, and then connected it with the incident of the Rain Ninja killing Hidden Rock ninjas, the Rain Ninja Village would be in a dire situation will not be able to clear their name.
Soon, the Rain Ninja returned, bringing three Hidden Rock ninjas into Hanzo's office.
Hanzo calmly observed the three Hidden Rock ninjas as they entered.
The lead Hidden Rock ninja wore a tight red combat suit with brown Jonin armor over it. His body looked very muscular, his features were ordinary, but he had a large nose.
"They actually sent Kitsuchi. Looks like Hidden Rock Village takes this incident very seriously," Hanzo thought, recognizing the lead Hidden Rock ninja as Kitsuchi, the son of the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki.
As fellow children of the Kage, Kitsuchi's strength and fame didn't match Fourth Generation A, but he was still a well-known young talent in the current ninja world.
"Recently, we discovered that a ninja wearing a Land of Rain forehead protector killed one of our Hidden Rock ninjas. Hidden Rock Village requires a reasonable explanation," Kitsuchi said directly.
Although Hanzo was hailed as one of the strongest ninjas in the world, Kitsuchi had the entire Hidden Rock Village behind him, so he showed no fear.
The Second Ninja World War had already proved one fact: having a top-tier ninja alone couldn't change the outcome of a war.
Of course, this didn't mean an individual couldn't influence a war-it just meant that Hanzo, as strong as he was, wasn't strong enough. Senju Hashirama had already demonstrated the limits of individual power to the ninja world.
"We, the Rain Ninja Village, deeply sympathize with this matter, but it was not our ninja who did it. It was carried out by a group called the Ninja Sect, ninjas from the Land of Rain," Hanzo began to explain.
Hanzo told Kitsuchi the full sequence of events, but since Konoha and Hidden Rock were at war, he altered the story-saying that the Rain ninjas discovered it during patrols rather than the Root Ninja discovering it.
"Although they are not ninjas of the Rain Ninja Village, they are still ninjas of the Land of Rain. I am deeply saddened by this incident, and I will kill all the ninjas who intend to provoke a war between Rain and Rock," Hanzo stated his solution.
"They are all warriors of Hidden Rock, carrying out important missions for our village. Hanzo-sama, you are a top-tier ninja feared throughout the world and understand reason. Do you really think that one life for one life can erase this incident?" Kitsuchi did not approve of Hanzo's plan.
According to the information about the Land of Rain, Kitsuchi knew that eighty percent of what Hanzo said was probably true. After all, the Rain Ninja Village was in its current state-how could they possibly have the audacity to provoke one of the Five Great Ninja Villages?
But that didn't stop Kitsuchi from seeking greater benefits for Hidden Rock Village.
Hanzo understood what Kitsuchi meant. Simply put, it meant more compensation.
"An accident like this is indeed a failure on the part of our Rain Ninja. We are willing to provide some compensation to Hidden Rock for the losses," Hanzo said expressionlessly.
Hanzo was very annoyed and frustrated, but he had no choice but to compensate Hidden Rock Village, because the current Rain Ninja had no strength to wage war against a Great Ninja Village.
Hanzo hated the Ninja Sect even more, because all of this was caused by them.
Hanzo quickly set the appointment and sent a messenger to notify the Ninja Sect. Then he gathered the elite ninjas of the Rain Ninja Village to assign tasks.
The incident was sudden, and many Rain Ninja did not yet know that Hanzo intended to eliminate the Ninja Sect.
Hundreds of elite Rain Ninja were gathered in a conference room. First, Hanzo's deputy explained the crimes of the Ninja Sect.
The deeds of Ninja Master Sosuke and the Ninja Sect had recently spread widely throughout the Land of Rain. Hanzo feared that some Rain Ninja might believe Sosuke, so he first made sure they knew the true nature of the Ninja Sect.
"The Ninja Sect outwardly preaches peace, yet they killed Hidden Rock ninjas to provoke conflict between Rain and Rock. Their hearts are truly worthy of condemnation..." Hanzo's deputy said with indignation.
Hearing that the Ninja Sect's ninjas had done such a thing, the Rain Ninja below were all shocked. Since the Ninja Sect appeared in the Land of Rain, their reputation had been excellent, widely recognized by both ninjas and civilians.
"I never expected Sosuke... to be so treacherous. I once thought he could bring good change to the Land of Rain," a Rain Ninja Jonin who had once been ordered to investigate Mutsuki sighed.
