Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha is not motivated.

Since the day Rain Ninja discovered the forbidden area in the lake more than a decade ago, a research institute dedicated to studying the secrets of the mysterious power within that forbidden area that drives people mad has been established.

However, given the backwardness of Amegakure, this research has been stagnant, and at one point even came to a standstill.
Fortunately, the village has benefited from the era's development in recent years, and its progress has been rapid. Having solved their basic living problems, the Rain Ninja now has the time and energy to return to their research on the power of the forbidden area.
Through their tireless efforts, they finally uncovered the true nature of the power lurking in the forbidden area: it was the chakra left behind by the infamous Tailed Beasts of the ninja world.
Not only is the quantity large, but the activity is also amazing.

Upon learning of this, Hanzo immediately issued a gag order. Apart from the core researchers, the fact that the treasure was Tailed Beast chakra was largely unknown.
After all, the name of the Tailed Beast Riders was too dazzling, and the power of the Tailed Beasts was a power that a small country like theirs could only dream of.
No major power wants to see its poor neighbor possess nuclear weapons. If Amegakure were to reveal its secret of possessing Tailed Beast chakra, it would inevitably face comprehensive targeting from other countries, especially the five great nations that possess Tailed Beast riders, for the sake of possessing such a treasure.
Therefore, in order to preserve this power and expose it openly to the sun, it is necessary to make it our own.

"Boom!"

The elevator descended with a rumbling sound for nearly a minute, and a secret research institute located almost a hundred meters underground from the Rain Ninja headquarters appeared before Hanzo's eyes.
The bright lights of the facility made him squint. This research institute cost Hanzo hundreds of billions of yen and carried his hopes for the rise of the Rain Kingdom.

"Lord Hanzo, please reconsider."

Following behind him, the purple-haired scientific researcher, Hydrangea, frowned, her eyes filled with seriousness.

As the person in charge of researching the tailed beast chakra for nearly ten years, she understood the terrifying nature of this power better than anyone else.
Even a tiny amount of the tailed beast's power is a deadly poison to ordinary people; of the first batch of Rain Ninja who entered the forbidden area, less than one in ten have survived.

There's no need to consider it.

A deep, resolute voice came from beneath the gas mask. Hanzo stepped out of the elevator without looking back. Seeing that her attempts to dissuade him were futile, Hydrangea had no choice but to follow closely behind.

"Take me to see your latest research findings."

"Yes."

Led by the hydrangea, Hanzo soon arrived at a laboratory filled with round containers.
"This contains diluted tailed beast chakra. We have concentrated it into a near-liquid state through fragmentation sealing techniques."

Pointing to the pale red gas in the container, Hydrangea explained as she took a tube of scarlet reagent from a nearby cabinet.
"After injecting this, will I be able to use the power of the Tailed Beasts?"

Looking at the reagent, which was slightly lighter than blood, Hanzo frowned and asked,

"Theoretically speaking, that's how it is."

"Then give me the injection."

Without hesitation, Hanzo lifted his shirt in front of Hydrangea, revealing his sharply defined abs.
There was a noticeable old wound on the left side of his lower abdomen, a mark left after he had a salamander venom sac transplanted.

"Lord Hanzo, if we inject it directly, your body may not be able to withstand the erosion of the tailed beast's power."

Hydrangea hesitated for a moment. Although Hanzo's order was absolute, out of professional ethics as a researcher, she could not directly apply research results without any guarantee to humans.

"Do you have a better idea?"

Hanzo stared expressionlessly at the hydrangea. The situation was changing rapidly, and Iwagakure's retaliation could strike at any moment. Amegakure couldn't afford to wait.

"Is there a better way, Lord Hanzo? Do you remember that thing we found in the forbidden area three years ago?"

Faced with Hanzo's cold questioning, Hydrangea felt a chill run down her spine, but she suppressed her nervousness and brought up a past event.
Why bring it up?

Hanzo was taken aback by what he heard, and lowered his hands, which were lifting his clothes, with a look of confusion in his eyes.
It's strangely cold in this lab; exposing your belly can easily lead to a cold.

"Please come with me. I've recently made a major breakthrough in the analysis of that item."

