[Congratulations.]
Hanzo's voice drifted forward through the clearing mist.
A thin line of blood seeped from the spot on Hiruzen's forehead where the sickle's tip had grazed him. It slid down between his eyes, traced along the bridge of his nose, and finally touched his lips as the blade withdrew.
"…Demi-God," Hiruzen murmured, his voice growing complicated.
He had fought with everything he had—yet all he could do was survive three minutes in Hanzo's hands.
Yes, the battlefield had been turned into water ahead of time.
But there was no denying reality—Hanzo's strength far eclipsed his own.
Just creating a lake of that size would require staggering chakra.
And during their battle afterward… how much of his power had Hanzo really used?
If Hanzo hadn't injected him with the antidote beforehand, that very first slash would have ended the fight instantly.
A cold intuition tugged at Hiruzen's mind:
Hanzo still hadn't fought at full strength.
Hanzo glanced at him.
"I believe now… we can have a proper conversation."
"Ah…" Hiruzen wiped the blood from his face.
Konoha shinobi rushed over, surrounding the Hokage.
A medic placed a chakra-glowing palm against Hiruzen's chest.
"Lord Third, I only know basic medical ninjutsu. I can stabilize you, but we should head back to the village immediately!"
"No. There is something more important right now." Hiruzen turned his gaze toward Hanzo.
"Let's change locations first. This place isn't suitable." Hanzō spoke.
The Third Kazekage and Chiyo descended as well. Everyone moved to a different area and sat down. Enma dispersed into smoke, returning to his summoning realm.
Hanzo settled opposite Hiruzen.
"Strength is the foundation of negotiation. Surely now… the voice of Amegakure carries some weight."
Hiruzen spoke calmly.
"State your conditions. As long as they aren't excessive, Konoha will agree."
Hanzo nodded.
"First—the amount of supplies listed in the original treaty must be doubled."
"The late Nara clan head already agreed to this."
"Unfortunately, that is no longer possible." Hiruzen turned to the Kazekage.
"We believed Ame no longer had the strength to continue fighting. To convince Sunagakure to withdraw early, we added the compensation meant for Ame onto their share."
"You monitored the earlier negotiations. You should know this already."
"We can still meet your material demands—but we can only pay half now.
The remaining half must be delivered in installments."
...
"Acceptable."
"However…"
Hanzo narrowed his eyes.
"It isn't enough."
"Too many 'accidents' occurred. Who knows if Konoha will stall the second payment later?"
"Or if your attitude will change once the war ends?"
"You must provide something equivalent as collateral… or a replacement."
Hiruzen exhaled slowly.
"What does Lord Hanzo desire?"
Hanzo's voice dropped.
"Land."
"I want territory near the borders of the Land of Rain."
"This is the second condition—the Land of Fire must excede 200 kilometers of land to us."
"The second half of your material compensation can also be replaced with land if needed."
"…"
Hiruzen fell deep into thought. Finally, he sighed.
"The daimyo has entrusted me with full authority. I am authorized to agree… But this is too much."
The Land of Fire was vast, and losing such territory wouldn't damage them fatally.
But this was the first time they were being asked to surrender land in defeat.
"If I agree to two hundred kilometers… the daimyo may abandon Konoha entirely."
"One hundred kilometers. That is the absolute limit of what I can bear as Hokage."
Hanzo nodded.
"Acceptable."
"But then—what will you use to replace the other half of the supplies?"
Hiruzen met his gaze.
"…Strength."
"Strength?"
"Yes. Ame is strong—but most of its power lies in you alone. If anything were to happen to you, Amegakure would collapse."
"Konoha's foundations run deep. Countless jutsu, advanced training, and forbidden arts—many of them could raise your strength further. You may even pass them on to your village, strengthening Ame long-term."
"What does Lord Hanzo think?"
Hanzo's eyes twitched open in shock.
"Forbidden jutsu as well?"
"As long as it isn't morally unacceptable."
"If you tell us what field you want to improve, we will select a list for you."
"This is our village's heritage—I cannot simply hand you the entire catalogue to browse."
...
"How much can you offer?"
"One S-rank forbidden jutsu. Eight A-rank jutsu."
Hanzo chuckled. "How generous."
"This is Konoha's foundation."
Chiyo suddenly leaned forward.
'Hanzo, be careful. Many forbidden jutsu have flaws—some require harsh sacrifices.
If Konoha alters the copies even slightly, the consequences could be disastrous.'
Hanzo turned to Hiruzen.
"…"
"I swear on the name of the Hokage," Hiruzen said firmly, "I will not do such a thing."
"I trust you… but swear in the name of Konoha."
"No one in your village may tamper with them."
"Write it into the ceasefire treaty."
"…Very well."
Hiruzen looked exhausted.
"What field of jutsu does Lord Hanzo want?"
Hanzo grinned. "I already know."
"Years ago, during negotiations with the Hidden Cloud, the Gold and Silver Brothers ambushed you."
"Second Hokage Tobirama Senju held off the entire pursuit force alone, buying your squad time to escape."
"I want the technique he used—the Flying Thunder God Technique. (Flying Raijin Jutsu.)"
Hiruzen's eyes darkened, stirred by memory. After a long moment, he nodded.
"The Flying Thunder God isn't a forbidden jutsu—merely an S-rank technique. Are you sure you want to exchange your single forbidden-jutsu slot for it?"
He himself had studied it.
Despite being "just" S-rank, it was far harder than many forbidden arts—requiring extraordinary space-time aptitude, reflexes, and perception. He made zero progress and eventually gave up.
But Hanzo…
Hanzo was unpredictable. His ability to create a jutsu that annihilated two thousand enemy shinobi spoke volumes of his talent.
His speed and sensory perception were already monstrous.
And Konoha no longer had time.
