"Whatever. I've done my part. You handle the talking," Xin said, stretching his arms. He'd made his point and didn't care much for sitting through the actual negotiations.
"Follow me," Hanzō said stiffly, leading them into the village.
The Rain Village wasn't a place Xin had ever seen up close before. Thanks to the constant rain, the buildings were mostly steel and had a gritty, industrial look to them. They towered high, and there weren't any basements-most of the space beneath the village was taken up by massive drainage pipes.
With the war raging on and the recent damage from Xin's attack, the streets were mostly deserted. People peeked out from their homes, watching the group pass by.
Compared to Konoha, the Rain Village had a cold, iron-clad feel to it. It was like a city made of steel, but one that had seen better days. The buildings were rusty and crumbling in places, and nothing seemed well-maintained.
Hanzo was obviously struggling to keep the place together, and after the explosions, it looked even worse.
Hanzō's face stayed stony as he led them through the streets. Rain Village shinobi scrambled to tend to the injured and clear away the bodies-some of them reduced to little more than piles of bloody meat.
Xin wasn't the only one watching. The Anbu members with them were experts in gathering intel, and they didn't miss a thing. It was clear that the Third Hokage had sent them along not just for protection but to scout the village for information.
Hanzō knew that too, but he didn't say anything. He had enough on his plate.
As they walked, Xin caught Hanzo eyeing Ophis nervously. He was clearly rattled by the little white Snake on Xin's shoulder. Hanzō didn't know what Ophis was, but he knew enough to be wary.
"This thing... is it a Snake? A Legendary Sage Snake?"
Hanzo had no idea what Ophis was. He couldn't find a single scrap of information about it, but its resemblance to the the Legendary Snake Sage was unmistakable. It was unsettling.
Eventually, they reached the Rain Village's main building. It stood in stark contrast to the rest of the village-well-maintained and sturdy. At least Hanzō still had some pride left. "Please, take a moment to rest. We'll begin negotiations shortly," Hanzō said as they entered the meeting room."
The Anbu stayed outside. Tsunade didn't object.
They didn't need the Anbu in the room for the negotiations-besides, with Xin there, she doubted Hanzo would try anything. Still, she shot Xin a few glances, hoping to get a sense of his plan.