As Hydrangea answered Hanzo's questions, she led him into another laboratory with small, quick steps.
The room was filled with a dense array of electronic testing equipment, countless circuits intertwined, seemingly chaotic, but all pointing to a cylindrical petri dish located at the center of the entire laboratory.
"What exactly is this thing?"

Looking at the mangled, grotesque belly submerged in the green liquid of the petri dish, Hanzo, feeling a strange chill, asked in a cold voice.

"It's not a thing."

The hydrangea, who was standing to the side picking up the test report, shook her head, while a look of fervor appeared on the baby's face.
"This is an unknown organism with abundant nerve tissue inside, and these nerve systems are still highly active to this day."

"biology?"

Hanzo frowned. The half-open abdomen before him was a forbidden treasure—the very treasure the Rain Ninja had discovered in a secluded corner of the island after the theft of the Tailed Beast Chak.

At first, they thought it was some kind of device left behind by a prisoner, so they handed it over to Hanzo.
As a result, no one in the entire Rain Village could figure out the origin of this strange-smelling object, and in the end, they could only hand it over to the expert, Hydrangea, for research.

In retrospect, Hanzo's previous choice was correct; professional matters should be left to professionals.

"That's right, it's not only a living being, but it also has an extremely strong compatibility with tailed beast chakra, just like..."

"Like what?"

"A living knight driver."

"Ok?"

Hanzo abruptly turned his head and looked at the hydrangea, whose eyes were shining.

Has its usability been tested?

"Because there is no suitable transplant body, the relevant tests have not been conducted yet."

Hydrangea gently shook her head. There was only one such incomplete abdominal opening, and if it were ruined during the experiment, it would be a greater loss than gain.

Should we transplant a donor body?
Hanzo thoughtfully touched the scar on his lower abdomen, a resolute glint in his eyes.
Since we already have one, adding another won't hurt.
“I have extensive experience in modification, so I’ll make a basic model.”

"what?"

Looking at Hanzo beside her in surprise, she hadn't expected her boss to be so reckless, daring to sew anything onto his body without considering the consequences.

What if there's a rejection reaction? That could be fatal!

"Lord Hanzo, things are not as simple as you think. A lot of preparation work needs to be done before the transplant, and multiple body value matching tests need to be conducted. In short, it will take at least a week."

"Then let's start now, right away."

Hanzo had made up his mind. Rather than sit and wait for death, he would rather take a gamble.
"Yes!"

Hydrangea closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she opened them again, her eyes revealed an unwavering determination.

After a few days,
While Hanzo was busily conducting his own modification experiments, undercurrents were surging in Iwagakure, a hundred miles away.

The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, stood by the office window, overlooking the gloomy streets. If he continued to hesitate, the village his grandfather had built might be destroyed in his hands.
Swish!
"Lord Tsuchikage, the advance team has been assembled and is ready to depart at any time."

A short, red-haired youth appeared instantly behind Onoki.

It was Komurasaki, who had a master-disciple relationship with Onoki but no formal master-disciple relationship. After several years apart, he had grown from a spirited young man into a mature ninja.
Everything changed except for height.

"Remember, you must not use the power of the Four-Tails indiscriminately."

Turning his head to look at Komurasaki's spirited face, Onoki seemed to see himself from several years ago. Only now, having been in his current position for so long, he had far more to consider than before.

"Don't worry, Rain Shadow is nothing to me."

Xiao Zi clenched her fist, her face full of confidence.

"Remember to pass this message on to Han as well."

Han, a boy a few years younger than Komurasaki, was remarkably tall and muscular for his age. He was a carefully trained Five-Tails Knight from Iwagakure and was rumored to be a descendant of the Second Tsuchikage, Mu.

"I understand, don't worry!"

"Alright, you guys go ahead and let those arrogant guys from Amegakure know how powerful our Iwagakure is."

Onoki waved his hand, and Komurasaki, who had received the order, instantly disappeared from her spot. A team composed of elite Iwagakure soldiers then set off.
"Whether we can break this deadlock depends on this wave."

Watching the countless figures disappear into the darkness, Onoki, standing by the window, had a glint in his eyes.

