"Hahaha." Hanzo, with a blade against his neck, burst into maniacal laughter instead. "Do you know why I wear this mask? Because whenever I breathe, those around me inhale poisonous gas. To avoid harming others, I had no choice but to put on this mask and switched to breathing through my mouth. You must've been poisoned already. How much strength do you still have left?"
Anya looked at him with pity and sighed, "Alas, if your poison was truly that unbeatable, you wouldn't have suffered such a devastating defeat during the Second Battle. Are you still living in the past?"
Anya sheathed her sword and walked step by step toward Hanzo, staring straight into his eyes without showing the slightest sign of being poisoned.
"This is impossible!" Hanzo completely lost composure. His last trump card had failed too—had he really been defeated by a mere kid? The title of Demigod had turned into a joke.
The reason Hanzo fell so easily was twofold: first, he underestimated Anya; second, he lacked any intelligence report on her, leaving him clueless about how to respond.
Just like how Raikage countered Anya, Anya countered Hanzo—it was a natural suppression.
His poison wasn't as effective as Anya's; his sword art wasn't as strong; his Shunshin technique couldn't match Minato's Flying Thunder God which Anya was familiar with; his Explosive Tag Formation was pierced through by Sharingan. His only advantage over Anya lay in chakra quantity—but unfortunately, Anya never gave him the chance to perform ninjutsu.
Seeing Anya put the Blade of Indifference away and noticing the complete calmness in her gaze—as though defeating him was nothing more than expected—at that moment, it was as if Hanzo had aged ten years overnight. This meant the young kid thought everything was perfectly natural.
Hanzo spoke with difficulty, "You're called Anya, right? I'll remember that name. Tell me then, what's your purpose coming to the Rain Country?"
Anya glanced around and exchanged a knowing look with Haku.
Understanding immediately, Haku raised her hand, activating her Ice Needles, which accurately pierced several Rain Village Ninja who were still frozen in shock.
"You..." Hanzo was both shocked and furious.
"Lord Hanzo, you surely wouldn't want word of your defeat spreading around, would you? I just helped eliminate some trouble for you," Anya smoothly replied, cutting off Hanzo's reproach before it could even begin.
She continued, "Let's find somewhere quiet and talk, shall we?"
Hanzo gazed deeply at Anya, eventually nodding, "Fine."
When they arrived at Hanzo's stronghold, he donned his mask again and led the way. The place was heavily guarded—watch posts every three steps, sentries every five. It clearly showed how cautious Hanzo usually was.
After entering the innermost room, Anya, Haku, and Hanzo sat down. Hanzo cut straight to the point: "I assume you've come here seeking something from me. Just say what it is directly. If it's within my ability, I'll agree."
Surprised yet slightly taken aback by Hanzo's cooperative attitude, Anya noticed how different he now was compared to during the Second War. That once-unstoppable demigod who dreamed of reshaping the Ninja World alone had changed.
Anya shelved all the carefully prepared words she'd planned to use. Seeing Hanzo in this state now spared her plenty of unnecessary trouble.
"I've established an organization called Zero. I'm formally inviting you to join us," said Anya. His purpose here was clear — to bring Hanzo under his control in preparation for seizing the Rinnegan.
"Join your organization?" Hanzo showed no interest at all as he refused, "I have no reason to accept your offer."
Why would Hanzo give up being leader of Rain Village to join some strange organization? He wasn't about to fall for that.
Anya remained calm and unaffected. Smiling, he said, "Actually, we share the same dream — changing the structure of the Ninja World. The difference is, unlike you, I'm not content settling for this backwater called Rain Village. I want to reshape the entire Ninja World."
Hanzo remained unmoved, "Big talk. What makes you qualified?"
Anya placed his blade before him and spoke confidently, "My sword, my willpower, my spirit, and a group of like-minded friends. Once you join, I'll share some intelligence reports about our organization with you."
Looking at the determined Anya, Hanzo briefly glimpsed his younger self from years ago. Unfortunately, the Second Battle had opened his eyes to reality, and now during the Third Battle, there was no room for him to intervene even if he wanted to. Even the weakest village, Sunagakure Village, could withstand Kumogakure's attacks after losing their Kage. Could he do any better?
Sighing deeply, Hanzo remarked, "I see your determination, but you should understand the power of the Five Great Countries. With the Third Battle ongoing and so many powerful new ninjas emerging, I think it's unrealistic to change the Ninja World's structure through just one organization."
"So Rain Village deserves to be treated like a battleground for these nations? Like some powerless pawn? If you've lost even that fighting spirit, then you really aren't suitable for my organization."
At this moment, Anya filled with disappointment toward this demigod. Once a great warrior of his generation, now Hanzo stood on the edge of decline. Another step forward, and he'd become nothing more than a shadow of himself.
Faced with Anya's almost mocking words, Hanzo finally felt the flame buried deep in his heart reignite. He spoke solemnly, "I can join your organization, but you must at least show me hope for change."
With Hanzo showing slight willingness to cooperate, Anya had already lost the previous eagerness to have him specifically. If not for Rain Village's importance to obtaining the Rinnegan later, he might have given up already.
"Of course, I can tell you something." Concealing his thoughts, Anya said with a smile, "The organization currently has over a thousand members, and we're continuing to grow. We have three strongholds, although their exact locations will remain confidential for now. Among our official members, there are three who can defeat you. I wonder if that's sufficient information."
"There are really three who can beat me?" Though somewhat skeptical, Hanzo thought about how easily he had been defeated by this young man before him and couldn't find words to argue. Finally, he asked, "And what exactly would my role be in your organization?"
"For now, nothing. Just keep your strength preserved. In a few days, this place will be affected by the Third Battle. After those battles, the isolated ninja will become potential members for our organization."
Hanzo's expression changed slightly as he detected the implication behind Anya's words. He couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you afraid someone will find out?"
Anya said with a slight frown, "It's just a prisoner. What's the big deal if others find out? Besides, we'll make him take poison first once he's captured. After he surrenders, I'll assign him to various strongholds. The likelihood of being exposed isn't that high."
Hanzo finally understood how Anya's organization had managed to gather over a thousand members. This kind of unconventional method had never occurred to him. Although this approach rapidly increased their numbers, they were all ticking time bombs that could explode at any moment.
Guess you young folks really are something else—no idea is too wild for you to try.
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