Chapter 412: Lord Hanzo’s Conspiracy, Muzuki’s Suicide?

“Not even Yahiko and the others?” Nagato asked after a moment of silence.

Nagato could sense that Yahiko deeply respected Muzuki and saw him as a goal to strive for.

“Not yet. The fewer people who know about this, the better. Once it’s exposed, it will bring disaster to the Shinobi Sect,” Muzuki replied, shaking his head.

Muzuki trusted Yahiko’s character, but White Zetsu’s intelligence gathering ability was too strong. Muzuki had to set up a barrier before revealing his identity, and to prevent exposure, Muzuki only planned to let Nagato know his true identity at this stage.

“Then why tell me? If you didn’t say anything, no one should be able to find out,” Nagato said, looking into Muzuki’s eyes, his fingers unconsciously pressing and kneading the chair.

Muzuki’s transformation Jutsu was very strong; Nagato couldn’t see any flaws. He felt that Muzuki was capable of keeping it completely hidden.

Nagato didn’t understand why Muzuki would tell him specifically. He didn’t feel he was any more special than Yahiko, except for his eyes.

“As I said before, I didn’t want to interact with everyone under a false identity. It was merely a helpless measure forced by reality. Therefore, I believe there must be one person who knows my true identity. To prevent exposure, this person can only be the one I trust most within the Shinobi Sect,” Muzuki explained.

“I believe that if it’s you, Nagato, you can definitely keep my secret, just as you were willing to trust me and tell me your experiences.”

Looking at Muzuki, who had a gentle smile on his face, Nagato once again felt a sense of trust.

This trust didn’t come from nowhere, nor was it because of his Rinnegan. It was because he trusted Muzuki, and thus Muzuki also trusted him.

“I will do my best,” Nagato promised earnestly.

Muzuki trusted him so much, so he certainly couldn’t disappoint Muzuki. Moreover, Nagato felt that Muzuki was right; Muzuki’s true identity would indeed bring trouble to the current Shinobi Sect.

Then, Muzuki began to teach Nagato the Basic Breathing Technique.

Nagato had currently mastered six types of Chakra nature transformations, and none of them were particularly outstanding, so Muzuki hadn’t decided which Breathing Technique to teach Nagato yet, thus starting with the Basic Breathing Technique.

Teaching the Breathing Technique was the best choice. On one hand, Nagato himself had mastered many Ninjutsu, so his need for Ninjutsu was not great.

On the other hand, the cultivation and use of the Breathing Technique were not obvious, making it suitable for teaching in the current situation, and the Breathing Technique itself also had great potential.

“You taught your disciple the Basic Breathing Technique. Due to the disciple’s extreme gratitude, a critical reward was triggered, granting you the reward — Four Symbols Sealing (Proficient Level).”

Looking at the information displayed on the panel, Muzuki nodded inwardly.

Actively revealing himself earlier not only avoided Nagato suffering a major blow but also helped increase trust. This kind of small secret known only to two people could greatly promote the development of their relationship.

When Muzuki first revealed his identity, Nagato’s trust level dropped to one, but after Muzuki explained, Nagato’s trust level rose back to two, and teaching also triggered a critical reward, so overall, his trust level was increasing.

… … … …

Upon learning that Muzuki’s side was willing to cooperate, Lord Hanzo immediately chose a geomantically auspicious location where Muzuki and his group could rest in peace.

It was a valley. Lord Hanzo’s plan was to lure Muzuki and his group into the valley, then activate traps and have his Rain Ninja attack from above.

Lord Hanzo now regarded the Shinobi Sect as an enemy, so he would use every possible means to crush them, while minimizing losses for his Rain Ninja.

“This is how we should deal with these Ninja who spout peace but harbor malicious intentions,” Danzo Shimura said, very satisfied with Lord Hanzo’s specific actions.

Danzo Shimura had initially thought Lord Hanzo would disdain setting traps, but unexpectedly, Lord Hanzo was quite adept, which gave Danzo Shimura a feeling of regretting not having met him sooner.

Lord Hanzo nodded indifferently. He was not rigid when dealing with enemies.

Just then, there was a knock on the door of the Hidden Rain Village leader’s office.

“Come in,” Lord Hanzo said.

A Rain Ninja pushed the door open and quickly entered the office, reporting, “Lord Lord Hanzo, there are Iwagakure Ninja who wish to see you. They seem very angry.”

