White Fang, the most mysterious ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village. Many rumors surrounded White Fang, but their truth was difficult to verify. However, one rumor was repeated so often that many believed it to be true—that White Fang was very young!
According to whispers, White Fang was supposedly only in his twenties, no older than Tsunade and others of her generation, perhaps even the same age.
Hanzo gave this rumor significant credibility.
This was an unfavorable fact for the Hidden Leaf. The younger White Fang was, the more talented he must be. If he was truly in his twenties, then he was an unprecedented prodigy, possibly rivaling even the young Hiruzen Sarutobi!
There were always those who sought to eliminate geniuses—Hanzo was one of them.
The younger White Fang was, the more dangerous he became on the battlefield, making him a prime target.
"I will personally track down White Fang. Do not change any arrangements regarding the Black Samurai hunt." Hanzo spoke quickly, adding, "Immediately spread the word—anyone who provides information on White Fang's whereabouts will be rewarded with ten million ryo! As for Orochimaru, I will assign Jūsan to track him… Teridō!"
"Yes, my lord." Teridō responded immediately.
"You are now in charge of tracking the Black Samurai. Remember, if Tsunade and Jiraiya separate from the Black Samurai, your priority is to pursue the Black Samurai. I want his black armor, understood?"
"Understood!"
"Do not disappoint me."
"I will give my utmost effort!"
Hanzo glanced sideways at Teridō, satisfaction flickering in his eyes. Among his subordinates, Teridō was the one he trusted the most. Compared to Jūsan, the captain of the Rain Anbu, Teridō might not have been as strong in combat, but in every other aspect, he surpassed Jūsan.
Jūsan was a cold, ruthless weapon—a blade Hanzo wielded.
But Teridō? He was someone Hanzo could groom as a successor.
Whoosh!
A figure suddenly appeared in the center of the cavern, kneeling swiftly on one knee. "Reporting to the leader, urgent intelligence from the Hidden Leaf!"
"Speak!" Hanzo commanded without turning around.
"According to intelligence, the First Combat Corps of the Hidden Leaf departed from the village two days ago and is marching toward the Fire-Rain border. They are expected to arrive in six days!"
"Hiruzen Sarutobi! Very well." Hanzo turned abruptly, his expression dark.
The Hidden Leaf was sending a large force toward the Land of Rain—this meant war! Or perhaps it was an intimidation tactic. Historically, the Hidden Leaf rarely initiated war, but Hanzo would not bow to such threats.
If Sarutobi was deploying an army, there had to be multiple factors at play, the most significant being Tsunade and Jiraiya.
Hanzo understood the Leaf's objective.
"Teridō, I give you six days." Hanzo fixed his gaze on Teridō. "Tsunade, Jiraiya, and the Black Samurai—within six days, whether you kill them or capture them, I don't care. But if you succeed, I will name you the Deputy Leader of the Rain Village. Understood?"
"I swear to complete the mission!" Teridō immediately knelt, his voice trembling slightly with emotion.
Normally, he would not have reacted so strongly, but Hanzo's promise was too great to ignore.
Due to historical reasons, the position of Deputy Leader had remained vacant since Hanzo's rise to power. Hanzo himself had once held that title, and his ambition had led to rebellion, culminating in his overthrow of the previous leader.
Since then, Hanzo had been wary of appointing anyone to the position.
The Deputy Leader of the Rain Village wielded immense authority. Hanzo himself had ascended from that rank through a coup. He feared that appointing another could threaten his own rule.
But now, Hanzo had changed his stance, breaking precedent to offer the position.
Whoever became the Deputy Leader would hold authority second only to Hanzo. They would command the entire village in his absence and, if Hanzo perished in battle, would automatically become the next leader—no vote from the village council required.
The Deputy Leader was the rightful successor!
How could Teridō not be excited?
The other figures in the cavern cast complex looks at Teridō. Though he had always ranked below Jūsan, if he became Deputy Leader, he would truly become the second-in-command!
This role was unparalleled among the other villages.
For example, Danzo, the advisor of the Hidden Leaf, was technically the second most powerful figure in the village. But his authority was limited. Without the Hokage's approval, he could not command the village's military forces outright.
In the Rain Village, however, the Deputy Leader had direct command over all military units, as long as his orders did not contradict Hanzo's.
"Go, Teridō. In six days, I want to see the Black Armor!" Hanzo waved his hand.
"Yes!" Teridō obeyed, disappearing from the cavern.
Two days later, morning.
A storm raged through the mountains. The howling wind sounded like ghostly wails. The temperature plummeted, turning the rain into a deadly force. In such weather, people froze to death in the Land of Rain—especially the poor and the enslaved laborers, who perished every year due to the cold.
On the western slope of a north-south mountain range…
Inside a dimly lit cave, Tsunade sat cross-legged at the entrance, staring blankly at the storm outside.
Jiraiya and Haruto Saito slept further inside. Jiraiya had just recently fallen asleep, while Haruto had been resting for a while.
For two days, the three of them had pursued Orochimaru and his group, tracking various clues, yet they had found nothing. Instead, they had encountered numerous dangers, including at least five near-run-ins with squads of Rain ninja and samurai.
But they had avoided combat each time.
Haruto's sensory abilities had allowed them to detect threats in advance, helping them bypass enemies without confrontation. Given their current circumstances, any unnecessary battle was a waste of time.
Although Haruto did not view it that way, Tsunade and Jiraiya did, and he could not act alone. Besides, he wasn't confident he could win solo.
Each of the enemy groups contained at least several dozen warriors, with their leaders often being elite jonin.
After more than two days without proper rest, they had finally taken refuge in this cave to recover their strength.
"Ahh!" Haruto suddenly shouted in his sleep, sitting bolt upright, his eyes snapping wide open.
"Hm?" Tsunade turned to look at him, frowning slightly. "Another nightmare?"
Haruto, his face pale, stared at Tsunade in a daze before nodding slowly.
"Looks like I shouldn't call you 'kid' anymore." Tsunade teased. "Maybe 'scaredy-cat' would be more fitting."
"No… Something's wrong! I never used to have nightmares." Haruto shook his head, suspicion in his voice.
"Have you ever been in a situation like this before?" Tsunade asked.
"No."
"Then it's normal. You'll get used to it." Tsunade stood up, stretching before sitting down beside Haruto. She held out her hand. "Give me your pendant."