Chapter 176: Madara Uchiha: Hanzo is Just a Brute, How Dare He Ambush My Rinnegan?

Senju Ancestral Estate.

Mito asked Uzumaki Shio to stand up and, together with the Nine-Tails, finished listening to what had happened between her and Seisui.

Both the human and the fox were left dumbfounded.

The Nine-Tails couldn't help but offer a sharp critique: "I feel like this brat's emotional intelligence is even lower than mine. What's going on in his head? This is the first time I've seen someone whose words are even harsher than Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha's!"

Mito chuckled; this fox was slandering her husband again!

"That's just because you haven't seen enough."

Mito had initially been somewhat angry. After all, her clanswoman had suffered such grievances out in the field; she had to demand an explanation, right?

This behavior was practically treating Uzumaki Shio as a tool!

This was Konoha.

Not Kusagakure!

But then, Mito quickly calmed down. Seisui had, after all, protected Uzumaki Shio while they were in Kusagakure.

From this point alone, Seisui couldn't have harbored malicious intentions.

"Right."

"He is the descendant of Tobirama and Izuna."

"Then it's not surprising, not surprising at all!"

"I was wondering why the sense of déjà vu was so incredibly strong. He hasn't inherited a single bit of Izuna; he's practically a living, breathing mini-Tobirama!"

Mito murmured in her heart.

In an instant, long-dead memories began to assault her mind once again.

"Nine-Tails, did you know? There used to be an eccentric in Konoha."

"Hashirama and I set him up on blind dates dozens of times, and not a single one worked out," Mito couldn't help but complain.

"There was actually someone that incredible?"

The Nine-Tails curiously perked up its fox ears. "With you and Hashirama's reputations guaranteeing it, the women going on blind dates should have trampled your threshold. How could it not work out?"

"That person was Hashirama's younger brother, Konoha's Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju."

Mito muttered, "Not only did he require the other party to maintain a strict superior-subordinate dynamic with him adhering to shinobi regulations, but he also demanded that the other party understand scientific research, possess formidable strength, and be pleasing to the eye."

"He was literally looking for a female version of himself to serve him!"

"He didn't even use his brain to think: if she really was a female version of himself, would she be willing to serve someone else?"

"To use the words Hiruzen used to describe Isshin and Tenzo, that is the typical Warring States shinobi mindset." Mito rolled her eyes dramatically, clearly harboring long-standing grievances. "It really leaves one speechless!"

"That is indeed very speechless," the Nine-Tails nodded from the bottom of its heart. "Not a single success?"

"None. Who could possibly meet those requirements?" Mito sighed. "But I suppose you can't entirely blame him."

"Tobirama was responsible for the dark side of the Senju clan, steeped in all sorts of public criticism and extreme incidents. Hashirama and I wanting him to go on blind dates was nothing more than hoping to let his nerves relax."

"I see it's the exact same for Seisui."

"This boy came from Kusagakure and carries Tobirama's bloodline. Judging from his experiences, he has lived a life of extremes. It's only normal that his personality resembles his grandfather's."

The Nine-Tails wagged its tail thoughtfully.

It was gradually learning logic and worldly wisdom, understanding the political structure of the shinobi world and how to interact with people.

In the past, the Nine-Tails scoffed at these things. Now, the fox analyzed everything frame by frame.

Once it understood these nuances, it would have powerful allies when facing enemies!

Sometimes the Nine-Tails thought: if, back when Hashirama sealed it, it had shouted, "I can love Konoha too! I can believe in the Will of Fire!", it might have even become a Konoha High Commissioner by now.

Power comes in many forms; it's not just Tailed Beast Bombs.

Mito gently helped Uzumaki Shio up, wiped away her tears, and said warmly, "Shio, Seisui might not necessarily be disrespecting you."

"His situation is special."

Uzumaki Shio was taken aback.

Mito told Uzumaki Shio about Seisui's background, using Tobirama as a macro-example to tell her several stories about his famously low-EQ blind dates.

Mito sensed Uzumaki Shio's desire to become stronger, and that was enough.

There was no need to let the misunderstanding deepen to the point of breeding resentment and hatred. After all, the most suitable way for Uzumaki Shio to become stronger was to learn how to harness the berserk Tailed Beast chakra.

