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

The person who spoke was wearing armor similar to Hanzo's, and his face was covered with a breathing mask to block the poison gas. If it weren't for his slightly protruding belly, the Rain Ninja in his desperate situation would have almost blurted out the words "Demigod."
"you are?"

Seeing the slightly overweight man descending from the sky, the Amegakure Jonin's eyes gleamed with hope.

With such an identical outfit, one must have some skill as Hanzo, right?
"Are young people these days so unfamiliar with the renowned Heiji-sama?"

The Rain Ninja who came to the rescue shook her head with a sigh, looking unfathomable.

"Is this name mentioned in the intelligence?"

Komurasaki, covering her nose, turned to look at the Iwa ninja behind her.

"Reporting to Your Excellency, no such person has been found."

The Iwa ninja responsible for recording intelligence carefully recalled the names of Amegakure's high-ranking combatants, but after searching high and low, he couldn't find any information related to Heiji.

"Could it be hidden combat power?"

Xiao Zi frowned as she sized up the slightly overweight Rain Ninja who had come alone, her apprehension growing stronger.
He couldn't see through the man before him. The man was standing right there, yet his aura was as faint as a blade of grass. Only a top-tier expert could achieve such perfect disguise.

"Let me have a go at you."

Han stepped forward. Always preferring a straightforward approach, he didn't have the same wild imagination as Xiao Zi; he'd find out who was stronger with a single test.
"and many more!"

Unexpectedly, he had barely taken a step when he was stopped by Xiao Zi, who had a serious expression on her face.

"What are you worried about? His aura is only that of a low-level ninja..."

Han looked at his senior, who was blocking his way, with a puzzled expression.
"Hmph... Han, your experience is still too shallow. Do you think a low-ranking ninja would have the guts to stand in front of us and remain so calm and composed?"

Xiao Zi gently shook her head, glancing at the slightly chubby man who was seemingly oblivious to everyone else as he conversed with the Amegakure Jonin. Her wariness was palpable.
"Now that you mention it, this guy does seem to have some skill."

Having been successfully led astray by his teammates, Han, after a brief moment of thought, also revealed the same serious expression as Xiao Zi.

so close!

I almost fell for it.

The ninjas in that small town are really too insidious!

"Lord Heiji? Forgive my poor eyesight, but I have not seen you at the Jonin meeting."

Just as bewildered as them was the rescued Amegakure Jonin. As one of the village's most outstanding Jonin, even after racking his brains, he couldn't recall ever hearing the nickname "Heiji the Rain-Seeker" before.

"A Jonin meeting? I've never attended one of those meetings."

Heiji shook his head, giving off the impression of a reclusive sage.
"I usually communicate directly with Lord Hanzo."

"What?!"

He's actually a hidden master!
He's saved!

"Alright, you should leave immediately and not be a burden to me."

Seeing the burning gaze of the Amegakure Jonin, Heiji waved his hand nonchalantly.

"Thank you so much for saving my life, sir."

Knowing that his injury would not only prevent him from helping, but might also make him a burden to Heiji, the Amegakure Jonin nodded excitedly.

Before leaving, he took a deep look at Heiji's tall and imposing figure, his admiration evident in his eyes.

"They're finally gone..."

Heiji glanced at the departing figure of the Amegakure Jonin out of the corner of his eye, a bitter smile playing on his lips beneath his gas mask.

I guess I've become somewhat useful.

Heiji, a perennial genin from Amegakure who has repeated ten times.
A coward who only has the courage to stand in front of the enemy because he cosplays as Hanzo.

Because he was too useless, no genin team was willing to accept him after graduation, forcing him to make a living by doing simple D-rank missions on his own.
Her biggest hobby is imitating her idol, Hanzo, and she even saved up money to have custom-made outfits just like his.
When he is alone, he feels full of courage and strength whenever he puts on this outfit.

A few minutes ago,

Heiji was on a D-rank mission nearby, collecting medicinal herbs, when the commotion caused by the Iwa ninja attack on the outpost drew his attention.

When he saw a large, menacing group of enemy ninjas in the distance, he nearly wet his pants in fear; his first thought was nothing but to run away.

Just as Heiji was about to turn and run, he suddenly saw the back of a Jonin from Amegakure who had stayed behind to cover their retreat. His steps froze instantly.

Although he didn't know that Jonin, and that Jonin was destined not to recognize a useless Genin who was like a sewer rat, Heiji felt he had to do something.
"If it were Lord Hanzo, he certainly wouldn't stand idly by."

