Haruto Saito never expected that Hanzo would be so reckless as to travel all the way alone to the Land of Whirlpools!
After all, the Land of Rain was currently the central battlefield of the ninja war. If word got out that Hanzo was absent from his village, Amegakure could face a direct assault!
Haruto initially suspected the Third Mizukage, Fueyu, and had hoped it was him—because Fueyu would be easier to deal with!
Not that Fueyu was weaker than Hanzo. If the two fought one-on-one, it would be hard to predict the outcome. But their strengths lay in different areas: Fueyu specialized in ninjutsu, while Hanzo was a master of kenjutsu and close combat!
Hanzo's title as the "Demi-God" was well-earned. His close-combat abilities were legendary, perhaps second only to the Third Raikage, A.
Haruto had no desire for close combat—it was far too dangerous. Moreover, fighters who excelled in close combat were also extremely fast, making them difficult to pursue or escape from. If Hanzo chose to flee, Haruto might keep up, but his allies wouldn't.
And Haruto wasn't about to chase Hanzo alone—that would be suicidal!
"Hanzo? Alone?" Tsunade frowned.
"I only saw him," Haruto confirmed. "And there were no other strong chakra presences nearby. If someone were traveling with him, they'd have to be at least Jonin-level, but I sensed nothing."
"The only reason Hanzo would come to the Land of Whirlpools personally would be you," Jiraiya remarked, looking at Haruto. "His absence from Amegakure is a huge risk. If his enemies find out, the village could be in danger."
"Obviously!" Haruto replied. "He's here for me—to kill me! And even if he weren't, Konoha is at war with Amegakure. We have every reason to take him down!"
"Let's move. We can't lose track of him," Orochimaru said coldly, eager for battle.
A golden opportunity—Hanzo, alone and vulnerable. Their combined strength was sufficient. They had to act!
Haruto agreed. Taking down Hanzo wouldn't be easy, but the opportunity was too good to pass up.
"Let's go. We'll talk on the way," Haruto instructed.
The five of them moved out. Haruto led the way, scouting ahead.
Hanzo was moving quickly, though not at full speed. Haruto had to keep adjusting his position to maintain the pursuit, teleporting back and forth to relay updates to his allies.
Over the next two hours, the chase continued.
By sunset, they had closed the gap to just ten kilometers.
In the dim forest, the group gathered under a tree.
"He's over there, eating by the river," Haruto pointed south. "There's a river, and he's on its bank."
Jiraiya pulled out a map, quickly identifying the river's location. "About eight kilometers from us. If we attack from this direction, we can surround him…"
"Wait!" Tsunade suddenly pointed at the map. "Is this a village?"
"Northwave Village," Jiraiya confirmed, frowning. "A settlement."
The map indicated the presence of a large civilian village, home to at least 30,000 people, just a kilometer from Hanzo's location.
"That's too close!" Tsunade said gravely.
"You're too soft," Orochimaru sneered.
Tsunade shot him a cold glare, tempted to punch him.
"It is problematic. A battle here could devastate Northwave Village. If we use large-scale jutsu, we could destroy the village entirely," Jiraiya said.
Haruto watched them, quickly grasping their concerns.
"I'm against it!" Tsunade declared. "This would damage Konoha's reputation. Hanzo might not care, but we should. Sacrificing tens of thousands of civilians just to kill him? Absolutely not."
"You're too soft," Orochimaru repeated.
Tsunade's response was a punch to his gut.
Orochimaru doubled over, momentarily curling up, but within seconds, he straightened, wiping blood from his lips as if nothing had happened.
"It's definitely a problem," Jiraiya agreed. "But if we could lure Hanzo away from the village…"
"Why do you think he's eating there instead of inside the village?" Tsunade interrupted.
Before Jiraiya could reply, she continued, "He's being cautious. He's avoiding detection by staying outside settlements. Since leaving Amegakure, he likely hasn't entered any villages. And by positioning himself outside, he's preventing exactly what we're trying to do."
"He's using the village as a shield. If we attack, we risk civilian casualties. And if an army tries to surround him, he can just retreat into the village. Who would dare slaughter civilians just to kill him?"
"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist would," Haruto muttered.
Tsunade kicked him into a ditch.
"If I'm right, he may spend the night by the river, rather than in the village. The village serves as a safety net," she concluded.
"So what do we do? Wait until tomorrow?" Jiraiya asked.
"Or he might leave during the night," Tsunade said.
"Hold on!" Haruto, who had just climbed out of the ditch, suddenly called out.
Everyone turned to him.
Haruto pressed a hand to the ground, gazing south.
"Someone's coming from the village—heading straight for Hanzo. A powerful presence!"
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