Uzumaki Shio's heart skipped a beat as she listened.

To think that the boy she had shared life and death with in Kusagakure was actually a legitimate descendant of the Hokage?

And he was even related to Tobirama Senju's rival, Izuna Uchiha.

The twists and melodramatic nature of this story completely captivated Uzumaki Shio.

"So you're saying, Seisui has Izuna Uchiha's soul inside him?"

Uzumaki Shio frowned deeply. "Wait, that's not right. Mito-sama, didn't you say Izuna... Izuna was a promiscuous person? If he's inside Seisui, he should have been a bad influence on Seisui."

"Oh, I understand!"

"Seisui is repulsed by Izuna's ways. Isn't the Uchiha clan known for being quite extreme? So he overcorrected and ended up becoming like Tobirama-sama, which just so happens to align with his genetic tendencies in that regard."

Uzumaki Shio smacked her fist against her palm, feeling like she had uncovered the absolute truth.

Mito sighed silently.

Why did this girl practically leap down the stairs when she was only given a tiny step down?

But she could actually understand it.

One was a blockhead with severe HR and EQ issues, and the other was a playboy who left a trail of broken hearts everywhere. By comparison, anyone wanting a normal romance would obviously favor the former.

"Shio, you need to understand."

"Romance is certainly an element that most men and women yearn for, but it is not indispensable in life, nor is it the first thing a shinobi should consider."

"The value of your existence is judged by your own heart."

"Regardless of Seisui's attitude toward you, you are still you."

Mito looked directly at Uzumaki Shio and said evenly, "Even if I were not Hashirama's wife, I would still be Mito Uzumaki."

"As a Konoha shinobi, you should think about what kind of person you want to become."

"For that, you should or need to learn, or need to gain power. Once you have grown, you can then make those choices that seem complicated to you now."

Mito was not in a hurry to let Uzumaki Shio accept the Nine-Tails' chakra.

Power requires a corresponding mindset to harness.

On a smaller scale, a poor mindset would mean the ROI would be incredibly low, causing the Tailed Beast chakra to fail at exerting its proper strength.

On a larger scale, if the core ideology is wrong, the greater the power, the bigger the potential PR disaster and structural threat.

Mito didn't want Uzumaki Shio to fail at becoming a mini-Mito only to become a mini-Madara Uzumaki.

Uzumaki Shio fell silent.

She nodded gently and thought for a long time.

"My rescue from Kusagakure was certainly largely due to Seisui."

"But the most important factor was the village!"

"If the village hadn't dispatched organized military units to launch a Dimensional Strike on Kusagakure, no matter how amazing Seisui is, given our condition at the time, we never could have escaped."

"Yet I only saw Seisui, and I completely overlooked all the other big figures in the village."

"How could I do that?"

Uzumaki Shio closed her eyes, the scenes from the day of her escape still vivid in her mind.

Fugaku, Sakumo.

Uzumaki Shio also knew that Danzo had led a team that day, and the legendary Sannin were responsible for driving away shinobi from other hidden villages.

And there were so many other Konoha shinobi whose names she didn't know but who had participated in the rescue operation.

"I shouldn't pin my entire life on someone else, and how could I only think about my own affairs."

"I should be like Seisui; my first love should be this village!"

Uzumaki Shio muttered to herself, then suddenly opened her eyes and said with utmost seriousness, "Mito-sama, I still want power, I want to learn, I want to become stronger."

"But not for Seisui, or rather, he only accounts for a very small part."

"I also want to have the power to protect Konoha!"

"I used to always think that Seisui single-handedly pulled me out of hell, but I forgot that what truly gave me a new life was Konoha, the Will of Fire."

"If, when Konoha welcomes true peace, we are fated to be together, that would naturally be great. If not, I will accept it."

"The Will of Fire will find me companions."

At this moment, Mito finally smiled.

She could sense the pure, surging emotions in Uzumaki Shio's heart.

The Nine-Tails was also slightly moved.

It possessed the ability to sense malice, and it clearly felt that at the very beginning, Uzumaki Shio's heart had actually been churning with significant chaotic malice and negative emotions.