Lord Hanzo frowned. Coming at this time, it could only be about the Shinobi Sect Ninja killing the Iwagakure Ninja.

Danzo Shimura put on an apologetic expression and sighed, as if regretting that his subordinates’ cover-up work hadn’t been thorough enough.

“It seems my subordinates missed something,” Danzo Shimura said, looking apologetically at Lord Hanzo.

Danzo Shimura’s expression was feigned, but he wasn’t lying. This wasn’t his arrangement; Iwagakure suddenly getting involved might cause unexpected problems for his plan.

“It’s not your fault. I misjudged them,” Lord Hanzo said in a deep voice.

The Land of Rain and Konoha had no friendly assistance treaty; Danzo Shimura had no obligation to help him. Danzo Shimura had already done his utmost, so how could Lord Hanzo blame him?

Then Lord Hanzo looked at the Rain Ninja who had entered the office. “Bring them in.”

Lord Hanzo had intended to deal with Muzuki and his group first, then explain the situation to Iwagakure, but since Iwagakure had already come knocking, Lord Hanzo had no choice but to clarify things now.

“Iwagakure is still at war with Konoha, so I will take my leave now,” Danzo Shimura said, standing up to depart.

Wanting to sign a peace treaty with Iwagakure was merely Danzo Shimura’s excuse, so he had no intention of meeting the Iwagakure Ninja.

Lord Hanzo nodded in understanding.

Even if Danzo Shimura didn’t leave, Lord Hanzo would have to ask him to. Otherwise, if the Iwagakure Ninja saw Konoha’s second-in-command chatting with Lord Hanzo in the Hidden Rain Village leader’s office, and then connected it to the incident of Rain Ninja killing Iwagakure Ninja, the Hidden Rain Village would truly be unable to clear its name, even if it jumped into the sea.

Soon, the Rain Ninja returned, bringing three Iwagakure Ninja into Lord Hanzo’s office.

Lord Hanzo subtly observed the three approaching Iwagakure Ninja.

The leading Iwagakure Ninja wore a red tight-fitting combat suit with brown Jonin chainmail over it. His body looked very sturdy, his features were ordinary, but his nose was very large.

“To send Kitsuchi, it seems Iwagakure takes this incident very seriously,” Lord Hanzo recognized that the leading Iwagakure Ninja was Kitsuchi, the son of the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki.

As the son of a Kage, Kitsuchi’s strength and reputation were not as great as Fourth Raikage Ay’s, but in the current Ninja World, he was considered a well-known young prodigy.

“Recently, we discovered that Ninja wearing Land of Rain headbands killed our Iwagakure Ninja. Our Iwagakure needs a reasonable explanation,” Kitsuchi said, getting straight to the point.

Although Lord Hanzo was hailed as a top Ninja in the Ninja World, Kitsuchi had the entire Iwagakure behind him, so Kitsuchi showed no fear.

The Second Shinobi World War had fully proven one fact: having a top-tier Ninja World expert could not change the outcome of a war.

Of course, this doesn’t mean an individual cannot change a war; it just means Lord Hanzo, as a strong individual, wasn’t strong enough. Senju Hashirama had already proven the limit of individual power to the Ninja World.

“Regarding this matter, our Hidden Rain Village expresses deep sympathy, but this was not done by Hidden Rain Village Ninja. It was done by a group of Land of Rain Ninja called the Shinobi Sect,” Lord Hanzo began to explain.

Lord Hanzo told Kitsuchi the entire story, from beginning to end. However, because Konoha and Iwagakure were currently at war, Lord Hanzo changed the discovery by Root Ninja to discovery by patrolling Rain Ninja.

“Although they are not Hidden Rain Village Ninja, they are still Land of Rain Ninja. I am deeply saddened by such an incident, and I will kill all these Ninja who intend to provoke a war between the Land of Rain and Iwagakure,” Lord Hanzo stated his solution.

“They are all brave warriors of our Iwagakure, performing important missions for Iwagakure. Lord Lord Hanzo, you are a top Ninja renowned throughout the Ninja World and a reasonable person. Do you think a life for a life can offset this incident?” Kitsuchi did not agree with Lord Hanzo’s proposal.

