Uzumaki Mito froze for a second, then erupted in anger.
"Join Amegakure."
Hanzo's second half of the sentence finally arrived.
"… "
Mito forcibly suppressed the urge to punch him.
This man had an absurd talent for dramatic pauses.
"Join your Rain Village? Are you after the Nine-Tails inside me, or the inheritance I carry?"
Hanzo shook his head.
"A Tailed Beast? Sorry, I happened to meet one recently and promised I wouldn't trouble the others. Hanzo keeps his word. I don't need the Nine-Tails."
"What I need is your sealing-jutsu heritage. Amegakure is rebuilding from ruin, and I plan to establish a sealing division."
"You're an Uzumaki powerhouse who survived since the Warring States era. How could I let you slip away?"
Mito pressed a hand on Kushina's shoulder.
"…No. If you want sealing techniques, I can leave them to you in scroll form. But staying in Amegakure is impossible."
"You're thinking too narrowly," Hanzo said.
"Do you still not understand the Uzumaki clan's situation?"
"You Uzumaki are natural jinchūriki. Walking blood banks. The best living medical equipment."
"Without protection, hiding is their only hope. If the Five Great Nations or smaller villages discover them, they will suffer fates worse than death."
"How many years do you have left? Have you thought about the girl behind you? Can you protect her until she can stand on her own?"
"You don't want anything to happen to her, do you?"
"You…" Mito gritted her teeth.
"Even so, find someone else. I will never join another ninja village."
"You will," Hanzo said calmly.
"All disagreements come from insufficient benefits."
"In simpler terms—you haven't been offered enough."
"What do you mean?" Her eyes turned cold.
"I'll compromise. Five years. Teach in Amegakure for five years. In return, I'll give you ten years of life."
He waved his hand grandly.
"Five years of wholehearted teaching. After that, you're free. I won't stop you."
"Ten years is enough to watch the girl grow up. The remaining five will let you travel half the shinobi world searching for Uzumaki survivors."
Mito's gaze wavered.
"…When you extended my life earlier, you used your own life force, didn't you?"
"Trading ten years of your life for five years of teaching… Hanzo, don't you think that's too great a loss?"
Hanzo looked at her seriously.
"If I feared death, I wouldn't be Hanzo of the Salamander."
"Some things can't be measured like that. Ten years of my life for five years of a top-tier teacher for Amegakure…"
"The possibilities those five years create will shape generations."
"I don't consider it a loss."
Mito asked quietly, "Is Amegakure really worth this?"
"There's no worth or not worth," Hanzo replied.
"I never had many friends. Even now, only subordinates stand beside me."
"Amegakure is my only bond. It's like my child."
"That can't be measured."
"…You're very much like Hashirama," Mito said softly.
"If the village were threatened, he would never spare anyone—even friends or family."
"I hope your village never becomes like Konoha."
"I accept. I will stay in Amegakure for five years. After that, you must not stop me."
"Of course. I keep my promises," Hanzo replied.
"But I have a question. What happened in Konoha? Why did you leave?"
"That… is a long story."
---
Meanwhile – Border of the Wind and Earth Countries.
Sunagakure and Iwagakure forces clashed fiercely.
After killing a Suna ninja, Roshi turned toward a rushing Iwa shinobi.
"Lord Tsuchikage, Bad news!"
"What happened?!"
"The village was attacked by a Suna puppet unit! Supply lines are destroyed. Repairs will take at least a week!"
Roshi's face darkened.
Without supplies, the front line would starve.
"They're staying near the village to lure us back. Their mobility makes them impossible to catch."
"…They're forcing me to retreat."
But he couldn't leave the battlefield.
With a sigh, Roshi slammed his hands on the ground. Two coffins appeared.
"Summoning Jutsu: Reanimation."
"Second Tsuchikage. Ōnoki. I'll need your help again."
---
Back to Hanzo and Mito...
After hearing Mito's story, Hanzo was stunned.
"So Danzo was nailed to the wall…?"
"I left that night. I don't know what happened after."
Hanzo frowned.
Danzo hadn't even received the news.
Konoha must have cut off his intelligence network.
"Typical Hokage scapegoat," Hanzo muttered.
"Still, Hiruzen must have protected him. Otherwise the Mist front wouldn't be stable."
Hanzo looked at Mito.
"You didn't destroy Konoha after learning the truth. You're kinder than I expected."
"Konoha's corruption lies with a few, not everyone," Mito said quietly.
"It was once my dream too."
"The Senju aren't extinct. Tobirama dispersed many into the civilian population."
Hanzo sighed.
"Too bad Hiruzen survived. This war would've been more interesting."
"You can deal with him yourself," Mito replied.
"He's the last favor I grant Tobirama."
Hanzo smirked.
"Even after he participated in Uzushiogakure's destruction?"
"… "
"That must be your last attachment to Konoha."
He handed her a scroll.
"With this, you may travel freely throughout the Land of Rain."
"Two months. Amegakure's academy opens then. I expect you there."
"No problem. I'll visit Kusagakure first."
Hanzo vanished instantly. Mito and Kushina departed toward Grass Village.
Along the road, Hanzo muttered to himself:
"Danzo is completely in Hiruzen's hands… and doesn't even know it."
"Oh well. Hiruzen won't let him die."
"I'll just earn some extra money."
"Poor Danzo… played in the palm of someone else's hand."
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