But after Mito said a few words, words that didn't even sound particularly profound, Uzumaki Shio had entered a state of complete enlightenment.

Especially when the words "Will of Fire" were spoken.

If the malice in Uzumaki Shio's heart had been a greasy stain, in that instant, it was as if it had been melted away by a pot of boiling water, vanishing without a trace.

This worked even better than the Sharingan!

The Nine-Tails instinctively wanted to say something, but fell silent instead.

"The Will of Fire, huh?"

"Let's see just how far you can go!"

"You can restrain the malice in your heart, but you might not necessarily be able to harness the berserk nature of my chakra."

The Nine-Tails spoke in a deep voice to Mito, "Mito, I'm going to give my chakra to this little girl, and I'm going to give her a lot!"

"I want to see exactly how far her capacity can reach."

"I want to see if this Will of Fire can turn her from a cowardly little girl into a Jinchuriki who can harness my power."

Mito was somewhat surprised.

Had the sun risen in the west?

Not only was it taking the initiative to offer chakra, but it wanted to give a lot, and the goal was actually to test the Will of Fire?

"Fox, you're in for it now."

"Are you getting infected by the Will of Fire? And the version that Hashirama started and Hiruzen perfected, no less."

Mito coughed lightly. "Shio, the Nine-Tails says it will give you a massive amount of chakra."

"Let me make it clear upfront: without its control, this Tailed Beast chakra is extremely violent, containing a massive amount of raw emotion. If you don't control it well, you will face severe backlash."

"But the power contained within is also incredibly strong."

"You have now awakened the Adamantine Sealing Chains. If you've made up your mind, I will help you master this power."

Uzumaki Shio took a deep breath and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Mito-sama."

"And thank you, Mr. Nine-Tails!"

The Nine-Tails was visibly stunned for a moment. It snorted coldly, transformed into a tiny fox, and darted out from Mito's shoulder. "No need to thank this great one!"

"I just want to see you get lost in the power and forget your Will of Fire, that's all!"

Uzumaki Shio smiled radiantly, looking as bright and beautiful as a delicate flower after the rain. "Don't worry, I won't! The fact that you're willing to lend me your Tailed Beast chakra shows that you, Nine-Tails-sama, also possess the Will of Fire."

"I also have the Will of Fire?" This time, the Nine-Tails didn't rush to refute it. Instead, it clicked its tongue and grumbled to Mito, "Hey, hey, does this mean we have an agreement now?"

"You have to use the Adamantine Sealing Chains to help me control my chakra and let me learn the Shadow Clone Jutsu. I want to get some fresh air!"

"I'm going to suffocate to death inside you!"

Mito smiled and nodded. "Alright, alright."

A moment later, Mito's Adamantine Sealing Chains plunged into Uzumaki Shio's back.

With the Nine-Tails actively giving it, a massive amount of Tailed Beast chakra poured into Shio's body!

Mito watched Uzumaki Shio, who was enduring the corrosion of the Tailed Beast chakra and learning to control this power, feeling quite emotional.

She originally thought that the one to inherit her entire legacy and become the next generation's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki would be Kushina.

But looking at it this way, Shio's potential might actually be greater.

Mito keenly perceived that the corrosive nature of the Tailed Beast chakra was practically a harmless itch to Shio, whose vitality was extremely robust.

After all, Shio's vitality was so abundant it felt like it was overflowing; she could even replenish it by being bitten.

After going through this cycle of corrosion and self-repair multiple times, her physical resistance would greatly increase, eventually nullifying the physical damage from the Tailed Beast chakra.

She hadn't expected Seisui to pop up out of nowhere, causing Shio's determination and perseverance to grow exponentially, to the point where she voluntarily accepted the Nine-Tails' chakra.

And even helped Shio awaken the Adamantine Sealing Chains!

"Forget it, Kushina can just focus on having kids with Minato."

"My Uzumaki clan has a sparse population right now. Having more children to build Konoha's demographic HR base is important business."

"Both of them have excellent genes; who knows, they might give birth to a little genius."

Mito thought to herself.

Scene Break

Two months later.

Amegakure.