With his idol's towering figure flashing through his mind, Heiji took a deep breath and made a decision he never dared to dream of in his entire life.

He wanted to save people!

But he was ultimately just a minor genin, whose only skill was releasing poison smoke. Faced with a large group of elite jonin, let alone saving people, Heiji didn't even have the courage to take a step.

Then he remembered the Hanzo suit lying in his backpack.
After donning the armor that was noticeably tight around his stomach and the gas mask that barely covered his chubby face, Heiji seemed like a completely different person, radiating an inexplicable confidence.
It was this confidence that enabled him to hold off the entire Iwagakure squad single-handedly, putting immense pressure on Komurasaki and Han, who possessed the power of tailed beasts.

"Heiji taking shelter from the rain? It seems those ANBU members are utterly useless; they can't even find out the details of a small village."

Watching helplessly as the heavily injured Amegakure Jonin disappeared into the distant dense forest, Komurasaki clenched her fists, veins bulging on her forehead.
Didn't the intelligence report say that only Hanzo posed a slight threat to Amegakure, while the other Amegakure ninjas were nothing but trash?
How could such a powerful figure suddenly appear out of nowhere, standing right in front of him, yet he couldn't sense even the slightest trace of such an aura?

"Zi, shall we attack together?"

Han frowned. Time was ticking away; they, a hundred or so men, couldn't afford to be bogged down in this place by a single enemy.
"Don't be impatient."

Anyone who dared to hold off a hundred of them alone must possess unfathomable strength, either due to an ambush or due to profound incomprehension. Having suffered many losses from recklessness in her youth, Komurasaki shook her head and shifted her gaze to the Iwa ninja behind her.
"You, go and test its depth first."

With Amegakure (the Hidden Rain Village) right in front of him, he couldn't act rashly, regardless of what kind of Amegakure Heiji was.

"what?"

The lucky guy who was called out pointed at himself with a bewildered look. "Even you two big shots are wary of this enemy, and you want him to try?"

Isn't that just sending him to his death?
"Lord Zi, I've followed you through thick and thin for so many years. Even if I haven't done anything meritorious, I've certainly put in a lot of hard work. You can't..."

"Stop talking nonsense and get going!"

Forced by his superior's intimidation, the Iwa ninja had no choice but to bite the bullet and step out of the crowd.

"Clang!"

Drawing the longsword from his back, the Iwa ninja focused intently on Heiji, who was standing not far away.

But the other party seemed to disregard him, showing no intention of defending against the gleaming blade, instead calmly closing their eyes.
Seeing this, the already uneasy Iwa ninja became even more anxious, and his hands, which were about to make a move, froze in place.
"..."

Time ticked by, and neither of the two men made a move.

But upon closer inspection, one would notice that the Iwa ninja's forehead was covered in large beads of sweat, and his hands gripping the sword were beginning to tremble slightly.
From his perspective, Heiji across from him was like a lion feigning sleep, while he himself was prey being manipulated at the lion's mercy.
On the other side, Heiji, who was waiting for death with his eyes closed, was very puzzled. What were the Iwa ninja waiting for?
Killing him would be a simple matter of one move, wouldn't it?

"what!!!"

Clang!

Finally, unable to withstand the psychological pressure, the Iwa ninja broke down first, screaming as he dropped his sword and fainted.

"What?!"

Little Purple stared wide-eyed in disbelief at what she saw.
"What kind of illusion is this?"

To be able to take down a Jonin so quietly, this guy is truly unfathomable.
"Phew... thank goodness I listened to you."

The man beside him let out a long sigh of relief, still shaken. If he had acted rashly, he would probably be the one lying there right now.
"what?"

Heiji blinked in confusion, and took the opportunity to secretly scratch his itchy bottom.
Why did the Iwa ninja on the other side suddenly collapse on their own?
Could it be that he's having a relapse?
"The guy who claims to be Hanzo's right-hand man..."

"It's the left and right hands of the left and right hands, the little dwarf of Iwagakure."

Hearing Komurasaki's voice, Heiji snapped out of his daze and corrected her seriously.
"You bastard, I don't care anymore, even if there's an ambush, I'm going to fight him!"

Feeling that the other party was humiliating her in an unusual way, Xiao Zi's face turned as red as her hair.

"Zi, don't be impulsive! Impulsiveness is the devil!"

