Chapter 36: Beware the Spectator (Part 3)
The Performance
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle.
Uchiha Kazuki clutched desperately at his throat, seemingly trying to stem the gushing blood.
But his carotid artery had been severed cleanly. Faced with such a catastrophic injury, even Tsunade would likely be helpless.
"Your eyes—I'll be taking those."
Hanzō extended two fingers, intending to gouge out the precious Sharingan.
"Stop right there, Hanzō!"
"Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"
Suddenly, a high-pressure water blade flew toward him with lethal precision.
The arc-shaped pressurized water blade was devastatingly sharp—even splitting the surrounding rock strata cleanly in two.
Hanzō reacted with battle-honed reflexes, immediately withdrawing his outstretched hand and retreating several meters backward. He established a relatively safe distance before looking toward the source of the interruption.
The people who had suddenly intervened were none other than his greatest threat—the ambitious 'young lions' eyeing his rule with hungry determination.
The Akatsuki organization!
"It's you!" Hanzō gritted his teeth with barely contained fury.
Revelation of Betrayal
"Lord Hanzō..."
Yahiko looked at him with profoundly complicated emotions, deep and indescribable pain visible in his eyes. "You actually allied yourself with Danzō."
"Now do you believe what I've been saying?" A twisted expression of hatred flashed across Konan's ice-cold, beautiful face. "The source of all this suffering is Hanzō himself. He's no longer the protector he once was. If we let this continue, we'll be killed by him and Danzō sooner or later!"
"Konan is right, Yahiko." Nagato also stood firmly by Konan's side, a hint of killing intent flickering in his deep purple Rinnegan eyes. "That wasn't just an ordinary dream—it was a divine revelation granted to Konan. It guided us here to expose Hanzō's hypocritical mask and witness the truth with our own eyes!"
"Konan... Nagato..."
Yahiko remained torn, caught in profound internal conflict and pain.
"Ugh..."
Hanzō clutched his head in sudden agony, feeling his thoughts grow sluggish—as if he'd forgotten something critically important.
The Akatsuki organization—why are they here?!
No, that doesn't matter right now.
His eyes filled with sinister malice as he stared at the three young shinobi, his face contorting with rage. "You rats hiding in the sewers—I'll eliminate all of you as well!"
A insidious voice seemed to whisper directly into Hanzō's ear.
Kill them!
As long as you kill them, you can secure your position permanently. No one will ever dare challenge you again!
"Amegakure is mine!"
Hanzō removed his respirator mask, exhaling purple poisonous gas freely. His long hair flowed wildly as he declared with fierce intensity, "No one can take it from me!"
Shattered Ideals
"Lord Hanzō..."
Yahiko's voice carried complex emotions—pain mixed with burning anger. "I misjudged you completely!"
He had once deeply revered this legendary leader who fought so desperately to protect Amegakure during the wars. He'd considered Hanzō his personal idol.
But as time passed and Hanzō aged, he seemed to have transformed into something else entirely. His methods of rule became increasingly brutal and paranoid—to the point where he refused to allow anyone to contradict him. The suffocating fear he instilled seeped into the hearts of Amegakure's citizens like a persistent, oppressive storm cloud.
Having suffered tremendously from endless warfare, the Akatsuki members firmly believed that force alone could never change Amegakure. Thus, they'd decided to embark on a different path.
Before this moment, despite constant ideological conflicts between the two factions, Yahiko had always believed their differences with Hanzō were merely philosophical—but that they were both ultimately fighting for Amegakure's future.
But now?
The last fragile thread of hope deep within his heart had been utterly shattered!
"Hanzō the Salamander, you've changed." Yahiko stared with anguished eyes at the figure before him—the one he'd once looked up to with such admiration. "You're no longer a hero, but merely a butcher who has abandoned his ideals, forsaken his dignity, and been utterly corrupted by power!"
"You're nothing but a pack of stray dogs! What right do you have to judge my choices?!"
Hanzō—seemingly driven completely insane—charged toward the three young shinobi, his kusarigama swinging wildly.
The chains rattled ominously, drawing a dark arc through the air. The scythe blade—coated with deadly salamander venom—slashed in a wide semi-circle, heading straight for Konan among the trio.
Battle Erupts
"Konan, watch out!" Nagato reacted fastest, positioning himself protectively in front of the other two. His hands blurred through seals. "Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
A thick, solid earthen barrier rose up dramatically, blocking the flying kusarigama.
"Paper Shuriken!"
Dozens of shuriken crafted from folded white paper flew out from behind the protective earthen wall.
"Konan, fall back!" Nagato's pupils contracted sharply, immediately recognizing the danger.