Hanzo sat in the seat of honor. Below him sat the trio from the Akatsuki organization he had sought out.

Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan.

In the past, the reason Hanzo had been wary of the Akatsuki was that although they wore Amegakure headbands, they operated entirely independently.

They had established a dynamic shinobi organization in the Land of Rain and rallied their own troops.

This posed a direct threat to his authority as the supreme commander of Amegakure.

But interestingly, Yahiko and the others did not harbor animosity toward Hanzo; in fact, they respected him greatly.

They just felt that Hanzo's measures in recent years had been too conservative and lukewarm, failing to make any substantive changes to Amegakure's poverty. That was why they couldn't help but try to fill that economic gap themselves.

This could naturally be seen as a usurpation of power, but the youths didn't realize it. They simply believed they were fighting for the village's sake, fighting for an ideal.

So when Hanzo called them over, Yahiko and the others actually came.

"Hanzo-sama!"

Yahiko sat in the primary guest seat, with Konan and Nagato on either side.

"Mhm. Yahiko of the Akatsuki organization, right?"

Hanzo nodded, sizing them up one by one. "You three leaders are certainly interesting. Yellow hair, purple hair, red hair, quite conspicuous."

Yahiko scratched his head in embarrassment. Hanzo's amiable attitude upon speaking was very much beyond his expectations.

He had thought they would be greeted with intimidation tactics.

"I have a piece of intelligence here that I need to verify with you all."

"Nagato possesses the bloodline of the Uzumaki clan?" Hanzo glanced at Nagato's eyes. They were indeed a ripple-like shape, but he didn't feel any pressure from them.

Was it really just a rumor? Where in the world would there be an actual Rinnegan.

Nagato paused, noticing Hanzo's attention. He didn't shy away, brushing his red hair aside. "Hanzo-sama, the shape of my eyes is a bit strange, but."

Hearing this, Yahiko laughed heartily. "Some people even say these are the eyes of the Sage of the Six Paths. If only they were! I'd love for Nagato to just clap his hands together and instantly feed everyone in the Land of Rain!"

Nagato offered a helpless smile.

Regarding these eyes, he knew in his heart that there was something special about them.

He just didn't understand it clearly.

When he was consumed by intense rage, he would trigger the power of these eyes, but he would also lose all detailed memory of the event.

They were cursed eyes.

But Nagato hadn't told Yahiko and Konan about this. Nobody wanted their companions to think their power was uncontrollable, like a ticking time bomb.

"Heh."

"They're just a pair of eyes." Hanzo waved his hand dismissively. "The Akatsuki organization. Interesting. I've looked into your philosophy. Achieving peace doesn't necessarily require powerful military force, but rather relies on mutual understanding between people."

"To be frank, it's very naive."

Yahiko and Nagato's brows furrowed deeply.

"Why do you say that, Hanzo-sama?" Yahiko asked earnestly.

"Without military power, even the best ideology is empty talk."

"And military power isn't just about so-called ninjutsu; learning how to use your brain is also a form of military power."

Hanzo tapped his own skull and said meaningfully, "Yahiko, this organization you've created has even attracted a portion of my own subordinates. And you didn't notify me beforehand. Do you think I would perceive this as you challenging me in the political arena?"

"I am the leader of Amegakure, so your actions are clearly challenging my authority."

Yahiko's face froze. "How could that be. I absolutely had no such intentions, Hanzo-sama!"

Nagato and Konan also tensed up.

The reason they had agreed to a meeting with Hanzo was partly because his reputation in Amegakure was undeniably solid, and partly because the recent Amegakure had changed.

Some of their companions in the Akatsuki had received news from friends and family that the former Hanzo-sama had returned, and the village was visibly improving at a rapid pace.

As a result, many people had bid farewell to Yahiko and returned to Amegakure.

Hanzo of the Salamander's brand credibility, though quiet for a few years, was still the gold standard in the Land of Rain!

He possessed terrifying rallying power.

And Amegakure was indeed rapidly prospering.

Over the past few months, the delegation led by Hiashi Hyuga and Ko Hyuga had arrived.