This time it was Han's turn to stop them, and it took a lot of effort to persuade Xiao Zi, who was exuding a sulfurous smell, to stop.
"Huff...huff...at this point, we have no choice but to use that."

"No! Have you forgotten Lord Tsuchikage's instructions?"

Han's expression changed drastically upon hearing this. All along the way, Xiao Zi had repeatedly emphasized and warned him not to recklessly use the power of the tailed beast.
Instead, he became the first to set a bad example.

"This is a special case and requires special treatment."

"It's not that special yet."

Han gently shook his head, pressing down on Xiao Zi's large hand as she reached for her card. Despite being younger, he exuded maturity.

"Don't panic. No matter how powerful he is, he is still just a person."

"Are you going to fight or not? If not, I'm leaving."

Heiji's mind was pounding; he just wanted to know whether to kill him or torture him.
"Form ranks!"

Han gave the man, whom he couldn't see through, a deep look, then waved his hand. The Iwa ninja behind him acted swiftly, surrounding Heiji in no time.
"This was originally a great gift we prepared for Hanzo, but now we'll use you to test the waters first."

At Han's command, hundreds of Iwa ninja simultaneously raised their hands and formed hand seals, channeling dense earth-style chakra into the ground. Instantly, the entire earth trembled with a series of rumbling sounds.

"Is it really necessary?" Heiji, who had barely managed to steady himself amidst the earth-shaking tremors, looked at the Iwa ninja who were standing ready for battle, covered in sweat.

"Even tailed beasts cannot gain an advantage against mountain and earth techniques."

A victorious smile appeared on Xiao Zi's face. The Earth Mountain Technique, released by a hundred Iwa ninjas, was a terrifying ninjutsu of natural disaster level. Even Old Sun had suffered a setback from this technique.

"Is something fake ultimately just fake...?"

With a desperate pursing of his lips, Heiji pulled out a kunai, deciding to give his failed life a dignified ending.

But at least in the end, he saved a companion who was more useful and better than himself.
"My life has been worthwhile, Heiji!"

He smiled with relief. A ninja isn't afraid of death, but of dying meaninglessly. For Heiji, a low-ranking ninja, the value of his life had increased a thousandfold in those few short minutes.
Not only did they save the village's precious Jonin, but they also delayed the main force of the Iwa ninja for so long, buying precious time for the Amegakure behind them.

"Shh! Shh! Shh!"

Just as Heiji was preparing to make a final stand with his mayfly-like power, countless projectiles rained down from the sky, completely disrupting the Iwa ninja's lengthy casting process.

"Did we waste too much time?"

Xiao Zi stared grimly at the dark mass of people emerging from the rain. It was an elite force that Amegakure had hastily assembled, each member a seasoned Jonin.

"Lord Heiji, we've come to save you!"

Leading the charge of the Amegakure forces was the Jonin who had just been rescued by Heiji.

"Is this the Heiji you're talking about? I've never seen him before."

The middle-aged man following behind the Jonin frowned slightly as he looked at Heiji's familiar attire.
As Hanzo's true right-hand man, he swore he had never seen this clumsy imitator before.
"Lord Heiji is a hidden powerhouse who directly connects with Lord Hanzo, so it's perfectly normal that you haven't met him."

The Jonin, who had been saved from dire straits by Heiji, already believed his fabricated identity without a doubt.

Even though the middle-aged man behind him was a high-ranking official in the village, he still felt that the other party wasn't of high enough status to access the village's core secrets.
"Could it be that Lord Hanzo is hiding a secret weapon that even I don't know about?"

The Jonin's confident demeanor made the middle-aged high-ranking official uneasy. He looked at Heiji, who was trapped in enemy territory yet remained unfazed even in the face of imminent danger, with a growing sense of certainty in his eyes.

"It's finally here..."

Heiji finally breathed a sigh of relief when the main force arrived, and as the tension in his heart eased,
The pent-up pressure exploded instantly; the enemies before him and his allies behind him gradually blurred in his vision until they vanished into darkness.
Pfft!
"Lord Heiji! You beasts, what have you done to Lord Heiji?"

"Uh……"

Seeing the grief-stricken and indignant Amegakure Jonin, the hundreds of Iwa ninja looked utterly bewildered.
What did they do?

They haven't even had a chance to do anything yet!

"Hmph! You incompetent fools from Amegakure! Why didn't your Lord Hanzo come? Is he hiding in the village and too scared to come?"

