"I heard you recommended Minato Namikaze for Hokage at the meeting?"
"Why not nominate yourself?"
Sakumo Hatake looked over at Kazuyama Gekkō, who now stood taller than him, and asked the question directly.
Kazuyama shot him a sidelong glance and responded with a teasing tone.
"Me? Hokage? You serious? Aren't you afraid I'd lead the village straight into a ditch?"
"Remember, my nickname is the Ghost, the complete opposite of Minato's Flash. One of us stands in the light, the other in the shadows."
"It's just like Lord Hokage and that bastard Danzō—one walks in the light, the other hides in the dark. And someone in the dark should never stand on the main stage."
"Besides, I have no intention of becoming Hokage. What's so great about it? Being stuck in the village every day? I'm not a fan of that kind of life."
Sakumo nodded thoughtfully. He hadn't expected Kazuyama to have such a distinct outlook.
Someone living in darkness not stepping into the spotlight—if Danzō ever heard that, he'd probably drop dead from rage.
"Be careful in Amegakure. Hanzō's not easy to deal with."
"You don't have to tell me that. We've fought a few times. I might not be able to kill him, but I'll make sure he can't rest easy—not even on his own turf."
"Oh? How strong is he really? Is the hype true?"
Sakumo had never been to Amegakure. When Hanzō launched his attacks, Sakumo had been tied up fending off Sunagakure's forces. He'd never crossed paths with Hanzō himself.
Still, he'd always relished the chance to fight powerful opponents. As the ninja world's Demi-God, Hanzō was definitely someone he'd like to face.
"He's alright. He's not as fast as you, and his movement technique isn't as good either."
Sakumo's mouth curled up slightly. That much felt good to hear.
But the rest of Kazuyama's assessment wiped that smile right off.
"But he's got a wide range of offensive techniques—better than yours."
"His trap-setting skills? Also better than yours."
"His summoned beasts are massive and deal incredible damage—again, better than yours."
"If the two of you were to fight, I'd say it'd be even odds. But in a war? You wouldn't stand a chance. His summoning beast can blanket the field in poison gas with a single breath."
Sakumo's mouth twitched uncontrollably. He was seriously tempted to punch Kazuyama right then and there.
But Kazuyama? He just burst into loud laughter—and vanished from sight.
...
At the same time, over in the Root Division—
"Hmph! That little brat actually dared to mouth off to me."
"Does he really think that being dubbed Konoha's Ghost gives him the right to challenge me?"
Danzō Shimura's expression was sour, twisted with frustration. The Root operatives standing nearby didn't dare say a word.
They all knew better than to provoke their furious commander.
"Lord Danzō, he did return from the battlefield with merit. Given what happened with Orochimaru, it's natural he holds a grudge against you."
"What we need to focus on now is how to get him to quiet down."
"If possible, eliminate him outright."
A Root operative with black eyes suddenly spoke. His voice was cold, filled with murderous intent.
"Tatsuma, your thinking isn't wrong—but right now, Kazuyama Gekkō's strength has already reached another level."
"Even compared to his teacher Orochimaru, he's not far off."
"If we do decide to take him out, it can't be by our own hands."
A glint of frost flashed in Danzō's eyes. He had already made his decision.
Since Kazuyama Gekkō insisted on going to Amegakure for revenge... then let him stay there—permanently.
...
Three days later, Land of Rain.
"Hmph... damn weather. If it weren't for this mission, there's no way I'd be here."
Kazuyama Gekkō was drenched from head to toe, his mood foul. After all, who likes getting soaked?
He muttered complaints about the rain while staying alert, eyes scanning the surroundings.
This was Amegakure. Danger lurked everywhere.
Suddenly, he heard footsteps. He immediately activated the Transparent Escape Technique and ducked into hiding. A squad of patrolling ninjas came into view.
Seeing them, Kazuyama sneered.
"So Hanzō tightened security across the entire village the moment he got back from the front."
"Hmph. Did he already anticipate someone coming for revenge?"
"Too bad, old man—regular patrols won't stop me."
The rain made it harder to use the Transparent Escape Technique, but with a quick Transformation Technique, he shifted into another form and strolled confidently into Amegakure.
Once inside, he didn't hesitate—he headed straight for the hot springs.
Being soaked was a miserable feeling.
Leaning back in the water, Kazuyama was already setting his plan in motion.
Who said sneak attacks were just for people?
In the darkest corners of Amegakure, countless snakes were gathering, all slithering toward a single target.
...
"Kazuyama, are you sure sending all these snakes will work?"
"Wouldn't it be faster if we just flew over and blasted him directly?"
"That beam-like Tailed Beast Bomb was amazing! Can we fire it again?"
Chōmei's voice suddenly echoed in Kazuyama's mind, filled with excitement.
Clearly, he had taken quite a liking to the sheer destructive power of the Tailed Beast Bomb.
"Chōmei, you're getting ahead of yourself again."
"This time, I'm just here to mess with that old bastard Hanzō. I've got no intention of fighting him head-on."
Kazuyama casually swirled the sake in his cup, calmly waiting for Amegakure to descend into chaos.
...
Night fell.
Aside from the patrol units, most of Amegakure had already gone to sleep.
That's when the rustling began.
Countless venomous snakes slithered silently through the streets, moving toward the castle where Hanzō was staying.
...
At that moment, Hanzō of the Salamander was meeting with a particular guest.
"Oh? So he's not just my enemy—he's yours too?"
"Hmph... stabbing your village's rising star in the back. That's so very Danzō of you."
Hanzō stared at the man before him: Aburame Tatsuma, Danzō's right-hand man. Young, capable, and unwaveringly loyal.
He had come to Amegakure bearing a personal letter from Danzō—his mission: to enlist Hanzō's help in ensuring Kazuyama Gekkō never returned to Konohagakure.
As the two conversed, shouts suddenly rang out from outside.
"Snakes!"
"Too many snakes! We're under attack!"
Both Hanzō and Tatsuma frowned.
Snakes?
They didn't need to guess—Kazuyama had arrived.
This was his opening strike.
"So... he's here."
"I wonder if Lord Hanzō can finally let off some steam—wipe out the Ghost lurking in the shadows."
Tatsuma's words earned a cold snort from Hanzō, his tone laced with murderous intent.
"My affairs don't concern you."
"But that brat had the nerve to come to my territory."
"I'm not letting him leave alive."
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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