"The treaty has already been signed. Sunagakure will honor its promise."
"What comes next is Konoha's business. It will have nothing to do with us."
"Next…?"
The Third Hokage frowned in confusion.
Wasn't the point of the treaty simply for Sunagakure to retreat?
What "next" business was there for Konoha?
"It seems you truly don't intend to negotiate with Amegakure."
"But someone over there seems very eager to speak with you."
"What do you mean by that?" Hiruzen looked sharply at the two. "Amegakure…?"
[He means you should be speaking with me.]
The same voice echoed from every direction.
"This is… Ventriloquism Jutsu. (Empty Cicada Shell Technique)"
The Third Hokage's instincts sharpened instantly.
[Water Style: Water Severing Slash.]
[Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu.]
The ground beneath Hiruzen's feet suddenly rumbled—violently.
"Not good!"
Before he even had time to think, a primal sense of danger forced Hiruzen Sarutobi to leap backward.
A thin, razor-sharp blade of water sliced up from underground where he had just been standing.
Immediately after, a roaring pillar of water burst from the earth, ripping the ground apart. It shot upward more than ten meters before twisting together into a massive water dragon, which then came crashing down toward the Konoha shinobi.
The Third Kazekage swept his hand, and an entire mass of Iron Sand wrapped around him and Chiyo, lifting them into the sky and away from the danger zone.
But not everyone had Hiruzen's reflexes.
The Nara clan head sensed the danger too—but four or five water blades erupted upward beneath him.
He dodged two.
The third severed his entire left arm.
The pain stole control of his body—and in that instant, two more blades of water sliced through him, erasing his consciousness entirely.
Several of Hiruzen's accompanying Konoha shinobi were beheaded before they even understood what was happening.
The Water Dragon crashed into the ground, the tremendous pressure gouging a deep crater as the impact exploded into a tidal wave.
Almost no one escaped the surging torrent.
They were thrown around like debris—Hiruzen included.
The wave slammed into him, leaving him with serious internal injuries.
But he had no time to care.
The chill of impending death crawled across his spine.
Gritting his teeth, Hiruzen bit through the inside of his cheek and wiped the blood across his hand—he had to summon Enma.
But his hands froze before he could form a single seal.
A scythe pressed against his throat.
"Impossible! I never sensed anything!"
Hiruzen's eyes flicked sideways, and he finally saw the figure behind him.
In truth, he had understood the moment the scythe touched his neck.
He simply refused to believe it.
"No… this can't be. How did you escape?"
Hiruzen's voice wavered with disbelief.
Water on the ground coiled upward again, forming a new Water Dragon that encircled Hanzō and the Third Hokage.
The water dragon held its position, its head aimed at the Konoha shinobi outside.
They tried to rush forward—but found themselves unable to break through.
"Release the Hokage!"
"Salamander Hanzō, stop this!"
Hiruzen finally regained clarity.
He looked once more at the two Suna shinobi floating in the air, and let out a bitter, self-mocking laugh.
"I expected Chiyo and the Kazekage to survive."
"But you? Of all people, I never imagined you would walk away alive."
"What a failure I am."
Hanzō's eyes narrowed.
[Your failure was inevitable.]
The Third Hokage relaxed his body completely, as though the blade at his throat were nothing more than a toy.
He turned his head slightly.
"Why? Why do you say it was inevitable?"
Hiruzen stared into Hanzō's eyes.
"At least let me die understanding why."
[Arrogance.]
"Arrogance…?"
[To be precise—your arrogance toward small nations.]
Hanzō's tone was icy.
[You never saw Amegakure. You never saw the Land of Rain.]
[To you—and to all of Konoha, to the entire Land of Fire—there is a natural arrogance in your hearts.]
The Third Hokage shook his head.
His neck brushed lightly against the blade, yet no wound appeared.
"I was never arrogant. I've always been alert."
[Wrong.]
[That alertness is something you only show towards the strong.]
[You were never wary of Amegakure. Never wary of the Land of Rain.]
[You still don't understand.]
"What do you mean?" Hiruzen asked.
Although villains often die from yapping too much—Hanzō had no intention of killing him yet.
He couldn't kill Hiruzen now.
If he died here, the plan would collapse.
Amegakure needed a dovish Hokage to return to power in Konoha.
If Hiruzen died, the Uchiha clan and especially Danzō would seize control.
And Danzō… for victory… there was nothing he wouldn't do.
Amegakure couldn't risk that.
[From beginning to end, you only kept your guard up against me.]
[Never against Amegakure as a whole.]
[In your eyes, a great nation never needs to stand side-by-side with a small one.]
Hiruzen frowned.
"I still don't understand. What does that have to do with this failure?"
Hanzō sighed deeply.
[When you devised this plan… did you ever consider this possibility?]
[That Sunagakure not only refused to cooperate with your scheme—but also leaked the entire plan to me.]
The Third Hokage's eyes widened.
He looked up at the two figures in the sky and roared:
"That's impossible! Why would they—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
His eyes changed.
Confusion faded.
Clarity sharpened.
"…I understand. So that's how it is."
Hanzō continued:
[It seems you've realized it.]
[In your mind, how could a great nation ever stand on our side?]
[The war is over. Once a small nation's usefulness ends… the next step is to dispose of us.]
[Even now, as you face death, you never once considered that possibility until I spelled it out.]
Hiruzen lowered his head.
"No… not just me."
"None of us ever imagined that possibility at the start."
"This arrogance… it's carved into our bones.
A fatal arrogance."
Hanzō wasn't done.
[Not only that.]
[In your mind, a trap of this level—no matter how capable I was—you believed I could never escape.]
[Because Amegakure's foundation is too weak.]
[We don't have the forbidden techniques to save ourselves.]
[You said it yourself earlier: Chiyo and the Kazekage might escape, but I would certainly die.]
[You weren't wrong.]
[That is the fate of a small village.]
[Sunagakure has the resources to escape death.]
[Amegakure does not.]
[And when you arrived and didn't see my corpse—you didn't even bother confirming.
[That is your arrogance.]
[Do you understand it now?]
Hiruzen exhaled slowly.
"At this point… I won't deny it.
Yes—the plan was designed by me and the Shimura clan head.
"And yes—the goal was to kill you."
"Use my life to vent your anger. But don't unleash that anger on Konoha. It won't help your village."
Hanzō's voice lowered.
[You're right.]
[I won't do anything that harms Amegakure.]
[I'll give you one chance. Any last words?]
"I want you to spare the Konoha shinobi behind me.
They pose no threat to you."
"I want them to carry my final message home."
Hanzō paused.
[…Very well.]
----------------------------///
1300 P.S Reached. the Designated Item Shall be Granted T_T
1300 P.S – Bonus
1600 P.S – Bonus
2000 P.S – Bonus
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