Two months later.
Amegakure.
Hanzō sat in the seat of honor.
Below him stood the three members of the Akatsuki trio he had summoned.
Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan.
The reason Hanzō had been wary of Akatsuki in the past was that, although they wore Amegakure forehead protectors, they obeyed assignments but not authority.
They had established a vigorous shinobi organization within the Land of Rain and gathered a sizable force under their banner.
That posed a threat to his authority as the supreme commander of Amegakure.
Interestingly, Yahiko and the others didn't view Hanzō as an enemy. On the contrary, they greatly admired him.
They simply felt that Hanzō's policies in recent years had become too conservative and passive, and that he had done nothing to change Amegakure's poverty. Unable to sit by and watch, they wanted to fill that gap themselves...
Naturally, this could be seen as an attempt to seize power, but the young idealists failed to realize that. They genuinely believed they were fighting for the village and for their ideals.
So when Hanzō summoned them, Yahiko and the others really did come.
"Hanzō-sama!"
Yahiko sat in the seat of honor reserved for guests, with Konan on one side and Nagato on the other.
"Hmm..."
"You're Yahiko of the Akatsuki, correct?"
Hanzō nodded and looked over the three of them in turn.
"You three leaders are quite interesting. Orange hair, blue-purple hair, and red hair—you certainly stand out."
Yahiko scratched his head awkwardly.
Hanzō's friendly attitude caught him completely by surprise.
He had been expecting threats right from the start...
"I have some intelligence I'd like to verify with you."
"You say Nagato has Uzumaki blood?"
Hanzō glanced at Nagato's eyes. They did indeed have a ripple-like pattern, but he felt no pressure from them whatsoever.
'So it really is just a rumor? As if something like the Rinnegan actually exists...'
Nagato froze for a moment, noticing Hanzō's attention. Without hesitation, he brushed aside his red hair.
"Hanzō-sama, the shape of my eyes is a bit unusual, but..."
Hearing that, Yahiko burst into laughter.
"Some people even say they're the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths. If only that were true! I'd love for Nagato to clap his hands together and make sure everyone in the Land of Rain had a full stomach!"
Nagato smiled helplessly.
In truth, he knew these eyes possessed something special.
He just didn't fully understand what.
Whenever he fell into a state of overwhelming rage, their power would awaken—but he would lose his detailed memories afterward...
They were cursed eyes.
But Nagato had never told Yahiko or Konan about that.
No one wanted their companions to think their power was uncontrollable, like a ticking time bomb...
"Heh..."
"They're just a pair of eyes."
Hanzō waved a hand dismissively.
"The Akatsuki. Interesting. I've looked into your ideals. You believe peace doesn't require overwhelming military strength, but rather mutual understanding between people."
"To be honest, it's very naïve."
Yahiko and Nagato immediately frowned.
"Why do you say that, Hanzō-sama?" Yahiko asked seriously.
"Without force, even the best ideals are empty talk."
"And force isn't limited to ninjutsu. Knowing how to use your brain is a form of force as well..."
Hanzō tapped his temple and said meaningfully: "Yahiko, the organization you've created has even attracted some of my own shinobi. You never informed me beforehand."
"Do you think I might see that as you competing against me?"
"I'm the leader of Amegakure. What you're doing is clearly challenging my authority."
Yahiko's expression froze.
"How could that be...? I never had such intentions, Hanzō-sama!"
Nagato and Konan also became tense.
One reason they had agreed to meet with Hanzō was because his reputation in Amegakure was genuinely impeccable.
The other was because Amegakure itself had changed recently.
Some of Akatsuki's companions had received messages from friends and family saying that the old Hanzō-sama had returned and that the village was visibly improving with each passing day...
As a result, quite a few members bid Yahiko farewell and returned to Amegakure.
Though the reputation of Hanzō of the Salamander had faded for a few years, his name was still the Land of Rain's greatest brand.
His influence was terrifying.
And Amegakure truly was becoming more prosperous at a remarkable pace.
Over the past few months, the delegation led by Hyūga Hiashi and Hyūga Kō had arrived.