While Iwagakure's operation may appear to be a fight for honor, it was actually a high-stakes gamble by Onoki to break free from his current predicament, beset by internal and external troubles.
The economic blockade imposed by Sunagakure at great expense is on the verge of crushing Iwagakure. If they can conquer the Land of Rain this time and get this disobedient little brother back to serve them, they can combine the strength of both countries and launch a counterattack against the Land of Wind.

At that time, as long as Sunagakure is dragged into the vortex of war, this disgusting economic blockade will break down on its own, and the internal conflicts of the village can be successfully diverted.

Border of the Land of Rain
"Ha~ When will the person taking over the shift arrive?"

Yu Ren, who was on duty at the pass, yawned listlessly, clicked his tongue, and turned to look at his colleague beside him.

"I want to eat the village's roasted meat."

"You shouldn't have mentioned it, now that you do, I'm starting to crave it too. The new employee at that restaurant is really good at grilling meat; last time I ate ten plates by myself."

The colleague who was asked licked his lips as if savoring the memory; it seemed he also wanted to take a vacation.

"Only ten plates? Let me tell you, last time I ate twenty plates!"

"Hmm? Can you smell sulfur?"

Just as the two were boasting about their stomachs, one of the Rain Ninjas suddenly sniffed, his brow furrowing at the strange smell.
"Really? Let me smell... It does seem like there's a fire somewhere."

Another rain ninja followed his example, sniffing around with a hint of confusion on his face.
"boom!"

However, the next second, a huge fireball fell from the sky, blasting the gate they were guarding into pieces.

"Enemy attack!"

Two Rain Ninjas, knocked to the ground by the explosion, shouted loudly despite their pain. Their voices carried back to the camp, waking the sleeping Rain Ninjas. Without even putting on their pants, they rushed out of the camp, kunai in hand, and engaged the suddenly appearing enemies in fierce combat.
The sounds of fighting echoed throughout the pass.
"You are Iwa ninja!"

The camp leader was a Jonin from Amegakure. After several exchanges with the enemy, he recognized the newcomers by the faint moonlight, his eyes filled with horror.

His opponent was a tall, imposing Iwa ninja clad in heavy crimson armor, his face covered by a thick mask—clearly a ruthless and taciturn individual.
"What a boring battle. You're the one in charge here?"

Just then, a short figure landed carrying a blood-dripping kunai. Komurasaki sized up the Amegakure Jonin, then curled her lip in disinterest.
"Han, he's in your hands now."

"it is good."

The Red Armor Rock Ninja nodded almost imperceptibly. The Amegakure Jonin opposite him looked around and found that there wasn't a single Amegakure ninja left standing in the entire camp. His eyes instantly turned bloodshot. "Damn it, what have you done?"

"Who gives you the right to ask me questions?"

When questioned, Komurasaki shook her head dismissively. In the world of ninjas, strength is paramount, and she had no reason to answer a loser's question.

"Damn it, Water Release: Water. Pfft!"

Enraged, the Amegakure Jonin clasped his hands together, and dense water-style chakra gathered behind him. However, before he could complete the hand seals, a crimson iron fist arrived with a thunderous roar.
"You...you."

Looking down at the crimson arm that had pierced through his chest, the light in the Amegakure Jonin's eyes gradually dimmed.

He had thought that as a Jonin, even if he couldn't defeat the enemy, he could at least cause some trouble for these invaders. But his reasoning was far from sound; the reality was far from what he expected.

"So weak."

With a flick of his wrist, Han tossed the lifeless Amegakure Jonin aside and commented expressionlessly.
"If this is the level of the Rain Ninja, then that so-called demigod is probably just a fraud. The Tsuchikage's worries are completely unnecessary."

Witnessing her junior easily defeat the Amegakure Jonin, Komurasaki shook her head, her arrogance practically written all over her face.

"Keep pushing forward!"

After calling out to the Iwa ninja waiting for orders behind them, Komurasaki and Han set off first, heading towards Amegakure.

A few minutes later, the Rain Ninja, who was there to relieve the crew, arrived as usual. Upon seeing the devastation at the camp, they immediately sounded the alarm.
News of the enemy attack arrived quickly and soon reached the Rain Ninja's high command.
"Lord Hanzo is undergoing modification surgery and is unable to attend to us. What should we do?"