Based on information about the Land of Rain, Kitsuchi knew that Lord Hanzo’s words were eighty percent likely to be true. After all, with the Hidden Rain Village in its current state, how could it possibly have the guts to provoke the Five Great Ninja Villages?

But this did not prevent Kitsuchi from seeking greater benefits for Iwagakure.

Lord Hanzo understood Kitsuchi’s meaning. To put it simply and directly, it meant they needed more money.

“Such an unexpected incident is indeed a dereliction of duty on our part as Rain Ninja. We are willing to provide some compensation for the fallen Iwagakure Ninja,” Lord Hanzo said expressionlessly.

Lord Hanzo was very displeased and annoyed right now, but he could only compensate Iwagakure because the current Rain Ninja had no strength to wage war against a Great Shinobi Village.

Lord Hanzo hated the Shinobi Sect even more, because all of this was caused by the Shinobi Sect.

Lord Hanzo quickly set a meeting time and dispatched an envoy to notify the Shinobi Sect. Immediately afterwards, he summoned the elite Ninja of the Hidden Rain Village and assigned them a mission.

The incident happened suddenly, and many Hidden Rain Village Ninja were not yet aware that Lord Hanzo planned to eliminate the Shinobi Sect.

Hundreds of elite Rain Ninja were gathered by Lord Hanzo in a conference room. Lord Hanzo’s deputy first explained the Shinobi Sect’s wicked deeds.

The deeds of Ninja Master Sōsuke and the Shinobi Sect had been circulating too widely in the Land of Rain recently. Lord Hanzo was worried that some Rain Ninja might believe Sōsuke, so he first let them know the true face of the Shinobi Sect.

“The Shinobi Sect publicly preaches peace, yet they killed Iwagakure Ninja, provoking conflict between the Land of Rain and Iwagakure. Their intentions are truly despicable…” Lord Hanzo’s deputy said indignantly.

Hearing that the Shinobi Sect’s Ninja had actually done such a thing, the Rain Ninja below were all surprised, because the Shinobi Sect had an excellent reputation in the Land of Rain since its appearance, highly regarded by both Ninja and the populace.

“I can’t believe Sōsuke… was so rebellious. I even thought he could bring positive change to the Land of Rain,” a Mist Village Jonin who had once been ordered to investigate Muzuki lamented.

Muzuki had displayed great strength, and when he lectured, he showed aspirations for peace, which gave the Mist Village Jonin a feeling that Muzuki could change the Land of Rain.

“Ichigo, you must be very unwilling, to be defeated by such a person,” the Mist Village Jonin said, looking at Kurosaki Ichigo who was sitting next to him.

Originally, given Kurosaki Ichigo’s time of joining the Hidden Rain Village, he shouldn’t have been able to undertake missions of this level. However, Lord Hanzo saw Kurosaki Ichigo’s strength and his past experience fighting Muzuki, giving Kurosaki Ichigo special treatment.

“Yes, next time I will definitely win,” Muzuki’s Shadow Clone said, smiling and nodding.

Honestly, sitting in a conference room and listening to others plan against himself was quite interesting.

After the meeting, Muzuki’s Shadow Clone returned to his temporary residence in the Hidden Rain Village, dispelled the Shadow Clone, and allowed the memories to flow back to the main body.

At this time, since it was already evening, Muzuki was alone in his room researching Sealing Technique.

After organizing the Shadow Clone’s memories, Muzuki quietly rushed to the Hidden Rain Village. Once he reached his sensory range, he directly used the Flying Thunder God Technique to move to his temporary residence in the Hidden Rain Village, created a Shadow Clone, and then used the Flying Thunder God Technique to leave again.

The Shadow Clone’s ability to achieve this effect was somewhat beyond Muzuki’s expectations.

He had originally only intended for the Shadow Clone to play a double role, but he didn’t expect the Hidden Rain Village to value the Shadow Clone’s strength and recruit it into the Hidden Rain Village.

Due to just joining, the Shadow Clone had very few missions and they were not high-level, which avoided the problem of excessive Chakra consumption and injuries for the Shadow Clone.

Muzuki also seized the opportunity to plant an informant in the Hidden Rain Village.

With the Shadow Clone as an inside man, Muzuki was practically personally participating in the conspiracy against him, knowing every trap’s location and type clearly.

Three days later, the day for discussing the great peace with Senior Hanzo arrived, and many Shinobi Sect Ninja were very excited.

