During the Second Great Ninja War, Konoha didn't achieve victory on the battlefields of the Land of Rain, so it was naturally impossible for Jiraiya, one of Konoha's Sannin, to remain there.
That meant he wouldn't continue to teach Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan, nor instill his ideals in them.
And given Hanzo's influence within the Land of Rain, it was only a matter of time before Nagato's Rinnegan was discovered without the protection of a powerful figure like Jiraiya.
So what Hanzo saw wasn't Akatsuki, an organization that threatened his dominance over the Land of Rain, but rather an unpolished gem: someone born with the Rinnegan Kekkei Genkai, suspected of having Uzumaki blood, and worthy of his tutelage.
Thus, it was only natural that these three teenagers were taken in as disciples by Hanzo.
"Senior Hanzo, you misunderstand. Sand Hidden and Rain Hidden are allies. We would naturally never do anything to harm the Land of Rain. We're merely passing through."
Hanzo scrutinized Qingshui for a long moment.
"I heard that you've developed a new Kekkei Genkai and even fought your Kazekage to a standstill," Hanzo asked Qingshui.
"The Kazekage was merely going easy on me," Qingshui replied to Hanzo.
Hanzo fell silent for a moment, seemingly deep in thought.
"Senior Hanzo, would you perhaps be willing to make way for us juniors? We still have a mission to complete."
"Surely your mission isn't that urgent, is it?" Hanzo continued to ask Qingshui.
Qingshui raised an eyebrow.
Hanzo's words implied...
"Has Rain Village encountered some problem that requires Sand Hidden's assistance? Senior Hanzo could send someone to write a letter to the Third Kazekage. If the request is reasonable, I believe the Third Kazekage wouldn't refuse an ally's plea."
"No, it's not a major issue, but I believe your involvement would yield the best results."
"Oh? Senior Hanzo intends to..."
"You few should spar with me, right here. Just a friendly match. In exchange, I can..."
Hanzo paused.
He had originally intended to offer assistance with Qingshui's mission.
However, he considered that if the other party was trying to conceal their identity, they likely didn't want others to know the mission's details.
Furthermore, the fact that Qingshui and three other Jonin were dispatched for this mission suggested it wasn't simple. Sending additional people might result in casualties or even drag them into conflicts between great nations.
"I can grant you access to Rain Hidden's intelligence room to view all information collected by the Land of Rain, at least information that doesn't involve Rain Village's critical intelligence."
"I agree, but I hope that no one from Rain Village will disclose anything about our presence here today."
Qingshui thought for a moment before speaking.
After this brief observation and consideration, he generally understood what Hanzo might be trying to do.
He probably wanted to show Nagato and the others what top-tier geniuses from major nations, close to their age, looked like. This would broaden their horizons and provide them with some pressure that could be converted into motivation.
Such a thing was harmless, wouldn't cause them any loss, and at most would waste a little time.
But compared to the potential gains, it wasn't a waste at all.
The Land of Rain was a neighboring country to the Land of Grass.
During the Second Great Ninja War, Hanzo fought all the way to the Land of Iron, aiming to establish the Land of Rain as the sixth great nation.
And the Land of Grass happened to be situated between the Land of Rain and the Land of Iron.
This suggested that during the Second Great Ninja War, the Land of Grass was likely overrun by Hanzo at one point, and it was only due to the later intervention of Konoha and Stone Hidden that Hanzo's forces retreated.
If Hanzo had been born seventy or eighty years earlier, with his abilities, he could very well have established a great ninja village, just like the five original Kage.
He suffered from being born too late.
Hanzo had definitely considered annexing the Land of Grass; he certainly wouldn't lack intelligence on Grass Village.
At the very least, that area was outside Sand Hidden's sphere of influence, with only a few peripheral secret outposts there used for collecting and transmitting intelligence from across the Ninja World.
Hanzo's intelligence would definitely be more useful than what Sand Hidden possessed, allowing him to gain a greater understanding of the situation in the Land of Grass and saving a significant amount of time.
"You all, step back and observe carefully."
Hanzo raised a hand, signaling his subordinates to retreat.
"You three go first. Engaging with a top-tier ninja like Hanzo is an excellent training opportunity. Otherwise, if Senior Hanzo and I were to fight, I'm afraid it would be difficult for anyone else to intervene, except for Pakura."
Qingshui took a step back, letting Baki and the others go first.
Hanzo was known for mentoring juniors; the Sannin title was bestowed by him, and Qingshui had also received Hanzo's swordplay notes.
Even if there were reasons behind Hanzo's actions and they were tied to the circumstances of the time, no one could deny that before he became the disheartened individual seen in the original timeline, he was a truly magnanimous and exceptional figure of his generation.
Perhaps it was because his current achievements owed much to the guidance of even older predecessors.
For Qingshui, fighting and exchanging techniques with a strong individual of this caliber would always yield some benefit. And for young Jonin like Baki, receiving guidance from one of the world's top figures was even more invaluable.
"Senior Hanzo, then we shall impose!"
Baki looked eager to try.
A man's reputation precedes him.
Everyone in the Ninja World saw Hanzo as a formidable figure whose strength rivaled that of the Five Kage, so Baki was naturally excited.
Hanzo didn't go all out from the start; he didn't even draw his sword. Instead, he had Baki and Sada demonstrate a few moves, show their strength, before using his sickle's chain to bind them and toss them aside.
It was only when he faced Pakura that Hanzo became serious.
"Wow, what incredible ninjutsu!"
The orange-haired boy, his body shrouded in a black robe, watched with wide eyes as fireballs danced wildly, vaporizing everything in their path.
"She looks like she's only three or four years older than us."
The red-haired boy, somewhat dazed, used his Rinnegan to observe the action in the arena.
"Is this the genius ninja from a major nation that Hanzo-sensei wants us to catch up to...?"
The blue-haired girl, holding a paper umbrella, stared intently at Pakura, who was struggling under Hanzo's assault, a hint of admiration in her eyes.
"Konan, you'll definitely become such an amazing kunoichi too!"
Yahiko said with a laugh to his companions.
"Scorch Release: Extremely Steaming Murder!"
"Water Release: Water Wave Hand!"
The scorching Scorch Release and the waterfall-like torrent of Water Release collided, evaporating into vast plumes of steam, creating a dense white haze that obscured vision. Amidst it, the faint clang of metal could be heard.
Soon, the white mist dissipated. Hanzo held his sickle in one hand, its blade resting horizontally just in front of Pakura's neck.
Qingshui had also appeared in front of Hanzo at some point, his sword pressed against Hanzo's sickle.
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