The battle ended swiftly—the gap between the two sides was simply too vast.
Kakuzu held a rogue ninja by the throat. Around them, most of the other rogue ninjas lay dead on the ground. Hyuga Kiyoshi retreated behind Kin, while Hizure pulled a kunai from a corpse. Only then did Kakuzu snap the neck of the ninja in his grip.
The two sides weren't even on the same level.
These rogue ninjas couldn't even flee.
After bullying ordinary civilians for so long, they had forgotten that the difference between ninjas could be just as vast.
"Now, let's see if our so-called 'Half-God' is at the location mentioned in the intel," Kin said, still scanning the report.
It detailed the suspected whereabouts of Hanzo, the number of personnel, and even the patrol routes and schedules of the sentries.
Thorough indeed.
Kin paid no attention to the dead ninjas. He had long grown accustomed to death.
"Let's go," he said, rolling up the scroll and leading the way.
Somewhere in the mountains of the Land of Rain...
The surviving Rain ninjas were licking their wounds. The losses they had suffered in the war were staggering.
The Hidden Rain Village had been obliterated. The Land of Rain itself was in ruins.
They had fought tooth and nail, buying their homeland a fleeting respite. But in the end, the final battle had pushed the Land of Rain over the edge.
Now, they were the last breath of a dying nation.
"Ryōta... do you think we can rebuild the Land of Rain?" A Rain ninja lay sprawled on a tree branch, addressing his companion below.
Ryōta fell silent.
The Land of Rain had no money, no people. Rebuilding it would be an impossible task.
Yet, this was still his home.
But with their home in such ruins, all the Rain ninjas were lost. Could they really restore their nation?
Even the civilians had lost hope for the future.
"I heard the Daimyo of the Land of Rain fled to the Land of Fire. If he brought back those funds..." Ryōta trailed off. The war was already over. If the Daimyo had any intention of returning, he would have done so by now.
Money was an unavoidable obstacle to rebuilding.
"This is still his territory," the ninja on the branch muttered weakly.
But none of them held any real hope.
"I heard the Daimyo has already secured noble status in the Land of Fire."
The two Rain ninjas stiffened. That voice didn't belong to either of them.
Before Ryōta could react, a cold kunai pressed against his throat. A pale-eyed youth stood before him.
Out of the corner of his eye, Ryōta saw his companion on the tree similarly restrained.
"Relax. We're not here to kill you—yet," Kin said, standing beside Ryōta. "I just have a few questions."
He intended to claim the Land of Rain for himself. These ninjas would soon be his people. Why would he kill his own?
But after witnessing the nation's devastation firsthand, he knew rebuilding wouldn't be easy.
"Where is Hanzo?"
"On the mountain," Ryōta answered without hesitation.
Kin frowned. The reply came too quickly, making him skeptical. Though he had never fought the Rain ninjas directly, he knew of their fanatical devotion to Hanzo.
After all, the countless suicide attacks by Rain ninjas during the war weren't the result of simple training.
They wouldn't betray Hanzo so easily.
Realizing his mistake, Ryōta added, "Facing Lord Hanzo with your strength... you'll only die."
Kin's frown deepened. The added warning was unnecessary—a clear sign of deception.
The "Hanzo" on the mountain was a decoy.
"Fine. I'll see for myself."
He placed a hand on Ryōta's head, his fingers glowing with a dark light. In that moment, Ryōta understood what was happening and tried to trigger the explosive tag on his body—
But it was too late.
"Soul Illumination Technique!"
Ryōta's eyes rolled back as he collapsed, unconscious.
Kin closed his eyes, sifting through the extracted memories.
"As I thought. The one up there is a fake."
"What now?" Kakuzu dropped down, tossing the ninja he had knocked out aside.
"Capture the decoy first. Maybe we can find Hanzo's real location," Kin said with a sigh.
Even after the war, Hanzo was still hiding like a rat.
The four of them vanished into shadows, darting up the mountain.
A patrolling Rain ninja felt a gust of wind rush past him. He whirled around, catching a glimpse of a fleeting shadow. He didn't dismiss it as his imagination.
Instead, he shouted at the top of his lungs:
"ENEMY ATTACK!!"
The entire mountain stirred at his cry. Rain ninjas converged from all directions.
"Where are they?!"
The ninja who had raised the alarm pointed uphill. "They're heading for Lord Hanzo's decoy!"
Every Rain ninja charged upward.
But by the time they arrived, it was already too late.
Kin had just removed his hand from the decoy's head.
"This guy is seriously paranoid," he muttered.
He scanned the Rain ninjas surrounding them. None posed a significant threat.
This place was likely disposable in Hanzo's eyes.
"Should we kill them all?" Kakuzu asked without turning around.
"No need. They'll be useful later," Kin replied without hesitation.
"Then we'll have to leave."
"You think you can just walk away?!"
The casual dismissal enraged the Rain ninjas. They lunged forward as one.
"I'll handle this."
Kin's eyes flashed. An invisible force erupted outward.
"Genjutsu: Conqueror's Haki!"
One of the Three-Colored Haki, classified as a genjutsu, unleashed an overwhelming pressure that crushed the will of weaker ninjas.
The perfect tool for clearing mobs.
The frontmost ninja's eyes rolled back as he collapsed.
A chain reaction followed. One by one, the Rain ninjas dropped like flies, unconscious before they hit the ground.
Only a handful remained on their knees. The Conqueror's Haki wasn't sustained, but its one-time impact was still too much for most to endure.
"Lord Hanzo... won't spare you...!" one of the kneeling ninjas gasped.
Hanzo was their god. No one could defeat the ninja hailed as the "Half-God of the Shinobi World."
That was the unshakable belief of every Rain ninja.
"Relax. I just want to talk to your Lord Hanzo," Kin said with a smile.
The Rain ninja's eyes widened in confusion.
Wait—you're not here to invade?!
Then why didn't you say so earlier?!
His vision darkened as he, too, succumbed to unconsciousness.
...
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(End of Chapter)