If Senior Hanzo wasn’t deceiving them, this cooperation would indeed be a monumental leap forward for the Shinobi Sect, and not just one, but several at once.

“Uncle Sōsuke, are we all going together? Wouldn’t that be a bit inappropriate?” Yahiko asked after thinking for a moment.

He felt that bringing too many Ninja might leave a bad impression on Senior Hanzo, giving the impression of being wary of Senior Hanzo and suspecting ill intent.

Muzuki nodded and replied, “Indeed, not too many people are needed for a meeting.”

The opponent was, after all, a top-tier expert like Senior Hanzo. If too many people were brought, Muzuki couldn’t guarantee everyone’s safety.

Many Shinobi Sect Ninja looked at Muzuki with anticipation; no one wanted to miss such a significant event.

“Nagato, Yahiko, Konan, Kakuzu, Ikechou, Kuroda…” Muzuki called out eight Ninja’s names in succession.

These were the Ninja he thought highly of, whose strength was also prominent, and who had strong self-preservation abilities.

“Why do I have to go? I’m not even a Shinobi Sect Ninja,” Kakuzu twitched his eyelid and grumbled. He didn’t want to get involved in this mess.

“My meaning is, if you want to come, you can follow along. If you really don’t want to, you don’t have to,” Muzuki replied with a faint smile.

Kakuzu put on a thinking expression.

Yahiko’s face broke into an uncontrollable joyful smile upon hearing his name.

Yahiko, who had a strong sense of identity with the Shinobi Sect, was very happy to be able to participate in such a landmark meeting. Another point of happiness was that Yahiko had always wanted to talk with Senior Hanzo and was very curious about Senior Hanzo’s views on peace.

Nagato didn’t feel much; he was content as long as the Shinobi Sect could establish cooperation with the Hidden Rain Village, and didn’t need to witness it firsthand.

A trace of worry flashed across Ikechou’s face. He always felt that Senior Hanzo harbored ill intentions, and this meeting might lead to trouble.

“Boss, good luck! You’re going to meet your idol this time,” Kyusuke teased, knowing that Yahiko admired Senior Hanzo.

Yahiko scratched his head and smiled, not minding the comment.

Amidst the joyful farewells of dozens of Ninja, Muzuki and his group set off for the agreed-upon valley.

Kakuzu frowned, but ultimately followed Muzuki and his group.

He felt that this meeting would lead to trouble, so he didn’t really want to go.

But since Muzuki was going, Kakuzu had no choice but to follow, because if anything happened to Muzuki, he would have to wait fifteen years for the seal to automatically Release.

At the valley entrance, Muzuki and his group met Senior Hanzo, who was waiting for them.

Senior Hanzo had even fewer Ninja with him, accompanied by only two Ninja.

“Senior Hanzo, we meet again,” Muzuki greeted with a smile.

“I didn’t expect you to accomplish so many things that surprised me in such a short time,” Senior Hanzo said calmly.

Senior Hanzo still remembered how he had recently warned Muzuki to be careful of black market Ninja, and he hadn’t expected Muzuki to so quickly become his adversary.

Noticing Kakuzu beside Muzuki, Senior Hanzo was somewhat surprised.

Senior Hanzo wasn’t too surprised that Kakuzu was alive; after all, Kakuzu had been active in the black market for decades, so it was normal for him to have many ways to preserve his life.

But Kakuzu’s posture suggested he had joined the Shinobi Sect.

Senior Hanzo’s expression remained unchanged; an extra Kakuzu wouldn’t stop him from killing everyone.

With a large number of explosive tag traps and himself, a top-tier expert in the Ninja World, leading a hundred elite Hidden Rain Village Ninja, Senior Hanzo was confident he could eliminate anyone currently in the Ninja World.

In fact, the original preparations were even more thorough; Senior Hanzo had planned to capture a Shinobi Sect Ninja to threaten Muzuki and his group, but Muzuki was wary and kept the Shinobi Sect Ninja together. To avoid alerting them, Senior Hanzo gave up on the capture plan.

Moreover, Iwagakure was also coming to observe. To avoid exposing his cooperation with Danzo Shimura, Senior Hanzo could only regretfully decline Danzo Shimura’s assistance.

“Senior Hanzo, your deeds are what truly surprise me,” Muzuki replied with a faint smile.

