Reborn in the Shinobi World with an Arceus Inside

The more he fought, the more startled Hanzo became. He had lost count of how many times he had been surprised today. But for the pride of the Land of Rain, he would not allow himself to become a stepping stone for someone else's fame.

"It's not over!" Hanzo roared, leaping back and throwing several kunai wrapped in explosive tags at Kaito while still in mid-air.

This stubborn old man really cares about his pride! Kaito cursed inwardly, gracefully dodging the attack.

BOOM!

A thick cloud of smoke rose as the explosive tags shattered the ice on the ground. Kaito, seemingly unable to dodge in time, was caught in the blast and staggered out of the smoke.

"Eh, how could that be?" Jiraiya said in surprise. "Isn't Kaito supposed to be really fast?"

"Perhaps he's low on chakra?" Tsunade guessed. "After all, creating that much ice must have consumed a lot of it."

Orochimaru watched silently, saying nothing.

Not far away, Hanzo's eyes lit up, and he once again performed the Fire Style: Dragon Fire Jutsu. Five massive fire dragons, radiating scorching heat, slammed into Kaito. He could only grit his teeth and swing his twin swords, slashing them down one by one.

Although he had once again broken through the ninjutsu, he no longer did so with the same effortless grace as before. Anyone could see that Kaito was seemingly reaching his limit.

Looking up at the sky, where the snow had stopped falling, Hanzo finally breathed a sigh of relief. He lowered his arms and looked at Kaito. "Kid, I admit you're very strong. But if you want to challenge us ninja who have long since made a name for ourselves, you're still lacking."

"So what?" Kaito said with a carefree air. "You're only a little bit stronger than me; you can't kill me. Besides, after all this time, your subordinates have probably already been defeated."

"Konoha can't defeat you, but you can't defeat Konoha either. So, stop this pointless battle."

"That's right!" The three Sannin stepped forward in unison, coming to stand by Kaito's side. Jiraiya declared loudly, "Hanzo, there's no need to continue this fight between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain."

"..." After a long silence, Hanzo looked at the four young people before him and said, "Fine. Let's call this war a draw between our two sides. With such outstanding young successors, Konoha is truly worthy of its name as a great nation."

"I recognize the efforts of you three. I hereby bestow upon you the title of 'Konoha's Sannin.'"

"Hmph, I can't say I'm happy about that," Tsunade said, shaking her head.

"Failing to defeat you is our disgrace," Orochimaru said, equally ungrateful.

"One day, we will defeat you fair and square!" Jiraiya pointed at Hanzo and said bluntly.

"Then you'll have to work harder," Hanzo chuckled, then looked at Kaito. "Your name is Kaito, correct?"

"That's right."

"Why are you not wearing a forehead protector? Which side do you belong to?"

"I, naturally, belong to my own side." Kaito pointed to himself and said with a smile, "Have you heard of a sanctuary that exists in the place where your two sides are fighting, a place untouched by the ravages of war?"

"I have some impression of it. Could it be..."

"M-hm. I am the founder of the Spark Sanctuary. It houses civilians who are not bound by the Rain Village, as well as many Rain ninja who have abandoned their status. I trust you don't mind their existence?"

"Is that so?" Hanzo shook his head. "That may be for the best. Perhaps it will preserve a new spark for the Land of Rain. Don't worry, I won't have anyone cause trouble there."

"Thanks for that."

Kaito smiled, satisfied. He had come here for two reasons: first, to make his presence known and build his reputation; second, to get Hanzo's guarantee so that the sanctuary could continue to develop in peace. Now, both goals had been achieved.

Although Hanzo would likely tear up the agreement and try to forcibly annex the sanctuary when the war was over and the Rain Village could free up its forces, that was exactly what Kaito wanted. The reason he had so aggressively recruited rogue ninja from the Land of Rain was to deliberately create a state of hostility. Otherwise, how could he seize leadership of the Land of Rain while occupying the moral high ground?

"Kaito," Hanzo, unaware that he was already being plotted against, looked at him and said in a clear voice, "Your talent surpasses even that of Konoha's Sannin. I shall bestow upon you the title of 'Number One Genius of the Shinobi World.'"

"Er." Kaito was slightly speechless. He had been expecting a title related to ice and snow. However, he was more satisfied with another name.

"Calling me the 'Number One Genius' is too much of an exaggeration," Kaito quickly waved his hands. "Why don't you just call me the 'Golden Flash'? My speed is for all to see."

"'Golden Flash,' huh?" Tsunade nodded. "That's quite fitting."

"Not bad, not bad!" Jiraiya gave a thumbs-up. "From now on, you'll be called the 'Golden Flash'!"

Somewhere in Konoha, a certain warm-hearted man with yellow hair couldn't help but sneeze, as if something important had just been taken from him.

"Hah, call yourselves whatever you want. Farewell, everyone." Hanzo gave a slight nod and vanished in a flicker.

The remaining four looked at each other and let out a collective sigh of relief. Today's battle was finally over.

"Thank you, Kaito. If you hadn't arrived, we might have died at Hanzo's hands," Jiraiya said solemnly. From Tsunade's expression, it seemed she agreed.

Orochimaru, however, saw things more clearly. "We wouldn't have. After we held him off for so long, Hanzo knew the Rain Village was doomed to lose. A man as smart as him wouldn't have killed us and triggered a fight to the death with Konoha."

"Mm, Orochimaru is right," Kaito nodded. "Hanzo had already wanted to retreat. My appearance just strengthened his resolve."

As he spoke, Orochimaru shot him a meaningful glance, which made Kaito feel an immense pressure. Fortunately, he didn't say anything.

"Regardless, you were a great help," Jiraiya said with a laugh, throwing an arm around Kaito's shoulder. "Why don't you stay and celebrate with us? From the looks of it, the war between the Rain Village and Konoha should be over."

"You all still have a lot to deal with, don't you? If you want to celebrate, why not come to my sanctuary after the war is over? I'll personally cook a feast for you."

"Go to your place? Doesn't your sanctuary not welcome ninja?" Tsunade asked, stretching lazily.

"That was a wartime requirement. With the war here ending, and the Sand ninja not being able to reach this area for a while, there's no need to be so strict."

"That's true," Jiraiya said, scratching the back of his head and grinning. "But are you any good at cooking? If not, we should just call on the Akimichi clan. They love to eat and are the best at cooking."

"Heh, you'll know once you taste it," Kaito said. "I guarantee you'll never be able to get used to anyone else's cooking again."

"In that case, I'll have to try it for myself," Orochimaru interjected.

"Of course." Kaito felt a little nervous. The way Orochimaru was looking at him was not right. Crap, it looks like I've caught Orochimaru's attention. He's not going to suddenly try to steal my kidneys, is he?

They chatted for a while longer and then said their goodbyes. Kaito didn't leave immediately. Instead, he used an empty bottle to collect some of the residual poison water from the ground before walking away, satisfied, and returning to the sanctuary.

He planned to use the poison water to try and practice Poison-type skills. Back in the Land of Rivers, he had tried buying poison to experiment with, but he didn't know if his own immunity was too strong or if the poison he bought was too weak. In any case, it hadn't worked. Now, this poison from Hanzo should be of the highest quality.