Chapter 52: Chapter 52: Blade Corroded by Bloodstains
Land of Rain.
Located in the central region of the largest continent in the shinobi world, bordering the Land of Fire, Land of Wind, and Land of Earth, as well as the three smaller nations of the Land of Grass, Land of Birds, and Land of Rivers.
High mountains stand between the Land of Earth, Land of Wind, and the Land of Rain, meaning that the Land of Rain has mountain barriers on both sides. This forms a shape similar to a funnel, blocking the humid, hot air currents blowing from the ocean towards the Lands of Wind and Earth.
This forces the moisture-laden air to rise, which then condenses into heavy orographic rainfall that falls concentrated on the Land of Rain.
It is this extremely uneven terrain that causes most of the Land of Earth and Land of Wind to be covered in barren rock and deserts, creating a "crying country."
At the same time, abundant rainfall gathers into several rushing rivers, flowing like aortas towards the surrounding countries, nourishing the Land of Birds, Land of Grass, and Land of Rivers, and even providing the Land of Wind with a few precious oases…
But the great powers do not thank the Land of Rain.
Located between the Land of Earth, Land of Wind, and Land of Fire, the Land of Rain was, to varying degrees, reduced to a buffer and sacrificial lamb in the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars, making this crying country even more lonely and sorrowful.
Pat… pat…
On the tallest tower in the entire Hidden Rain Village, a figure stood by the window looking out. He wore a gas mask over his cold face, and his long, white-yellow hair fluttered in the wind behind him.
The heavy rain in the dark night beat against the glass, obscuring everything except for the small area illuminated by the lamplight.
If an outsider could see the man's appearance, they would be shocked by his old age the moment they recognized him.
It wasn't just the old age of his appearance, but the inner weariness that had taken root deep inside.
The kind of weary air that was rotting and hollow as if eaten by worms.
"Poisonous Salamander" Hanzō, once the powerful ninja who suppressed the great powers single-handedly in the Second Shinobi World War, once the hero and legend of the Hidden Rain Village, once the strong figure who could almost represent the upper limit and pinnacle of non-Kekkei Genkai ninja…
He was old.
He was the same generation as Chiyo, now over sixty years old.
He could feel very clearly that his vitality and power were fading away.
The venom sac he was once proud to have implanted in his body had become the source of his pain and hatred.
Weakness and old age had made the once-powerful figure suspicious, even assigning himself guards that rotated every twenty-four hours, now living in fear of death every minute and every second.
All of this was because of that brat named "Nagato," that terrifying power…
"Hanzō-sama."
The voice behind him pulled Hanzō out of his reverie. He subconsciously frowned slightly and glanced back before saying in a deep voice, "Still haven't found them?"
"S-Sorry, Hanzō-sama."
Faced with Hanzō, who was becoming increasingly capricious, the Hidden Rain ninja trembled as he said, "Most of the Akatsuki remnants have been wiped out, but those two leaders have not been found. Every time we find a trace of them, we always come up empty-handed after investigating it to the end."
"It's like…"
He paused there, not daring to continue. But Hanzō opened his mouth, his voice cold, "Like they received news and intelligence in advance?"
As expected, the Hidden Rain Village was still not clean!
Why! Why does someone always betray me? I just want to live, I just want the Land of Rain to live, am I wrong?
No, I'm not wrong! If it weren't for me, the Land of Rain would still be a sacrificial lamb to the great powers!
Those naive fools are the ones who are wrong!
Sensing the violent killing intent emanating from Hanzō, the Hidden Rain ninja knelt behind him, trembling with his head lowered.
After a long time, the chill gradually dissipated, and Hanzō asked in a cold tone, "Anything else?"
"..."
The Hidden Rain ninja's throat bobbed, and he didn't dare to speak for a moment.
Seeing this, Hanzō felt a sense of unease, frowned, and roared, "Speak!"
"Y-Yes! Yes!" The Hidden Rain ninja swallowed and said tremblingly, "According to intelligence, the Land of Fire has declared war on the Land of Lightning!"
"..."
The room was dead silent. He gave no response. He only dared to keep his head lowered, not daring to look up.
A dark, leaden sky cracked open, and a bolt of lightning illuminated the darkness, lighting up the world, and also lighting up Hanzō's pale and terrified face.
Why? How could this be?
The Land of Fire actually declared war on the Land of Lightning!
There was a gap of more than ten years between the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars.
But now, only four short years had passed since the Third Shinobi World War, and the clouds of war were once again looming over the shinobi world?
Rumble!!
A thunderclap like a war drum exploded in the sky, suddenly startling Hanzō out of his shock and confusion.
"Hanzō-sama…" The Hidden Rain ninja's cautious voice came from behind him.
Hanzō quickly suppressed the fear on his face, and said in a normal tone, "I know, you can leave."
The Hidden Rain ninja paused, but still respectfully responded, left the room, and closed the door.
Although Hanzō was old, and even his personality had become capricious, in the eyes of the ninja of the Hidden Rain Village, Hanzō was still that hero.
But…
"War, war! Why! Why?!"
As a buffer zone between the Land of Fire and the Lands of Earth and Wind, if the scale of the war between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning were to further expand, and the Land of Wind and Land of Earth also decided to join the battlefield, there was no way the Land of Rain could escape the fate of becoming a sacrificial lamb again!
In fact, Hanzō could already guess that after receiving this news, the other great powers would definitely send people to the Land of Rain to test him.
Thinking of this, Hanzō looked at the waterfall-like rain outside the window, which was blown like smoke and fog by a strong wind, making it hard to see clearly.
If I die, what will happen to the Land of Rain?
If I die, what will happen to the people of the Land of Rain?
If I die, how can I face those who sacrificed themselves in the past?
If I die, will everything I have now disappear into thin air?
If I die, will I fall from being a hero admired by thousands to a sinner reviled by thousands?
Uncontrollable thoughts like these emerged in Hanzō's heart.
He felt like he was drifting like a rootless duckweed in this turbid pool of water, and in this rain, beneath the rippling surface, were swarms of bloodthirsty piranhas.
If he showed even a hint of fatigue, they would tear a piece of flesh off him!
The entire Hidden Rain Village and the Land of Rain depended on Hanzō's spine to support them.
It was precisely because of his presence that the Land of Rain had not been severely affected during the Third Shinobi World War.
But Hanzō was now simply too old.
The once strong, broad, and proud back could no longer bear the weight of hundreds of thousands of extremely heavy hopes.
Fear, trembling, timidity, shrinking back…
Hanzō's heart was almost swallowed by these tidal emotions.
The once indomitable and incomparably sharp blade was now being corroded by the bloodstains on the blade.
At the same time, in a cave near the edge of the Hidden Rain Village, three figures wearing black cloaks with red clouds walked out.
Their emotionless, lifeless eyes looked into the distance, able to clearly see the highest spire in the Hidden Rain Village, like an iron-gray giant standing in the low forest, looking down.
That was where Hanzō was.
"The Fourth Shinobi World War? The great powers are always so greedy."
The leader, Pain, said in a cold tone, "Although we haven't found suitable corpses to create the three lower paths of Pain, the three upper paths of Pain are enough."
With the current turbulent situation in the shinobi world, he could no longer delay.
Only by taking control of the Hidden Rain Village earlier could "Akatsuki" begin to recruit members.
As for that old and frail Hanzō, he was no longer in Pain's eyes.
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