Humans could be poisoned—
But fire could not.
Maintaining Elementalization consumed a great deal of stamina, but compared to constantly dividing his attention to guard against Hanzo's toxins, it was a worthwhile trade-off.
"Now… can we talk properly, Hanzo-senpai?"
Ren lowered his hands first, signaling goodwill.
A sharp glint flashed through Hanzo's eyes. After a brief pause, he lowered his weapon as well.
"…Very well. I'll hear what you have to say."
Ren went straight to the point.
"With your experience, you should already realize that this war is nearing its end."
Having lived through three Great Ninja Wars, Hanzo was far more perceptive than most.
He nodded.
"It is indeed coming to an end. At this stage, there is no longer any profit to be gained. Continuing will only bring unnecessary losses."
Years of war had already taken their toll. Whatever could be gained had been gained.
The ongoing skirmishes between Konoha and Iwagakure were fueled more by accumulated hatred than strategic necessity.
Once their leadership reached an agreement—
The war would end.
Ren continued,
"To be honest, the Third Hokage of Konoha has already begun considering ending the war and is preparing to initiate peace talks with Iwagakure."
"Oh?"
Hanzo's interest was immediately piqued.
This was critical intelligence.
It meant Konoha was willing to bow its head first.
In negotiations, whoever conceded first lost initiative—and benefits.
Given Konoha's advantage on the battlefield, this was almost unthinkable.
Then again—
There had been rumors that during negotiations with Sunagakure, Konoha had also ceded significant benefits despite winning.
Hanzo had dismissed it as nonsense.
But now…
It seemed true.
Konoha, backed by the wealth of the Land of Fire, truly acted with astonishing generosity.
Which meant—
Perhaps Amegakure could also benefit.
In an instant, countless calculations flashed through Hanzo's mind.
Ren noticed—but pretended not to.
"Of course, this is only the Third Hokage's intention. Some within Konoha oppose it, so it hasn't been implemented yet."
Hanzo's eyes shifted.
"That opposing voice… would be Danzō Shimura, wouldn't it?"
Ren nodded.
"Correct."
Hanzo let out a cold chuckle.
"Let me guess. Danzō cannot change Hiruzen Sarutobi's decision, so he came here personally to provoke conflict and prolong the war."
"And his methods—nothing more than framing and manipulation."
"Am I wrong?"
Ren was genuinely surprised.
With only fragments of information, Hanzo had reconstructed the situation almost perfectly.
As expected of a veteran who survived multiple wars—
None of them were simple.
"So," Hanzo continued, "what is your goal?"
"To stop Danzō? To ensure peace talks proceed?"
Ren replied calmly,
"If I said yes… what would your choice be, Hanzo-senpai?"
Hanzo narrowed his eyes—and raised his sickle.
If the Land of Rain were a great nation like the Land of Fire or Earth, he would have immediately stopped Danzō and extorted concessions from Konoha.
But it was not.
Amegakure was a small power.
Konoha might fear Iwagakure—
But it would not fear Amegakure.
If the Land of Rain overstepped, Konoha would crush it without hesitation.
Aligning with Iwagakure would only provoke stronger retaliation.
Konoha would never allow a small nation to stand above it.
Thus—
There was only one viable choice left.
War brought suffering to the Land of Rain—
But also opportunity.
In peacetime, the great nations suppressed its growth.
But in war—
They needed its support.
Even if they couldn't win it over, they couldn't afford to push it into enemy hands.
During the Third Great Ninja War, despite the devastation, Hanzo had extracted significant benefits from all three great nations.
Moreover—
As long as Konoha and Iwagakure continued fighting, both would weaken.
And in that shift—
Amegakure would gain relative strength.
Chaos created opportunity.
In mere moments, Hanzo had already leaned toward cooperating with Danzō—the so-called "Darkness of the Shinobi World."
Ren understood immediately.
Reality was far more complex than the original story suggested.
Hanzo may have appreciated Akatsuki—
But when faced with greater strategic advantage for Amegakure, he chose sacrifice.
From his perspective—
That decision was logical.
Right or wrong?
That depended on one's position.
"Hanzo-senpai… it seems you've made your choice."
Boom!
Flames erupted around Ren.
Fire Release Chakra Mode—activated.
"So you came here to stop Danzō?"
Hanzo narrowed his eyes, resting his sickle at his side.
"More precisely…"
Ren nodded.
"I came to kill him."
"I agree with some of his views regarding Iwagakure—but this war must end."
"And between Danzō and the Uchiha Clan… our grievances run deep."
"It's time he died."
"Then there's nothing more to discuss."
Hanzo formed hand seals.
"Summoning Technique!"
A cloud of smoke burst forth—
A massive brown salamander appeared beneath him.
"Ibuse! Use Poison Mist!"
Leaping from its back, Hanzo raised his weapon.
The salamander let out a shrill cry and spewed dense purple toxin into the air.
In raw power, Ibuse might not surpass Gamabunta or Manda—
But with its poison, it could rival both.
Even Hanzo himself could not fully ignore its toxicity.
"Mirror Flame Wall!"
Ren punched forward, forming a blazing wall of fire that blocked the incoming poison.
While Elementalization granted immunity—
He had no intention of fighting in a toxin-filled environment.
Moreover—
Fire naturally countered poison.
Extreme heat could burn away most substances—including toxins.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Destruction Arrow!"
After dispersing the poison, Ren unleashed a condensed, blazing projectile, carrying the remnants of his flames toward Ibuse.
He intended to eliminate it in one strike.
But—
He missed.
Ibuse had already burrowed underground, leaving behind a massive crater.
Underground…
Before Ren could react—
Hanzo struck.
A flash of steel cut toward his face.
Ren barely blocked with his kunai and retreated.
Crack!
Before he could stabilize—
The ground beneath him collapsed.
Ibuse erupted upward, jaws wide open.
At the same time—
Chains lashed out, sealing every escape route.
Ren ignited flames beneath his feet, accelerating just enough to evade the bite.
"Hmph!"
Hanzo yanked the chains tight—
Binding Ren completely.
Standing atop Ibuse, he looked down coldly.
"Uchiha brat… your Fire Release is impressive."
"But you don't seem to know how to use your clan's true power."
"No genjutsu."
"No exploitation of the Sharingan's dynamic vision."
"You are wasting those three-tomoe eyes."
"…Oh?"
Bound in chains, Ren smiled faintly.
Then said:
"When did you start assuming… that I wasn't using genjutsu?"