Kumo's assault intensified.
Kiri was faltering.
Iwa had drawn away massive numbers of troops.
If Ame became unstable again…
"I've decided." Hanzō pressed.
Hiruzen clenched his teeth.
"Very well. You will receive the Flying Thunder God Technique."
"As for the eight A-rank jutsu—select whatever you want. Just don't give us common trash. I trust Konoha wouldn't stoop that low." Hanzō added.
"You need not worry about that. Any more requests?"
"One last point—as agreed with the Nara clan head, a 200 km demilitarized zone inside the Land of Fire."
"That shouldn't be difficult."
Hiruzen nodded.
"No issue. We accept."
"Then we can finalize the contract."
Hanzo wrote on two scrolls and handed them over.
...
"Look them over. If there's no problem, sign."
Hiruzen examined them carefully, then signed his name on both and imprinted his chakra.
"My students… they're unharmed in Amegakure, I hope?"
"Of course."
"Once the ransom arrives, I'll return them."
Hiruzen: "The payment will arrive alongside the supplies. As for the jutsu scrolls—elite jonin will deliver them."
"Then this meeting is concluded." Hiruzen lifted his face and let out a long, weary sigh.
He had arrived with seven shinobi.
He left with five.
None of the negotiators sent earlier survived—including the Nara clan head.
And because of Hanzo's Water Style, they didn't even know where the bodies were.
Recovery was impossible.
After Hiruzen's group departed, the Third Kazekage and Chiyo approached Hanzo.
"The chakra he emanates feels… depleted," the Kazekage said.
"That the 'Strongest Hokage' can appear so defeated—it's shocking."
Chiyo watched Hiruzen's fading silhouette.
"He's around forty now. His strength hasn't declined… but improvement is impossible."
Hanzo shook his head.
"His purpose will be over if he loses his grip."
"Even if he died right now, he wouldn't be a dull blade. I will declare him a hero since he died pleading for his men's life. But…"
The Kazekage frowned. "You think he's lost his will?"
"Perhaps."
"But if he ever regains it—"
Hanzo paused.
He recalled how Hanzō, after being reincarnated in the future, forcibly broke the grip of Edo Tensei by sealing himself—cutting open his own poison sac to restrict his body.
It was truly a respectable decision.
"..."
People numbed by the 'Will of Fire'… could they truly lose conviction?
Even Hanzo wasn't sure.
Chiyo spoke.
"Our objective is accomplished. We should leave. Hanzo of the Salamander—I look forward to working with you again."
"Hopefully not as enemies." Hanzō blatantly said.
The Kazekage and Chiyo departed toward the Land of Wind.
Hanzo watched them disappear before narrowing his eyes.
"Those two… weren't the real bodies."
He had seen the Third Kazekage's true Magnet Style before.
The scale and precision earlier were far inferior.
But their consciousness was undeniably real.
"Something akin to a Mind Transfer Jutsu…yet able to use their own jutsu. It must have limitations."
"As expected, great nations can never be underestimated."
"Their foundations run too deep."
Once alone, Hanzo walked to the lake where he had battled Hiruzen.
"Release."
The surface rippled.
A large bubble rose—inside was an unconscious Konoha shinobi.
A Hyūga.
Hanzo plucked him from the burst bubble and removed his forehead protector.
The Caged Bird Seal was carved into his skin.
"A branch member? No matter."
"You're free of your cage now. After all, you're 'dead' to Konoha."
"If you cooperate—good."
"If not… I'll seal your memories and teach you Amegakure's doctrine."
"Then you can fulfill the dream of my previous life."
Hanzo smirked.
"A harem king. Even now, I can't help but envy that."
"Whether Amegakure can obtain the Byakugan… depends on you."
"If we can't seize a main-family Byakugan on the battlefield…"
"I'll simply raise a new generation myself."
"The Hyūga branch must harbor deep resentment toward the main family. When they meet on the battlefield someday—what a sight it will be."
Chuckling, Hanzo hoisted the Hyūga onto his shoulder and headed back toward the Amegakure.
He still had to visit Iwagakure's forces… and collect interest.
---
Meanwhile
Far away, after traveling some distance from the meeting grounds, the bodies of the Third Kazekage and Chiyo began to stiffen.
Cracks formed on their skin—and flakes of black iron sand fell away, revealing their true appearance beneath.
Human-shaped puppet shells.
Once the iron sand fully flaked off, their true limbs emerged—still human in form, but unmistakably puppet constructs.
Their feet no longer touched the ground; instead, they glided through the air toward a hidden location.
There, the true Kazekage and Chiyo opened their eyes.
Chiyo smiled.
"This human-puppet development is a success. With just a small amount of your flesh, we can make a puppet that uses Magnet Style with such power."
"No."
"They can use my Magnet Style, but the power is far inferior."
"The only reason they performed well today is because I used the 'Spirit Flight Jutsu' to transfer my consciousness into the puppet body."
"Left on their own, the puppets' Magnet Style is weak—far from my true capability."
"But we can mass-produce them."
"Suna has plenty of death-row inmates. Better to turn them into something useful than feed them for free."
"…It's morally questionable." The Third Kazekage hesitated.
"Can you defeat Hanzo as you are now?"
"…"
Perhaps once, yes.
But now… even he wasn't confident.
After a long moment, he exhaled.
"…I might be able to take him down with me."
"Then imagine this," Chiyo said slowly.
"We create dozens… hundreds of such puppets."
"Dozens of Magnet Style puppets fighting in unison—they might match your power."
"And if we move the battlefield to the Land of Wind's deserts…"
The Third Kazekage froze—eyes widening.
"…that may be our chance to revive the Land of Wind."
-----------------------------///
1600 Reached. As Promised
2000 P.S – Bonus
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