See a person?
Hanzō was puzzled. Although Amegakure wasn't strong, in recent years they hadn't produced any particularly dangerous or noteworthy missing-nin. The ordinary ones their village could deal with themselves; it wasn't something that required Kyoichi's personal intervention.
And even if he had captured one along the way, why bother bringing it here in person?
He stood up, curiosity flickering across his face as he looked at Kyoichi.
The next moment—
The scroll unfurled, and from within rose a pale white figure.
Its entire body was bound by vines, and the chakra inside it, the instant it formed, was dissolved by the Senjutsu-infused vines. Because of this, it had never managed to break free.
Though Hanzō was no medical-nin, he had long ago transplanted a venom sac into himself, and thus possessed some expertise in human anatomy. Moreover—
With something like this, you didn't even need specialized knowledge to see how unnatural it was.
This thing… it clearly wasn't human.
His brows furrowed.
"A Kekkei Genkai? …No, not quite. It looks more like… more like…"
"More like what?"
Jiraiya, of course, already knew.
Hashirama's cells.
But… since Hanzō wouldn't know the details, he deliberately played dumb.
Hanzō thought for a long while before finally saying, "I can't say for certain, but it reminds me somewhat of the First Hokage… though very different, too."
His instincts told him this thing was connected to the First somehow.
But… in what way? He couldn't make the connection.
And what was the point of showing it to him?
Puzzled, Hanzō looked up.
"As you see, it's a strange form of duplicate. You can clearly see it now—but close your eyes and try to sense it."
Kyoichi activated the jutsu, triggering White Zetsu's concealment ability.
Hanzō shut his eyes to sense—
And within seconds, he snapped them open, staring at the creature in shock.
Nothing.
He couldn't sense it at all.
And yet—it was right there in front of him.
If such a being had the strength, it would be the perfect assassin.
Now Hanzō understood why Kyoichi had come.
"How many of these exist?"
"I can't say for sure. But I've already encountered three. Two destroyed, this one still alive. Its origin does trace back to the First Hokage, but its abilities are completely different."
Since Hanzō grasped the situation so quickly, Kyoichi didn't bother with misdirection.
He had come to seek cooperation, and without sharing a measure of truth, there would be no foundation, no sincerity for such an alliance—no point in speaking further at all.
Hanzō fell silent for a long time.
Such beings, for any village, represented a tremendous threat. And since Kyoichi had brought it to him, it was clear these weren't creations of Konoha, but of someone else entirely.
That in itself was disturbing.
Apart from Konoha… who else could've had access to the First Hokage's legacy?
Only after several long seconds did Hanzō speak:
"Tell me what happened. I have the feeling this is going to be… alarming."
"Of course…"
Kyoichi recounted what had transpired in Kirigakure.
At first, Hanzō didn't think much of it.
But when he heard that even the Third Mizukage and Yagura had been manipulated, his expression finally changed. That was no minor matter—those were Kage-level shinobi. Yagura, in particular…
Though never officially declared, everyone knew he was set to succeed as the next Mizukage.
And yet these two, one after another, had fallen under such control. If even a Kage could be ensnared, what hope did anyone else have?
If these shadowy puppeteers were left unchecked, the entire shinobi world would soon become their plaything.
"You came to me, which means you suspect their eyes are set on someone here as well… Nagato, right? The Rinnegan. Said to have once belonged to the Sage of Six Paths himself, the most mysterious of the Three Great Dōjutsu—it's natural he'd draw their gaze."
Even without Kyoichi saying it outright, Hanzō understood.
He mulled it over for several seconds, weighing pros and cons, then finally spoke:
"Amegakure's bond with Konoha is beyond doubt. I personally support giving Nagato greater protection. But… you'll need to discuss this with him as well."
"Talking with a man of insight is refreshing—no need for riddles. Then let's do that."
Jiraiya, hearing this, immediately made to leave, but Kyoichi snagged him back with one hand.
"What's the rush? Do you even know if a White Zetsu might be lurking nearby?"
"Uh…"
Caught off guard, Jiraiya froze.
No… he didn't know.
"I see. I assumed Konoha already had some way to perfectly counter them. But it seems only you possess the means. If it can't be taught widely… then that's even more troublesome."
Hanzō sighed.
An enemy undetectable by ordinary senses was nothing short of a nightmare for a small village like theirs. The more he thought about it, the more Nagato felt like a hot coal in his hands—
The Rinnegan was tempting.
But if they couldn't protect it, better to push it out quickly…
He mused for a moment before saying:
"Wait here. I'll have Yahiko join us. He's been helping manage the village's affairs—his voice matters too."
"That would be best."
Before long, Yahiko arrived. Hanzō gave him the summary, and Yahiko's face immediately shifted through a storm of emotions.
These past months had matured him greatly. With more experience in leadership, diplomacy, and village governance, his vision and judgment had sharpened.
So he understood instantly what all this implied.
"Amegakure has no means of defending against this kind of concealment. I agree—it's necessary for Nagato to go with you to Konoha. Kyoichi-sensei… please, I beg you, keep him safe!"
Yahiko bowed deeply.
Without hesitation, he chose to entrust Nagato's safety to Konoha.
"Excellent. With that settled, we can move on to the next matter. This concerns business…" Kyoichi's gaze hardened.
"As for the one behind it all—you've likely guessed. But let me make it plain: from Konoha's current intelligence…"
"The mastermind is, in all likelihood, Uchiha Madara. And Nagato's eyes—very likely belonged to him."
Kyoichi spoke.
Hanzō was taken aback, though not entirely shocked. He'd considered it before. Besides Konoha, the only other man who could've possibly obtained Hashirama's cells was Madara himself.
No one else could have wounded the First Hokage.
But what did surprise him—was that Nagato's Rinnegan might not be his own.
"What? Nagato's eyes are Madara's? Impossible—he's had them since childhood!"
Yahiko was the first to protest.
"Not from birth. More accurately—it was after that strange 'home invasion' by a supposed Konoha shinobi! You mentioned that to me, didn't you?
Back then, Nagato didn't have the Rinnegan. You could explain it as a sudden awakening triggered by trauma—but…"
Kyoichi took out a book, serious.
"A descendant of the Uzumaki, whose body was even weaker than average? Does that sound right to you?"
The book was a simple record of the Uzumaki clan.
Meant for Yahiko's eyes.
He read it carefully—then fell silent.
The Uzumaki…
Yes, he'd heard of them. But their famed vitality, their powerful physique… Nagato had shown none of that.
"Maybe because he grew up wandering, malnourished…"
Halfway through, Yahiko's voice faltered. He didn't believe it himself, let alone expect anyone else to.
Hanzō waved a hand.
"Enough. It doesn't matter whether they're Madara's or not. What matters is making sure he never reclaims them."
"Exactly. The Rinnegan, Madara—none of that truly matters to us. What matters most…"
"…is that Madara never returns."
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