"How did you discover me?"
Jin looked at Hanzo of the Salamander with genuine curiosity.
That Hanzo had noticed his infiltration wasn't shocking in itself. After all, Hanzo was hailed as the "Demigod of the Shinobi World." His experience and instincts were unfathomable.
Still—
Jin was confident he hadn't slipped.
He had even learned from Deidara's failure. Before sending in his crow, he confirmed that this region supported native corvid populations. A ninja crow's appearance wouldn't stand out.
And yet, Hanzo had known.
"Poison," Hanzo replied calmly. "My residence is saturated with it."
He did not elaborate at first.
Then he continued.
"There are frequent leaks. Even after every cleanup, residue remains. Over time, it seeps into the soil."
"Near this estate, you won't find birds. Not even insects approach."
It wasn't intentional.
In truth, even Hanzo himself struggled to purge the toxins completely.
When he was young, Amegakure implanted the venom sac of a salamander into his body—turning him into a living poison source.
Every breath he exhaled carried toxins.
To avoid harming others, Hanzo trained himself to breathe through his mouth and wore a specialized respirator that filtered his breath.
But he had lived here for years.
Eating. Sleeping. Living.
Trace amounts of poison inevitably escaped into the environment.
Unless someone purified the soil every single day without fail—
The contamination would never fully disappear.
"I see." Jin nodded seriously. "I moved too quickly. I didn't observe the environment carefully enough before infiltrating."
"It makes no difference," Hanzo replied, lifting his hand slightly. His tone was even, but cold. "You will pay a price you'll remember for the rest of your life."
A brief pause.
"For now, I'll address you as a Konoha Uchiha."
The moment the words fell—
Hanzo vanished.
So fast.
Jin's pupils contracted.
He reappeared in front of him, sickle descending in a sharp arc.
'That Body Flicker—'
It reminded Jin of Minato Namikaze.
'But he didn't aim for a vital point. He wants me alive.'
Jin lowered his center of gravity. His eyes flashed crimson—
Three tomoe spinning into place.
With one hand, he drew a kunai from his pouch and braced it against the curved blade.
Clang!
Metal met metal.
In that split second, Jin clearly saw violet poison sliding along the sickle's edge.
"Sharingan?" Hanzo's tone shifted slightly. "So you truly are Uchiha."
He withdrew smoothly, creating distance. Droplets of toxin scattered onto the sandy ground—
Hiss—
Pits formed instantly as white, foul-smelling smoke rose.
Hanzo did not press the attack.
Instead, he studied Jin.
"Ordinarily, when conducting infiltration missions, shinobi remove identifying markers to prevent exposure."
"Uchiha brat, what exactly are you trying to accomplish by barging into my residence so openly?"
The question was reasonable.
Konoha and Iwagakure were currently facing off inside the Land of Rain.
As the ruler of Amegakure, Hanzo should be someone both sides sought to court.
If either village wished to act, they would frame the other.
But Jin's approach—
Open.
Traceable.
Risky.
It almost looked like an attempt to push Hanzo toward Iwa.
Hanzo couldn't make sense of it.
Jin considered briefly before answering.
"Don't misunderstand. I have no ill will toward you—or toward Amegakure."
"I'm here to wait for someone."
Hanzo's eyes narrowed. "Who?"
Jin did not hesitate.
"Konoha's Hokage Advisor."
"Danzō Shimura."
Hanzo's expression did not change, but his gaze sharpened.
He knew the name.
He had dealt with Danzō before.
And in Hanzo's experience—
Wherever that man appeared—
Nothing good followed.
"Why would you come to me if you're looking for Danzō?"
Jin smiled faintly.
"That's… a long story."
"Would you mind changing locations so we can talk?"
Their clash had been brief—
But chakra had flared.
Jin could already sense multiple patrol units converging.
He could reveal himself to Hanzo.
That was intentional.
Hanzo was someone he planned to engage directly.
But he could not allow himself to be seen by random Ame shinobi.
Who knew how many spies from other villages were embedded here?
And with Hanzo present, Jin couldn't simply silence every witness.
A quieter place was necessary.
Hanzo, however, interpreted it differently.
He lifted his chained sickle.
"If you refuse to speak here, then we shall change locations."
"The interrogation chamber of Amegakure should suffice."
Before Jin could respond—
Hanzo disappeared again.
A flash of blade—
Jin's body split cleanly in two.
But Hanzo didn't even glance at the severed form.
"Don't try to flee."
He pivoted instantly and hurled his sickle toward a different direction.
Jin spun mid-air, deflecting the incoming weapon with his kunai. Using the recoil, he vaulted over the wall and shot toward the distance.
Hanzo gave a cold snort—
And pursued.
Moments later—
Over a dozen Ame shinobi appeared inside the courtyard.
"This is the place! The disturbance came from here!"
"Look—chakra residue on that broken wooden stump. Substitution Technique."
"Be careful! It's Lord Hanzo's poison! Someone engaged him!"
They were elite.
Within seconds, they reconstructed the scene from residual clues.
"Follow! But don't get too close! Lord Hanzo's poison is lethal—we observe from a distance!"
"Understood!"
And like shadows—
They gave chase.
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