Kakuzu had always been frugal with himself—so frugal that Orochimaru often wondered how the man managed to survive. If he weren't so stingy, Orochimaru would have sent him back to the Land of Waves long ago. But as always, Kakuzu hesitated to spend even a single Ryo unless absolutely necessary.
"Well… I suppose I can leave the company for a few days," Kakuzu muttered reluctantly.
He didn't truly want to leave, but returning home cost money—food, supplies, and most importantly, military pills. Kakuzu refused to buy those. Every bit of his current salary had been saved, except for the maintenance costs of his beloved golden car. Despite that luxury, he was painfully stingy about everything else.
It helped that Orochimaru covered all his uniforms and work gear. So, a few days later, Kakuzu removed his mask, wrapped himself in travel clothes, and quietly left Orochimaru's hidden laboratory. He had spent weeks there yet never discovered its exact location—something that both impressed and reassured him. A place storing so many valuable research results shouldn't be easy to find.
Meanwhile, far away, war continued to rage between the shinobi of Kusagakure and the samurai of the Iron Country. Battles broke out across the Grass Land, destroying villages, burning fields, and displacing civilians. Perhaps it was because the destruction had grown too severe that Kusagakure attempted to shift the battlefield north—into the borders of the Rain Country.
But Hanzo of the Salamander, ruler of the Rain Country, would not tolerate that.
The great nations treating the Rain Country as their personal battleground was one thing—unavoidable, considering their overwhelming power. But what right did minor countries like Grass and Iron have to spill blood on his soil?
Hanzo changed out of his work uniform and into the old battle garments he had worn in his youth. Though peace had graced the Rain Country for years, he had never allowed himself to grow complacent. He had responsibilities—toward his land, toward his people, and toward the legacy of the Rain.
"What beautiful weather," Hanzo murmured as he stepped onto a high platform overlooking Ame's central district. Rain did not constantly fall anymore, ever since the Rain Mountains had shifted the climate. "Rainy days… Salamander Ibuse's favorite days."
His eyes narrowed, sharp and deadly.
A crowd gathered below. Amegakure shinobi, still in their work clothes from White Snake Electric Town and White Snake Central Town, looked up at him.
"Lord Hanzo!"
"We'll fight with you!"
"When has the Rain Country ever feared war?"
Hanzo raised a hand sharply. "Enough. Your duty is to protect the towns. Production cannot stop. The ninja of Kusagakure and the samurai of Iron are mine to handle."
As if acknowledging his resolve, a light drizzle began to fall.
Hanzo cut his finger with his scythe and pressed his palm to the ground. "Summoning Technique!"
A swirl of smoke erupted, revealing the massive bulk of Salamander Ibuse. Hanzo leapt onto Ibuse's back, forming hand signs as water chakra swirled beneath them, creating a spiraling vortex.
"Let's go, Ibuse."
The vortex enclosed them, and they vanished from sight.
---
On the Battlefield: Hanzo's Fury
The battleground trembled under the clash of Kusagakure shinobi and Iron Country samurai. Flames, steel, and screams filled the air.
"Fire Release: Demon Lantern!"
A Kusagakure ninja formed hand seals, only for Mifune, the samurai leader, to rush forward. His chakra-coated sword pierced the ninja's chest before the jutsu could be released, then swept through the man's neck in one fluid movement.
Water swirled. A giant vortex rose in the center of the battlefield. From within it emerged Hanzo and Ibuse, drawing the attention of both sides.
"Stop!" Hanzo commanded, his voice echoing across the plain. Standing atop Ibuse's head, he swept his eyes across the battlefield. "Leave the Rain Country at once. This land is not your battleground. Disobey, and you become enemies of the Rain!"
A Kusagakure ninja snorted and threw a kunai at him before turning to attack a nearby samurai, reigniting the chaos.
Hanzo dodged the kunai with a tilt of his head. His expression darkened.
"So this is your choice… very well."
Ibuse's throat expanded.
A massive cloud of poisonous purple mist blasted outward, covering the battlefield in seconds. Screams followed as shinobi and samurai alike collapsed, writhing in agony.
Amegakure shinobi arrived, prepared to assist their leader—only to freeze in horror at the sight of the deadly mist.
"Sh-should we… go help?" one whispered.
