Shimura Danzo's reaction was beyond Hanzo's expectation.
He originally thought that the attitude he showed to the Root Ninja would be enough to make Shimura Danzo retreat in defeat.
But Shimura Danzo did not give up; instead, he personally came to the Land of Rain.
"Lord Hanzo, Shimura Danzo wishes to see you," reported the Rain Village's Anbu.
Hanzo frowned slightly; Shimura Danzo's level of action was unusually high.
He had only left the Root Ninja hanging for a few days, and Shimura Danzo personally came to the Land of Rain, which was unexpected given his status.
"Bring him in then," Hanzo said.
After all, Shimura Danzo could represent Konoha as the Hokage Assistant.
Even though the mere mention of Shimura Danzo's name made him uncomfortable, Hanzo could not treat him like an ordinary Konoha Jonin.
The Rain Village's Anbu nodded and quickly left the office, soon bringing Shimura Danzo into Hanzo's office.
After bringing him in, the Rain Village's Anbu silently exited the office and closed the door.
Hanzo looked at Shimura Danzo with no expression.
Shimura Danzo's face was somewhat sullen, and his exposed slender eye stared at Hanzo.
Hanzo was displeased, and so was Shimura Danzo.
His plan to ambush Sosuke and seize the Rinnegan was an operation he hid from Sarutobi Hiruzen; the longer he was active outside, the more likely Sarutobi Hiruzen would discover it.
Shimura Danzo had originally planned to come to the Land of Rain only when his plan was one step away from the ambush, but Hanzo's attitude forced him to come early.
"May I ask what brings the Assistant Danzo to Rain Village?" Hanzo asked calmly.
After all, Shimura Danzo was the Hokage Assistant, and Hanzo certainly could not fight him.
Unless Hanzo was prepared for war with Konoha.
"Naturally, I'm here to assist you, Hanzo," Shimura Danzo replied, his tone eased somewhat.
Shimura Danzo felt he was indeed helping Hanzo; if he were Hanzo, the Ninja Sect wouldn't have survived to establish itself, and would have been eradicated while traveling in the Land of Rain.
Forget about traveling lectures; Shimura Danzo only saw that Sosuke's followers were increasing, and so was his fame.
"Oh?" Hanzo looked at Shimura Danzo with some doubt.
Is he here to help him go to an early grave?
"Rain Village is in danger," Shimura Danzo sighed.
"Why do you say that?" Hanzo asked.
He wanted to see what trick Shimura Danzo was trying to pull.
"Sosuke harbors ambitions and employs various means to enhance the Ninja Sect's reputation. Now many ninjas mention the Land of Rain and think not of you, the Demigod, nor of Rain Village, but of Ninja Master Sosuke and the Ninja Sect," Shimura Danzo continued.
"If this continues, the Ninja Sect will gradually encroach on Rain Village's survival space, ultimately replacing Rain Village and leaving it as nothing more than dust in history."
Shimura Danzo was not speaking nonsense; ninjas do not engage in production, so where does their money come from?
Two major sources: one is the military funding provided by the Daimyo, and the other is commissions issued by clients.
If the Ninja Sect steals Rain Village's commissions, Rain Village's decline is inevitable.
"Thank you for your warning, Danzo. I am already prepared to compete with the Ninja Sect, and I believe that our Rain Village's ninjas will not lose to the Ninja Sect's ninjas," Hanzo replied, as if he was well-prepared.
Can Rain Village truly compete with the Ninja Sect? Hanzo was not very confident.
Sosuke is younger than him, and under Sosuke, there is the Ninja World's greatest prodigy, Nagato.
Nagato alone can ensure the Ninja Sect won't fare poorly for the next forty years.
Shimura Danzo's narrow eyes slightly narrowed; this Hanzo was not quite perceptive.
Nonetheless, Shimura Danzo had already prepared himself mentally; if things were that simple, he wouldn't have come personally.
"Hanzo, you are open and straightforward, but Sosuke may not compete with you fairly. As far as I know, the Ninja Sect has close ties with Hidden Rock," Shimura Danzo intended to give Hanzo one last opportunity.
If Hanzo still wouldn't agree, then he would have to speak plainly.
"Really? As far as I know, Sosuke is not a bad person," Hanzo countered.
Not only was Sosuke not bad, but even in the face of grievances between Rain Village and the Ninja Sect, he managed to earn the admiration of a large batch of Rain Ninjas.
Upon hearing these words, Shimura Danzo understood his worst fears were coming true.
The Ninja Sect's strategy to repair relationships had worked; now the Rain Ninjas and the Ninja Sect were no longer as opposed as before.
This further solidified Shimura Danzo's conviction in the correctness and necessity of his plan.
If Rain Village and the Ninja Sect united, they might indeed create a force strong enough to threaten the Great Ninja Village.
"That's only the semblance that you see," Shimura Danzo refuted Hanzo's counter.
"Rain Village's crisis is not just in the competition with the Ninja Sect, but also within the Land of Rain itself."
"Hanzo, you wouldn't want to see the Land of Rain relive the scenes of the last Ninja World war, would you?" Shimura Danzo spoke ominously.
Whoosh!
Crash!
Hanzo's Chakra surged, and the powerful and terrifying momentum rapidly rose to the extreme Hanzo could reach, whipping up an air current that blew the papers on Hanzo's desk away.
"Shimura Danzo, what do you mean?" Hanzo's gaze became extremely sharp, as if it could penetrate Shimura Danzo's body.
The Second Ninja World War was Hanzo's greatest pain in his life; he wanted to seek more benefits for the Land of Rain, wanted to break the order of the Five Great Countries with the Land of Rain.
But he overestimated Rain Village's strength, underestimated the strength of those Great Ninja Villages.
Ultimately, it led to the Land of Rain's devastation, the whole country engulfed in war flames, not only failing to develop but even becoming more backward.