Chapter 65: The Price of Dignity (Patreon)

Plop! Splat! Splat!

The previously quiet, rainless interior of the tower was now filled with the sound of a tumultuous downpour. No, it was not rain. It was an immense amount of blood—blood that he had wrung out, pouring down from above as if a floodgate had opened in a torrential, continuous cascade.

Feeling the warmth of the blood drenching them, a chill instead seeped into everyone's hearts. Soon, as the figure known as "Kage" released the shadowy restraints, the web above seemed to transform into a high-powered meat grinder. Chunks of flesh and gore rained down, hitting the floor and the walls, landing at the feet of the Amegakure and Konoha ninja below. Such cruel methods, even for these seasoned shinobi who had witnessed many horrors, caused a significant psychological impact.

"..."

Hanzō looked up at the dark figure above. "You're saying... these people were all 'rats' who infiltrated the Land of Rain?"

Everything the other party had done so far was clearly meant to show him that the Land of Rain had become a target, and that the Great Nations were eyeing him. More and more spies had infiltrated the Land of Rain; their targets were Amegakure and Hanzō himself, the legend. This frightened Hanzō far more than the empty words of the Konoha envoys.

"Oh, there are far more than just these."

The gaze of the man above swept over the Amegakure crowd behind Hanzō, a hint of amusement in his eyes. As if catching his implication, a few individuals in the crowd subtly changed their expressions.

"And what do you mean by a 'deal'?" Hanzō, unaware of the deeper meaning, pressed on.

"Whatever Konoha can give you, we can give. What Konoha cannot give you, we still can."

The figure looked down at the people below, smiling. "I just wish to see the Hanzō and Amegakure of old, who dared to defy the hegemony of the Five Great Nations for the sake of peace and dignity."

Exchanging points for grain was dirt cheap; he could easily meet Amegakure's needs. Of course, Hyūga Kumokawa was not that benevolent. He simply needed the shinobi world to become more chaotic, and for the Land of Rain to once again become the center of conflict among the Great Nations.

He needed to have everything ready for creating the "Void Realm" before Orochimaru found the "Temporal-Spatial Hole." This included a large number of souls dying with resentment and a method to absorb and control those souls. Hyūga Kumokawa did not want the "Hollows" he created turning around to attack him later.

So, he needed to cultivate a couple of test subjects in advance. As for the method to absorb and control souls and the candidates for these test subjects... Kumokawa already had his choices in mind.

The Six Paths Tool, the 'Box of Ultimate Bliss' from the movie Blood Prison, can absorb human obsessions and emotions like joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. Modifying it shouldn't be a problem, Hyūga Kumokawa thought to himself. As for test subject candidates...

If I remember correctly, Sakumo Hatake and Rin Nohara... due to their lingering obsessions, they could not enter the Jōdo and remained in the rift between the shinobi world and the Pure Land.

If Sakumo Hatake and Rin Nohara were to be cultivated into 'Hollows,' what expressions would Kakashi-senpai and Obito wear? It feels... rather interesting.

At this moment, Hatake Kakashi was unaware that the figure above was already scheming against his deceased father and friend.

Tch.

Including Hatake Kakashi, everyone was momentarily stunned upon hearing the claim that they could provide everything Konoha could. Then, as if hearing a joke, someone actually laughed amidst this oppressive, bloody scene. Because this guy's tone was far too arrogant, utterly boastful. Some things simply could not be bought with money.

Only Hatake Kakashi keenly noticed the word "we" in the other's statement, his heart tightening. As I expected, he is not alone. It is an organization, a force. That 'monster' is likely one of them.

"Lord Hanzō." Thinking this, Kakashi looked at Hanzō before him, his voice low and warning. "You need to consider carefully. Trust this person of unknown origin, or trust Konoha and the Land of Fire."

Hearing this, Hanzō and the Amegakure ninja, who had been slightly moved, fell silent again. Kakashi's "dead-fish" eyes narrowed slightly. He opened his mouth, about to order his men to act. But he saw Hanzō's gaze suddenly turn cold, as if detecting his intent. Hanzō's voice was icy. "Once you leave Amegakure and the Land of Rain, do whatever you want. But if you dare act here..."

Hearing this, Kakashi frowned, momentarily caught in a bind.

"I don't care if you believe me or not. I just want you to understand."

The tone of the man in the shadows lowered, growing serious. "As long as those Great Nation ninja run rampant on your soil, you—and even your families—will never have a future. As long as you keep deceiving yourselves, as long as people from other nations let out that contemptuous laugh when mentioning the Land of Rain in conversation, you cannot live as proper human beings."

"As long as on the shinobi world map, this weeping nation remains weak and impoverished, your dignity as human beings will never exist. Your land trampled by Great Nations, villages swallowed by war, loved ones dragged into slaughter, fields destroyed, homes burned... after every Great War, all that is left for you is devastation and mountains of corpses."

Here, he paused, looking at Hanzō and the others again. "Hanzō, tell me now. Can you, and those behind you, accept such an outcome?"

Outside the tower, the sky was abruptly torn apart. Lightning bathed everything in white. Only the deep shadow cast by the man above enveloped the Konoha and Amegakure ninja below.

Boom!

Accompanied by thunder, the rain seemed to grow heavier and more violent. The words touched a nerve in the Amegakure ninja, stirring the most violent, restless hatred deep in their hearts. Resentment, anger, and hatred seemed to gain substance, flowing inch by inch within their veins.

The Great Nations truly never treated them as human. When wars ended and the Great Nations sat at negotiation tables dividing interests and signing peace treaties, the suffering of the Land of Rain was often deliberately ignored or glossed over. The Great Nations cared only about the balance of power and the distribution of benefits among themselves. The Land of Rain's "function" as a buffer zone and battlefield was preserved, while the deaths of its people went unnoticed.

The resentment and despair in the hearts of the Land of Rain's people were like its ceaseless rain, constantly accumulating with nowhere to go. This experience of being used, discarded, and ignored was the perfect breeding ground for extremist ideologies and rebellious movements.

Just like the Hanzō of the past. Just like the Akatsuki of the past. Just like the "Pain" of the future.

"Lord Hanzō, he's right!" Bloodshot lines appeared in the eyes of Shinda, who stood beside Hanzō. Finally mustering his courage, he looked at Hanzō and spoke solemnly. "We want to live. Living is important. But we want to live as human beings with dignity and freedom."

"What we want isn't the condescending pity of Great Nations, nor a life begged for on our knees. It is true human dignity; it is peace for the Land of Rain. You proved it yourself in the past! These things must be fought for, not begged for! I'd rather die fighting against a Great Nation than become cannon fodder for those bastards!"

His words ignited the others. Amegakure ninja began shouting, "Lord Hanzō! Cooperating with Konoha is making a pact with a tiger!"

"Lord Hanzō! Great Nations have no integrity!"

"Lord Hanzō! Please lead us to fight again!"

This is bad. I can't wait any longer.

Hatake Kakashi looked up at the figure above. His vacant eyes gradually sharpened, focusing. He placed a hand behind his back, making a signal. The meaning of that signal was clear: Prepare to act.