Naruto: I, the villain template, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 135 I Can Stand Even Higher (Seeking Monthly Tickets!!)

"Is this how Musashi sees Amegakure?"

Hanzo stood in front of the tea room that originally belonged to Musashi, atop the tallest tower in the entire Amegakure.

Looking around, all one could see were towering spires standing like a forest, while he stood out alone in this low forest, like an iron-gray giant looking down on the dwarves.

He slowly stretched out one palm, as if to lift up the dim sky.

Standing at such a high place, the sky I had always dreamed of was practically within reach.

This sense of conquest, having everything under control, filled Hanzo with immense pleasure and satisfaction.

"Lord Hanzo."

The sound from behind him interrupted his thoughts.

Hanzo frowned slightly, glanced back, and said calmly, "Have the manpower been identified and mobilized?"

"Yes." The Rain Ninja behind him bowed respectfully. "All the available manpower has been recorded. Previously, Rain Village had more than 2,100 ninjas, and now there are more than 1,600 ninjas..."

At this point, Yu Ren suddenly paused, unsure whether she should continue.

"Hmm?" Hanzo's voice was slightly cold.

Rain Ninja instinctively shivered, lowered his head even further, and hurriedly replied, "Those five hundred ninjas were all close confidants of Musashi's faction. They have already left with that guy Yoshitaka, and their whereabouts are unknown."

"...Where have they gone?"

Hanzo murmured a sentence and repeated it, then turned to look at the wall beside him.

The Rain Ninja behind him also looked over, where there was a clear knife mark that had not yet faded.

Even just seeing this knife mark gives you a sense of sharpness.

It's like the scent left unintentionally by a wild beast, serving as a warning to anyone who tries to approach it.

After glancing at it, Yu Shinobu felt a sharp pain in her eyes and immediately looked away, speaking meekly, "Lord Hanzo, should we go and bring those traitors back...?"

After the words were spoken, there was a long silence and stillness.

"...Forget it."

Just as the sweat on Rain Ninja's face was about to slide off his gas mask, Hanzo, lost in thought, shook his head and said calmly, "A bunch of cowards who run away from war. Even if we bring them back, it's pointless."

Although they said they left with Yoshitaka, it's obvious who actually took those people away.

It was indeed heartbreaking to have a quarter of his fighting strength taken away at once, but he was mentally prepared when he decided to leave Musashi to Yunchuan.

The other party helped him get rid of Musashi, an obstacle, and in return, he allowed the other party to take away a portion of the Rain Ninja.

From a certain perspective, this can be considered a kind of exchange of benefits, and it is even more advantageous to him.

He could rightfully take the position of Amegakure's leader without worrying about being tainted by the stigma of patricide and usurpation, while also eliminating Musashi's remaining followers and making Amegakure his own personal fiefdom.

Hanzo even felt that the kid was too generous. He was prepared to let the other party take some of the supplies, but in the end, he only took some useless trash who were afraid of fighting.

"I don't understand what value those guys have."

As if he had figured something out, Hanzo's furrowed brows gradually relaxed: "As expected, that brat is still too young. Those cowardly fellows should be discarded as soon as possible. Keeping them around will only slow down others."

Those people clearly had a lot of experience and skills in their minds, but they were afraid of death and dared not face the ninjas of a great power. They were of no use except for disrupting the morale of the army.

"However, although they are still somewhat naive and inexperienced, the Land of Rain is currently in turmoil, and the power they have shown can still be of some use."

Thinking of this, Hanzo smiled faintly, appearing to be in a good mood.

By handing over the northern region bordering the Land of Earth to that brat, he can focus his efforts on the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind.

Thinking about it now, the other party really did help him a lot.

Except for that damn cat.

The black cat disappeared at the last moment, leaving him alone to face the desperate Sand Ninja.

Thinking back now, Hanzo's face still looks a bit dark.

"By the way," Hanzo said, gathering his thoughts and asking with a flicker in his eyes, "has there been a letter from Konoha?"

"Yes, Lord Hanzo." The Rain Ninja nodded, stepped forward, handed over the scroll, and smiled, "Orochimaru hopes to sign a joint agreement with us to jointly fight against the Sunagakure invasion."

Hanzo took the scroll, glanced at it, and couldn't help but sneer: "Even at a time like this, that snake-playing brat is still trying to pull this childish trick of getting something for nothing."

"If Tsukimi hadn't told me about the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools, I, who still harbored a sliver of hope for the credibility of major powers, might actually have agreed to sign the joint document and cooperate with them. But now..."

The so-called Daimyo of the Land of Fire and Hokage of Konoha are nothing but charlatans with absolutely no credibility.

Those guys were able to stand by and watch the Land of Whirlpools, their ally and a friend for generations, die without offering any help, and to disregard the friendship agreement signed between their First Hokage and the Land of Whirlpools.

Not to mention the joint agreement they'd be signing with Amegakure.

Such joint documents, which have no binding force whatsoever, are based entirely on their own credibility and morality.

The Land of Fire and Konoha, having lost all credibility, have rendered their so-called joint document and alliance a worthless piece of paper, devoid of any credibility whatsoever.

They only show a so-called spirit of contract when their own interests are involved; they immediately change their tune when someone touches their interests.

"A great power? How laughable!"

Hanzo tossed the communication scroll directly into the trash can, as if looking at it again would taint his eyes. He looked up at the Rain Ninja and said coldly, "Tell Orochimaru that if you want to cooperate, show some sincerity."

"The Wind Kingdom's target is them. We can sit back and watch them fight it out, and then make our move when they are both exhausted."

"If they think they can get me to take action just by talking, then let them give up that idea now. Right now, Orochimaru needs my help, and Konoha needs our Amegakure's assistance!"

"Tell Konoha that Amegakure's supplies are insufficient and they need to provide them."

"I understand, Lord Hanzo!" The Rain Ninja looked at Hanzo's broad and tall back, his face filled with excitement and exhilaration. "I'll do as you say and go reply to those guys in Konoha!"

The Land of Rain, caught between powerful nations, lives with no dignity whatsoever. It has long suffered under the oppression of these great powers and endured their misery for far too long.

The reason for choosing Hanzo is that they are like people who have fallen into the water, grabbing the last straw and making a desperate last struggle.

And now, they can finally hold their heads high!

However, after the Rain Ninja left, Hanzo narrowed his eyes.

Although his tone was very arrogant just now, he understood the principle of mutual dependence.

Because of his cooperation and attacks with that cat, Sunagakure's relentless offensive has now ceased, but it is entirely predictable that Sunagakure's next offensive will be even more ferocious than the previous ones.

If the Sand Village really manages to invade the Land of Fire, the Land of Rain won't have an easy time either.

Hanzo was playing a calculated, open game, betting that Orochimaru would be more anxious than him.

After all, Orochimaru is now in a helpless situation.

"No problem," Hanzo whispered. "It can be done."

Looking down at Amegakure, which he had completely taken over, the flames in his heart burned brighter in the shadows. A desire to conquer grew in his heart, and his already burning ambition became even more intense.

Or perhaps he can stand even higher and see an even greater view.

(End of this chapter)