Naruto: My setting is above yours.

As Xuanma scrolled down and looked through the log, he couldn't help but freeze in surprise.

Hanzo has actually decided to ally with Konoha!?

"After the fight, they realized they couldn't defeat me, so they decided to form an alliance?"

Xuanma was momentarily stunned.

I don't quite understand Hanzo's thought process.

However, this is obviously a good thing.

This means that Amegakure will have to participate in the Third Shinobi World War, and another variable has emerged in the war.

Although Hanzo's decision only contributed 3 points to his character's stats, it was worth that much for a single decision, indicating a promising future.

"Let's go and meet up with Shizune and the others first!"

Genma put away Hanzo's scythe, thought for a moment, then circled the battlefield again, found the bloodstains left by the salamander, and carefully collected them.

After doing this, he transformed into a falcon and flew away.

……

It was 3 PM in a cave within the Land of Rain.

Xuanma formed hand seals and used a summoning technique. As smoke exploded one after another, three figures were summoned.

"Xuanma, are you alright?"

Before the smoke had even cleared, Jingyin couldn't wait to ask.

Xuanma laughed and said, "Don't worry, I'm fine."

After greeting his teacher, Hatake Sakumo, and the others, he pointed to the prisoners lying beside the campfire: "The captured Iwa ninja haven't been interrogated yet. Aoba, you're in charge."

"no problem!"

Yamashiro Aoba immediately went over.

Sakumo Hatake inquired, "Are you sure it's Iwa ninja?"

Xuanma shook his head: "I'm not entirely sure."

"This guy was given to me by Hanzo from Amegakure."

Hatake Sakumo's heart skipped a beat for some reason: "Hmm? What does this have to do with Hanzo?"

Just as Yamashiro Aoba was about to obtain the memories of the Iwa ninja, he couldn't help but turn around: "Genma...you, you didn't go directly to Amegakure to ask Hanzo for people, did you?"

Snapped!

Genma snapped his fingers: "As expected of Aoba, who can read minds."

“I met Hanzo under the guise of being his teacher and persuaded him to make a deal with him.”

The three of them, including Sakumo Hatake, stared at him in disbelief.

I can't understand how someone could have such an idea, and then actually do it, and even succeed.

At this moment, Sakumo Hatake looked at the scythe on the ground: "So, this is Hanzo's weapon?"

He had noticed it earlier, but hadn't thought of it as Hanzo.

just now……

Yamashiro Aoba stared at the sickle on the ground, swallowing hard. "No...no way?"

Looking at his disciple, Hatake Sakumo was struck by his disciple's audacity for the first time: "Genma, you fought Hanzo?"

Genma nodded: "I think now is a good opportunity for Hanzo to realize his ambitions. I persuaded him, and in exchange, he helped me capture this Iwa ninja."

"However, Hanzo is very ambitious and is wary of all the major ninja villages."

“He doesn’t want to form an alliance with Konoha, but I know his intentions, so he plans to get rid of me.”

Genma made no mention of threatening Hanzo.

Shizune exclaimed in shock, "This...this is too much! He's supposed to be a demigod ninja!"

Yamashiro Aoba nodded in agreement.

Indeed, this is far too unbecoming of one's status!

Xuanma laughed and said, "In the face of interests, none of these things matter."

"Hanzo is an extremely cautious man. Even when facing me, he brought more than a dozen subordinates with him."

While it's true that he demonstrated the Lightning Release Chakra Mode to Hanzo, the situation would probably be the same even without that.

Upon hearing this, Yamashiro Aoba exclaimed in surprise, "You managed to escape! Genma, has your strength reached this level?"

That's Hanzo, and so many of his elite subordinates!

Hatake Sakumo was also shocked; his disciple had grown too fast. However, he immediately corrected Yamashiro Aoba: "Aoba, Genma probably didn't escape. A ninja's weapon can only be taken away if he is defeated."

Yamashiro Aoba and Shizune were both so shocked they couldn't speak.

Genma defeated Hanzo, the leader of Amegakure, who was known as a demigod.