The two parties walked into the valley, chatting and laughing.

Danzo Shimura, hidden in the shadows, also smiled at this scene.

He had spent a great deal of effort to pit Senior Hanzo against Muzuki and the Rinnegan, even losing a group of Root elite Ninja.

At this point, Danzo had actually changed many details of his plan.

Danzo had originally intended to kill Nagato and his group and frame Iwagakure, but he didn’t expect Nagato to be so strong, instantly killing all of his Root elite Ninja.

On the other side, the hidden Iwagakure Ninja silently observed everything.

After all, this was a confrontation between Ninja Master Sōsuke and Senior Hanzo the Demigod; even without a mission, Kitsuchi was very interested.

Though Sōsuke had only recently become famous, his combat record was solid, having decisively defeated Kakuzu in a direct confrontation.

“It’s a pity this isn’t a fair fight,” Kitsuchi thought, believing Lord Hanzo would definitely win.

Because this was inherently a conspiracy against Muzuki and the Shinobi Sect, Lord Hanzo had made preparations beforehand, while Muzuki and his group were still unaware.

Kakuzu looked around; both sides were high cliffs, and the valley’s entrances and exits were very narrow, making it easy to trap people.

“Lord Hanzo, what are your thoughts on the current situation in the Land of Rain? How do you think we can better achieve long-lasting peace for the Land of Rain?” Yahiko asked impatiently.

The Land of Rain was filled with legends of Lord Hanzo, and Yahiko had long admired him. Now that he saw him in person, it was only out of respect for Muzuki that he didn’t immediately converse with Lord Hanzo.

“Developing Ninja strength is the fundamental solution to the chaos in the Land of Rain. As for long-lasting peace, that depends on the situation of the great nations. Additionally, eliminating Ninja Organizations within the country that attempt to incite war is also very important,” Lord Hanzo replied to Yahiko’s question while gathering Chakra.

“And what else?” Yahiko looked at Lord Hanzo with anticipation, expecting to hear a grand discourse on peace.

Lord Hanzo did not continue to answer Yahiko’s question. He gave a look to the two Ninja accompanying him, then burst with Chakra, using Body Flicker Technique to flash to the top of the valley.

The other two Hidden Rain Ninja, upon receiving Lord Hanzo’s command, swiftly retreated and detonated the traps.

Boom!!

A violent explosion erupted, its roar echoing throughout the entire valley, and the dense smoke from the blast enveloped Muzuki and his group.

“Lord Hanzo is quite cautious,” Kitsuchi thought, feeling that the real Lord Hanzo was somewhat different from the rumors.

He wasn’t against Lord Hanzo’s methods; Ninja weren’t samurai, and Ninja didn’t have a preference for duels. A Ninja who could achieve victory was a good Ninja, but the rumors about Lord Hanzo were perhaps too idealized.

“I wonder if the Rinnegan can be directly transplanted and used like the Sharingan,” Danzo Shimura thought, wanting to retrieve the Rinnegan from Nagato’s body.

It was important that the enemy didn’t have the Rinnegan, and it was also important that Danzo Shimura himself had the Rinnegan.

After all, these were the eyes of the Six Paths Sage, imbued with a mysterious aura.

“Did the traps malfunction? The explosion’s location is wrong,” Lord Hanzo, observing Muzuki and his group from above, discovered a major problem.

He was supposed to have led Muzuki and his group to the center of the explosion, but instead, they were merely affected by the blast’s periphery.

As the dust and smoke cleared, a flowing water barrier was revealed, along with Muzuki and the others, completely unharmed.

The moment the explosive tags detonated, Muzuki condensed Chakra and used Water Formation Wall, perfectly blocking the aftermath of the explosion. Not even a speck of dust touched them.

Lord Hanzo frowned. According to his plan, this explosive tag trap should have killed all Ninja except Muzuki and Kakuzu, and simultaneously injured Muzuki and Kakuzu.

But due to an unknown anomaly, his explosive tag trap only consumed the Chakra for one Water Formation Wall from Muzuki, which made Lord Hanzo feel a sense of unease.

However, Lord Hanzo was not flustered. With 100 elite Hidden Rain Ninja plus himself, a top-tier expert, they could still resolve Muzuki and his group in a direct battle.

“What’s going on?” Yahiko looked blankly at the valley, which had been ravaged by the explosive tags.

