"Good evening."
A gentle voice with a hint of a smile drifted down from above. "If you don't mind, you may call me 'Shadow.'"
Black shadows spread out like a spiderweb, clinging to the surrounding walls like silk threads, slicing the sky above the dome into fragmented pieces.
Arata stood at the center of the web, looking down from above at the crowd below.
Several figures were bound beside him, struggling like insects caught in a web, tightly wrapped by shadowy threads like cocoons.
It had to be said, the shadow techniques of the Nara clan, combined with the chakra-sealing effect of "Adamantine Sealing Chains," were perfectly suited to Arata.
His shadow cloak was essentially a physical manifestation of shadow itself. In both lethality and flexibility, it far surpassed ordinary shadows or chains.
And the fear and intimidation brought by this eerie ability were evident from the terrified expressions of those below.
However… "Heh heh heh."
Looking at the twisted, unfamiliar corpse, Hanzo instead laughed in fury.
He glanced at Arata above, then at Kakashi before him, his tone cold and sinister. "It's quite lively today. Just about anyone dares to barge into my territory and play tricks."
Hearing this, Kakashi, who had been watching the figure above with a tense expression, instinctively looked back at Hanzo, intending to explain. But the figure in front of him had already disappeared.
Above, reflected in Arata's pupils, a figure rapidly approached.
Hanzo charged forward, dual-wielding his chain sickle. His platinum-blond hair whipped in the wind, his sharp eyes filled with killing intent.
"Die!"
As his voice fell, the sickle slashed through the air with a piercing screech, sharp, ruthless, and decisive. It moved so fast that the blade itself could barely be seen, only a glint of cold moonlight reflecting off its edge.
Though polished bright and keen, the blade carried the stench of blood, clearly having tasted countless lives.
But in the next moment, reflected in Hanzo's pale golden eyes, the black-cloaked figure did not move. Instead, a blade-like shadow lashed out from behind him.
Clang!!
The shadow collided with the sickle, producing a metallic clash.
A burst of sparks exploded between them, like iron blossoms lighting up Hanzo's slightly contracted pupils.
But only for an instant, his eyes sharpened again.
He yanked the chain, pulling the sickle back at even greater speed, twisting midair before hurling it out once more.
"Heh."
With a soft chuckle, several shadow tendrils extended, transforming into blade-like forms and sweeping forward, leaving behind a trail of black afterimages.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
The sound of air being torn apart resembled the shrill cry of insects as they met Hanzo's spinning blade.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sparks rained down like droplets, the clashing edges forming a tidal wave of flashing steel, leaving savage claw-like marks across the surroundings.
Within mere seconds, dozens, hundreds, of collisions erupted, the sharp metallic sounds exploding in rapid succession.
Slash!!
A spurt of blood suddenly splashed onto the ground.
The intertwined storm of blades came to an abrupt halt, and Hanzo's figure withdrew, landing back on the ground.
"Lord Hanzo…"
Shenda began to speak, but abruptly froze.
Because a thin line of blood had appeared across Hanzo's brow, slowly splitting open to reveal fresh flesh beneath.
"That guy…"
Feeling the slight numbness in his arm and palm, Hanzo suppressed the tremor.
His expression turned grave as he looked up. Kakashi, who had witnessed everything, also changed expression as he stared at the figure above.
'This wasn't the Nara clan's shadow technique, if anything, it resembled some kind of kekkei genkai.'
'Who exactly was this?'
"You've grown old, Hanzo."
Arata's voice sounded increasingly bored and indifferent. "Of course, you're only human. Just like the weapon you wield… that so-called chain sickle."
"No matter how sharp it once was in your hands, it doesn't change the fact that it's merely a farming tool."
Hanzo's expression darkened slightly.
Beside him, Shenda snapped out of his shock, lifting his head in fury. "You bastard, you-"
Thud.
The words he was about to say slid back down his throat along with his saliva.
Reflected in Shenda's trembling pupils, a slender spear-like shadow had pierced deep into the ground at his feet, shattering the stone floor.
At the same time, a thin line of blood appeared on his forehead, slowly seeping down his face.
The speed of that strike, only Kakashi and Hanzo had seen it clearly.
"Shh. When adults are talking, children shouldn't interrupt."
Arata's voice carried a gentle smile, but Shenda felt nothing but terror as the shadow spike withdrew from the ground beneath him.
"Who are you?" Hanzo asked.
By now, he had realized that this man didn't seem to harbor deep hostility. Everything he had done since appearing seemed more like a display of power.
Why?
"I'm curious."
Instead of answering, Arata looked toward Kakashi and the Konoha group, smiling.
"You stand in the Land of Rain. On land trampled by great nations, soaked in blood. On a land that weeps silently under humiliation."
"And yet you ask them, whether they will become pigs awaiting slaughter, or break their knees and kneel like dogs, sticking out their tongues."
"When you say such things… what exactly do you feel?"
The moment those words fell, the already tense atmosphere became suffocating.
The Rain shinobi instinctively looked toward the Konoha group.
Feeling those hostile gazes, Kakashi's heart sank.
'This sudden intruder was deliberately stirring up hatred toward the great nations, was he trying to sabotage the alliance?'
'Who was he?'
'And what was this strange ability…'
Kakashi stared fixedly at the figure above. The black cloak formed from shadows completely concealed his face.
At that moment, Kakashi suddenly noticed that the "Arata" beside him was breathing heavily.
Turning his head, he saw a blank, shaken expression.
"I…" 'Arata' said hoarsely, "I can't see his face. It feels… like that monster."
'Monster? Which monster?'
Kakashi froze for a moment, then quickly recalled the intelligence report, the "monster" who had instantly killed the Magnet Release ninja Troy and nearly a hundred Cloud shinobi.
His pupils shrank.
'Could it be that "monster"?'
'No… the abilities were different. The personality didn't match either.'
"Enough."
Hanzo's deep voice broke the oppressive tension.
He looked up at Arata again. "Tell me, what exactly do you want?"
"I'm here to make a deal with you."
Having successfully reignited the Rain shinobi's hatred toward Konoha, Arata no longer avoided the question.
He drew the cocooned figures closer and smiled.
"Though I must say, the Land of Rain really is full of holes. I found so many rats along the way."
"Consider these people… a gift for you."
As his words fell, Arata raised his hand slightly and clenched it.
The shadows binding those people instantly tightened.
Splat! Splat! Splat!