Hanzo lost.
Nagato had considered the possibility that Hanzo might not be a match for Kanda Kyoichi—after all, Kyoichi's strength was undeniable—but what he didn't expect was for the victory to be so clean, so absolute.
Of course...
Hanzo was still powerful. But...
Nagato couldn't help but feel that the man simply lacked the overwhelming pressure the legends had described. Even though Hanzo hadn't used his poison techniques, against Kage-level opponents, those toxins weren't all that effective anyway.
So then...
If Hanzo still had hidden cards to play...
Based on what Nagato knew, he didn't. He simply wasn't a match.
Kyoichi was just the perfect counter to him.
Hanzo stared at the sickle in his hand, silent for a long time. After several seconds, he finally let out a sigh, quietly sheathing his weapon before turning to walk back toward Amegakure.
Only Nagato and another Konoha ninja remained behind.
In terms of reputation, unless Kanda Kyoichi went out of his way to publicize the outcome, it wouldn't have much of an impact. But that wasn't what weighed on Hanzo's mind. It was what Kyoichi had said:
"Power corrodes a person."
Over the years...
Hanzo had to admit, ever since the Second Shinobi World War, he'd rarely involved himself in the affairs of the outside world. He'd trained little, and barely touched a blade.
Just as Kyoichi had pointed out.
His sword technique had remained stagnant for years. Though still formidable, it paled in comparison to Kyoichi's style, where kenjutsu was fused with refined ninja tactics.
And more than that...
That strike—that single flash—bore a striking resemblance to his own Issen (Sword Flash).
"Hanzo-sama, Kanda Kyoichi just returned from the battlefield. His swordsmanship is reaching its peak through real combat. It's natural that, in areas like speed, you're now at a disadvantage."
"...Nagato, your attempt at comfort is clumsy and rather irritating—but I appreciate it nonetheless."
The knot in Hanzo's chest didn't fully loosen, but he couldn't help chuckling.
Coming from the usually quiet and reserved Nagato, this much was a rare effort. As awkward as the words were, they weren't wrong.
Kyoichi just happened to counter him too well.
He specialized in swordsmanship, taijutsu, and Water Release ninjutsu.
Yet—
Kyoichi surpassed him in all three.
Especially Water Release.
That level of mastery... it reminded Hanzo of Senju Tobirama back in the day.
The same terrifying talent and strength.
Nagato said nothing more, simply standing beside him in silence. He knew comforting others wasn't his strength—and what he'd said earlier had already been carefully considered.
And yet...
It didn't seem to have helped much.
---
Kyoichi returned to his quarters with his sword, quietly reflecting on the fight.
Hanzo's strength had clearly declined.
Taijutsu and kenjutsu needed constant training. Without it, you ended up like Hanzo—still able to dominate the average opponent, but the difference became painfully obvious when facing true masters.
As for Madara and Hashirama...
They weren't even in the same league.
Even though Hanzo was once called the "Demi-God," Kyoichi, as a transmigrator, knew just how vast the gap was between Hanzo and the likes of Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama.
So—
Rather than feeling proud, Kyoichi just sighed.
A few moments later—
Minato appeared, sneaking around like a thief, glancing behind him as if afraid someone had tailed him.
"What are you doing? We're already inside Amegakure. No need to act so suspicious."
Kyoichi was puzzled.
"Ahem… we're talking about Hanzo here…"
Minato coughed lightly.
Defeating the 'Demi-God'—if word of that got out, Kyoichi's fame would skyrocket again. But Kyoichi only shook his head.
"It was just a weakened Hanzo. He's no longer the legend he once was. He didn't even summon the salamander—maybe with it, he could've put up a stronger fight."
"You're holding back a ton of techniques too, aren't you?"
Minato didn't think the fight had been one-sided at all. Even though it lasted only a few exchanges, with their eyes, it was easy to tell who had the upper hand.
"It's meaningless…"
Kyoichi shook his head lightly.
Fame?
There's no reward for that.
"You're not wrong. Anyway, how are things going with the village? When do you need my help?" Minato asked in a low voice.
Kyoichi scanned the surroundings with chakra to ensure no one was nearby before briefing him on the situation.
The Uchiha are about to erupt?
Minato blinked. "The elders want to rebel? Do they even have the guts for that?"
"Normally, probably not. But with the Uchiha, nothing's certain. Their Kekkei Genkai is driven by emotion—under that kind of pressure, someone might just awaken something new."
The Uchiha's bloodline was inherently unstable.
It was that very instability that made Senju Tobirama so wary of them.
So—
Fugaku's decision had been downright foolish.
If he'd listened to Shisui from the beginning and simply taken out those elders, none of this would've happened.
Even if the clan were wiped out now, Kyoichi wouldn't feel sympathy.
At most, a tinge of regret.
Because...
The Uchiha were one of Konoha's elite clans. Without them, the village's overall strength would inevitably drop.
Kyoichi was still waiting for further updates.
Given the current situation, an "accident" could happen at any time.
And it wasn't just the Uchiha.
There was also Danzo.
---
Back in Amegakure, Hanzo was facing the wall in deep reflection.
He could accept defeat—but not such an effortless one.
Even without summoning the salamander, he had lost in swordsmanship and ninjutsu alike. After returning, Hanzo gathered intel—and realized just how far he had fallen behind.
This Kanda Kyoichi...
