ryethenovel Chapter 409 Dawn in the Eye of the Storm
Chapter 409 Dawn in the Eye of the Storm
rain.
The rain never stops.
Cold raindrops fell from the leaden sky, like countless fine spider silks, enveloping the entire Amegakure village in a hazy and oppressive dampness.
At the top of the village's tallest tower, Hanzo the Salamander stood before a huge floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking his country.
The cold metal railings, hard to the touch, mirrored his current mood.
The world outside the window was distorted by the rain, and the crisscrossing steel pipes, like the skeleton of a monster, supported this town that was surviving in the cracks.
On the streets, there were few pedestrians, and occasionally a ninja wearing a straw hat would hurry by, his figure quickly swallowed up by the endless rain.
Lately, the number of "guests" in the Land of Rain has increased.
The puppeteers of Sunagakure and the demolition squad of Iwagakure.
Using Amegakure Village as their forward base, they waged a war that appeared fierce but was actually one of restraint, centered around the distant Giant Mountain mine.
Hanzo enjoyed this feeling.
He is the fisherman, Sunagakure and Iwagakure are two foolish fish tearing each other apart, and Amegakure is the fishing boat he sits on.
He was happy to see the two great powers at each other's mercy on his territory, watching them fight from the sidelines. The war supplies and intelligence that had unexpectedly leaked from both sides' supply lines had greatly replenished Amegakure's warehouses.
That old dwarf Onoki, and that self-important Third Kazekage, they both think they're chess players.
ridiculous.
On this land soaked by rain, the only chess player is Hanzo the Salamander.
A series of very light footsteps came from behind, breaking the deathly silence of the room.
The newcomer knelt on one knee, head bowed low, not daring to look at the back of the man in front of him.
"explain."
Hanzo did not turn around; his voice, carried clearly through the rain, reached his subordinates' ears.
"Lord Hanzo, the Eastern Supply Depot No. 3 was destroyed an hour ago. Based on the traces left at the scene... the identity of the attacker cannot be determined."
"Unsure?"
Hanzo's tone remained unchanged, but the ninja kneeling on the ground trembled almost imperceptibly.
"Yes...yes. The technique was very clean, like the work of a combination of ninjutsu from multiple forces."
Hanzo's silence made the air in the room feel thick and heavy.
Eastern Supply Station No. 3 is one of the secret channels Hanzo used to receive certain resources from Iwagakure.
Unable to determine identity? That in itself is a form of identity.
"continue."
"Yes! The western part, the Tani Bridge, is completely sealed off. A large number of puppet remains and threads have been found at the scene. Preliminary assessment indicates that it was the work of the Sunagakure puppet troops."
Puppet troops?
Hanzo leaned forward slightly, his knuckles tapping lightly on the cold metal railing, producing a dull sound.
The Valley Bridge is a vital transportation hub within Amegakure. Have the Sand Village ninja gone mad? Blocking that bridge will do them no good in attacking Iwagakure; on the contrary, it will hinder their own logistics.
"reason."
"The explanation given by Sunagakure is... the battle while pursuing the Iwagakure scout team affected the structure of the bridge, and it has been temporarily closed for safety reasons."
"Oh."
A soft laugh escaped from Hanzo's throat.
What a lame excuse.
A vague unease, like moss growing on a rain-soaked wall, began to spread in his heart.
He waved his hand, signaling his subordinates to step down.
He was alone in the room again, with only the constant sound of rain outside the window.
Hanzo slowly turned around and walked to the huge sand table in the center of the room. The terrain of Amegakure was accurately replicated on the sand table, with every building and every pipe clearly visible.
His finger hovered above the model of the Eastern Supply Station No. 3.
Then, move to the western Gu Bridge.
One is in the east, and the other is in the west.
One is supply, and the other is transportation.
They seem unrelated, but...
If we connect these two points, and also take into account all those recent bits and pieces of information that he had ignored as aftermath of the battle...
For example, recently, Iwagakure ninjas have been frequently seen "lost" in the swampy area south of the village.
For example, the canyon to the north was set up with a large number of traps by Sunagakure under the guise of an exercise.
West, South, North.
An invisible net is quietly tightening in his territory.
These actions were not intended to attack the enemy, but rather to sever the internal connections of Amegakure and paralyze his control.
Sand Village and Rock Village...
Those two foolish fish in his eyes had actually joined forces beneath the surface to weave a net specifically for him, the fisherman.
A chill, colder than the rain outside the window, slowly crept up his spine.