The nobles of the Land of Rain, as if experiencing rain after a long drought, eagerly exchanged a few words with the Hyuga main branch, who were highly adept at etiquette and negotiation, and promptly handed over massive sums of foreign exchange to purchase the export version of the Sovereign Sage Pills.

When these funds were transferred to Hanzo, even this great hero was left dumbfounded.

So this is how Big Brother usually asks nobles for money? It's faster than robbing them!

"Don't be nervous. I know you didn't have that intention, but you need to learn to mature."

Hanzo, mimicking Hiruzen Sarutobi's mannerisms, took a sip of tea and poured a cup for each of the three. "I am the leader of Amegakure, so I can tolerate some of your naive behavior."

"But what if you were facing an enemy? This kind of naivety would only get yourselves and your companions killed!"

"You are all good seedlings."

"I heard you trained under Jiraiya of Konohagakure. You are his disciples?"

The hearts that Yahiko and the others had just relaxed immediately jumped back into their throats.

According to Hanzo's phrasing, they were the quintessential foreign-backed Amegakure opposition faction.

Not only were they stirring up trouble within the Land of Rain, but they also had inseparable ties to Konoha.

If this became a PR disaster and spread, hardly anyone would stand on their side.

"Hanzo-sama, we did indeed train with Jiraiya-sensei for a while; we are his disciples."

Yahiko thought for a moment before saying in a deep voice, "But we have no ties to Konoha whatsoever. We haven't seen Jiraiya-sensei for many years either."

Hanzo looked at Yahiko. "Kid, you have a sincere heart for treating people, and that's the reason you've been able to build a team. But you need to recognize the gray and black sides of this world."

"Learn from me from now on. I hope you can inherit my will and lead Amegakure well in the future."

As soon as these words were spoken, the eyes of Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan instantly widened.

This.

Was he trying to groom Yahiko as his successor?

This decisiveness in turning enemies into friends was far too bold!

Hanzo just smiled slightly.

Over the past few months, he had maintained correspondence with Hiruzen Sarutobi, discussing the Akatsuki issue.

An excellent way to handle it was to paint a grand vision for these idealistic youths.

The moment you meet them, tell them they have the makings of a leader, and then gradually re-educate them.

Anyway, with Hanzo's current body, he would still be bursting with physical vitality and combat readiness for the next ten years. Why should he care?

"Hanzo-sama, you are."

"I'm too excited, I don't know what to say." Yahiko stammered a bit.

At this moment, he also understood why some of his companions had left the Akatsuki.

This Lord Hanzo of the Salamander truly had charisma!

"Your ideas actually coincide with mine, but I have already begun implementing them in Amegakure."

Hanzo handed a document to Yahiko. The contents were the specifics of the cooperation between Amegakure and Konoha, as well as the public disclosure of financial expenditures done entirely in the Konoha style.

These had all been implemented with the help of the Hyuga advisory group, and they looked very professional.

Yahiko and the others looked stunned. The three heads huddled together, reading intently.

Sovereign Sage Pills, Work-for-Relief Infrastructure, Basic Infrastructure Renovation, Shinobi Economic Transition.

"Konoha is actually this generous?"

Yahiko couldn't help but say, "Could it be that they also believe peace doesn't require military force? But they clearly provoked the Second Shinobi World War."

Hanzo's expression changed, and he reprimanded severely, "Nonsense! This is a serious historical issue for Amegakure."

"The causes of the Second Shinobi World War have already been investigated. Iwagakure fanned the flames from the shadows, and Sunagakure provoked it for the sake of expansion. Both Konoha and Amegakure were victims!"

"If brothers are manipulated by outsiders, shouldn't they reconcile once the misunderstanding is cleared up?"

"Konoha has always loved peace. If they wanted to use military force, they would have launched an unprecedented war back in the era of the God of Shinobi, the First Hokage!"

Yahiko was stunned and instinctively nodded.

Nagato and Konan exchanged a glance but didn't say anything either.

During the Second Shinobi World War, they had seen all sorts of shinobi, and Konoha's were indeed the most civilized by comparison.

Besides, Jiraiya had taught them for three years, and Hashirama's brand credibility was indeed sterling.

"I apologize, Hanzo-sama. I misspoke."