Not only was his ninjutsu, taijutsu, and kenjutsu top-tier, he also possessed powerful sealing techniques—and was rumored to have singlehandedly defeated a Tailed Beast Jinchūriki.
With such strength...
And with skillsets so similar to his own, losing didn't seem so unjust anymore.
Still—
Hanzo wasn't just thinking about himself, but also about Amegakure.
Creating new ninjutsu was difficult.
But...
Kenjutsu, or rather ninja sword arts, might offer a viable path.
A direction that could be taught to his shinobi.
"So... is this what it means to learn from Konoha in all aspects now?"
Hanzo thought about it for a moment—and gave up on overthinking it.
So what if they were learning from Konoha?
They were strong. Learning from them wasn't shameful.
Just then—
He went to summon Konan, only to learn she was currently overseeing an exchange event between Amegakure and Konoha shinobi.
At the training ground—
Kyoichi and the disguised Konoha ninja were both present. Down below, the ones sparring were three kids Kanda Kyoichi had brought with him. If Hanzo remembered correctly...
The silver-haired one should be Hatake Kakashi.
Son of the White Fang.
As for the other two, he wasn't sure.
Their opponents were a Chūnin team.
Against the Konoha trio, the Amegakure team was utterly outmatched.
Konoha's coordination is frightening.
Hanzo couldn't help watching more closely—especially the other two who seamlessly worked with Kakashi to fully bring out his strengths—
Speed. Assassination.
However—
The three were Konoha's young geniuses, so their strength wasn't surprising. What was surprising was that the three Amegakure shinobi could hang in there at all. That was already commendable.
Hanzo quietly summoned Nagato over.
Yahiko was away. Konan was busy. So he could only ask Nagato.
"Their coordination is impressive. Worth grooming, don't you think?"
"Uh…" Nagato hesitated.
Hanzo blinked, immediately sensing something was off.
"Hanzo-sama... they, um… Konoha shared everything with us. Kakashi's strengths, techniques, even team strategies. Konan then gave our team targeted training all morning."
Nagato eventually blurted out the truth.
Hanzo was speechless.
They got the enemy's entire playbook, trained specifically to counter it for a whole morning—and still got beaten this badly.
Embarrassing!
And yet...
He remembered he too had lost to Kanda Kyoichi...
"Konoha's three are definitely strong. It's natural our team couldn't match them."
"Mm, there's another team coming tomorrow."
"Another one?"
Hanzo's mouth twitched.
One round of humiliation wasn't enough? Now a second?
"This is Konan's plan to motivate the troops. Let them experience the gap in strength firsthand. She plans to organize the defeated into an elite training class."
"Tell Konan to go ahead with it. If there's any issue, have her come to me. I'll handle it."
Hanzo nodded slightly.
Nagato was surprised. He'd thought Hanzo would ask for the full details and speak to Konan directly. The old Hanzo had always needed to personally oversee everything.
But now, Hanzo said nothing more.
He simply let Konan take charge.
Huh?
Was he still dazed from being beaten by Kyoichi?
"You've been focusing on the academy stuff lately, right? I'll sort through some materials and have Konan try teaching it. As for the other villages… treat them all the same."
"Yes, sir!"
Nagato nodded.
He couldn't quite make sense of it, but Hanzo's attitude left a deep impression on him.
Clearly…
That battle with Kyoichi had brought about a subtle shift in the Amegakure Village leader's mindset—and for now, it seemed to be moving in a positive direction.
Konan was fuming.
Kyoichi had told her to select an elite group and train them specifically to counter Kakashi's team. She'd spent an entire morning drilling them, and they were brimming with confidence.
And then…
They got utterly crushed in the match.
"This is what you call the elite of Amegakure? All of you, arrogant and self-important, thinking you're hot stuff just because you've got a bit of strength? Look at them!"
She pointed outside.
Even in the rain, the three from Konoha were still training.
The Ame-nin fell silent.
These Konoha guys… are they always this hard-working?
And strangely enough, even the Ame-nin who'd gone to the Chūnin Exams had become unusually diligent after returning. Was Konoha really that terrifying?
"Squad Two, resume training. You're up tomorrow."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Konan walked away with a frosty expression.
But in truth—
Even after she left, one of her paper clones stayed behind, silently observing.
The chūnin had begun training again.
Good.
Konan felt a surge of inspiration.
A good beginning is half the battle!
Now that the foundation was set, changing the culture of Amegakure was no longer a distant dream.
At that moment, she also received good news from Nagato—Hanzo wouldn't interfere and was letting her take the lead.
Until now, such a thing had been unheard of!
"Hanzo-sama must have realized how vital morale and atmosphere are—that's why he's supporting me so decisively!"
Konan felt a flush of pride and recognition.
Nagato's emotions, however, were complicated.
He wanted to tell her the truth—but after thinking it over, he simply nodded without explaining.
Because honestly…
How do you explain this?
Was he supposed to say, "Hanzo got absolutely wrecked by Kyoichi, and now he's gone through a personality shift"?
No one in Amegakure would believe it if they hadn't seen it for themselves.
---
That night…
Hanzo wrote furiously, his brush dancing across the page. He had come to terms with it—his strength would inevitably decline with age, and the new generation would surpass him.
But—
As long as his thinking didn't grow outdated, he could still lead Amegakure forward.
And so…
He resolved to document all of his knowledge, to pass it down to the next generation of Amegakure shinobi!
***************************
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