The conflict at Jujiang Mountain was a hoax from the very beginning.
It was a stage, a meticulously rehearsed play, performed for the entire ninja world, and even more so for Hanzo the Salamander.
They wanted him to believe that they were too preoccupied with their own conflicts to think about anything else.
They wanted to keep him basking in the pleasure of reaping the benefits without lifting a finger, and to lower his guard.
The real battlefield was right beneath his feet.
"You damned bastard..."
Hanzo muttered to himself, his breath coming out slightly hot through the breathing mask he wore.
He'd been tricked.
He was tricked by two guys he looked down on.
Why?
Why did they join forces to deal with him?
Just for the strategic location of Amegakure?
Hanzo walked to the wall, where a huge map of the ninja world was hanging.
His finger traced across Sunagakure, across Iwagakure, and finally pressed heavily onto the map of the Land of Fire, onto that swirling symbol.
Hiruzen Sarutobi...
Just then.
"Thump, thump, thump."
A knock sounded on the door, neither hurried nor slow.
"Come in."
A Rain Ninja walked in, his demeanor even more respectful than the Anbu from before, even showing a hint of fear.
He held an envelope tightly wrapped in oil paper in both hands.
The envelope was unsigned, except for a mark branded with special chakra.
Half of it is gravel, and half is rock.
"What is this?" Hanzo's voice turned dangerous.
"It's...it's a joint messenger from the Kazekage and Tsuchikage. They said it must be opened by you personally."
messenger?
Hanzo narrowed his eyes.
His fingers tapped lightly on the table.
The entire Amegakure village was under his surveillance, yet messengers from two great nations were able to slip through his defenses undetected and deliver the letter to him.
This is a protest.
It's also a warning.
He reached out and took the envelope.
Slightly heavy to start with.
Hanzo tore open the oil paper, revealing a finely crafted scroll inside.
He slowly unrolled the scroll.
The writing on it was brief, yet every word was piercing.
There were no insincere greetings, nor any flowery words.
A single, concise, and arrogant line of text invited him to a secluded place three days later for a detailed discussion.
The signature is a joint seal of the Third Kazekage and the Third Tsuchikage.
To go or not to go?
Going there might be like stepping into a den of wolves; those two old geezers certainly don't have any good intentions.
Refusing to go is a clear refusal, and the armies stationed nearby by Sunagakure and Iwagakure will immediately invade Amegakure.
Hanzo stood silently, holding the scroll in his hand.
The rain outside the window seemed to be getting heavier.
The ninja who delivered the message was still kneeling on the ground, his back soaked with cold sweat.
He could sense that the aura emanating from Lord Hanzo was so cold that it could make one quite flustered.
for a long time.
Hanzo finally made a move.
He rolled up the scroll again, inch by inch.
"Reply to them."
"I will be there on time."
……
Black Iron Forest, border of the Land of Rain.
The torrential rain pounded on the hard, black leaves, making a crackling sound that pierced the eardrums.
Three figures draped in specially made waterproof cloaks moved silently among the thick tree trunks. This forest, bordering the Land of Fire, was damp and dark year-round, making it the perfect hiding place.
Yahiko stopped in his tracks, clenched his right fist, and raised it high.
Nagato and Konan behind them stopped abruptly.
The three people were arranged in a triangular formation, clinging to the slippery bark, blending into the black trunk.
Below is a deep canyon.
"Three o'clock." Nagato lowered his voice.
Her red hair, damp with rain, clung to her forehead. Her gaze pierced through the thick rain curtain, reaching the leeward side of the giant rock at the bottom of the canyon.
Five ninjas.
Three of them wore Iwagakure headbands, while the other two wore Sunagakure headbands.
Yahiko looked down at the five figures.
Not long ago, Jiraiya-sensei urgently assigned them to the border patrol force.
The mission briefing clearly stated: Sunagakure and Iwagakure are engaged in battle at Mount Kyoto; gather relevant intelligence.
But now.
The two factions of ninjas stood facing each other beneath a rain-sheltered rock at the bottom of the canyon.
They didn't draw their ninja tools, nor did they check for any clashes in their ninjutsu.
The Iwagakure captain took out a sealing scroll from his pocket and handed it to the Sand Ninja on the other side.
Sunagakure handed over a heavy leather pouch.
This is a deal.
Yahiko's tactical sandbox quickly took shape in his mind.
What are these two warring nations secretly communicating in the remote corners of the Land of Rain?