Mutsuki had demonstrated strong abilities and expressed aspirations for peace during lessons, giving the Rain Ninja Jonin the impression that Mutsuki could really change the Land of Rain.
"Ichigo, you must feel frustrated being defeated by someone like this," the Rain Ninja Jonin said, looking at Kurosaki Ichigo sitting beside him.
Originally, due to the timing of Kurosaki Ichigo joining the Rain Ninja Village, he wouldn't have been allowed to undertake such a high-rank mission. But Hanzo recognized Ichigo's strength and his experience having fought Mutsuki, so he granted him special treatment.
"Yeah, next time I will definitely win," Mutsuki's Shadow Clone said with a smile, nodding.
Sitting in the conference room and listening to others discuss how to deal with him was actually quite interesting.
After the meeting, Mutsuki's Shadow Clone returned to his temporary residence in the Rain Ninja Village, dispelled, and let its memories flow back to the original.
By this time it was already night, and Mutsuki was alone in his room studying Sealing Jutsu.
After organizing the Shadow Clone's memories, Mutsuki quietly headed toward the Rain Ninja Village. Once within his Sensing range, he used Flying Thunder God to instantly move to his temporary residence there. After creating a Shadow Clone, he used Flying Thunder God again to leave.
The fact that the Shadow Clone could achieve this effect was somewhat beyond Mutsuki's expectations.
He had originally just wanted the Shadow Clone to act as a decoy, but unexpectedly, the Rain Ninja Village noticed the Shadow Clone's abilities and recruited it into the Hidden Rain Village.
Because it had just joined, the Shadow Clone could only take on a few low-rank missions, which avoided excessive chakra consumption and the risk of injury.
Mutsuki took advantage of this situation to plant a spy in the Rain Ninja Village.
With the Shadow Clone as an inside agent, Mutsuki was effectively participating personally in the plot against him, knowing every trap's location and type clearly.
Three days later, it was the day of the meeting with Hanzo to discuss major peace matters. Many Ninja Sect ninjas were extremely excited.
If Hanzo wasn't plotting a trap, this cooperation would indeed be a milestone-level progress for the Ninja Sect-several milestones at once, in fact.
"Uncle Sosuke, should everyone go together? Wouldn't that be a bit... inappropriate?" Yahiko asked after thinking for a moment.
He felt that bringing too many ninjas might leave a bad impression on Hanzo, as if showing distrust and worrying that Hanzo might have ill intentions.
Mutsuki nodded and replied, "For a meeting, indeed, not too many people need to go."
After all, the opponent was a top-tier ninja like Hanzo. If too many people went, Mutsuki couldn't guarantee everyone's safety.
The Ninja Sect ninjas looked at Mutsuki with anticipation; no one wanted to miss such a major event.
"Nagato, Yahiko, Konan, Kakuzu, Ike Masaya, Kuroda..." Mutsuki called out eight names in succession.
These were the ninjas he trusted most; their abilities were outstanding, and they had strong self-preservation skills.
"Why do I have to go? I'm not even part of your Ninja Sect," Kakuzu muttered, his eyelid twitching. He had no intention of getting involved.
"I mean, if you want to come, you can follow us. If you really don't want to come, that's fine too," Mutsuki replied with a faint smile.
Kakuzu made a thinking expression.
Hearing his name, Yahiko's face lit up with uncontrollable joy.
Yahiko, who had a strong sense of belonging to the Ninja Sect, was thrilled to participate in such a milestone meeting. Another reason for his excitement was that he had long wanted to talk with Hanzo and was eager to know Hanzo's views on peace.
Nagato didn't feel much; as long as the Ninja Sect could reach an agreement with the Rain Ninja Village, he was satisfied and didn't need to witness it personally.
Ike Masaya's face flickered with a trace of worry. He always felt that Hanzo harbored ill intentions, and this meeting might go wrong.
"Boss, do your best. You're going to meet your idol this time," Kyusuke teased, knowing Yahiko admired Hanzo.
Yahiko scratched his head and smiled, paying it no mind.
Amid the laughter and farewells of dozens of ninjas, Mutsuki and the others set off toward the agreed valley.
Kakuzu frowned but ultimately followed Mutsuki and the group.
He didn't want to attend the meeting, suspecting something might go wrong. But since Mutsuki was going, Kakuzu had no choice but to follow. If anything happened to Mutsuki, he would have to wait fifteen years for the seal to expire automatically.