As the one who orchestrated this operation, Komurasaki had no time to care about Heiji, who had inexplicably fainted. Looking at the massive, surging army of Amegakure opposite him, his heart sank slightly.
The planned lightning raid was disrupted by Heiji, turning into a direct confrontation. Without the home-field advantage, the Iwa ninja will likely face even greater difficulties in the upcoming battles.
"To deal with you nobodies, there's absolutely no need for Lord Hanzo to lift a finger. I advise you to surrender as soon as possible to avoid physical suffering."

The middle-aged high-ranking officer shook his head with disdain. Behind him, the Rain Shadow Army stepped forward in unison, each man wearing a bloodthirsty smile. They were eager to snap the necks of these invaders.

"Let's do it!"

Seeing that a direct confrontation was inevitable, Komurasaki, her face grim, waved her hand and charged out first, followed closely by the Iwa ninja. A battle for survival was about to erupt.
"Aha!"

Xiao Zi raised his fists high and suddenly slammed them into the ground. Just as the Rain Village members were wondering what he was doing,
"Scorching River - Great Fire Eruption!"

A jet of scorching lava, as thick as a bucket, shot skyward, scattering the unprepared Rain Ninja formation.
"Spray Formation!"

The man behind him seized the opportunity, his body emitting visible scorching steam, transforming into a red lightning bolt as he charged ruthlessly into the Rain Ninja army. His terrifying impact was like that of a locomotive, stirring up a storm of blood and gore.
"Lord Heiji!"

Amidst the chaos of the battlefield, the Jonin rescued by Heiji fought his way through the chaos, finally finding his savior unconscious in a forgotten corner.
"Don't even think about running!"

The Iwa ninja who had been humiliated by Heiji earlier wasn't about to let him off so easily; he grabbed his sword and gave chase.
"boom!"

As the two sides clashed, the piercing sound of metal clanging filled the air.

Within the core area of ​​the battle, watching Xiao Zi and Han unleash their full power, the middle-aged high-ranking official of Yu Yin's face was so gloomy it was almost dripping with water.
"These are your Rain Village elites?"

With a casual flick of her wrist, Komurasaki subdued a Rain Ninja who was attempting to ambush her. With a slight exertion of force, the unfortunate Jonin lost consciousness completely.
"Heh, nothing special."

"Young man, don't be so arrogant. Let this old man teach you a lesson."

The middle-aged high-ranking officials were Hanzo's true right-hand men. In their youth, they were renowned martial artists in Amegakure, possessing considerable combat strength.
"Clang!"

With one hand, he drew a long-forgotten poisoned scythe from his waist, while the middle-aged executive raised his other hand to his chest, ready to counter any attack.
A fierce battle has officially begun.
"what!"

Xiao Zi launched the first attack. With a roar, a layer of dark red armor rapidly covered his body, its surface flowing with scorching lava like blood. The sight of sparks flying all around him was extremely terrifying.
[Lava Release Chakra Mode]

"Old man, to die under my power is the greatest honor of your life."

After stretching her massive, lava-covered hands, Xiao Zi, encased in her Lava Release armor, gave a wicked smile. Under the wary gaze of the middle-aged high-ranking official, she suddenly inhaled deeply, only stopping when her lower abdomen swelled up completely.
"boom!"

The next second, a massive lava fireball burst forth, hurtling towards the middle-aged executive who was on guard with his scythe raised. A wave of intense heat washed over them.
[Molten Release: Scorching River Rock Technique]

What kind of technique is this?

The middle-aged high-ranking official, seeing such a bloodline limit for the first time, stared wide-eyed. Fortunately, his combat skills were not lacking; his free hand rapidly formed hand seals, his round cheeks puffing out like a frog's.
"Water Release: Water Pillar!"

He spat out a mouthful of water-style chakra from his throat, and a giant water sphere resembling a meteorite crashed straight into the lava fireball created by Lava Release.
"Bang! Sizzle! Sizzle!"

The instant water and fire collide, the scorching gases that evaporate quickly spread outwards, creating a suffocating sensation even from dozens of meters away.

Inside the thick steam, the middle-aged executive, his face full of vigilance, raised his scythe and looked around. He didn't believe Xiao Zi would give up so easily.
"boom!"

Sure enough, a scorching fist tore through the misty vapor and slammed straight into the middle-aged executive's wide-open back.
"Successful!"