He didn’t understand what had happened, or rather, his subconscious didn’t want to understand what had happened.

“What else could be going on? Of course, your admired Lord Hanzo wants to kill you all. To still be so naive at this point is simply too ridiculous,” Kakuzu scoffed mercilessly.

In Kakuzu’s view, Yahiko was too naive, terrifyingly naive.

“As expected, something was wrong,” Ikechou sighed.

When he saw the specific terrain of the meeting place, he was almost certain that Lord Hanzo had ill intentions, and he had warned Muzuki in a very subtle voice when they entered.

Just then, under the perpetually gloomy sky of the Land of Rain, a heavy rain began to fall, with large raindrops hitting everyone equally.

“Heaven is helping me; it seems there will be no more surprises,” a faint smile appeared on Lord Hanzo’s face.

For him, who was extremely skilled in Water Release, rainy weather was extremely advantageous, while for Muzuki, who specialized in Fire Release, it was the worst possible weather.

“Why… why did it turn out like this?” Yahiko looked at Lord Hanzo, perplexed.

They had been talking so well, why did he suddenly attack?

Nagato and Konan were also bewildered by the sudden turn of events. They both supported cooperation with the Hidden Rain Village and had completely not expected something like this to happen.

“Didn’t we say we would work together to maintain peace in the Land of Rain? Why are you doing this?” Yahiko loudly questioned Lord Hanzo.

At this moment, Yahiko deeply regretted his passionate speech before the vote. If it weren’t for him, perhaps there would have been more opposing votes.

Undoubtedly, this cooperation was a conspiracy, a conspiracy to eliminate their Shinobi Sect.

But Yahiko was truly puzzled; he didn’t understand why Lord Hanzo would do this, as eliminating them would bring Lord Hanzo no benefit.

“Am I not maintaining the peace of the Land of Rain?” Lord Hanzo replied calmly.

“If you truly desire peace for the Land of Rain, then die. The Land of Rain will be more peaceful without the Shinobi Sect.”

Yahiko clenched his fists, his eyes fixed on Lord Hanzo. He hadn’t expected Lord Hanzo to be such a treacherous and malicious person.

After this, Yahiko might never believe any rumors again. Lord Hanzo had truly taught him a harsh lesson.

“It’s nothing more than trivial reasons like worrying about you affecting his power,” Kakuzu scoffed, “You earnestly desire peace and seek nothing else, but others may not think that way. They only believe what they perceive.”

Watching Muzuki, Yahiko, and the others betrayed and in danger, Kakuzu felt as if he was seeing his past self.

Although the experiences weren’t exactly the same, the nature was quite similar.

“Sensei, I’m sorry,” Nagato looked at Muzuki with an apologetic expression.

He was also one of those who supported the cooperation, and Nagato felt that he was also at fault.

“How can this be your fault? You are just victims,” Muzuki shook his head and patted Nagato’s head.

If blame were to be assigned, Muzuki would also have to take some.

Because Muzuki knew everything, yet he silently watched the events unfold without intervening.

Stopping this event would not have been difficult for Muzuki; he simply wouldn’t have attended the meeting.

But then the conflict wouldn’t be resolved; it would only be delayed. As long as the Shinobi Sect continued to develop, it would inevitably clash with Lord Hanzo’s Hidden Rain Village, unless Lord Hanzo and his group also joined the Shinobi Sect.

But based on Muzuki’s understanding of Lord Hanzo, that was highly unlikely. Lord Hanzo had his own beliefs and pride, and without a special experience, he would not condescend to join a force created by a junior.

Muzuki’s current logic of action was actually the same as watching his disciples fight the Mist Village Jonin during the Chunin Exams.

He would try his best to train his disciples when he was 100% sure that no accidents would happen, but in the Land of Rain, there was an additional aspect of training the Shinobi Sect.

Since there was an unavoidable conflict, he would maximize the benefits while resolving it.

Muzuki believed that after this incident, Yahiko and the others would become more mature, and the entire Shinobi Sect would undergo a transformation.

Under Muzuki’s protection, the Shinobi Sect had always progressed smoothly, never encountering a single setback, which made some Shinobi Sect Ninja overly optimistic.

Whoosh!

Lord Hanzo threw a sharp Kunai, embedding it in the ground in front of Muzuki.

