6 Hanzo

"Akatsuki?"

Listening to the ninja's report below, Hanzo bearing the title 'Demigod,' rose from his seat, gazing down at the reporting ninja and asked, "What is it?"

The ninja knelt halfway on the ground, with a respectful expression on his face: "Yes, there have been rumors about them in the village recently."

"Is that so? There are still ninja like that in our village." Hanzo said, donning a mask that covered the lower part of his face, revealing only a pair of sharp eyes.

"I greatly welcome powers committed to solving problems through peaceful means. It will also bring me one step closer to my dream of uniting the five great nations through peace."

"But these people appeared so suddenly. I'm worried there's someone behind them."

At this moment, the ninja below said, "I heard they are disciples of Jiraiya from Konohagakure."

"Jiraiya..."

These words brought back memories to Hanzo, and the image of a young man with white hair and a determined face appeared in his mind.

"The Sannin?"

"Yes, after Jiraiya fought with Lord Hanzo, he didn't return to Konohagakure. Instead, he stayed here and taught war orphans how to learn ninjutsu for three years."

"Are you one of his students?" Hanzo said with a smile on his face, "That boy's character is one that deserves compassion."

"I want to meet with the leaders of the Akatsuki organization."

"Yes, Hanzo-sama."

The ninja below received the order and then left through the door.

Suddenly, the entire attic fell silent, with only the continuous patter of raindrops hitting the outside world.

Hanzo suddenly spoke to the empty attic, "Is it your village inciting them?"

"No." A voice came from behind the screen.

A figure was outlined in the dim candlelight.

Slowly, the figure emerged from the shadow of the screen, revealing a stern face with scars.

His appearance seemed to deepen the already somber atmosphere of the attic.

In this dim environment, his eyes looked very cold, and he spoke in a cold tone, "Akatsuki... Such an organization surely does not exist in the world."

"Do you want to destroy them, Danzo?"

Hanzo stared directly at Danzo, with a hint of doubt in his tone.

Danzo answered coldly, "The existence of such an organization in the world will only disrupt the peace of the five great nations. Only absolute power can suppress everything."

When Hanzo heard this, a hint of doubt appeared in his eyes. After all, the people in this Akatsuki organization all came from his village.

Danzo continued, "Don't you want help from Konohagakure, Salamander Hanzo?"

Hanzo fell silent for a moment.

Danzo saw his hesitation, like an evil ghost from hell, he continued to whisper in his ear: "If the Akatsuki organization is eradicated, Konohagakure will immediately ally with Amegakure."

"Isn't this the peace you've been waiting for?" He sneered.

The philosophy upheld by the Akatsuki organization is gentle; they hope to build a bridge of world peace through communication among humans.

But Danzo couldn't tolerate such a concept.

Amegakure is located at the intersection of three warring nations. If the Akatsuki organization truly realizes this concept and ends the Third Great Ninja War, it would be unacceptable to him.

Because only continuous war can make Konohagakure stronger, with more resources and leadership.

Therefore, for Danzo, the Akatsuki organization must be eradicated. And Hanzo, as a strong ally, is the key to achieving this goal.

Listening to his words, Hanzo's eyes became firm: "Then let them sacrifice for our peace."

Danzo smiled faintly.

＊＊＊

"Hanzo-sama wants to meet with us?"

Yahiko took the scroll handed by Hanzo's messenger, with a surprise that was hard to hide.

He quickly scanned the contents of the scroll, and his joy was evident, "Yes, we understand."

The messenger nodded slightly, bid farewell, and left.

Yahiko couldn't wait to turn around and show the scroll to Nagato and Satoru, "Look, our efforts weren't in vain, Hanzo-sama finally recognizes us!"

His face was filled with the joy of victory.

Nagato and Konan also came to see the scroll, with undisguised joy in their eyes.

In their minds, Hanzo has always been their role model and goal.

As the leader of Amegakure, Hanzo has always been committed to maintaining peace, and his heroic actions inspire them to keep moving forward.

However, Satoru was not as happy as the others.

He stared at the messenger's back with a serious expression on his face.

"Hanzo?" He murmured softly, "The leader of Amegakure known as the 'Demigod'?"

Satoru muttered quietly, "It seems like the last warning didn't catch that person's attention."

However, he didn't know that during the turmoil of the Third Great Ninja War, the ninja who delivered that warning met with an accident in a foreign village before returning, and even failed to send the message back.

Satoru's eyes pierced through the window, through the village streets, and landed on the attic at the highest point of Amegakure.

There lies the magnificent and mysterious residence of Hanzo.

"It seems I have to go there myself." he said lightly, with a smile that was hard to understand on his face.

＊＊＊

After Danzo left, Hanzo sat firmly in his high position, holding a scroll tightly in his hand, containing records of major and minor events in the village.

His eyes slowly scanned the scroll, pondering every movement in the village.

"Who goes there!"

Suddenly, Hanzo's eyes gleamed, and a strong pressure immediately filled the air.

He stared coldly in one direction, his tone showing unquestionable majesty.

In the darkness, a figure slowly emerged, facing his gaze.

It was a pair of deep and cold blue eyes, like the deep blue sea, mysterious and distant.

It was Gojo Satoru.

Satoru smiled gently, with a hint of playfulness in his smile, "It seems the perception of the 'Demigod' is indeed warranted."

There was an unseen danger hidden in his words.

Hanzo looked at the man in front of him carefully, with an indescribable vigilance in his eyes.

"Who are you?" He asked coldly, sensing the uneasy vibrations from the other party.

Afraid?

How long has it been since this word appeared in his vocabulary?

Since he became known as the 'Demigod,' he seemed to have become accustomed to displaying unmatched majesty and calmness in front of everyone.

"You invited us to meet, don't you know who I am?"

There was a playful tone in Satoru's voice, as if he was testing his reaction.

"Invitation?" Hanzo was momentarily stunned, then reacted, "Are you from the Akatsuki?"

There was a clear tone of hostility in his voice.

"Bingo." Satoru said with a smile, seemingly unsurprised by Hanzo's reaction. "Correct answer."