At the entrance of the valley, Mutsuki and the others encountered Hanzo waiting for them.
Hanzo had brought even fewer ninjas than they had, accompanied by only two.
"Hanzo-san, we meet again," Mutsuki greeted with a smile.
"Unexpected. In such a short time, you've accomplished so many things I never imagined," Hanzo said calmly.
Hanzo still remembered warning Mutsuki recently to be careful of black market ninjas. He didn't expect Mutsuki to reach this point so quickly.
Noticing Kakuzu beside Mutsuki, Hanzo was somewhat surprised.
Hanzo wasn't too surprised that Kakuzu was alive; after all, Kakuzu had survived decades in the black market, so it was normal for him to have more survival skills.
But Kakuzu's stance looked as if he had joined the Ninja Sect.
Hanzo's expression remained unchanged. One more Kakuzu didn't affect his ability to kill everyone.
With a large number of explosive tag traps and Hanzo, a top-tier ninja, leading one hundred elite Rain Ninjas, Hanzo was confident he could handle anyone in the current ninja world.
Originally, he had planned even more thoroughly. Hanzo intended to capture a Ninja Sect ninja to use as leverage against Mutsuki and the others, but Mutsuki was cautious, keeping the Ninja Sect together. To avoid alerting them, Hanzo abandoned the plan to take hostages.
Additionally, the Hidden Rock Village would be observing. To avoid exposing his collaboration with Danzo, Hanzo had to politely decline Danzo's assistance.
"Hanzo-san, it is your deeds that truly surprise me," Mutsuki replied with a faint smile.
Both sides walked into the valley, talking and laughing.
In the shadows, Danzo, watching the scene, also smiled.
He had invested a lot of effort to bring Hanzo, Mutsuki, and the Rinnegan to this confrontation point, even losing a number of Root elites in the process.
By this point, Danzo had already modified many details of his plan. He had originally intended to kill Nagato and the others and frame the Hidden Rock Village, but Nagato's strength proved too great, instantly defeating all of Danzo's Root elites.
On the other side, the Hidden Rock ninjas also quietly observed everything.
After all, this was a showdown between Ninja Master Sosuke and Demigod Hanzo. Even without a mission, Kitsuchi was very interested.
Although Sosuke had only recently become famous, his record was impressive, having decisively defeated Kakuzu.
"Unfortunately, this isn't a fair fight," Kitsuchi thought. He believed Hanzo would surely win.
This was a plot targeting Mutsuki and the Ninja Sect. Hanzo had prepared in advance, while Mutsuki and the others were still completely unaware.
Kakuzu looked around. Both sides were steep cliffs, and the valley's entrances were narrow, making it easy to trap people.
"Hanzo-sama, what is your view on the current situation in the Land of Rain? How do you think long-lasting peace can best be achieved here?" Yahiko asked eagerly.
The Land of Rain was filled with legends about Hanzo. Yahiko had long admired him, but when seeing the man in person, he refrained from speaking immediately out of respect for Mutsuki.
"To fundamentally solve the chaos in the Land of Rain, the development of ninja strength is necessary. As for lasting peace, that depends on the situation among the great nations. Additionally, eliminating ninja organizations within the country that attempt to provoke war is also very important," Hanzo replied to Yahiko's question while gathering Chakra.
"And...?" Yahiko looked at Hanzo expectantly, hoping to hear a grandiose discourse on peace.
Hanzo didn't answer further. He gave a glance to the two accompanying ninjas, then released his Chakra and used Body Flicker Jutsu to vanish above the valley.
The two Rain Ninjas followed Hanzo's command, retreating quickly and triggering the traps.
Boom!!
A violent explosion thundered through the entire valley. Thick smoke from the blast enveloped Mutsuki and his group.
"Hanzo really is cautious," Kitsuchi thought. The real Hanzo was somewhat different from the legendary accounts. He didn't dislike Hanzo's methods-ninjas aren't samurai. Ninjas don't fight for honor; the ninja who wins is the good ninja. It was just that the rumors about Hanzo had been a bit too idealized.
"I wonder if the Rinnegan can be transplanted and used like the Sharingan," Danzo thought, considering taking Nagato's Rinnegan.
It was important that the enemy didn't have the Rinnegan, and it was equally important that Danzo himself had one. After all, these were the eyes of the Six Paths Sage, naturally shrouded in mysterious power.
