"Wha—?!"
The conference hall erupted into an uproar once again as soon as Hanzo finished speaking.
The sudden announcement stunned everyone present.
After all, this was Hanzo of the Salamander they were talking about.
The leader of Amegakure, the man revered across the shinobi world as the "Demigod of the Shinobi World."
As the leader of the village, Hanzo had always paid close attention to cultivating talent within Amegakure. Many of the people present had once received his guidance.
Even so, Hanzo had never truly accepted a disciple.
Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan were the first.
Naturally, the crowd could hardly contain their shock.
But before the people in the hall could even process the news, Hanzo delivered another announcement that stunned them even further.
"I will train these three as the next leaders of Amegakure," Hanzo continued calmly.
"In other words, in the future, they will become the new leader and elders of the village."
The conference hall fell into complete silence.
Every Rain shinobi—and even the core members of Akatsuki—stared at Hanzo in disbelief.
This revelation was even more shocking than the previous one.
On second thought, however, perhaps it wasn't entirely surprising.
For Hanzo, who had never accepted disciples before, suddenly to take on three personal disciples already suggested that he intended to cultivate successors.
Still, to declare it so openly and directly was unexpected.
Yet Amegakure—and indeed the entire Land of Rain—had always operated under Hanzo's absolute authority.
Even if some people privately disagreed, none dared voice their objections.
Hanzo's gaze slowly swept across the faces of everyone present.
"I know many of you do not understand why I have made this decision," he said.
"But I am old."
"How many more years can I continue protecting Amegakure?"
"If I fail to cultivate someone capable of leading this village and the Land of Rain forward while I can still contribute… then even in death, I would never rest in peace."
His sincere words moved many of the Rain shinobi in the hall.
Only now did they truly notice that the man who had protected the Land of Rain for so many years had aged considerably.
Hanzo continued:
"In fact, I have been searching for a suitable successor for many years, but I never found the right candidate."
"Among you, the most outstanding are Tianyu and Kanzō."
"However, although they excel in governance and administration, their combat strength is still somewhat lacking."
"Our Land of Rain lies trapped between the three great nations of Fire, Earth, and Wind—a strategic battleground coveted by all."
"If the leader's strength is insufficient, it will be impossible to guide our nation to survive in such an environment."
Hanzo's words were blunt.
Yet Tianyu and Kanzō showed no sign of dissatisfaction.
Instead, both lowered their heads with expressions of guilt.
They knew their own limitations well.
It was because they were not strong enough that Hanzo had been forced to shoulder everything alone.
After a brief pause, Hanzo continued.
"The reason I chose Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan as my successors is, of course, because their talent and abilities are exceptional. They possess the potential to reach a level comparable to my own in my prime."
"But there is also another major reason."
"Nagato—come forward."
Hanzo beckoned him.
Nagato stepped forward and stood beside Hanzo.
Everyone in the hall looked at him with curiosity.
Even Tianyu widened his eyes, staring intently at Nagato.
He had already heard certain rumors and wanted to confirm whether that legendary pair of eyes truly existed.
"Raise your head, Nagato," Hanzo said softly.
"Let everyone see your eyes."
Nagato nodded.
He lifted his head and brushed aside his hair, revealing the strange ripple-patterned eyes beneath.
A sharp collective gasp filled the room.
Those eyes—
Eyes formed from concentric ripples like spreading waves.
They resembled the gears of destiny itself, radiating an irresistible sense of authority and pressure.
Anyone who looked into them felt a tremor deep within their soul, as if their own weakness and insignificance had been laid completely bare.
"W-What are those eyes…? Is that the Sharingan? Or the Byakugan?"
"Idiot! The Sharingan is red with tomoe! The Byakugan is pure white!"
"Then what are those eyes? I've never seen anything like them! Just looking at them makes it feel like my soul is being exposed!"
"Wait… do you remember that legend?"
"What legend?"
"The one about the Three Great Dōjutsu of the shinobi world! One is the Sharingan, another is the Byakugan. Both are bloodline abilities of Konoha clans…"
"And the last one is—"
"The Rinnegan!"
"The eyes of the Sage of Six Paths!"
The hall filled with sharp gasps once again.
Even the Akatsuki members were shocked.
This was the first time many of them had learned that Nagato possessed such eyes.
Hanzo nodded calmly.
"That's correct."
"These are the Rinnegan, the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths."
Silence fell over the conference hall.
Everyone was too stunned to speak.
Hanzo's decision to reveal Nagato's Rinnegan was actually a last resort.
After all, Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan had little seniority, and their strength had not yet reached a level that could command universal respect.
If they were to quickly establish themselves within Amegakure, extraordinary measures were necessary.
And in the shinobi world, the Sage of Six Paths held an almost godlike status.
People who lacked something often desired it the most.
The people of the Land of Rain, ravaged by constant war, had always longed for someone like the Sage of Six Paths to appear and save them.
By invoking the legend of the Sage, Nagato's image would instantly become elevated in the hearts of the people.
Possessing the Sage's eyes, Nagato would naturally become seen as the Sage's representative.
Over time, the people's faith in the Sage of Six Paths could gradually shift toward Nagato himself.
With a little careful guidance, Nagato could easily become viewed as a living Sage—or even a god in the hearts of the people.
Of course, neither Hanzo nor Uchiha Ren intended for Nagato to truly become a godlike ruler.
This was merely a temporary strategy—
A way for Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan to quickly establish their footing within Amegakure.
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