"Poison Spray!"
Salamander Hanzo's shout echoed through the battlefield. From beneath him, Salamander Ibushi discharged thick clouds of poisonous mist. In seconds, the gas spread over Sarutobi Hiruzen's position and engulfed his assembled squad.
-Shhhhhhh-
Dozens of figures rushed out of the fog as it descended. Though Hanzo was strong, some relied too heavily on confidence and reacted too late.
Just brushing against the gas was enough for even battle-hardened elders to feel their legs weaken beneath them.
"It's poison gas, take the detox pills now!"
Caps snapped open and pills went down fast, but within moments, the affected ninjas began to stagger and sway again.
"Oh no-the detox pills aren't working!"
"What?"
Several turned wide-eyed toward the ones collapsing to their knees. Their so-called antidotes had been developed specifically to counter Chiyo of the Sand-what use were they now?
It felt like watching top-tier missile defense fail to intercept balloons. Every expectation shattered in front of them.
"Ngh-"
Seeing their comrades fall enraged them, but the mist's area of effect was too large. With no cure in sight, Sarutobi Hiruzen raised one hand-negotiation would come before further loss.
He stepped forward and narrowed his eyes at Hanzo from behind the swirling haze.
"Hanzo of the Salamander, are you declaring war on Konoha?"
Hanzo could see their hesitation and was secretly pleased. He kept his expression unreadable.
"If you don't withdraw, I just might."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's mouth tightened. Bluff or not-it required pushback.
"Hah. If you try it, I promise there won't be so much as a mouse left alive in the Rain Country when we're done."
Hanzo didn't flinch.
"Try it then-and see if your Leaf shinobi are any match for one man getting into your country alone."
They traded strategic threats with flat expressions-but there was truth to Hanzo's claim. Konoha had structure to lose; Hanzo didn't care what burned so long as he burned with it.
Hiruzen weighed those losses. Even if victory came later, too much would be gone by then. He couldn't risk Konoha's future for one hill of pride.
"...What do you want?"
Hanzo relaxed only slightly but didn't smile.
"I'm not getting involved in your quarrels. Pull back from our borders-we'll stay out of everything else."
Hiruzen didn't answer right away. He traced out options in his head before offering another route instead.
"This is complicated-and too much for field talk. Why don't we sit down somewhere neutral?"
Hanzo raised his brow and scanned the eyes surrounding him-no one looked friendly here.
"Alone? You expect me to talk inside your tent?"
Sarutobi raised his chin evenly.
"I'll go alone with you-but leave your antidote behind first."
"Hokage-sama-!"
One of his guards called out in alarm before Hanzo even responded.
"Isn't that too dangerous?!"
Hiruzen swept his hand behind him and took two steps forward on his own.
"It's not dangerous at my level. If I die-a new Hokage gets named. And if I die here? The Rain Country burns by morning light."
His words sounded diplomatic-but they left no room for misinterpretation. It was leverage-and it worked.
Hanzo's respect grew just slightly behind narrowed eyes.
"Fine. So long as you don't try anything-I won't either."
Hiruzen turned back once as if to reassure his soldiers.
"Did you hear that?"
Without another word, he walked toward Hanzo directly. The man flicked one bottle of antidote toward Hiruzen's subordinates without fanfare before leading him away from Konoha's lines.
They moved quickly toward bare rock terrain-flat enough for safety, isolated enough for secrecy.
Hanzo stopped when he reached higher ground and finally looked over his shoulder again.
"No one will follow us here. Now talk-why won't you get out of our country?"
Hiruzen remained calm and pulled out the rolled map from under his robe, spreading it over rock and wind between them both.
"Your country's geography is the issue. You're between three nations, and when war starts between any two-you're in the path."
Hanzo didn't wait for the full speech this time.
"Start war in the Grass Country if you're fighting Earth! Use the Rivers if you're fighting Wind! Why is Rain always dragged in?"
Hiruzen raised his gaze steadily, then snapped back without allowing Hanzo the last word-
"Those options don't work anymore. Both Wind and Earth are pushing against us now-they've aligned temporarily because we're stronger individually than they are together. Neither will tolerate our entry into their lands-but both will happily fight on yours."
Hanzo clenched both fists but couldn't argue it down. He knew it was true even if he hated it. Rain had no leverage but threat-and now even that might not be enough.
"I don't care! If you so much as put one village to flame inside Rain-I'll walk into Fire Land myself and turn every Leaf citizen into ash! Let's see who survives then!"
Sarutobi smiled faintly at that-but it wasn't humor. It was calculation behind calm eyes.
"...It's not impossible-in fact, that may be exactly what we plan to lean on."
Hanzo froze mid-step.
"What did you say?"
"We're looking for deterrents powerful enough to force our enemies into hesitation while we handle them piece by piece."
"So you want me to threaten everyone else, too?"
Hanzo stiffened. The tone dropped cold again-that level of effort would end him and take the Rain Country with it.
"No-"
Hiruzen raised both palms calmly in protest-
"Nothing like that."
He leaned in slightly and spoke slower now-
"Are you interested… in the title of 'Demigod'?"
Hanzo flinched as if struck by lightning mid-rainstorm.
"...Demigod?"
"I'll send in one squad of my own into your territory," Hiruzen offered smoothly. "You kill them publicly. I'll declare your victory and brand you 'Demigod' across every allied nation involved."
Hanzo said nothing-but wheels turned behind his eyes faster than storm winds ever reached his homeland before now.
"...Why?"
"It would protect the Rain," Hiruzen said simply, "and I get one small thing in return."
"...Go on."
"Make my three apprentices famous."
Hanzo stared-and waited for the other shoe to drop-
"...That's it?"
"That's it," Hiruzen confirmed without blinking once.
Hanzo nodded once after only two seconds of thought-
"Deal."
"Deal."
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