Hanzō had been defeated.
The news spread across the Ninja World overnight, leaving everyone stunned.
Who was Hanzō?
Born in a small hidden nation, he once held off both the Third Hokage and the Third Kazekage on his own. Time and again, he walked the line between life and death, yet always survived, even daring to provoke the Five Great Nations.
No one doubted Hanzō's strength.
Even those who found him unbearable had no choice but to admit he earned the title of "Demi-God."
In the past few decades, how many shinobi had been worthy of being called a god?
The last was the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.
That title alone spoke volumes about Hanzō's power.
Yet this very man, standing at the peak of the Ninja World, had been defeated by a young shinobi and even captured.
It was the most shocking news in years, more unbelievable than when the Third Kazekage was taken by Orochimaru.
After all, the Kazekage had faced multiple opponents. His defeat could be explained. But Hanzō had fallen in a direct one-on-one battle.
Instantly, Konoha's Lightning Flash rose to unprecedented heights, surpassing even the Five Kage.
A few months earlier, when Hayashi stormed Kirigakure and ended the war on his own, some claimed he had only taken advantage of the released Six-Tails. Now, no one dared question his strength.
What made it even more terrifying was his age.
Hayashi was only eighteen, far from his peak.
If he could already defeat a Demi-God now, who could possibly stand against him in the future?
The aging Kage? Or the still-developing prodigies from other villages?
But wasn't Konoha's Lightning Flash already the greatest genius alive?
Who could surpass him?
At that moment, many began to see a familiar shadow in him.
Uchiha Madara.
Strictly speaking, the past forty years of the Ninja World could be divided into two eras.
The first was the age of Hashirama and Madara.
Even after their deaths, the First Great Ninja War was merely an extension of their influence. Only after that war ended, when the second generation of Kage began to fade, did their era truly come to a close.
Its peak had been the battle at the Valley of the End, where the two nearly destroyed half the world.
No one understood their overwhelming presence better than the Five Kage. Their power loomed like dark clouds, blocking out all hope.
As long as Hashirama and Madara lived, no other nation could rise. That was an unbreakable rule for over a decade.
The second era was the rise of the Five Great Nations.
Konoha remained dominant, still the strongest village.
The students of the Second Hokage held positions of power, while figures like the Sannin and Hatake Sakumo continued to grow stronger.
But compared to Hashirama's era, the difference was enormous.
After all, no ordinary shinobi could compare to legends like them.
Now, with Konoha's Lightning Flash defeating Hanzō, people began to sense the beginning of a new era.
But if Hayashi was the new Madara, then who would become the new Hashirama?
Without someone to oppose him, would the world fall under a single dominant force again?
That was a future the other four great nations refused to accept.
Yet they were powerless.
This war had been started to suppress Konoha, but instead, Konoha only grew stronger with every battle.
For a time, the entire Ninja World was thrown into chaos, with urgent meetings held everywhere.
Meanwhile, the man at the center of it all had nothing to do.
Inside a camp tent, Hayashi sat quietly, staring at a recipe with a troubled expression.
"Sugar to taste… what does that even mean?"
He frowned.
"One spoon? Two? Or three?"
"And how big is this spoon supposed to be?"
He sighed.
Fighting Hanzō had been easier than this.
Deciding to play it safe, he planned to add less sugar, but his hand slipped, and half the bag poured in.
Startled, he quickly added some salt to balance it.
After nodding in satisfaction, he turned the page.
"When the oil is moderately hot, add scallion, ginger, and garlic, then simmer on low heat… this seems simple enough."
At that moment, the tent flap opened, and Hatake Sakumo walked in.
He paused and sniffed the air.
"What is that smell?"
Hayashi turned and smiled.
"Clear-simmered Salamander. Come try some, Sakumo."
He had personally defeated Hanzō and brought back the Salamander. A few days earlier, the camp had made a large pot of soup from it.
Although the creature was poisonous, its toxins were confined to specific organs. The meat itself was safe, tender, and surprisingly nutritious.
Sakumo had tried it before. It tasted good, but he still found the creature unsettling.
He shook his head.
"I'll pass. You can have it."
Hayashi looked disappointed.
"That's a shame. I heard Salamander is good for the kidneys."
"…?"
Sakumo instantly used Body Flicker Technique and sat down.
"Well, even if I don't need that, I do feel a bit hungry."
Hayashi chuckled and handed him a pair of chopsticks.
"It's not ready yet. Let's start with something else."
On the table were dishes prepared earlier by Mikoto. Hayashi also brought out two flasks of sake, and the two began drinking.
"Pack some Salamander for me later. I guess I actually like it," Sakumo said.
Hayashi nodded.
"I already set some aside, but you'd better be quick. It won't last long."
Sakumo blinked.
"Wasn't the Salamander huge?"
"I gave most of it to the camp for soup and shared the rest with some acquaintances."
Hayashi lowered his voice slightly.
"The Third Hokage alone took half."
"…What?"
Sakumo's expression turned strange.
"The Hokage needs that kind of thing?"
"He said he has a friend with weak kidneys who needs it," Hayashi replied thoughtfully.
"Then what about the elders? Homura and Danzo are both single. Do they need it too?"
"I didn't dare ask."
"…."
"Done."
As steam rose from the pot, Hayashi skimmed the surface and poured a bowl for Sakumo.
Sakumo frowned.
"You serve just like the camp cooks. It looks like a feast when you scoop it up, but once it's in the bowl, it's just soup."
Hayashi laughed awkwardly and handed it over, not taking any for himself.
Sakumo didn't think much of it. He blew on the hot surface and took a sip.
"…Ugh."
Hayashi leaned closer.
"How is it? It's my first time cooking. Mikoto usually handles this."
"…."
After a long silence, Sakumo clutched his throat and spoke hoarsely.
"It tastes great."
His voice sounded completely different, trembling slightly.
It reminded Hayashi of the time he tasted Kushina's cooking.
"…Ah!"
Hayashi suddenly shouted.
"I just remembered, I'm only eighteen. I don't need anything for my kidneys."
"…."