"Did something go wrong with the traps? The explosions aren't in the right place," Hanzo, observing Mutsuki's group from above, realized a major problem.
He had intended to lure Mutsuki and the others to the center of the explosions, but instead, they were affected by the blast itself.
As the dust settled, a flowing water barrier became visible, and Mutsuki and the others were unharmed.
At the moment of the explosive tags detonating, Mutsuki had gathered Chakra to use Water Wall, perfectly blocking the shockwave. Not a single speck of ash touched them.
Hanzo furrowed his brows. According to his plan, the explosive tag trap should have killed all the ninjas except Mutsuki and Kakuzu, and injured Mutsuki and Kakuzu as well.
But due to an unexpected factor, his explosive tag trap only consumed the Chakra of Mutsuki's Water Wall, which made Hanzo uneasy.
However, Hanzo did not panic. With 100 elite Rain Ninjas and himself as a top-tier fighter, he could still handle Mutsuki and the others in a direct confrontation.
"What's going on?" Yahiko looked at the valley, which had been left in ruins by the explosive tags, with a bewildered expression.
He didn't understand what had happened-or rather, his subconscious didn't want to understand.
"What else could it be? Of course it's your beloved Hanzo-sama trying to kill you. At this point, still being naive is just laughably foolish," Kakuzu said mercilessly, mocking him.
To Kakuzu, Yahiko's naivety was frightening.
"Something's definitely wrong," Ike Masaya sighed.
Looking at the specific terrain of the meeting site, he was almost certain Hanzo had ill intentions. He had even quietly warned Mutsuki in a very subtle voice when they arrived.
At that moment, the often-overcast sky of the Land of Rain opened up, and heavy raindrops pelted everyone.
"The heavens are helping me; it seems no more accidents will happen," Hanzo said with a slight smile.
For someone extremely skilled in Water Release, rainy weather was highly advantageous, while for Mutsuki, who excelled in Fire Release, it was the worst possible weather.
"Why... why has it come to this?" Yahiko looked at Hanzo in confusion.
They had been having a good discussion, so why did he suddenly attack?
Nagato and Konan were also stunned by the sudden turn of events. They supported cooperation with the Rain Ninja Village and had never anticipated something like this.
"Weren't we supposed to maintain peace in the Land of Rain together? Why would you do this?" Yahiko shouted at Hanzo.
At this moment, Yahiko deeply regretted his passionate speech before the vote. If it hadn't been for him, the opposition votes might have been greater.
There was no doubt that this cooperation was a trap-a conspiracy to annihilate their Ninja Sect.
But Yahiko was truly confused. He couldn't understand why Hanzo would do this; eliminating them brought Hanzo no benefit at all.
"Aren't I maintaining peace in the Land of Rain?" Hanzo replied calmly.
"If you truly wish for peace in the Land of Rain, then die. A Land of Rain without the Ninja Sect would be more peaceful."
Yahiko clenched his fists and stared at Hanzo, unable to believe that Hanzo could be so insidious and cruel.
After this, Yahiko might never trust any rumors again. Hanzo had given him a harsh lesson.
"It's just boring reasons like worrying you'll affect their power," Kakuzu said sarcastically. "You all sincerely seek peace without asking for anything else, but others don't necessarily see it that way. They only believe what they think to be true."
Watching Mutsuki, Yahiko, and the others being betrayed and falling into danger, Kakuzu seemed to see a reflection of his former self.
Although the experiences were different, the nature of it was largely the same.
"Sensei, I'm sorry," Nagato said, looking at Mutsuki with a face full of remorse.
He was also one who supported the cooperation and felt he bore some responsibility.
"How could this be your fault? You are just victims," Mutsuki shook his head and patted Nagato on the head.
If anyone had to take the blame, Mutsuki would bear it all.
Because Mutsuki knew everything yet silently watched the events unfold without intervening.
Stopping this incident would not have been difficult for Mutsuki-he could have simply refused to attend the meeting.
But that would not have resolved the conflict; it would only have delayed its eruption. As long as the Ninja Sect continued to grow, it would inevitably clash with Hanzo's Rain Ninja Village, unless Hanzo and his forces joined the Ninja Sect as well.
But given Mutsuki's understanding of Hanzo, this was unlikely. Hanzo had his own beliefs and pride; without some extraordinary circumstance, he would never deign to join a force created by a junior.
