How could this be?
Hanzo stared blankly at the chained blade lying on the ground, helpless, like a child who had lost something irreplaceable.
He had spent his entire life honing his martial arts and mastering ninjutsu. Decades of training, countless battles, all etched into his body and mind.
And yet—now he couldn't use any of it.
How could he suddenly forget everything?
Hiroki observed the scene calmly.
As expected, nothing unexpected had happened.
Among the five most commonly used Windows functions, Deletion was also one of the most dangerous.
Yes—Deletion.
When using a computer, everyone casually right-clicks and deletes files they no longer need. It's such a common action that no one ever thinks twice about it.
After transmigrating, and with Deletion becoming part of Hiroki's "Golden Finger," it had never stood out as particularly remarkable. Compared to Copy and Paste—which allowed him to acquire and transfer abilities—Deletion had rarely been useful to him personally.
So he hadn't explored it much.
But a powerful function would always have its moment.
And now, the effect of Deletion was being fully revealed.
"What… what did you do to me?!"
Hanzo stared at the Konoha ninja in disbelief. After a brief pause, his voice rose sharply.
"What exactly did you do to me?!"
For the first time in his life, he felt terrifyingly weak.
"Lord Hanzo!" The Amegakure ninja immediately surrounded him, panic spreading across their faces.
"What's wrong? How do you feel?" Masao hurried forward to support him, only to feel something deeply unsettling. Hanzo's muscles were slack and unresponsive, lacking even the basic tension of a trained shinobi. His body felt more like that of an ordinary laborer than a legendary warrior.
"It's you!" Another Amegakure ninja shouted, pointing furiously at Hiroki. "You despicable Konoha scum! What trick did you use on him?! Undo your ninjutsu immediately!"
The Konoha side didn't respond.
All eyes were fixed on the impossibly calm black-haired boy.
This had been Hiroki's proposal.
Jiraiya swallowed hard.
He had witnessed countless brutal battles and terrifying forbidden techniques, but this scene sent a chill crawling up his spine.
Hanzo had forgotten his ninjutsu.
Just like that—after a single touch.
Tsunade clenched her fists, fighting the urge to rush forward. As a medical ninja, every instinct screamed at her to examine Hanzo's condition.
But this wasn't the time.
How had Hiroki done this?
From the shadows, Orochimaru's golden snake-like eyes never left Hiroki.
He had made the right decision by avoiding direct contact. Hiroki's abilities were clearly triggered by touch—but not only that. Even perception seemed enough to invite countermeasures.
Orochimaru said nothing.
Masao looked from the Konoha ninja back to Hanzo's vacant, confused gaze, and a horrifying realization struck him.
He turned sharply toward Hiroki and roared, "It was you! You sealed Lord Hanzo's memories! You destroyed him!"
"Silence."
The command was weak—but absolute.
The angry shouts died instantly.
Hanzo pushed away his subordinates and used the scythe—no longer a weapon, merely a crutch—to support himself as he stood.
He had to admit it.
This time, he had lost.
He had lost everything—his strength, his techniques, everything that had defined his existence. But he had not yet lost his dignity as a warrior or as a leader.
He looked at his furious subordinates, who were ready to die fighting, and slowly shook his head.
"Stop," he said hoarsely but firmly. "We lost. That much should have been clear days ago."
"But Lord Hanzo—!"
"No 'but.'" His gaze swept across every Amegakure ninja present. "Never forget this: strength does not come only from power. It also comes from belief. As long as we believe in protecting the Hidden Rain Village and pursuing peace, our path does not end here."
He turned and looked at Hiroki one last time.
"Konoha brat, you truly won," Hanzo said quietly. "We will honor our promise."
At his signal, Masao hesitated briefly, then threw a scroll forward.
"This contains the list and general locations of all remaining Hidden Rain ninja," Masao said.
Hanzo's expression grew complicated. "But without me, I can no longer restrain them. Whether they continue to serve the village or become criminals consumed by hatred… that is beyond my control."
With that, he turned away.
Supported by his subordinates, Hanzo began to leave—step by unsteady step.
"Stop."
A cold, oppressive presence descended suddenly.
"Valuable?" a harsh voice sneered. "I think you're utterly foolish."
Danzo appeared like a phantom, leaning on his cane. Rage burned in his single visible eye.
"You captured Hanzo alive—and you're just letting him go?" he demanded. "Do you even have Konoha in your eyes anymore?"
The Root ninja behind him spread out instantly, subtly surrounding the others. The atmosphere tightened.
"Lord Danzo, this was the Third Hokage's order—" Sakumo Hatake stepped forward.
"Sarutobi is far too soft-hearted!" Danzo snapped. His gaze cut toward the retreating Amegakure group. "They cannot be allowed to leave! Root, move—!"
He froze.
The rage in his eye vanished instantly, replaced by profound shock.
Something was wrong.
Terribly wrong.
Even a severely injured shinobi retained instinctive posture, balance, and muscle control—things carved into the body through decades of training.
Hanzo, a warrior whose taijutsu and weapon skills had reached transcendence, should have walked with a lowered center of gravity, every step prepared for combat.
But what Danzo saw was completely different.
Unsteady steps. Awkward balance. Stiff, unnatural movements.
Hanzo didn't look like a warrior walking.
He looked like someone imitating one.
Like a noble who had never stepped into the fields, copying how a farmer moved.
His muscle memory—his lifelong instincts as a shinobi—
Were gone.
"Hanzo… lost his combat ability?" Danzo asked slowly, staring at Orochimaru.
Orochimaru nodded once.
Danzo's eye widened.
Thoughts raced through his mind, finally converging on one terrifying conclusion. If even combat instincts, muscle memory, and ninjutsu could be erased—
No. He didn't understand Hiroki's ability well enough yet.
Danzo raised his hand, signaling Root to stand down, then turned to Hiroki.
After a moment of careful consideration—and recalling how Hiruzen usually spoke—he softened his tone.
"Hiroki-kun," Danzo said, "since this matter is settled, shouldn't we return to the village?"
He paused.
"There is… a new mission waiting for you."
A new mission?
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