Yamashiro Aoba looked at Genma, swallowed hard, and asked, "Is... is Sakumo-sensei right?"

Genma smiled and said, "I can't say that I really defeated Hanzo."

"I killed all of Hanzo's men. Hanzo was indeed very strong, and he was very cautious. After he was injured, he used a clone to fight me in place of his main body, trying to use the clone and his subordinates as bait to kill me."

Recalling the previous battle, Genma shook his head slightly: "Fortunately, I have mastered space-time ninjutsu, otherwise it would have been very troublesome."

If Hanzo were to withstand his explosive flame formation in his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, he would inevitably be injured.

After all, it's not just the fire damage, but also the shockwave from the explosion, which Lightning Release Chakra Mode cannot defend against.

"That's amazing!"

Shizune exclaimed excitedly, looking at Genma with eyes full of admiration.

Aoba Yamashiro was somewhat bewildered by the shock: "Just what kind of monsters are my companions?!"

Well done!

Sakumo Hatake secretly praised him. If it were him, facing Hanzo and his elite troops, let alone fighting Hanzo to a draw, it was uncertain whether he could even escape unscathed.

However, thinking about Genma's mastery of space-time ninjutsu, I felt relieved.

Having that skill will make things much easier.

This is also why he previously trusted Genma to enter the Land of Rain alone to gather intelligence.

However, recalling Genma's description, Hatake Sakumo reminded him, "Genma, although your substitution technique is very powerful, a ninja of Hanzo's caliber might not be unable to find a way to deal with it."

"So we still need to be very cautious."

Xuanma nodded and said, "Teacher, I understand."

"After the battle, Hanzo basically understands my technique very well."

If he hadn't reacted quickly enough, he would definitely have been injured by the exploding flame array.

Genma also realized that even the Substitution Jutsu 1.0 was not safe against a top-tier ninja like Hanzo.

The settings need to be changed!

"Alright, Aoba, you're in charge of gathering intelligence."

"Xuanma, take a break while you can."

Sakumo Hatake ended the discussion.

Genma closed his eyes to rest, but instead opened the [Settings Collection].

The Fourth Raikage's Lightning Release is very strong, but he doesn't currently have the same powerful physique as the Fourth Raikage. He still needs to use Lightning Release Chakra Mode to temper his body little by little.

"Besides its tactical role of visual interference, an important function of the Substitution Technique is to avoid damage."

"My first modification was to switch positions; this time, perhaps I can start by avoiding damage."

"For example, taking someone else's place?"

After a moment of contemplation, Genma decided to make a second modification to the Substitute Technique.

Substitute Technique 2.0: Create a substitute talisman/substitute puppet in advance. Once you are attacked, it can be activated automatically to take the fatal damage in your place (it can also be activated automatically to take any attack in your place).

He was considering more than just his own safety.

If it's just about oneself, continuing to improve Lightning Release might be a better choice.

If you are strong enough, you won't be afraid of putting yourself in a dangerous situation.

But with the Third Shinobi World War looming, he also had to consider the needs of many more people.

Parents, and even those who are silent, are all planning for the future and for more settings.

However, with such incredible effects, I'm afraid the settings might not be sufficient.

"Ok?"

"It failed after all?"

Xuanma shook his head inwardly.

He admitted that his expectations were indeed a bit too high.

If this modification is completed, we won't be afraid of the All-Killing Ash Bones!

However, he felt that this was what the orthodox Substitute Technique should look like, and the first modification belonged to the heretical path.

After some thought, Xuanma opted for a less desirable option: in the event of a fatal attack, it could activate its clone to take the fatal hit in its place (or it could activate its clone independently to take the hit from any attack).

But the modification failed again!

Xuanma's raised eyebrow—was the effect still too incredible?

As long as he possesses the chakra to create clones, it means that no attack can inflict a fatal wound on him.

"Okay, maybe my expectations were too high."

Let's put Xuanma aside for now and try it again after saving more settings.

At this moment, Yamashiro Aoba finished gathering information and said, "Teacher, it really is those Rain Country ninjas hired by this guy."