The prophetic nightmare had deeply affected Konan's psychological state, leaving her extremely agitated and unable to maintain tactical composure. Facing a legendary opponent like Hanzō, she was actually choosing to engage head-on recklessly!
"Yahiko, quickly stop Konan!" Nagato gathered chakra in the soles of his feet, shouting to shake the bewildered Yahiko from his stupor, then moved to support his teammate from another angle.
"Don't be reckless, Konan! Retreat immediately!" At this critical moment, Yahiko finally snapped back to awareness. "We didn't come here to fight!"
The original reason they'd tracked down this location was simply to reassure Konan and prevent her from being too psychologically affected by her recurring nightmare.
But... somehow events had spiraled catastrophically out of control!
Clang clang clang!
Hanzō swung his chains and weighted hammer with practiced mastery, creating a defensive storm around himself.
After deflecting all the paper shuriken effortlessly, Hanzō spun half a rotation and forcefully hurled the hammer, sending it hurtling toward Konan like a devastating meteor.
Buzz buzz buzz—
Three shuriken were thrown by Yahiko with perfect precision, embedding themselves in the gaps between the chain links.
The hammer was deflected from its trajectory. Nagato—like a predator that had sensed an opening—unleashed his chakra and charged forward explosively. In the instant he closed the distance, he formed rapid hand seals and released his technique. "Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
The violent wind was compressed between his palms, emitting a sharp, piercing screech.
WHOOSH!
A thin, nearly transparent wind blade shot forth, aimed directly at Hanzō's exposed neck.
Simultaneously, Yahiko on the left flank completed his own hand seals and took a deep breath. "Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire!"
Wind feeds fire, fire amplifies wind!
The two young shinobi's seamless tactical cooperation instantly sealed off all of Hanzō's escape routes.
The Demigod's Fury
"Damn brats!" Hanzō's eyelids drooped with calculating menace, a sinister glint flashing across his wrinkled face. "You think you can kill me? You're still far too inexperienced!"
Water Release: Water Body Flicker Technique!
Caught between converging wind and fire techniques, Hanzō's body instantly transformed into a puddle of water and vanished from his position.
However, before Hanzō could launch a surprise counterattack after escaping via Water Release, he heard the red-haired youth directly reveal his concealed location.
"Konan, fifteen meters to Yahiko's right rear!"
"Hanzō!!!"
White paper unfurled behind her like angelic wings as Konan flew into the air, her delicate face filled with chilling murderous intent. "As long as I kill you—as long as I kill you—that terrible future will never come to pass!"
The 'prophecy' shown in her dream was being confirmed step by step!
She absolutely could not accept the tragic future of losing both Yahiko and Nagato. She refused to endure that soul-crushing pain.
Since that's the case, I'll sever that future at its source!
"Dance of the Shikigami!"
Her paper wings shattered with explosive force, countless paper fragments transforming into razor-sharp blades that rained down like a devastating deluge.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!
The dense bombardment of white paper—each piece sharp as steel—fell in concentrated fury.
The hard rocky surface became as fragile as tofu, pierced by countless sharp paper blades until it resembled a honeycomb structure.
Hanzō, caught underground mid-technique, was struck unprepared. His body was covered in lacerations from the paper blades, blood staining his entire form crimson.
"Aaaaaaahhh... you wretched brats!"
Hanzō—now drenched in blood, his clothing torn to tatters—showed no trace of his former 'heroic' demeanor. He resembled nothing more than a cornered wild beast driven to desperate madness, his eyes blazing with unhinged fury. "This... you've forced me to this point!!!"
"Be careful—he's going all out!"
Nagato, momentarily stunned by the opponent's frenzied state, felt his heart tremble with premonition as he warned the others.
Something's Wrong
"Wait... Hanzō, we don't need to escalate this further!"
Yahiko's expression changed drastically. He immediately sensed something was fundamentally wrong and shouted urgently, "Konan! Nagato! Calm down! Something about this isn't right!"
He vaguely sensed that events were off somehow, but couldn't quite pinpoint the exact problem.
Unfortunately, no one was listening to his warnings anymore.
Konan—tormented by prophetic nightmares—firmly believed that killing Hanzō was absolutely necessary to prevent that tragic future from manifesting.
Nagato, standing firmly with Konan, also believed Hanzō needed to be eliminated.
And Hanzō—viewing the Akatsuki organization as an existential threat to his power—felt the overwhelming need for swift, decisive retaliation to eliminate anyone who dared challenge his authority.
Everyone seemed to have their own perfectly logical reasons.
But... Yahiko felt an inexplicable, growing dread.
Everything is too coincidental!
This entire situation feels orchestrated!
[End of Chapter 36 - Part 3]
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