"Huff. Huff."
Kakashi Hatake almost threw himself out. He crashed down into the pool of water outside the tower and gasped hard, fear and pushing past his limits making sweat pour down him.
His legs were nearly numb. From his feet to his thighs they were covered in charred marks, his muscles twitching without control, and dark red burns could even be seen under the skin.
It was obvious he had forced his body with Lightning Release Chakra to escape, and there was not even time left to use Earth Release and Earth Style Earth Wall to block. That meant the others were still inside.
Bang!
A harsh cracking sound rang out, enough to hurt the ears, as two figures were blasted out and smashed toward him. Kakashi Hatake reached out by reflex to catch them, sliding several steps back before he could steady himself.
He frowned and looked down, then saw two familiar faces and felt shock mixed with relief. Ryuji Hyuga was only exhausted, but Tenzo had his abdomen pierced through, as if a chunk had been torn out.
Yes, Kaiten did not need hand seals. Ryuji had actually saved Tenzo.
Having mostly figured out that man's abilities, he knew they were troublesome. Still, if Ryuji was helping, maybe there was still a chance.
"Kakashi Hatake… senior…"
The one he was holding, Ryuji Hyuga, spoke hoarsely from exhaustion. "Go, now. Hanzo and those Amegakure Ninja are about to act."
The words were like cold water poured over him, and Kakashi Hatake woke up at once. Hanzo had been persuaded by that man, and with only him and Ryuji, they could not face so many enemies.
Kakashi Hatake staggered to his feet and looked back toward the tower. Damn it, if that sudden intruder had not appeared, the alliance between Konoha and Amegakure would already have been settled.
Now, the dozen people he had brought were probably all dead. The sounds inside the tower faded, and Kakashi Hatake knew it would be too late if they stayed, so he gritted his teeth and dragged the two away.
At the same time, inside the High Tower, Hanzo entered with the Amegakure Ninja. They instinctively twitched their noses as they smelled the endless stench of blood, and many faces turned pale.
What they saw was a field of eerie crimson, like a pool of blood from a cut artery. Thick red blood had already spread across and swallowed the floor.
Everyone looked up. Under the moonlight, a web woven from black shadows hung quietly in the air.
It was cruel, violent, and soaked in blood, yet there was a strange and twisted sense of beauty to it. Several Konoha Ninja who still had a trace of life were suspended in the air by dark shadows, struggling in vain.
They found that the Chakra in their bodies could not be used at all. Unable to break free, their curses slowly turned into low sobs and pleas as the shadows crept up their bodies, until everything fell into a chilling silence.
Everyone could feel the savage presence above them, close enough to touch. The suffocating pressure made teeth clench and bodies tremble, urging them to flee in fear.
"…"
Hanzo let out a deep breath, as if trying to expel the cold from his chest along with the heavy smell of blood. He looked at the shadow above and spoke in a low voice.
"Do your words still count? We can buy supplies at a ten percent premium over black market prices, but what you said at the end…"
Land of Rain and Amegakure were never short on money, and their steel industry was well developed. Assassination skills in Amegakure were famous, and many hired Amegakure Ninja for such work, so they never lacked bounties.
What Land of Rain lacked was food. In peacetime they could buy it, but in war trade would be cut off, and even smugglers would charge prices they could not bear.
If Ryuji Hyuga could truly provide food, they really would dare to fight the Five Great Nations to the end. Still, what Hanzo cared about most was that final promise.
"You mean a young body, and greater power?"
Ryuji Hyuga put Tenzo's flesh and blood into the Scroll. He stepped onto an unseen shadow and walked down from above, step by step, under gazes filled with fear and vigilance.
Only then did they clearly see him. A black robe covered his entire body and flowed like liquid, hiding his face completely in deep shadow.
Facing Hanzo's cloudy yet still sharp eyes, Ryuji Hyuga stopped before him and smiled softly. "Do not move."
As his words fell, he reached out toward Hanzo. Shenda's expression changed as he moved to stop him, but Hanzo spoke calmly.
"Do as he says."
The movements of Shenda and the others from Amegakure froze. At the same time, Ryuji Hyuga placed his hand on Hanzo's shoulder.
In the next instant, black winding lines spread from his palm and crawled over Hanzo's body. This was a reduced version of the "wedge."
Like the complete form, it could absorb and release Ninjutsu, and it also carried some effects of Yin Seal and the Heavenly Curse Seal. Simply put, it could not copy a complete genetic record, only parasitize at the level of Chakra and the soul.
Much like how parts of Chakra were sealed into Naruto Uzumaki by Minato and Kushina, Ryuji Hyuga could use the wedge's Chakra to speak directly with its bearer. With this technique, he could do many things and quietly reach people he could not meet openly.
Buzz. Buzz.
As the gentle yet overbearing Chakra flowed into his body, Hanzo frowned and opened his mouth to speak, then suddenly froze. On his shoulder, something white began to squirm and grow.
"Ah!"
With a terrified scream, first the head and then the body, a white humanoid creature twisted its way out. Both the white figure and Hanzo cried out in fear at the same time.
Hanzo did not know what it was, but Ryuji knew very well. It was White Zetsu.
It had been living inside Hanzo's body to monitor him and pass on information, remaining quiet for years. That changed only because of this sudden intruder.
"How is this possible?!"
White Zetsu twisted as if squeezed out like white liquid, crawling from Hanzo's body while shouting like a human. Its pale face was filled with terror as it screamed, "What kind of monster are you?!"
That black power, so similar to Chakra, had forced it out. It had been created using the Demonic Statue and Hashirama Cells, yet that Chakra felt even more brutal and domineering than Hashirama Cells.
It was as if Hanzo's body had been claimed as personal territory, allowing no foreign presence. Before it could get an answer, Hanzo grabbed it by the neck in fury.
He ripped it out of his body with brutal force and stared at it with a twisted expression. "What are you? Why were you inside me, and since when?"