Haruto Saito had not sensed it before—the presence of such a powerful figure in the village across the river!
It made sense that he hadn't noticed earlier. The person could have been inside a building or in a sealed, protected room, making it difficult to detect them. But now, he sensed it clearly!
A strong and unfamiliar presence!
This was the first time Haruto Saito had ever encountered such a chakra signature. The sheer volume of chakra emanating from this person led him to believe that they were close in power to Hattori Ryuno!
He said "close" because, while this person's chakra reserves were significant, they could not be compared to Hattori Ryuno's. However, what stood out was the unique nature of this individual's chakra fluctuations!
---
In the forest.
Haruto Saito pressed his hand to the ground, continuing to sense the energy around him.
"Powerful? How powerful?" Tsunade asked urgently.
"Comparable to Honoka!" Haruto Saito immediately replied. Honoka was the codename for Hattori Ryuno!
"This..." Tsunade's expression changed as she turned to exchange glances with Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
"This doesn't seem like an enemy of Hanzō," Haruto Saito quickly added. "He's moving very fast, coming straight here without trying to hide his presence. If he were an enemy, Hanzō would have noticed him ahead of time and prepared accordingly. Besides... his chakra signature is somewhat similar to Hanzō's."
"An ally of Hanzō?" Tsunade speculated.
"Possibly one of his subordinates!" Jiraiya added.
"It could be *that* guy…" Orochimaru suddenly spoke in a cold tone. "If he really is one of Hanzō's subordinates..."
Tsunade and Jiraiya turned to look at Orochimaru. From his expression, they immediately understood what he was implying.
"Could it be him?"
"How could he compare to Hattori Ryuno?"
"He hasn't made many moves in the last two years, so it's hard to estimate his current strength."
"Could he have grown even stronger? But his potential should have already been exhausted—how is that possible?"
"Hey, hey, hey! Stop talking in riddles!" Haruto Saito interjected. "Who exactly are you talking about?!"
"Haruto, go investigate," Orochimaru instructed. "If the person you sense is carrying a scythe, then there's no mistake! It must be…"
---
By the riverside, under a tree.
Hanzō chewed on a piece of tough dried meat, his expression calm as he gazed across the river. He rarely removed his mask, but eating was one of the few times he had to take it off.
Before long—
*Whoosh!*
A blur shot out from the forest on the far side of the river, dashing across the water's surface with incredible speed. The figure rushed straight toward Hanzō, stopping abruptly two meters away before kneeling on one knee. A scythe was strapped to his back, and he bowed his head respectfully.
"Master!"
"What news do you have?" Hanzō asked, finishing his last bite of dried meat and fastening his mask back onto his face.
"Master, according to the latest intelligence, Haruto Saito should currently be in the northern coastal region of the Land of Whirlpools. That is the last location where he was spotted. Also, there are reports that Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru were recently seen in the Land of Whirlpools, but it is unclear whether they have already left."
"Can we confirm that Haruto Saito was the one who killed Hattori Ryuno?"
"Based on the current intelligence, we cannot say for certain."
Their conversation revolved entirely around Haruto Saito and matters concerning the Hidden Leaf Village. Hanzō's reason for coming to the Land of Whirlpools was, of course, Haruto Saito!
---
Meanwhile, several kilometers to the north—
Haruto Saito flashed forward at high speed!
He could have observed the situation from a distance, but he couldn't use his Byakugan in front of Tsunade and the others. Therefore, he needed to get closer to Hanzō. Not too close, but just enough.
Landing in the forest, Haruto Saito clasped his hands together.
*Byakugan, activate!*
Wrinkles formed at the corners of his eyes, his pupils turned pale, and his world shifted into shades of gray and white!
He focused his vision!
The scene zoomed in rapidly!
Haruto Saito quickly saw Hanzō and the figure kneeling before him.
His Byakugan penetrated the man's clothing, revealing a body covered in crisscrossing scars. However, he could not see the man's face—the mask was specially crafted, impervious even to the Byakugan's vision.
But that didn't matter—Haruto Saito already knew who he was!
---
**True Sight Activated!**
---
**Name:** Thirteen
**Affiliation:** Hidden Rain Village, Anbu Captain
**Reputation:** 47,567 points
**Relationship:** Hostile
**Abilities:** Mastery of Blade Techniques, Proficiency in Secret Arts
---
It was him!
The captain of the Hidden Rain Anbu!
A man even more terrifying than the infamous assassin Terao from Hidden Rain!
This was the most enigmatic figure in the Hidden Rain Village and the second-strongest ninja under Hanzō!
Years ago, when Hanzō had just become the leader of Hidden Rain, his position was highly unstable. Internal strife and external threats surrounded him. In response, he sought to train a fiercely loyal and powerful subordinate.
Hanzō scoured the Land of Rain for ninety-nine gifted children under the age of ten. He provided them with resources, trained them relentlessly, and pushed their talents to the limit—forcing them to battle each other until only one remained alive.
The sole survivor was Thirteen.
He had no real name—just the designation "Thirteen," assigned to him based on his number among the original ninety-nine children.
"Damn it… this is bad…" Haruto Saito muttered through gritted teeth.
This was a serious problem!
Dealing with Hanzō alone was already difficult enough. Now, the second-strongest fighter in the Hidden Rain was here too!
Thirteen's reputation points were not particularly high—less than fifty thousand—while Hattori Ryuno had over seventy thousand. However, part of Hattori Ryuno's reputation came from his high-ranking position, not just his combat ability.
Thirteen, on the other hand, had very little status-related reputation. His reputation was based almost entirely on his strength. That was the key difference between them! While Hattori Ryuno was known as one of the world's top-tier ninjas and the Mizukage's advisor, Thirteen was shrouded in mystery. Only a few elite intelligence organizations possessed information on him. To most of the ninja world, the Hidden Rain's Anbu Captain was a ghost—a nameless shadow.
If Hattori Ryuno's reputation was split into 35,000 points for combat ability and 35,000 for status, then Thirteen's strength alone accounted for nearly all of his 47,000 points!
Their abilities were likely on par, but Thirteen was far more elusive!
He was, for all intents and purposes, Hanzō's personal war machine—a disciple in all but name!
Haruto Saito estimated that Thirteen was in the same league as Hattori Ryuno and White Fang. Even if there were minor gaps in their strength, the difference wouldn't be significant. Thirteen should be around thirty years old—older than White Fang but younger than Hattori Ryuno!
*Whoosh!*
Haruto Saito disappeared into thin air.
A moment later, he reappeared beside Tsunade and the others.
"It's him!" Haruto Saito declared before anyone could ask. "Thirteen!"
"We're doomed…" Tsunade groaned, pressing a hand to her forehead.
"We should retreat!" Jiraiya suggested.
"Hey, come on! Don't be so pessimistic!" Haruto Saito protested.