Hanzo froze for a split second.
Then a chill shot up his spine, straight to his scalp.
If anyone else had said those words, he might have dismissed them outright—
But this was an Uchiha.
That name alone carried enough weight to demand caution.
"Release!"
Without hesitation, Hanzo surged his chakra and broke the genjutsu.
The world spun—
And his perspective flipped.
From looking down at Ren—
To looking up at him.
Hanzo found himself bound by his own chains, while Ren stood atop Ibuse's head, gazing down from above.
Flames burned across Ren's body, radiating blinding light. His expression was obscured—
But his scarlet Sharingan gleamed through the fire, sending a chill through Hanzo's heart.
Beneath him, Ibuse lay completely still, like a lifeless puppet—
Clearly trapped in the illusion as well.
"…When did it happen?"
"I've been on guard since the moment we met. I never even made eye contact with you!"
Hanzo's voice carried disbelief.
Ren's tone remained calm.
"When you focus too much on one thing… you tend to overlook everything else."
"It's true—the Sharingan's genjutsu is feared throughout the shinobi world. Some even call it the 'Hypnotic Eye.'"
"So when facing an Uchiha, people instinctively guard against eye contact."
"But genjutsu… isn't exclusive to the Sharingan."
"A subtle movement. A careless word."
"That's all it takes to drag someone into an illusion."
"Especially when their attention is fixed elsewhere."
Because of the Sharingan and the Flame-Flame Fruit, Ren didn't need to devote excessive effort to ninjutsu.
Instead—
He had chosen to specialize in genjutsu.
Not just Sharingan-based illusions—
But all forms.
He recalled something he had once questioned:
During Neji Hyūga's battle against Kidōmaru, Neji's Byakugan had a blind spot due to the Caged Bird Seal.
Kidōmaru exploited it repeatedly.
But—
A normal person's field of vision was far narrower.
Did that blind spot truly define weakness?
If so, how did ordinary shinobi survive?
In truth—
Neji relied too heavily on what he could see.
He was adept at defending against visible attacks—
But less so against unseen ones.
Ren exploited that same cognitive bias.
If people expected Sharingan genjutsu—
Then let them guard against it.
And strike from elsewhere.
Even Hanzo—
The so-called Demigod—
Had fallen into that trap.
"…The new generation truly surpasses the old."
Hanzo exhaled, a hint of resignation in his voice.
"If you intended to kill me… I would already be dead."
"I've lost this battle."
But—
He could lose as an individual.
Not as the leader of Amegakure.
With a roar, Hanzo tore free of the chains and lunged forward.
"Bloom… Scarlet Spider Lily!"
Ren formed a one-handed seal.
The trap he had planted earlier activated.
Hanzo halted abruptly.
His body temperature was rising—rapidly.
He pulled open his clothing.
Over his heart—
A fist-sized black seal had formed.
Branch-like markings spread outward, threading through his body.
"Hanzo-senpai… I suggest you don't move."
"When you were trapped in the illusion, I sealed a mass of thermal energy into your heart."
"If I release it…"
"It will surge through your chakra pathways and detonate inside your body."
"In other words—your life is now in my hands."
Hanzo's pupils shrank.
"…What do you want?"
Ren lowered his hand and smiled faintly.
"I said from the beginning—I have no hostility toward you or Amegakure."
"I simply ask that… you do not interfere with what I intend to do."
Hanzo frowned.
"That's all?"
"That's all."
Ren nodded.
"Of course… if you're willing to help me deal with Danzō Shimura, even better."
Hanzo's expression darkened.
"…It seems I have no other choice."
He had never imagined falling to this point.
At over sixty years old—
His prime had long passed.
His era… was over.
"…Even so—Genjutsu: Sharingan!"
Just as Hanzo let his guard down—
Ren struck again.
The earlier illusion had been simple.
Easily broken.
But this—
Was true Sharingan genjutsu.
Only now—
Did the battle truly end.
"Release!"
Hanzo formed a hand sign, dispelling the Summoning Technique.
Poof!
Ibuse vanished in a cloud of smoke.
He glanced at the devastated battlefield before turning back toward Amegakure.
Moments later—
Over a dozen shinobi appeared before him, kneeling.
"Hanzo-sama, has the battle ended? Who was the enemy?"
Hanzo replied calmly,
"Rise. The enemy has been dealt with."
"Seal off this area. Do not allow civilians near. We'll discuss the rest later."
"Yes!"
Because of Hanzo's poison, every battlefield he left behind required containment.
The shinobi quickly moved to secure the area.
Hanzo, meanwhile, returned to his residence.
After washing and changing, he summoned his most trusted subordinate—
Ameyu.
"Any unusual activity from Konoha or Iwagakure lately?"
Ameyu thought for a moment.
"No major changes. But their skirmishes have intensified. Casualties have nearly doubled compared to last week."
A sharp light flickered in Hanzo's eyes.
"And our surveillance teams?"
"…Two squads have gone missing. Based on the scene, they were likely caught in the crossfire and killed."
Hanzo fell silent.
Danzō had already begun moving.
It wouldn't be long before he made contact.
Seeing Hanzo's silence, Ameyu asked cautiously,
"Hanzo-sama… is there more to this? That intruder earlier—"
Hanzo cut him off calmly.
"He came to assassinate me. He bore Konoha markings—likely attempting to drag Amegakure into the war."
Ameyu's expression tightened.
Linking this with Hanzo's earlier questions—
He quickly realized the implication.
"…A fourth faction? Someone trying to provoke war between us, Konoha, and Iwagakure?"
Hanzo shook his head.
"Not necessarily."
Ameyu's eyes widened.
"…You mean… this was done by Konoha or Iwagakure themselves?"
Hanzo nodded meaningfully.
"Every village has its restless elements."
Ameyu's face darkened.
"What should we do? Inform them?"
Hanzo's response was blunt.
"Would they believe us?"
"…Would they even listen?"
Ameyu fell silent.
In the eyes of great nations—
The Land of Rain's voice didn't matter.
Hanzo continued,
"They likely already sense something is wrong."
"And since this may be their own doing… they understand it better than we do."
"Whether they choose war or peace depends on their interests."
"We cannot influence that."
"What we can do…"
"Is restrain our own forces."
"Recall all surveillance units except those stationed outside their main camps."
"We cannot let hatred cloud their judgment."
"…Understood."
After a pause, Hanzo added casually,
"By the way… is Akatsuki still active?"
Ameyu nodded.
"Yes. Their ideals are gaining support. They've grown to over a hundred members."