“Sōsuke, you are the founder and leader of the Shinobi Sect. If you are willing to commit suicide, I can spare the others,” Lord Hanzo said calmly.

Lord Hanzo wanted to end this battle cautiously, so he wouldn’t let go of any opportunity that could reduce his combat pressure.

Of course, even if Muzuki committed suicide, Lord Hanzo would not spare Nagato and the others, but this way Lord Hanzo could save a lot of effort.

Lord Hanzo’s words completely shattered Yahiko’s fan-boy filter for Lord Hanzo, leaving not a single trace.

Previously, Lord Hanzo was a great Ninja with lofty ideals in Yahiko’s heart. Now, Lord Hanzo was a treacherous and despicable scoundrel in Yahiko’s heart.

“Uncle Sōsuke, you absolutely must not do as he says! Let’s fight him!” Yahiko said through clenched teeth.

Now, he wished he could immediately rush up and punch Lord Hanzo in the face twice.

Although Lord Hanzo was very strong, Yahiko felt they still had a chance. Even if Muzuki couldn’t defeat Lord Hanzo alone, with Kakuzu, they would definitely win. And it would be easy for their seven Ninja to defeat two Hidden Rain Ninja.

“Perhaps more cooperation with Lord Hanzo will be possible in the future,” Danzo Shimura thought, finding Lord Hanzo’s actions more and more agreeable.

A Ninja who achieved victory by any means necessary was a true Ninja, and Danzo Shimura greatly admired the current Lord Hanzo.

“I do not recommend you make such a choice, because this is seeking death,” Lord Hanzo said expressionlessly.

As soon as Lord Hanzo finished speaking, the hundred elite Hidden Rain Ninja ambushing on the mountain instantly rushed out, looking down on Muzuki and the others from above.

Watching the Hidden Rain Ninja suddenly rush out, Yahiko was somewhat stunned.

He truly hadn’t expected Lord Hanzo to go to such lengths to deal with them, using both traps and a large ambush of Ninja.

Ikechou and Kakuzu were not surprised. Since it was Lord Hanzo’s conspiracy, how could he possibly bring only two subordinates?

For a moment, Muzuki and the others seemed to be in a desperate situation.

“I am the one in the Shinobi Sect who has best learned Uncle Sōsuke’s ideology. I will die in his place,” Yahiko said, grabbing a Kunai from the ground.

If his death could secure a path to survival for Muzuki and the others, Yahiko would die without hesitation.

After all, given how things had unfolded, he bore a great deal of responsibility. His fan-boy filter for Lord Hanzo had led him to trust Lord Hanzo too much.

“You are not qualified. Only Sōsuke, as the leader, is qualified,” Lord Hanzo rejected Yahiko’s proposal.

Among the eight people present, only Kakuzu and Muzuki caught Lord Hanzo’s eye. Everyone else, in Lord Hanzo’s eyes, were existences that could be instantly killed at will, not worth paying attention to.

“Sensei Sōsuke, you absolutely must not commit suicide! Even if you do, Lord Hanzo will never let us go!” Ikechou said quickly, worried that Muzuki might act impulsively.

Ikechou didn’t believe Lord Hanzo’s lies. To eliminate the Shinobi Sect, Lord Hanzo had resorted to deception and ambush; how could he possibly let go of the Shinobi Sect members who had walked into his encirclement?

Ikechou put himself in Lord Hanzo’s shoes and thought about it; he would definitely choose to nip the problem in the bud, not only killing all the Ninja in the valley but also clearing out all the Shinobi Sect Ninja who hadn’t come.

“Sōsuke, you’re naive but not stupid. Don’t make me look down on you,” Kakuzu continued to mock, his eyes fixed on Muzuki’s body.

Kakuzu felt that given Muzuki’s displayed intelligence, he shouldn’t commit suicide, but Kakuzu couldn’t be 100% sure, as Muzuki had still come to this clearly conspiratorial cooperation meeting.

“Ninja Master Sōsuke, how will you break out of this situation?” Kitsuchi, who was watching from the side, wondered curiously.

Kitsuchi put himself in Muzuki’s position and realized that if he were in such a predicament, he would surely die.

If he committed suicide, Lord Hanzo wouldn’t spare his companions, and if he didn’t commit suicide, he couldn’t win in a direct fight. Either way, it was death.