Hanzō of the Salamander was the leader of Amegakure.
He was powerful, famous in the ninja world for his Body Flicker Technique, a formidable salamander summon, and his cautious yet ruthless nature.
Ninjas who had fought him praised his strength, believing he could rival the Kage of the Five Great Nations.
This July was destined to be unusual because, at some unknown point, a rumor began to spread throughout the ninja world.
The rumor claimed that Hanzō of the Salamander had fought the Third Hokage and the Third Kazekage on the border. The result? He fought two Kage at once and didn't lose!
Rumors are always powerful because so many people blindly follow them.
As time passed, the rumor spread like a plague, growing wilder with each retelling. None of the Five Great Nations stepped forward to deny it.
Soon, the title of "Demigod" began circulating in the ninja world. Many believed Hanzō was the new apex of the ninja world after the First Hokage.
Meanwhile, the ongoing war between the Land of Rain and the Land of Grass, coupled with Konoha's inaction, led many to believe that the era of the Six Great Ninja Nations was about to begin.
The era of Hanzō was coming.
For a time, the entire ninja world was in turmoil.
At this moment, Koharu Utatane sat in her chair, lost in thought.
The recent situation was unpredictable, and even she—known for her calm mind—found it troubling.
Her gaze drifted out the window, landing on the towering Hokage Rock.
In front of her was a bottle filled with purple liquid.
"What did the Third Kazekage say?" Homura Mitokado asked beside her.
Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed, his face pale—clearly, he was still recovering from serious injuries.
"What else could he say? Of course, he denied any involvement with the poison or the two missing teams," Hiruzen replied.
"And what about Hanzō?"
"He claims the letter was forged and that he never sent any ninjas to Konoha to mine gold."
"Of course, they won't admit it!" Danzō said grimly.
"If they won't admit it, are we just going to let them run wild in the Land of Fire? Do we need evidence when we are the strongest?" Danzō demanded, his sharp gaze fixed on Hiruzen.
Hiruzen sighed, rubbing his temples. "Hanzō has agreed to apologize and negotiate. The Third Kazekage has also agreed to withdraw the ninjas stationed on the border."
"Peace is hard-won, Danzō."
Danzō scoffed. "You're too naive, Hiruzen."
"The Third Kazekage has kept his ninjas stationed at the border for so long. Do you think he can just pull them back now? Do you think Sunagakure's ninjas will agree? Will the Daimyo of the Land of Wind accept it?"
"You need to understand that once the war machine starts moving, even the Kazekage can't stop it!" Danzō slammed his fist on the table.
"And if Hanzō really wants to negotiate, then what's with this rumor? Where did the 'Demigod' title come from?"
"I was about to ask you that," Hiruzen said irritably.
He, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage of the strongest nation, was only called a hero. Yet, Hanzō was being hailed as a demigod? Who was responsible for this nonsense?
"Why are you looking at me? I'm not taking the blame for this. I didn't spread the rumor," Danzō retorted angrily.
Homura Mitokado nodded. "Not many people knew about your battle. If it wasn't one of us, then it was probably the Kazekage or Hanzō who leaked the information."
"What exactly happened during the meeting?" Homura pressed. "Why did you start fighting?"
Hiruzen had barely spoken about the details since returning.
He let out a long sigh.
"It's simple. They both denied everything and accused me of slander."
"Sunagakure suffered the most, losing two Jōnin. Although the Kazekage refuses to admit fault, he's furious."
"The Kazekage and I both suspected Hanzō of setting up the gold mine as a trap. That tension alone was enough to escalate things."
"Then the three of us started fighting. It was chaotic, and in the end, we all took injuries."
Hiruzen coughed again, his body still weakened.
Danzō tapped his fingers on the table. "So you're just going to let this go? This is a golden opportunity."
"Amegakure only has Hanzō as a strong leader. Now that he's injured, the Kazekage will surely make a move, and so should we."
"I'm considering it. But peace is hard-won," Hiruzen said firmly.
Danzō clenched his fists in frustration. "Not many people knew about this battle. Besides the four of us, only a few ANBU were aware. If none of us leaked the rumor, then it must have been Hanzō or the Kazekage."
"But the Third Kazekage is a proud man. He wouldn't give the title of 'strongest' to someone else. That means only Hanzō could have spread the rumor."
"First, he set up the gold mine trap to make us fight with Sunagakure. Now he's fueling his reputation with this 'Demigod' nonsense. His intentions couldn't be clearer!"
"He's challenging the authority of the Five Great Nations. He wants to become the Rain Kage!" Danzō slammed the table again.
Koharu Utatane watched them argue but remained silent. Her mind was elsewhere—not on the Five Great Nations, not on Hanzō, not even on the looming war.
She didn't know why, but she felt that everything was wrong.
Not just her friends of over thirty years—Hiruzen and Danzō—but the entire situation.
It was frustrating. She just wanted to go to the hospital to see that child. She had heard he was awake.
This whole situation was a mess.
"In that case, let's vote," Danzō suggested.
Danzō and Homura Mitokado both voted in favor of military action.
"Koharu, what about you?" Hiruzen asked, his voice sharper.
Koharu turned to look at him. Silence filled the office.
She didn't answer. She simply stood up and opened the door.
Before leaving, she turned back and spoke slowly and deliberately:
"Kagami's son almost died. I need an explanation."
Hiruzen sighed. With three votes in favor, his objection was meaningless.
He slammed his hand on the table.
"Notify the Jōnin leaders. Convene a Jōnin meeting."
"I, the Third Hokage, hereby declare war on Amegakure!"
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