The nobles of the Land of Rain were like men dying of thirst who had finally found rain. After only a few exchanges with the Hyūga main family, who excelled in etiquette and negotiations, they immediately produced huge sums of money to purchase the overseas version of the Sage Region Pills.
When the money reached Hanzō, even the legendary shinobi was stunned.
So this is how Big Brother usually gets money from nobles? It's faster than robbery!
"Don't be nervous. I know you didn't mean it that way. But you need to learn to mature."
Imitating Hiruzen's mannerisms, Hanzō took a sip of tea and poured a cup for each of the three.
"As the leader of Amegakure, I can tolerate some of your youthful naïveté..."
"But what if you were dealing with enemies instead? That same naïveté would only harm yourselves and your companions."
"You're all promising talents..."
"I heard you trained under Jiraiya of Konohagakure. You're his disciples, correct?"
The moment they had finally begun to relax, Yahiko and the others tensed up again.
By Hanzō's logic, they were practically a textbook opposition group cultivated by a foreign power.
They were stirring up trouble within the Land of Rain while maintaining inescapable ties to Konoha...
If that narrative spread, very few people would stand on their side.
"Hanzō-sama, it's true that we trained under Jiraiya-sensei for a period of time and became his disciples."
After a moment's thought, Yahiko answered firmly: "But we have no connection whatsoever with Konoha. We haven't even seen Jiraiya-sensei for many years."
Hanzō looked at him.
"Kid, you have a sincere heart. That's why you've managed to gather followers around you."
"But you need to understand that this world also has its gray side and its dark side."
"Come learn from me from now on."
"I hope you'll inherit my will and lead Amegakure well in the future."
The moment those words were spoken, Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan's eyes widened instantly.
This...
Was he planning to groom Yahiko as his successor?
The sheer decisiveness with which he turned an opponent into an ally was astonishingly bold!
Hanzō merely smiled.
Over the past few months, he had maintained regular correspondence with Hiruzen, and the two had discussed the Akatsuki issue extensively.
One particularly effective solution was to sell these idealistic young people a dream...
The moment they met, tell them they had the makings of a leader, then gradually guide and reshape them afterward.
Besides, with Hanzō's current physical condition, he would remain vigorous and powerful for at least another ten years.
Why should he be concerned?
"Hanzō-sama, this..."
"I'm so excited I don't even know what to say..."
Yahiko was practically stammering.
At that moment, he finally understood why some of his companions had chosen to leave the Akatsuki.
Hanzō truly was a charismatic man!
"Your line of thinking actually aligns quite closely with my own. The difference is that I've already put it into practice in Amegakure."
Hanzō handed Yahiko a document.
It contained the details of Amegakure's cooperation agreement with Konoha, along with publicly disclosed financial expenditures modeled after Konoha's system.
All of it had been implemented with assistance from the Hyūga advisory group and looked remarkably professional.
Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan were stunned.
The three of them crowded together, their heads nearly touching as they studied the document intently.
Sage Region Pills.
Work-for-relief programs.
Infrastructure upgrades.
Shinobi career transition programs.
...
"Konoha is actually this generous?"
Yahiko couldn't help but exclaim.
"Do they also believe that peace doesn't require military force? But they were the ones who started the Second Shinobi World War..."
Hanzō's expression immediately darkened, and he sternly rebuked him: "Don't talk nonsense! This is a serious matter of Amegakure's history!"
"The causes of the Second Shinobi World War have already been thoroughly investigated. Iwagakure was the one fanning the flames, while Sunagakure started it for the sake of expansion. Both Konoha and Amegakure were victims!"
"When brothers are manipulated by outsiders and later clear up their misunderstanding, shouldn't they reconcile?"
"Konoha has always loved peace. If they truly wanted to rely on force, they would have launched an unprecedented war back in the days of the First Hokage, the God of Shinobi!"
Yahiko froze and instinctively nodded.
Nagato and Konan exchanged glances but said nothing.
During the Second Shinobi World War, they had encountered all kinds of shinobi.
Konoha truly had been one of the more civilized factions.
Besides, Jiraiya had taught them for three years, and Hashirama's reputation was beyond reproach.
"I'm sorry, Hanzō-sama. I spoke out of turn..."
"Konoha's support for Amegakure shocked me so much that I lost my composure. My apologies."