With his Flaming Assault technique, Xiao Zi's movement speed was greatly enhanced. Fueled by this speed, his punch pierced through the chest, sending up a splatter of blood.
"Ok?"

Seeing the blood splatter, a hint of astonishment appeared on Xiao Zi's smug face. The middle-aged executive who should have died on the spot had actually turned into a puddle of water.
"Whoosh!"

At the same time, a piercing sound of wind cutting through the air rang in his ears. Before he could turn around, Xiao Zi caught a glimpse of a cold glint hidden in the thick fog out of the corner of her eye.
"Kusashi-giri!"

"Pfft!"

The poisoned scythe whizzed past him, not only piercing through Xiao Zi's prized Lava Release armor, but also leaving a deep, bone-revealing wound on his side.

"hiss!"

Xiao Zi, clutching his kidney, immediately retreated until he was out of the scorching steam. The strange sensation from the wound on his side made him frown.

poisoned.

Looking down at the wound oozing foul-smelling pus and blood, Xiao Zi's expression was exceptionally serious.
He underestimated Yu Yin.

"Zi, are you alright?"

Upon discovering his injury, the man swung his arm, sending several Rain Ninjas who were attacking him flying. His harsh tone carried a hint of worry.
"Hmph~ Having been poisoned by Lord Hanzo's salamander, this kid definitely won't live more than five minutes. Go and prepare for his funeral!"

A middle-aged executive, carrying a blood-dripping scythe, slowly emerged from the steam, a sinister smile on his round face.
"How could I possibly collapse in a place like this?"

Sensing the salamander's toxin rapidly spreading near the wound, Xiao Zi hardened her heart and pressed her large, lava-covered hand firmly against the wound on her side.

"Sizzle. Sizzle"

The sizzling sound of roasting meat filled the air, accompanied by the enticing aroma of meat. Xiao Zi's ruthless detoxification methods made everyone around her twitch.

"You really have the heart to do that, those are a man's only two precious treasures."

Even though Xiao Zi was an enemy, the middle-aged executive, who was also a man, couldn't help but show a faint hint of admiration for him.

They grilled perfectly good kidneys over charcoal without hesitation; they're truly ruthless.

"What's the big deal? Even the Tsuchikage is missing one person, yet he's still an outstanding individual."

Sweating profusely, Xiao Zi forced himself to sit up, as if the kidneys being grilled on both sides weren't his own.
"Kid, you won't be so lucky next time."

The middle-aged executive shook his head, raised his scythe again, and next time, he would aim at Xiao Zi's vulnerable neck to end this genius of Iwagakure once and for all.

"Next time, my fist will cook you first."

Having learned from her mistakes, Xiao Zi completely abandoned her underestimation of others this time, and regarded the middle-aged executives as enemies of equal strength.
As if sensing the young man's determination, the middle-aged man's expression darkened, a sense of foreboding creeping over him. But even so, he could not back down.

They are the last line of defense for Amegakure. If they are defeated, the villages behind them will suffer devastating damage.
Don't spout that nonsense about ninjas not harming civilians; that's just an unspoken rule between major powers, and has nothing to do with these pitiful little countries struggling to survive in the cracks.

"Then let's fight!"

The chained scythe shot out with lightning speed, and Xiao Zi pushed off with both legs, narrowly dodging the oncoming attack to the side.
"Bah!"

The steel chain grazed the lava armor covering his cheek, sending up a dark red spark.
Xiao Zi's gaze sharpened. She turned and grabbed the black chain, unleashing her Lava Release technique. The middle-aged high-ranking man at the other end of the chain immediately felt an icy heat and had no choice but to discard it.

"Burning Armor Fist!"

Before the middle-aged executive could even look down to examine the burn on his palm, a dark red iron fist appeared before him.
Startled, he tried to block with both hands, but unexpectedly, Xiao Zi, who had suddenly appeared, added a single-leg bent-knee kick as she swung her fist.

[Molten Kick - Scorching Kick]

The middle-aged executive, who had instantly seen through the trajectory of the scorching kick, was filled with terror; his gruff voice suddenly became as high-pitched as a young girl's.

"A tonic!"

"You slashed my kidney, I'll kick your ass out, isn't that fair?"

P.S.: Let me explain why I'm late.
Rubik's Cube is giving out trial cards!
My cousin Shenju is so much fun! He kept playing until his trial card expired, and he didn't stop using the halberd.
The Leaf Village's Slash King dominated the entire arena, I'm not asking for a refund! (End of Chapter)