Without Hanzo as their pillar of support, the high-ranking advisors instantly panicked.
"It's retaliation from the Iwa ninja. I told you I shouldn't have written that letter of accountability."

The gaunt-faced, elderly high-ranking official looked regretful. He had made a lot of dirty money through smuggling and was one of the least willing to clash with the Iwa ninja.

"There's no use saying anything now. We can't just sit here and wait to die when the enemy comes, can we?"

"Yes, we must fight back!"

The other advisors were somewhat courageous, advocating for a direct confrontation with the Iwa ninja, but at the same time, they didn't forget their biggest backer.

"Hydrangea, how is Lord Hanzo doing?"

"Lord Hanzo has entered the final stage of surgery and is currently in good condition."

Upon hearing this, the staff immediately gained confidence for battle, clamoring for the Iwa ninja to pay the price.
"Alright! As long as we hold out until Lord Hanzo's surgery is over, victory will be ours!"

Under the direction of higher-ups, the Amegakure forces assembled overnight, fully equipped and ready to march towards the Iwagakure invasion route. A battle concerning territorial integrity and national sovereignty officially began.
at the same time,

Ordinary people in Amegakure also received official announcements, which did not conceal the truth about Iwagakure's invasion. This caused widespread panic, and many outside merchants packed their valuables and fled overnight.
At a secret meeting point within Amegakure, Tsunade and her two companions, having heard rumors, gathered to discuss their future.
"Iwagakure couldn't hold back any longer. Does that mean our mission is complete?"

Tsunade frowned. She disliked war, and even though this war would benefit Konoha, she felt no joy.

"We'd better not leave until we receive orders."

Orochimaru shook his head. Who knew if Iwagakure was serious this time, or just trying to scare Amegakure?
“Stinky Snake is right, we can’t leave now.”

Jiraiya, unusually, didn't contradict Orochimaru. Instead, he seemed distracted, which piqued the curiosity of his two teammates.
"Jiraiya, you're not worried about the landlady, are you? Don't worry, ninjas don't attack civilians."

After a few seconds of thought, Tsunade, having guessed why Jiraiya was worried, smiled and reminded him.
Ninjas must never attack civilians without cause; this is an ironclad rule written in the ninja code.
"No one can say for sure what happens during wartime."

Even knowing this rule, Jiraiya was still somewhat uneasy. Ordinary humans were far too vulnerable in the face of ninjas; even the slightest aftershock of a battle could be fatal.

"I'm going back now."

Growing increasingly worried, Jiraiya was the first to get up and leave, returning to the barbecue restaurant to continue protecting the proprietress and her family.
"That idiot."

Watching Jiraiya's hurried departure, Orochimaru shook his head helplessly. He knew Jiraiya was serious this time.
"Orochimaru, do you still remember what Grandpa Gin told you?"

"You mean those people?"

"That's right, they are all Grandpa Yin's friends. If possible, we should try our best to keep them safe."

The families Tsunade was referring to were Nagato and Konan, who had ties to Gin Uchiha.
"I'll keep an eye on it."

On the other side of the town,
Having gathered the latest intelligence on the Iwa ninja invasion, Black Zetsu approached Madara Uchiha, who was in his office designing dance choreography.

"Ban, something terrible has happened!"

"You can't poop again?"

Hearing Sasuke's anxious voice, Madara Uchiha raised his head speechlessly.
"It's not about going to the toilet, the Iwa ninja have invaded."

"Uh?"

Madara Uchiha was taken aback upon hearing this.
Are there still people fighting wars these days?

Isn't everyone keen on making money?

When did this happen?

"Just a few hours ago, the Iwa ninja forcefully broke through the border pass and are now advancing towards Amegakure."

You can question Black Zetsu's character, but you must never doubt his intelligence capabilities.
How many people came?

Madara Uchiha flexed his wrist, which was holding the pen, and thoughtfully continued to ask,

"Has Onoki arrived?"

"About a squadron, but the Third Tsuchikage was nowhere to be seen."

Squadron?
That's about a hundred people.

"With so few people, they can't cause any trouble."