Yahiko rose to his feet and bowed deeply.
Hanzō nodded slightly.
"You don't need to worry about your relationship with Jiraiya. In fact, it's one of the reasons I value you."
"You're young, capable, and connected."
"I've decided to put you in charge of the deep coordination efforts between Amegakure and Konoha."
"And you'll also supervise Amegakure's finances. You must ensure that every coin taken from the nobles is genuinely spent on the village and its shinobi."
As Hanzō repeated the plan Hiruzen had suggested to him, he couldn't help thinking that his big brother truly deserved his reputation.
Young people were hotheaded fools.
But hotheaded fools had their advantages too.
They were full of passion.
That made them ideal candidates for oversight work and practical responsibilities.
"Please rest assured, Hanzō-sama! Leave it to us!"
Yahiko replied enthusiastically.
Within those documents, he had seen plans for Amegakure's future infrastructure projects, flood-control measures, and countless contracts waiting to be completed by shinobi.
There were also low-rank missions that Konoha intended to share with Amegakure, enough to keep many Rain shinobi fed.
After giving it only a little thought, Yahiko felt that this nation of tears...
Might soon enter an era where it could finally smile in the rain.
Nagato, however, remained uneasy.
Because of what had happened to his parents, he still couldn't fully trust Konoha.
He couldn't shake the feeling that if Amegakure became so deeply tied to Konoha, would there even be a distinction between them in the future?
But he kept those thoughts to himself.
After all, Yahiko had accepted the proposal.
Konan, meanwhile, wasn't thinking that far ahead.
Her priorities were simple.
Making sure everyone had enough to eat came first.
Interestingly enough, Hanzō himself had once shared Nagato's concerns.
If Amegakure and Konoha became this intertwined, then after the Rain shinobi grew accustomed to a better life, any future separation would trigger catastrophic unrest.
But after giving it some thought, Hanzō ultimately chose to trust Hiruzen.
Not only because of his reputation, but because after Hiruzen had literally knocked some sense into him, he had also restored Hanzō's body and returned him to the peak of his strength.
In Hanzō's eyes, a man with Hiruzen's power and resources had absolutely no need to be so generous.
The main reason Konoha had chosen to cooperate with Amegakure was because the two leaders had admired one another from afar for years and genuinely respected each other.
So Hanzō no longer worried about such things.
'These young people adapt quickly...'
'Only by exposing them to Konoha's most advanced Will of Fire ideology can we rapidly influence most of the village's shinobi and lay the groundwork for future integration with Konoha.'
As Hanzō recalled the confidential information Hiruzen had shared with him, his heart couldn't help but surge with excitement.
Hiruzen had emphasized that if another Shinobi World War ever broke out, and Amegakure demonstrated sufficient sincerity, Konoha would further increase its support and begin treating them as one of its own.
On the foundation of deep cooperation with the Land of Rain's nobles and shinobi, the two sides could even become one in name.
Tariffs would be eliminated.
Markets would be interconnected.
Industries and mission systems would complement one another.
At the same time, Amegakure would retain a considerable degree of independence. As long as it adhered to the principles of the Will of Fire, the Rain shinobi would continue governing Amegakure themselves under a highly autonomous system.
Hanzō would remain Amegakure's leader.
The only difference would be that his title would become "Konoha Commissioner."
In addition, he would become the "Shōgun of the Amegakure Province of the Land of Fire," entering both the shinobi and noble hierarchies alongside Hiruzen.
He'd have both prestige and practical benefits!
The remaining questions, as far as Hanzō was concerned, were simply when Amegakure would have an opportunity to demonstrate its sincerity...
And how to quickly help the village's shinobi let go of their reservations and wholeheartedly embrace Konoha.
Time could certainly accomplish that eventually.
But Hanzō felt it was far too slow!
If progress was too slow, he would be letting down the favorable terms his big brother had secured for both him and Amegakure.
The Rain shinobi were still rather proud of themselves because he had fought two great hidden villages during the Second Shinobi World War.
Ironically, that very pride was what might end up harming them.
And there wasn't much Hanzō could do about it...
He couldn't exactly tell them that compared to Konoha and Hiruzen, both he and Amegakure were actually far behind.
