When Hyuga Arin returned to the watchtower, it was completely empty.
It looked exactly the same as when he and Kuromori had left.
The windows were shut tight, the desk cluttered, and because of the rain outside, dark clouds pressed down low, leaving the interior dim and poorly lit.
No one else had returned yet to submit reports. The only documents on the table were files from the past few days that still hadn't been sorted.
"What a pity." Hyuga Arin smacked his lips.
He'd actually hoped a few people would be here—people who might question where he'd gone.
As an amnesiac with violent tendencies, he had every excuse to kill them and harvest a bit of experience.
Unfortunately, these people were far too dedicated to their work.
Were workhorses really this self-motivated these days? Couldn't they learn something from him—slack off whenever possible?
Why work so hard?
With no choice, Hyuga Arin gave up on the idea and sat down at the desk. Taking out a sheet of paper, he began to write.
"Respected Lord Hanzo…"
He wrote down the entire sequence of events, including how he had proactively set up the traps and coordinated the ambush.
The purpose was clear—to highlight his own abilities.
From start to finish, the message boiled down to one thing: Mu Yu was amazing, and under his leadership, Kuromori had successfully carried out the assassination.
Only the ending was adjusted.
Kuromori was no match for Akishima and was ultimately forced to die together with him using explosive tags.
He hadn't even had time to leave behind any last words, so Mu Yu could only follow Kuromori's original method and contact Hanzo directly.
"That should do it," Hyuga Arin muttered as he put down the final stroke.
He reread the wording several times to make sure there were no issues.
This was him taking the initiative.
If he just waited here, whoever came next might not be from Hanzo's faction.
More likely, it would be someone sent by Rain Shadow Masakado—after all, Masakado still held the legitimate authority.
As for Masakado himself, he didn't exist in the original storyline, so Hyuga Arin didn't know much about him.
But judging from what he'd observed, the man was gentle—and foolish.
In the end, Hanzo would rule Amegakure. Masakado's fate was obvious.
Hyuga Arin had no intention of standing on the losing side.
Even if history stayed unchanged, Masakado would only be able to hold Amegakure for another year or two at most.
It was already nearing the end of the year.
In Year 37, the Second Shinobi World War would break out.
In Year 38, Amegakure would officially become a major battlefield.
After finishing the letter, Hyuga Arin took out Kuromori's ninja pouch.
He dumped its contents onto the desk.
Three kunai.
A dozen shuriken.
Three explosive tags.
One summoning scroll.
And a wallet.
"So poor." Hyuga Arin looked at the pile with open disdain.
None of this even counted as assets by his standards.
The stone-patterned wallet contained just over three thousand ryō.
"Pathetic."
He muttered a curse under his breath, spread the summoning scroll out on the desk, placed the letter in the center, and rapidly formed the summoning seals with both hands.
Poof!
A cloud of smoke erupted, and the letter vanished from the center of the scroll.
"Now we wait for a response."
…
Hanzo's figure was hidden within the shadows.
The room was lit by candles, but unless one looked carefully, his body was nearly impossible to make out.
Flickering firelight barely illuminated the intelligence files spread across the desk.
Hanzo, wearing his respirator, showed no expression at all.
"Teacher… yielding will only make them push further."
Hanzo growled, his voice carrying a gnashing bitterness.
It wasn't that he truly respected this teacher of his.
After all, the poison coursing through his body—the poison that had changed him—was planted there by that very man.
Rain Shadow Masakado.
Ironically, it was precisely because of that poison that Hanzo's strength had surpassed his teacher's in every way.
If Masakado didn't hold both the titles of Rain Shadow and teacher, he wouldn't still be alive.
What Hanzo hadn't expected was this—
Out of fear of the Three Great Ninja Villages, his teacher had ordered Amegakure to abandon resistance entirely.
Such a thing!
Such behavior!
"This is a betrayal of Amegakure—of the Land of Rain itself!!"
Yet even now, Hanzo had no way to resolve the situation.
He couldn't move against Masakado.
If he killed Masakado, he would be severing himself from Amegakure entirely—and the next leader would certainly not be him.
As Hanzo simmered in rage, a shadow suddenly emerged from the darkness.
A Rain ninja knelt on one knee before him.
"Lord Hanzo. Kuromori, the guard ninja stationed in the border city near Konoha, has been confirmed dead."
The Rain ninja handed over a letter.
"Kuromori?" Hanzo suppressed his anger and frowned slightly.
He remembered that city—it was an outpost used to observe Konoha's movements.
Taking the letter, his eyes swept quickly over its contents.
"Kuromori… Mu Yu…"
He had indeed given his tacit approval for Kuromori to assassinate Akishima.
The economic value of that city was insignificant.
Ninja lived off missions. The so-called support from nobles was nothing more than the assignment of a few tasks.
That city's noble lived in a remote area, with few missions and little money to begin with.
What mattered was that the noble supported Masakado—and that the city served as a frontline observation post against Konoha.
That was why Hanzo wanted it under his control.
He hadn't expected Kuromori to die so easily.
Reading the letter carefully, Hanzo fell silent for a long time.
Finally, he looked up at the Rain ninja kneeling before him.
"Have you read this letter?"
"I have," the Rain ninja replied, nodding.
This was Hanzo's rule.
All letters delivered via summoning were thoroughly inspected first—to prevent poison, hidden weapons, or other tricks.
Hanzo valued his life greatly and was extremely cautious in all matters.
He had to be.
After all, his teacher Masakado was very interested in ending it.
Hanzo couldn't kill Masakado because Masakado held the banner of legitimacy.
But that didn't mean Masakado couldn't kill him.
Masakado had always been trying to locate Hanzo's true whereabouts.
"What did you see in it?" Hanzo asked, placing the letter on the desk.
The Rain ninja thought for a moment.
"I saw a mere genin trying to steal a chūnin's credit."
Although the letter was written as a factual report, it subtly diminished Kuromori's contribution while elevating Mu Yu's role.
Hanzo shook his head.
"No. I saw ambition."
"Unrestrained ambition."
He had seen too many people like this.
Either their ambition exceeded their ability—high aspirations, short lives—
Or they truly had the talent to match.
In Year 36, what did Amegakure lack the most?
Talent.
"Give him a chance," Hanzo said slowly. "Let him come and see me."
Since this Mu Yu had ambition, Hanzo would give him that opportunity.
If he died halfway, it would only mean he wasn't capable enough.
That wouldn't be Hanzo's problem.
"Yes!"
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