So that line really was stolen.
Hyūga Akira had completely lost the will to complain about it.
Looking at Hanzō—thick eyebrows, dignified face—who would've thought he'd shamelessly appropriate someone else's words? Truly, you couldn't judge a man by appearances.
At least acknowledge the copyright issue first, alright?!
Shōzō held his teacup with both hands, his eyes half-lidded, looking like a frail old man nearing the end of his life—though, to be fair, he was already quite advanced in years.
"What are you trying to say?" Shōzō asked calmly.
"Are you accusing me of being wrong?"
Hanzō didn't hesitate in the slightest.
"Yes, Teacher. It is your fault," he said bluntly.
"You should step down. In your current state, you can no longer lead the Hidden Rain Village."
No beating around the bush. No politeness.
Their relationship had long since shattered—there was no need to maintain a facade.
Crack!
The teacup in Shōzō's hand shattered instantly.
His face darkened as he stared at Hanzō.
"This position is mine to give," Shōzō said coldly.
"If I don't give it to you, you have no right to take it."
Hanzō pressed on, his tone steady.
"But how much longer can you hold on, Teacher?"
A single sentence—straight to the heart.
Shōzō's expression turned so grim it looked as though water might drip from it.
He was no longer the man he once was. Age had caught up to him, and in the perpetually damp climate of the Land of Rain, his body had developed countless ailments.
He truly didn't have much time left.
Shōzō's gaze sharpened.
"You will drag the Hidden Rain Village into hell."
Hanzō had been taught by him. Even now, with their bond completely broken, Shōzō still understood Hanzō better than anyone.
If Hanzō truly took control of the village, Shōzō believed he would destroy it.
Part of the reason Shōzō clung to power was personal ambition—but another part was his belief that Hanzō was fundamentally unfit to rule.
And yet…
Hanzō was too strong.
With the Salamander summon and the deadly poison within his body, even the Great Ninja Villages could scarcely find anyone capable of matching him.
Shōzō wanted to cultivate a new successor—but no one could ever surpass Hanzō.
Hanzō clearly rejected Shōzō's judgment.
"I will lead the Hidden Rain Village to rebirth," he said.
There was absolute conviction in his voice.
From Akira's vantage point above, it seemed less like an argument over right and wrong, and more like a clash of ideals.
How much of it was truth, and how much was self-interest, was impossible to say.
At the very least, Shōzō clearly resented Hanzō's overwhelming prestige.
Whether it was selfishness disguised as righteousness, or righteousness mixed with selfishness—only the two of them truly knew.
When words failed, further discussion was meaningless.
Shōzō slowly closed his eyes.
As if receiving a signal, the ninja on the ceiling leapt down, forming a protective ring around him.
Akira followed suit, positioning himself behind Hanzō.
"Leave, Hanzō," Shōzō said heavily.
"As long as I live, you will never sit in the leader's seat."
Hanzō fell silent.
There was no easy solution to this.
Shōzō could die—but his death could never be linked to Hanzō.
Hanzō glanced briefly at Akira, then stood up without another word.
"Then I hope you live a very long life, my teacher."
Whether it was a blessing or a curse was impossible to tell.
He turned and left, Akira following close behind.
Shōzō opened his eyes, a ruthless glint flashing within them.
"Follow him. Find an opportunity. Kill him."
"Yes!"
The ninja beside him answered in unison.
There was not the slightest trace of guilt on Shōzō's face—only cold, vicious resolve.
"For the sake of the Hidden Rain Village," he said.
"Hanzō must die."
Since he dared to show himself… he might as well stay here forever.
Hanzō led Akira out of the building.
The sky above the Hidden Rain Village remained heavy and overcast. Fine rain fell like needles against the skin, carrying a bone-chilling cold.
"Do you think I'll lead the village to ruin?" Hanzō asked suddenly, stopping in his tracks.
Akira thought about what would happen after Hanzō eventually took power.
"No," he answered.
At least during the Second Shinobi World War, Hanzō's decisions had been sound.
The real turning point came later—his handling of Akatsuki, which ultimately led to his downfall.
Although the Hidden Rain Village still existed in the future, it was a shadow of its former self—and Hanzō bore part of the blame, especially for killing Yahiko, Akatsuki's true leader.
His judgment wasn't wrong.
He just ran into people who completely broke the rules of the world.
Who could've predicted that?
Hanzō seemed pleased with the answer.
Akira, however, had no time to care about that.
His gaze shifted subtly behind them.
The ninja who had been standing beside Shōzō were already moving, their presence no longer concealed.
The road ahead was going to be dangerous.
Hanzō acted as though he hadn't noticed a thing, continuing toward the village exit.
The rain grew heavier. Raindrops struck the ground in rapid succession, sounding like countless tiny arrows falling from the sky. Distant mountains loomed faintly through the curtain of rain.
Those behind them made no effort to hide anymore.
Akira didn't even need his Byakugan—he could clearly sense their presence.
Shōzō's assassination unit followed like ghosts, keeping a precise distance: close enough not to lose their target, far enough to avoid immediate exposure.
"Lord Hanzō," Akira said quietly in warning.
Hanzō didn't look back.
"They need to learn what pain really is," he replied softly.
"Take care of yourself."
The moment his words fell, Hanzō vanished from Akira's sight.
All that remained was a splash of water falling onto the rain-soaked ground, indistinguishable among the puddles.
Water Body Flicker.
A sharp whistling sound cut through the air—like kunai slicing through wind.
Akira didn't hesitate. He dove forward.
Kunai struck the ground where he'd stood an instant earlier.
His clothes were soaked through, splattered with mud. He had no time to think—he sprinted straight toward the distant forest.
After creating some distance, he hid among the trees and finally dared to look back toward the battlefield.
Too many obstacles blocked his direct view, so he activated his Byakugan.
The world turned black and white—only chakra remained tinted blue.
The pursuers didn't chase Akira.
They had completely surrounded Hanzō instead.
Hanzō slammed a hand against the ground.
Thick smoke erupted, and a massive salamander emerged onto the battlefield.
Hanzō stood atop the creature, speaking—though Akira was too far away to hear what was said.
Then the battle began.
Dense poisonous mist poured from the salamander's mouth, spreading rapidly outward.
A group of ninja charged straight at Hanzō.
They moved in two layers.
The inner layer engaged in close combat, swarming Hanzō. He swung his scythe with terrifying precision, suppressing an entire group on his own.
The outer layer formed seals rapidly.
One water dragon after another surged forward, crashing toward Hanzō.
"Water Dragon Bullet Technique…" Akira muttered.
At the same time, he began focusing chakra into his eyes.
This was Nen.
Specifically—
Gyo.
He had originally intended to use it to see Nen techniques.
But now, with chakra infused with Nen traits… and combined with his Byakugan bloodline…
Akira wanted to see what would happen.
As chakra gathered in his eyes—
The world changed.
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