"Konoha's assistance to Amegakure genuinely shocked me for a moment. I am very sorry."

Yahiko stood up and bowed deeply.

Hanzo nodded slightly. "You don't need to worry about your relationship with Jiraiya. I value you precisely because of this, and also because of your youth and capability."

"I've decided to put you in charge of the in-depth liaison work between Amegakure and Konoha."

"Furthermore, you will supervise Amegakure's financial revenue to ensure that the money extracted from the nobles is tangibly spent on the village and the shinobi!"

Hanzo repeated the advice Hiruzen Sarutobi had given him, silently praising his Big Brother's wisdom.

Young people might be reckless, but being reckless has its benefits: they possess hot blood and passion.

They are perfectly suited for oversight and undertaking practical, groundwork tasks.

"Please rest assured, leave it to us, Hanzo-sama!"

Yahiko said excitedly.

In the documents, he had seen various future infrastructure projects for Amegakure, flood control measures, and numerous contracts waiting for the shinobi to fulfill.

There were also some low-rank mission commissions shared by Konoha, which would be enough to feed many Amegakure shinobi.

Just thinking about it, Yahiko felt that this weeping nation.

Might soon welcome a period of smiling in the rain!

Nagato, on the other hand, was somewhat worried.

Because of what happened to his parents, he still didn't completely trust Konoha.

He couldn't shake the feeling that with Amegakure tying itself so closely to Konoha, would they even be able to tell themselves apart in the future?

But Nagato didn't voice his concerns. After all, Yahiko approved.

Konan didn't overthink it. Her reasoning was simple: making sure everyone had enough to eat was the top priority.

Interestingly, Hanzo had actually considered Nagato's thoughts.

If Amegakure collaborated with Konoha to such an extent, once the Ame shinobi who had experienced good days got used to it, any future decoupling would trigger a devastating riot.

But Hanzo had only pondered it briefly before choosing to trust Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Not only because of his solid reputation, but because after Hiruzen Sarutobi had battered him into absolute rational clarity, he had also revamped his body, returning him to his prime.

With his Big Brother's martial prowess and the resources at his disposal, Hanzo felt there was no need for him to be so generous.

The main reason he chose to cooperate with Amegakure was that they had long admired each other in spirit and felt a mutual respect.

So, Hanzo didn't care about these potential risks anymore.

"These young people are highly adaptable."

"Letting them get in touch with Konoha's advanced Will of Fire ideology is the only way to rapidly immerse the majority of the village's shinobi and lay a solid foundation for deep integration with Konoha in the future."

Hanzo thought of the bottom line Hiruzen Sarutobi had revealed to him, his heart swelling slightly.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had emphasized that if a Shinobi World War ever broke out again, as long as Amegakure showed enough sincerity, Konoha would further increase its support and treat them as one of their own.

Based on deep cooperation with the Land of Rain's nobles and shinobi, the two could nominally merge into one.

This would include tariff exemptions, market monopoly integration, and complementary industries and mission boards.

But Amegakure would retain its relative independence. Under the grand premise of abiding by the Will of Fire, Ame shinobi would govern Amegakure with a high degree of autonomy.

Hanzo would still be the leader of Amegakure, but his title would become Konoha High Commissioner.

Moreover, he would become the General of the Amegakure Province of the Land of Fire, entering the dual-hierarchy of shinobi nobility just like Hiruzen Sarutobi.

He would have both the PR face and the substantive lining!

The remaining problem for Hanzo was figuring out when Amegakure would have a chance to demonstrate its sincerity.

And how to make the shinobi under him quickly let go of their awkwardness and pragmatically embrace Konoha.

Letting time wash it away would naturally work, but Hanzo felt it was too slow!

If the efficiency was low, it would be a disservice to the conditions his Big Brother had laid out for him and Amegakure.

Because they had fought fiercely against two major hidden villages in the Second Shinobi World War, Amegakure's shinobi possessed quite a bit of pride, but this pride could ironically end up harming them.

And Hanzo couldn't help it either.

He couldn't exactly broadcast that compared to Konoha and Hiruzen Sarutobi, he and Amegakure were actually far behind.