"N-no. We have more important duties," another replied shakily.
They turned around and left immediately.
Mifune watched the spreading toxin, his men dying one after another. Desperate, he swung his sword to disperse the mist. "Retreat! Retreat quickly!"
Even the Kusagakure shinobi, normally stubborn and persistent, lost their will to fight. They fled at full speed.
"You think you can escape?" Hanzo growled, chasing after them with his scythe in one hand and a chain in the other—like a Shinigami descending upon the battlefield.
Explosive tags detonated, filling the area with smoke, but Hanzo burst through it easily. His chain wrapped around one fleeing shinobi, dragging him back before the scythe ended his life.
He pursued the survivors across the Grass Land, all the way toward Kusagakure. Once they crossed back into their territory, Hanzo paused. Then he turned his attention toward the samurai.
They had marched through the Waterfall Country and Grass Country, leaving corpses in their wake before entering the Rain Country. Hanzo would ensure they learned that such audacity had a price.
He hunted them relentlessly through the Grass Land into the Waterfall Country.
Mifune, seeing Hanzo approach, clenched his teeth and stopped.
"Lord Mifune!" one of his samurai exclaimed.
"Run," Mifune ordered. "I'll buy time."
Though reluctant, the samurai fled. None stayed behind.
Hanzo approached calmly. "All your samurai ran?"
"I told them to," Mifune replied, gripping his sword with both hands.
"I see. After I kill you, I'll hunt them down next."
"Then you'll have to kill me first!"
Mifune charged.
Metal clashed. A broken blade spun into the air.
Mifune froze, blood streaming down his face. His sword shattered. His limbs numbed.
"The venom… spreads quickly," Hanzo said coldly. "Your body is done."
Mifune collapsed.
But even as his body failed, his spirit did not.
"I have something… to say." His voice trembled. "A man's end is not death… but the loss of his conviction."
Hanzo paused, genuinely intrigued. Mifune's resolve, his willingness to confront death to protect his comrades, stirred something in him.
Mifune lifted his head with effort. "Don't kill… my men."
Hanzo stared at him for a long moment, then sighed. He pulled out a wooden vial.
"This antidote…" He opened it and poured it carefully into Mifune's mouth. "You are a rare kind of man. I'll spare you. But don't ever return to the Rain Country."
Mifune's eyes widened with gratitude.
Hanzo gave him one last look before forming a hand seal. His body liquefied into water and vanished—returning to more pressing matters: Kusagakure's transgression.
---
The World Reacts
After resting briefly in Ame, Hanzo launched a solo assault into the Grass Land, poisoning several Kusagakure shinobi before withdrawing.
News spread quickly. The deadly poison of Salamander Ibuse, the terrifying power of Hanzo, and his merciless pursuit of invaders shook the entire ninja world. No one had expected such strength to come from the Rain Country, long considered a weak buffer between great nations.
Kusagakure was helpless before the toxin. Their medical-nin could only slow its spread. In desperation, they sent a request for aid—to Konohagakure, the most peaceful of the great nations.
---
Konoha: The Hokage's Office
"Why me, Hiruzen? Can't you send someone else?" Tsunade slammed her hands on the desk. "Why must I go?"
"Kusagakure has formally requested aid," Hiruzen said helplessly. "As one of the Five Great Villages, we cannot ignore them. Hanzo's poison is too strong—their medics can't handle it."
Tsunade clicked her tongue and folded her arms stubbornly.
At that moment, Orochimaru arrived, fresh from teaching the sealing class at the Academy. He had just managed to escape the crowd of admiring children when Tsunade dragged him here.
"Why bring me along?" he asked irritably. "This is your mission, Tsunade."
"If you don't come, I'm not going!" she declared.
Hiruzen sighed deeply and looked at Orochimaru with pleading eyes.
Orochimaru saw an opportunity. "If it's an S-rank mission… I'll consider it."
He didn't truly care about the pay—but money was money.
Besides, he had researched Hanzo's toxins extensively, developed an antidote, and even created new poisons inspired by the venom of Salamander Ibuse. If Hanzo and Ibuse ever cooperated with him, he might even evolve Ibuse into a superior summoning beast.
Perhaps one day, that creature wouldn't even be a salamander anymore.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)