Upon hearing that the Iwagakure ninja had only sent a little over a hundred men to invade, and that Onoki, one of the Tailed Beast Riders, was absent, Madara Uchiha lowered his head somewhat dejectedly and continued with his writing.

Madara Uchiha is only responsible for dealing with those who violate the rules by using the power of the Tailed Beast Riders in the war. As for battles between ordinary ninjas, Madara has no interest in them and no right to interfere.

Are we sure we don't want to get involved?

Black Zetsu scratched his head, looking somewhat conflicted. As the mastermind behind it all, he actually hoped the ninja world would descend into chaos, giving him a chance to carry out his plan to save his mother.

"This is someone else's home, we have no right to interfere."

Madara Uchiha wasn't the kind of hot-blooded protagonist who would shout at every injustice he saw; he knew how to exercise restraint.
If he were to help the Rain Ninja out of compassion, the Land of Rain might gain temporary peace, but it would also mean they would lose an opportunity to grow through adversity.

Of course, if this situation happened to Konoha, he would immediately leave the mountain overnight with a Susanoo sword that was hundreds of meters long.

"Ok."

Seeing that Madara Uchiha viewed the war so rationally, Black Zetsu, who had hoped that Madara would be corrupted by witnessing the brutality of war, nodded with slight disappointment.
"Instead of wasting your time prying into useless things, why don't you help me come up with some choreography ideas? Also, we haven't finalized the lineup for the Divine Steed Dance Troupe yet. What do you think of this little girl that my cousin recommended?"

The Iwa ninja's advance continued. Led by Komurasaki and Han, the Iwa ninja squadron, consisting of over a hundred Jonin, swept through the area with unstoppable momentum, easily capturing the Rain Ninja outposts along the way and taking no fewer than a hundred prisoners.

At another outpost near Amegakure, the Jonin stationed there, having already received orders to retreat, did not choose to flee when faced with the menacing Iwa ninja. Instead, they stood up to buy time for their subordinates to evacuate.

"Water Release: Water Chaos Waves!"

"boring."

Little Purple, at the very front of the group, puffed out its mouth, and a burst of blazing flame evaporated all the splashing water.
"Lord Hanzo will definitely not let you get away with this!"

Knowing he was outmatched, the Amegakure Jonin took a deep breath, slowly drew his long sword from his waist, and glared intently at the tall and short duo who had landed in front of him.
He believed that as long as he held on long enough, his teammates would arrive before he collapsed.
"Hanzo? With that cowardly turtle?"

Several hours had passed since their Iwa ninja invasion. Even if Hanzo was grumpy in the morning, he should have woken up by now. But they were almost at Amegakure, and there was still no sign of this demigod of the ninja world.
The only explanation is that he was scared.

"You are not allowed to insult Lord Hanzo!"

Seeing his idol's reputation trampled upon by the enemy, this Amegakure gripped his longsword tightly and resolutely charged towards the foul-mouthed Komurasaki.
"Boom!"

Han silently stepped forward and unleashed a straight punch imbued with terrifying power. The Rain Ninja's longsword snapped in two, and the shockwave from the punch left him dazed and disoriented.

"hateful!"

“Commendable courage. Someone like you shouldn’t want to be captured.”

Han looked at the determined Rain Ninja and nodded in approval. At the same time, he bent his knees and assumed a charging stance, his fists, as big as sandbags, emitting scorching steam that sent chills down one's spine.

"Well, actually being a prisoner isn't so bad."

Upon witnessing this horrifying scene, the Rain Ninja's expression changed, and her previous assertiveness vanished.

"No need for further words, I will send you on your way now."

Han shook his head, poised to strike, the deafening roar emanating from his body drawing attention.

"Charm Spell - Smoke-Rolling Technique!"

Just as the shadow of death was about to fall, a deep male voice suddenly rang in the ear of the Iwa ninja, followed by a strange green smoke spreading out.
Xiao Zi frowned upon smelling the pungent odor. Although his perception was average, it shouldn't be so bad that he couldn't detect a powerful enemy approaching.

Who goes there?

"Haiji, the right-hand man of Lord Hanzo, who was sheltering from the rain, has come to his aid!" (End of Chapter)