That outside talk of being the Sixth Great Hidden Village, just laugh it off and cherish the current treatment while they could!

It's great to enjoy the shade under a big tree!

But if Hanzo said it like that, it would severely damage his own authority.

Therefore, Hanzo sometimes even thought that if Amegakure could suffer a moderately sized attack, making the village's shinobi realize they weren't actually that strong, it might be a good thing.

"Those damn Kumogakure cowards, just when we need them to attack, they turtle up! A bunch of trash!"

Hanzo cursed angrily in his heart.

Then, he looked at Konan. "I've reviewed your intelligence. You possess the Paper Release secret technique, correct?"

Konan nodded, slightly nervous. "Yes, Hanzo-sama, but I'm still developing it. I was wondering if I could produce some explosive tags, pre-made scrolls."

"My mastery of Fire Release chakra nature transformation is very poor, so the production of explosive tags has never been very successful."

Hanzo's eyes lit up. "Excellent! Konan, from now on, you will be the second-in-command of Amegakure's primary processing industry. You must fully leverage your advantages!"

Konan was stunned.

Who exactly was spreading rumors that Hanzo had lost his former glory and was obsessed with clinging to power?

This sweeping, magnanimous demeanor was clearly that of a profoundly heroic figure of the shinobi world!

Rumors really couldn't be trusted.

And just as Hanzo was thinking about when someone might come and attack Amegakure.

Black Zetsu, who had been monitoring this scene, reported back to Madara Uchiha with maximum speed.

"That brat Nagato hasn't been further stimulated by his emotions yet, so he hasn't grasped the full power of the Rinnegan. That's why Hanzo can't recognize them yet."

Black Zetsu thought grimly. "We can't let the Rinnegan be further exposed to the shinobi world's view!"

"I swear, Madara Uchiha clearly doesn't have the brains for it, yet he always wants to meddle with these garbage plans. Why can't he just focus on completing the Eye of the Moon Plan himself?"

"He's useless now that he's old!"

For a very long time, Black Zetsu had been dispatched by Madara Uchiha to monitor Nagato.

Having been away from Madara Uchiha's side for so long, it was unaware of the changes in Madara.

Right now, in Madara Uchiha's mind, the proxy plan was only a backup, second-tier option.

His number one priority was using his peerless intellect and ninja way to knock some sense into Hiruzen Sarutobi, the inheritor of his youthful will!

Scene Break

Land of Water.

White Zetsu A-Huo burst out of the ground in a panic. "Disaster, disaster, Madara-sama!"

"Hanzo and Nagato have reached an agreement to cooperate. There is a risk of the Rinnegan being exposed. You need to return and check on it quickly!"

Madara Uchiha snapped his head around. "How is that possible?"

"That Hanzo is just a washed-up brute who couldn't recover after his defeat, while Nagato and those brats created some organization. Hanzo should be feeling threatened by them!"

"He should be feeling his authority is challenged and scheming to eliminate Nagato. Then I could use a scheme to make the people close to Nagato die, making that brat understand that the hatred in the shinobi world cannot be erased!"

"Thereby becoming the loyal proxy for the Eye of the Moon Plan."

White Zetsu A-Huo let out a long sigh. "Hanzo went to Konoha earlier and reached an agreement with Hiruzen Sarutobi! We don't know what they discussed, but you know the Hokage Building is surrounded by Hyuga, and Mito and those two Uzumaki girls go there constantly."

"The White Zetsus found it incredibly difficult to hide!"

"Hanzo's change is definitely related to Hiruzen Sarutobi!" White Zetsu A-Huo stroked its chin, analyzing the situation like a military strategist.

At the mention of Hiruzen Sarutobi, Madara Uchiha instantly calmed down.

"Related to Hiruzen, is it?"

"Then it's not surprising, not surprising at all."

"Hahahahaha!" Madara Uchiha burst into unprovoked, raucous laughter. "Good one, Hiruzen! I hadn't even made my move against you yet, and you actually launched a preemptive strike? You have the flavor of my younger self. This is getting more and more interesting!"

"Let's go, A-Huo."

Madara Uchiha's eyes narrowed sharply. "We're going to take back the Rinnegan!"

☆☆☆

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