With the Ice-Fire Clone's roar, the ceaselessly falling raindrops seemed to pause for a fraction of a second.
To avoid his own poison mist harming the surrounding Amegakure ninja, Hanzo put on a spare mask and sneered, "Kaito, you don't really think you can..."
Before he could finish, Hanzo's throat felt as if it had been seized by an invisible hand, and his voice died. He stared, wide-eyed, at the sky.
A sliver of bright light had appeared in the heavens, which had been perpetually shrouded in dark clouds. It was as if a sky-scraping giant had swung a colossal axe, splitting the clouds in two and creating a thin fissure.
Endless light poured through the gap, shining down on the Ice-Fire Clone floating in mid-air, on the land of Amegakure, and on the incredulous faces of the Amegakure ninja.
The fissure widened, as if the giant was slowly pulling open a massive gate forged from clouds, revealing the paradise-like blue sky, white clouds, and the blazing ball of fire behind it.
No, for the people of the Land of Rain, many of whom had never seen the sun or a clear sky, that was paradise.
Azure gradually pushed back the gray-black, taking over the entire sky. The dazzling yet warm sunlight shone down on the Village Hidden in the Rain for the first time, blanketing the entire village in a golden glow.
Thud, thud, thud...
One by one, the Amegakure ninja involuntarily fell to their knees. They tilted their heads back, letting the scorching light fall on their faces, carrying away the tears that streamed down their cheeks. In that moment, Hanzo, Kaito, the Land of Rain—none of it mattered. They just wanted to wholeheartedly embrace the sunlight they might only see once in a lifetime.
The people from the sanctuary had kneeled even earlier than those from Amegakure. They bowed piously to the Ice-Fire Clone floating in the sky, praising this great miracle.
Even the worldly-wise Hanzo was completely stunned by the Ice-Fire Clone's technique—Sunny Day.
This isn't a genjutsu; it has to be ninjutsu. How could anyone in this world possibly change the weather of the Land of Rain, which has been overcast for so many years, with just a shout? Even as a ninjutsu, it's astonishing enough. But... none of that seems to matter anymore.
He had only ever seen a blue sky and a red sun during his time in the Land of Grass; he had never experienced the same scenery in the Land of Rain. For him, the impact of this scene was many times greater than his own defeat just moments ago.
And it was even more so for the others.
Hanzo knew he had lost this contest, lost completely and utterly. It wasn't just a defeat in terms of strength; his status in the hearts of the Amegakure ninja had surely been surpassed by a huge margin. From this day forward, the Village Hidden in the Rain would no longer belong to him, but to this young man who had created a miracle.
For some reason, Hanzo felt a sense of relief, as if a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders, and a new hope for the Land of Rain's brighter future. With someone so miraculous, so much like a true god, leading the country, it would surely be easier to achieve his own long-cherished wish—to make the Land of Rain the sixth Great Nation and achieve true peace.
After a long, long time, the clear sky was once again shrouded by dark clouds, and a light rain began to fall.
The disappointed Amegakure ninja stood up one after another, looking up as the Ice-Fire Clone descended step-by-step to stand before them.
"This is a ninjutsu, and it is also the future of the Land of Rain. One day, I will make the azure sky a daily sight in this country. I will let you, and your children, live happily under the light of the sun, the moon, and the stars!" The Ice-Fire Clone's resonant voice rang in every ninja's ear. "Are you willing to follow me and win such a future?!"
"I am!" the people from the sanctuary were the first to respond.
The Amegakure ninja all looked toward Hanzo with apprehension, waiting for his signal.
"Don't look to others for your answer," the Ice-Fire Clone shook his head and said loudly. "Ask your own hearts. Are you willing to follow me? Are you willing to bring the blue sky and white clouds to this perpetually dark and rainy nation?!"
Silence fell for a few seconds. Then, one person was the first to raise his hand. "I am willing."
The Ice-Fire Clone looked over and saw it was a familiar face—the squad leader he had first dealt with, Ise. The clone met his gaze and nodded in acknowledgment.
With the first person setting an example, more and more hands went up, soon accounting for over ninety percent of the total number. The remaining ten percent still gritted their teeth and looked at Hanzo, waiting for his decision. These were his most loyal followers.
Hanzo sighed and walked up to the Ice-Fire Clone. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he bent his proud back for the first time and lowered his ever-unyielding head. "I, Hanzo of the Salamander, am willing to entrust the position of leader of the Village Hidden in the Rain to you. From this day forward, everyone in Amegakure will follow your orders, myself included."
Hanzo's surrender officially announced the peaceful change of leadership in the Village Hidden in the Rain. After a great deal of time and effort, Kaito had finally taken control of the Land of Rain, becoming its most powerful person.
"Very good. The future will show you that you have not made the wrong decision." The Ice-Fire Clone looked around and raised his arm, shouting, "I, Kaito, swear that I will bring peace and light to the Land of Rain!"
"Peace! Light!"
"Peace! Light!"
The Amegakure ninja shouted in unison, their eyes filled with hope for the future.
...
Before the Land of Rain could officially announce the change in leadership to the outside world, the Five Great Nations had already learned of this major intelligence through various channels.
Konoha, Root Headquarters.
Danzo looked at the report in his hand, his eyes narrowing. "This kid... he actually managed to pull off something this big." In his original plan, he had wanted to join forces with Hanzo to make a move against Kaito. He never imagined Kaito would beat him to the punch.
"Mmm..." Danzo clenched his fist, the ominous feeling in his heart growing stronger. "This Kaito will definitely be a major threat to Konoha in the future! We can't let him continue to develop!" As his eyes flickered, he had already made his decision.
...
Land of Wind, Village Hidden in the Sand.
Chiyo slowly put down the intelligence report and let out a light breath. Ebizo, sitting beside her, picked up the report. His brows furrowed tightly. "Sister, this can't be false intelligence, can it? That Hanzo, who even you couldn't do anything about, was actually defeated by a mere brat?"
"The intelligence can't be false," Chiyo sighed. "This kid named Kaito did indeed defeat Hanzo and become the new leader of the Village Hidden in the Rain."
"That's terrible news..."
"Indeed."
The Land of Wind bordered the Land of Rain, and they had just finished a war, harboring mutual hatred. For a person even stronger than Hanzo to appear in the Land of Rain was a very dangerous matter for the Land of Wind.
"Ebizo, relax the conditions for the alliance with the Land of Rivers. We need someone to be a shield for Sunagakure right now."
"Yes, I'll handle it."
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