As for the title of "the Sixth Great Hidden Village" that people liked to throw around...
It was best treated as a joke and laughed off.
With the treatment they were receiving now, they ought to cherish it while they could.
It's always cooler beneath a great tree's shade!
If Hanzō were to say something like that openly, it would severely damage his own authority.
Sometimes he even found himself thinking that if Amegakure suffered a setback—not too large, not too small—and the village's shinobi realized they weren't actually that powerful, it might even be a good thing...
Damn those Kumo bastards! When I actually need you to attack, you all turtle up like cowards! Bunch of useless trash!
Hanzō cursed inwardly.
He then turned toward Konan.
"I've looked into your background. You've mastered the secret Paper Release technique, correct?"
Konan nodded somewhat nervously.
"Yes, Hanzō-sama. Though it's still under development..."
"I've been wondering if I can use it to produce explosive tags and pre-prepared scrolls..."
"My mastery of Fire Release chakra nature transformation is pretty poor, so manufacturing explosive tags hasn't been very successful."
Hanzō's eyes lit up.
"Excellent! Konan, from now on you'll serve as the deputy head of Amegakure's primary processing industry. We need to fully capitalize on your strengths!"
Konan froze.
Who was it that kept saying Hanzō had lost his former vigor and become obsessed with power?
The way he boldly delegated authority with a wave of his hand made him look every bit the heroic giant of the shinobi world!
Rumors truly couldn't be trusted...
Meanwhile, just as Hanzō was wondering when someone might finally come and attack Amegakure—
Black Zetsu, who had been monitoring everything, rushed to report the situation to Uchiha Madara at the highest possible speed.
'That brat Nagato still hasn't been pushed far enough emotionally to fully master the Rinnegan's power, so Hanzō can't recognize it yet...'
Black Zetsu thought grimly.
'We absolutely cannot allow the Rinnegan to attract any more attention from the shinobi world!'
'I've always said Uchiha Madara isn't exactly bright, yet he insists on coming up with all these ridiculous plans. Why couldn't he just carry out the Eye of the Moon Plan himself?'
'Getting old really makes you useless!'
For a very long time, Black Zetsu had been assigned by Madara to monitor Nagato...
Having been away from Madara for so many years, it knew nothing about the changes he had undergone.
In Madara's mind now, the spokesman plan had become merely the second-choice backup.
His top priority was using his world-shaking wisdom and ninja way to beat some sense into Hiruzen—the inheritor of his youthful ideals!
...
Land of Water.
Hi-kun burst out of the ground in a panic.
"This is bad! This is really bad, Madara-sama!"
"Hanzō and Nagato have reached an agreement! The Rinnegan is at risk of being exposed. You need to go back and take a look immediately!"
Madara spun around sharply.
"How is that possible?"
"That Hanzō is nothing more than a mediocre man who lost his spirit after suffering defeat. And those Nagato brats created that organization of theirs specifically to threaten his position!"
"He should've felt his authority was being challenged and tried to eliminate Nagato. Then I would've manipulated events so everyone around Nagato died, making the boy understand that the hatred of the shinobi world can never be erased!"
"And then he'd become the loyal spokesman of the Eye of the Moon Plan..."
Hi-kun let out a long sigh.
"Hanzō visited Konoha earlier and reached some kind of cooperation agreement with Hiruzen! We have no idea what they discussed. You know what it's like around the Hokage Residence—Hyūga are everywhere. Mito and those two Uzumaki girls are constantly going there too..."
"It's becoming harder and harder for us White Zetsu to stay hidden!"
"But Hanzō's transformation is definitely related to Hiruzen!"
Rubbing his chin like a military strategist, Hi-kun analyzed the situation.
The moment Hiruzen's name came up, Madara instantly calmed down.
"So it's related to Hiruzen?"
"Then it's not strange at all... not strange at all..."
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Without warning, Madara burst into laughter.
"Well played, Hiruzen! Before I even made a move against you, you've already struck first?"
"There's a bit of my younger self in that. This is becoming more and more interesting!"
"Come on, Hi-kun..."
A sharp light flashed in Madara's eyes.
"We're going to take back the Rinnegan!"
---
I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. >> patreon.com/TitoVillar
---