Let us turn the clock back an hour.
---
Amegakure — One Hour Earlier
As the man who had single-handedly founded Amegakure, Hanzō the Salamander bore responsibilities far heavier than those of ordinary village leaders.
Every day, endless reports, military deployments, and internal disputes passed through his hands. The Land of Rain was never at peace—politically, militarily, or economically. Maintaining its fragile balance required constant vigilance.
It was during one such busy moment that a subordinate rushed in, face pale, voice trembling.
"Lord Hanzō… something terrible has happened."
Hanzō did not look up at first.
"What is it?"
"Lord Aonosuke… he has been killed."
Hanzō froze.
Slowly, he lifted his head.
"Killed?" he repeated. "By whom?"
"The intelligence points to… Jiraiya of the Leaf."
For the first time that day, disbelief crossed Hanzō's face.
"That's impossible."
As a former opponent, Hanzō knew Jiraiya well.
Despite being enemies on the battlefield, Hanzō had always held a clear understanding of Jiraiya's character. Lustful, loud, unreliable at times—but never reckless in matters of war and diplomacy.
Killing a high-ranking Rain ninja like Aonosuke, especially within the Land of Rain itself, would be nothing short of a provocation.
Such an act could easily ignite a war.
And Jiraiya was not foolish enough to do that.
Yet doubt crept in when Hanzō was led to see the body.
Aonosuke's corpse lay before him—mangled, head destroyed beyond recognition.
But Hanzō did not need a face to recognize his subordinate.
The chakra residue.
The wounds.
The familiarity.
It was undeniably Aonosuke.
Silence fell.
If Aonosuke was truly dead, then among all those present in the Land of Rain, only Jiraiya or Uchiha Mikoto possessed the strength to kill him.
Aonosuke was not weak.
As the spokesperson of Amegakure's radical faction, he was a jōnin of real combat experience.
The room grew tense.
"Lord Hanzō!"
Members of the radical faction stepped forward, voices filled with anger and grief.
"You must avenge Lord Aonosuke!"
"This is an insult to you and to all of Amegakure!"
"We were only following your orders to monitor Jiraiya and his team! We never imagined he would suddenly murder Lord Aonosuke!"
"Yes! If this goes unanswered, the ninja world will laugh at us!"
Hanzō knew exactly what they were doing.
They were provoking him.
Using outrage and honor to push him into action.
Yet—even knowing this—their words struck home.
As the ruler of Amegakure, Hanzō could not allow such an affront to go unanswered.
Not without losing authority.
Not without losing face.
No matter how much the moderate faction tried to dissuade him, Hanzō ignored them.
His decision was made.
He would intervene personally.
---
The Present — Battlefield in the Rain
When Hanzō arrived with his forces, what greeted him was a scene steeped in blood.
Rain-soaked earth.
Fallen Rain ninja.
And five Leaf ninja preparing to retreat.
Before Hanzō could even speak—
Uchiha Mikoto questioned him first.
That single act was enough to ignite his fury.
Hanzō laughed.
A cold, mirthless sound.
"You Leaf ninja slaughter my subordinates," he said, voice heavy with killing intent, "and you still dare to ask whether I intend to provoke a war?"
Mikoto's expression darkened instantly.
Yes, the Rain ninja had died by their hands—
But they had attacked first.
Hanzō's words made one thing clear.
He had no intention of acknowledging that truth.
He was shifting responsibility.
After all, Aonosuke acted under his banner.
Without Hanzō's tacit approval, Aonosuke would never have dared to provoke Konoha.
Before Mikoto could respond—
Hanzō raised his hand.
"Attack."
The order was cold and absolute.
In an instant, the terrain advantage of the Rain ninja became terrifyingly clear.
From elevated positions, dozens of Rain ninja hurled shuriken, kunai, and explosive tags downward.
The sky itself seemed to rain death.
Mikoto's face changed sharply.
This kind of attack left no room to dodge.
She could protect herself—
But not everyone.
Aosui didn't need protection.
Minato could likely manage.
But Sasaki Ayame and Mukai Tomoki—
They were in mortal danger.
Her best techniques—Fire Release and genjutsu—were useless against a saturation bombardment like this.
Just as Mikoto clenched her teeth, searching desperately for a solution—
Aosui stepped forward.
His hands blurred through seals.
Rainwater surged unnaturally, drawn together by chakra.
In an instant, a circular wall of water rose around the group, blocking the incoming storm of weapons.
Water Release: Water Formation Wall!
Metal struck water.
Explosions thundered harmlessly against the barrier.
"Well done!" Mikoto exclaimed.
She immediately leapt upward, guarding the open space above the water wall, her hands moving rapidly.
Shuriken flew from her grasp, intercepting every remaining projectile.
The attack was neutralized.
"I almost died…" Tomoki muttered, clutching his chest. "Thank goodness Teacher Mikoto and Big Brother Aosui were here."
Ayame nodded frantically beside him.
Minato, however, remained tense.
This was only the beginning.
And Aosui and Mikoto knew it.
"Hmph."
From above, Hanzō watched coldly.
"So they do have some skill."
He waved his hand.
Dozens of Rain ninja charged forward at once.
Given his status, Hanzō saw no need to act personally.
This wasn't arrogance.
It was reality.
Among the five Leaf ninja, only Mikoto carried a name known in the ninja world.
In his eyes, these subordinates were more than enough.
Jiraiya was the real target.
"Mikoto," Aosui said calmly, "use your widest-range Fire Release. I'll assist with Wind Release."
There was no time for debate.
Mikoto nodded instantly.
Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!
Wind fed flame.
The sea of fire exploded outward, its heat so intense that the rain evaporated before touching it.
Under Mikoto's precise control, the flames spread wide, engulfing the charging Rain ninja.
"T-This Fire Release—!"
"Everyone! Use Water Release to defend!"
Despite their frantic response, nearly half the Rain ninja were swallowed by the inferno.
Those not killed outright were left severely injured.
Fire Release was never weak—
It was simply difficult to use properly.
Hanzō's expression darkened.
He had not expected such coordination.
Such power.
To block that attack, he himself would have needed to intervene.
Amegakure did not have the luxury of manpower.
He could not allow further losses.
"Retreat!"
At his command, the surviving Rain ninja fell back behind him, fear etched across their faces.
But as they watched Hanzō step forward, reverence replaced fear.
Lord Hanzō would handle this.
The Demigod would not lose.
Mikoto's heart sank.
She was proud—
But not foolish.
Against Hanzō the Salamander, she knew she stood no chance.
She turned to Aosui, voice firm.
"I'll hold him off."
"Aosui—take them and escape. Immediately."
Rain poured down.
Hanzō stepped forward.
And the true battle was about to begin.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)