Mutsuki's current strategy was actually similar to watching his students fight Hidden Mist Jonin during the Chunin exams.
He aimed to train his disciples as much as possible while ensuring that no accidents occurred. But in the Land of Rain, there was the additional goal of training the Ninja Sect.
Since conflict was unavoidable, the objective was to resolve it while maximizing the benefits.
Mutsuki believed that after this incident, Yahiko and the others would become more mature, and the entire Ninja Sect would undergo a transformation.
Under Mutsuki's guidance, the Ninja Sect had always progressed smoothly, never facing a real setback, which caused some of the Ninja Sect members to be overly optimistic.
Whoosh!
Hanzo threw a sharp kunai directly in front of Mutsuki.
"Sosuke, you are the founder and leader of the Ninja Sect. If you are willing to die, I can spare the others," Hanzo said in a calm voice.
Hanzo wanted to end this battle decisively, so he would not miss any opportunity to reduce his combat burden.
Of course, even if Mutsuki committed suicide, Hanzo would not spare Nagato and the others-but this way, Hanzo could conserve a lot of effort.
Hanzo's words completely shattered Yahiko's fan-filter of him, leaving nothing behind.
The Hanzo of the past, in Yahiko's mind, was a great ninja with lofty ideals. The Hanzo now before him was a cunning, treacherous scoundrel.
"Uncle Sosuke, don't do what he says! We'll fight him!" Yahiko gritted his teeth.
He wanted nothing more than to rush forward and punch Hanzo in the face.
Although Hanzo was very strong, Yahiko believed they still had a chance. Even if Mutsuki alone couldn't defeat Hanzo, with Kakuzu's help he could. Then, with the seven of them against two Rain Ninja, victory would be easy.
"Perhaps in the future, I can have more cooperation with Hanzo," Danzo thought, watching Hanzo's actions and finding him increasingly impressive.
A ninja who achieves victory by any means necessary is a true ninja-Danzo admired the Hanzo before him.
"I do not recommend you make this choice, because it is suicide," Hanzo said expressionlessly.
As soon as Hanzo finished speaking, a hundred elite Rain Ninja ambushed from the mountains, looking down from above at Mutsuki and the others.
Yahiko was stunned at the sight of the suddenly appearing Rain Ninja.
He never expected Hanzo to go to such lengths to deal with them: traps, ambushes, and a large number of ninja.
Ike Masaya and Kakuzu were not surprised. Since this was Hanzo's plot, of course he wouldn't bring only two subordinates.
For a moment, Mutsuki and the others seemed trapped in a hopeless situation.
"I have learned Uncle Sosuke's thoughts best among the Ninja Sect. I will die in his place," Yahiko said, picking up a kunai from the ground.
If his death could save Mutsuki and the others, Yahiko would do so without hesitation.
After all, the situation had progressed to this point, and he bore a great responsibility. His fan-filter for Hanzo had caused him to trust him too much.
"You are not qualified. Only Sosuke, as the leader, has that right," Hanzo rejected Yahiko's proposal.
Of the eight people present, only Kakuzu and Mutsuki caught Hanzo's attention. The rest were merely trivial in his eyes, easily eliminated without concern.
"Sosuke sensei, you must not commit suicide. Even if you did, Hanzo would never spare us," Ike Masaya said quickly, worried Mutsuki might act impulsively.
Ike Masaya didn't believe Hanzo's words. To eliminate the Ninja Sect, Hanzo would both deceive and ambush; there was no way he would let the Ninja Sect walk free after entering the trap.
Ike Masaya put himself in Hanzo's position. He would absolutely choose to eradicate them completely-killing every ninja in the valley and clearing out any Ninja Sect members who hadn't arrived.
"Sosuke, you may be naive, but you're not stupid. Don't make me underestimate you," Kakuzu mocked, his eyes never leaving Mutsuki.
Kakuzu thought that, given Mutsuki's displayed intelligence, he wouldn't commit suicide, but Kakuzu couldn't be 100% sure-after all, Mutsuki had still attended this obviously ambush-laden cooperation meeting.
"Ninja Master Sosuke, how will you break out of this?" Kitsuchi, observing from the side, wondered curiously.
Kitsuchi put himself in Mutsuki's position and realized that if he were in this situation, death would be inevitable.
If he committed suicide, Hanzo would still not spare his companions; if he didn't, they couldn't win a direct fight-either way, it was death.
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