Hyuga Arin shot a glance at Hanzo.
He was seriously considering the odds of Hanzo turning on him if he wiped out both allies and enemies at the same time.
Yeah—probably one hundred percent.
And even if he really did unleash Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Technique, it might not accomplish much. Most of the people here were chūnin.
There were jōnin present, but blocking Hyuga Arin's ninTechnique wouldn't be hard for them at all.
Even with Sarutobi-bloodline-boosted Fire Release, there was no way to cross that many tiers and kill a jōnin—
Unless the other side chose not to resist at all.
Before he could think it through, Hanzo's men forced the blocking ninjas to either side, clearing a path forward.
Hanzo continued up the stairs.
By the time the two reached the fourth floor, there were barely any enemy ninjas left—only a few scattered individuals who tried to attack the moment they saw Hanzo.
At the same time, Hanzo's men surged up from behind, and the roles reversed.
The stairwell became a defensive choke point, with Hanzo's forces now blocking Shozo's men from advancing upward.
Seeing the remaining few ninjas on the fourth floor, Hyuga Arin was just about to act—
When Hanzo, already stepping onto the stairs leading to the fifth floor, said quietly:
"We're leaving."
Hyuga Arin had no choice but to stop and follow him.
As they climbed toward the fifth floor, there were no more ninjas in sight.
When they finally reached Shozo's quarters—
A single figure sat on the green tatami.
He wore a gray vest, one hand gripping the hilt of his sword. The blade pointed downward, already stabbed through the tatami mat.
Hearing footsteps, the man raised his head and looked at Hanzo.
"Hanzo-sama. You've come."
Hanzo's face was hidden behind his breathing mask, but Hyuga Arin knew—
His expression must be terrible right now.
Hanzo asked in a low voice,
"Where is Shozo?"
The person who should have been here was gone.
No wonder Hanzo was in a bad mood.
"Before Shozo-sama left, he said…"
The remaining ninja spoke softly.
"…you already know where he is."
Hanzo frowned slightly.
"But—"
The ninja stood up, pulled his blade from the floor, and casually swung it, his expression solemn as he faced Hanzo.
"If you wish to see the leader, you must defeat me first."
Hanzo merely gave him a cold glance, then turned and walked toward the window, completely ignoring him.
The man kicked off the ground and shot toward Hanzo.
Hyuga Arin's hand flashed—
A bronze blade condensed in his grip as he prepared to intercept.
But someone was faster than him.
Clang.
A blue-haired man suddenly appeared, blocking the strike with a kunai.
He wore a carefree, mocking smile.
"Tella, your opponent is me."
"Kuming."
The man named Tella's face darkened instantly.
…Hold on.
What kind of trash names are these?
Hyuga Arin shot an annoyed glare at the man called Kuming. That name felt strangely disrespectful to him.
Crash—!
Glass shattered as Hanzo smashed the window with his sickle.
He hurled the sickle's chain-end, wrapping it around Hyuga Arin's wrist.
"…Was that really necessary?"
Hyuga Arin stared blankly.
Hanzo jumped straight out the window, and Hyuga Arin had no choice but to leap after him.
Watching Hanzo run straight down the outer wall, Hyuga Arin ground his teeth.
Just you wait—once he leveled up enough, he was absolutely going to blow Hanzo up.
Hyuga Arin channeled chakra into his feet, sticking himself to the wall as he followed closely behind.
From the central tower, they emerged onto the street.
The road was spotless—and completely empty.
The ninjas who didn't want to get involved stayed home.
The ninjas who did want to get involved were all inside the building, killing each other.
So of course, no one was left outside.
Hanzo led Hyuga Arin straight out of the Rain Hidden Village—but not very far.
Just beyond the village stood an abandoned factory.
He walked straight in without the slightest concern for an ambush.
Inside, there were no ninjas waiting.
Only an elderly man wearing a black-and-white kimono.
A white flower was pinned to his chest, as if he were attending a funeral.
The leader of the Rain Hidden Village—
Shozo.
"You're here, Hanzo," Shozo said softly.
"I knew those people couldn't stop you."
Anyone could tell they wouldn't be able to stop Hanzo.
The gap in strength was obvious.
Hyuga Arin silently complained to himself.
"Shozo, it's time for everything to come to an end," Hanzo said in a deep voice.
The seat of the Rain Hidden Village's leader should belong to him.
Shozo didn't answer directly. Instead, he said calmly,
"Do you remember this place? This was where you rose to prominence."
Hanzo's gaze darkened, and he said nothing.
This was the testing ground where his body had been modified.
Shozo's face showed nostalgia.
"Back then, so many children were used. You were the only one who survived. Even I found it unbelievable."
Hyuga Arin glanced at Hanzo in surprise.
He felt that Yamato—the guy obsessed with reforestation in the future—would definitely have a lot in common with Hanzo.
Their fates were oddly similar.
If Yamato were here, he'd probably call him family.
"Enough nonsense," Hanzo cut him off impatiently.
"Today is your end."
Just from his tone, it was clear Hanzo was already losing his composure—nothing like his earlier calm.
Shozo didn't seem angry at being interrupted. He even smiled faintly.
"My end? I wouldn't be so sure. Do you dare kill me? If you kill me, you'll carry the title of traitor forever."
If Hanzo gained power illegitimately, the Rain Hidden Village could even seek help from the great ninja villages to eliminate him.
Most of the Rain Hidden Village wouldn't follow Hanzo either—instead, they'd try to overthrow him.
This was exactly why Hanzo had never made a move before.
The "righteousness" Shozo held wasn't symbolic—it was real.
As long as Shozo died at Hanzo's hands, or was directly linked to Hanzo, the seeds of disaster would be planted.
Even Shozo didn't understand why Hanzo had acted so decisively this time.
His gaze shifted to Hyuga Arin.
"So your backup plan is him?" Shozo asked calmly.
"Can he bear the weight of my death?"
The only explanation Shozo could think of was that Hanzo intended for Hyuga Arin to kill him—
Then have Hyuga Arin defect, placing the blame squarely on his head and redirecting the village's hatred.
Not only did Shozo realize this—
Hyuga Arin did too.
…Wait.
Seriously?
This escalated fast.
Hyuga Arin suddenly raised his hand and hurled a shuriken into the distance, drawing both men's attention.
"I saw a black shadow," he said awkwardly, forcing a smile.
"There's no one else here," Shozo chuckled.
"And no traps either."
"He can bear it," Hanzo said heavily.
I can't!!
Hyuga Arin desperately wanted to shout that at Hanzo.
But then again—
Shozo was worth over ten thousand experience points.
And Hyuga Arin really didn't want to let that go.
"Do it," Hanzo ordered.
Hyuga Arin immediately threw several shuriken, and the bronze blade reappeared in his hand.
But the battle he expected…
Never came.
The shuriken he threw—
Passed straight through Shozo's body.
They pierced him cleanly, leaving several bloody holes.
Shozo slowly closed his eyes.
Just like that—
He died.
…Dead?
Dead?!
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