Chapter 212: Too Clever for One's Own Good
"Killing intent!"
A dense killing intent spread through the air, and the way Hanzo looked at Li Jiexuan grew increasingly dangerous—until he had nearly made up his mind to kill him!
But just at that moment…
"Lord Hanzo, the Daimyo of the Land of Rain wishes to see you!" A Rain ninja knelt nervously on the ground, a trace of struggle and guilt flickering in his eyes.
Unfortunately, Hanzo noticed nothing. He simply nodded and followed the Rain ninja out…
"This direction…" The moment he left the Holy Blessing facility, Hanzo frowned. "Why are we heading into the forest? Isn't the Daimyo in the village?"
The Rain ninja clenched his teeth and nodded. "Lord Hanzo, the Daimyo said there are too many people in the village. It's inconvenient for him to meet you there and speak in detail."
Hearing this, Hanzo didn't suspect anything. He felt a certain guilt toward the Daimyo of the Land of Rain—it was he who had dragged the civilians of the country into this great ninja war, and it was he who had allowed Li Jiexuan to cause the deaths of hundreds of thousands of his people.
Five minutes, ten minutes…
But when they had been walking through the forest for a full half hour, Hanzo finally sensed something was wrong and abruptly stopped.
"This… what exactly is going on?"
Before he could finish speaking, the Rain ninja ahead of him suddenly turned around. Backing away, he pleaded tearfully, "Lord Hanzo, please forgive me! I was only following the Holy Son's orders—I didn't want to do this…"
With that, the Rain ninja fled into the forest without looking back, disappearing completely…
"…"
After a long silence, Hanzo suddenly let out a deep sigh and shook his head toward the depths of the forest. "Li Jiexuan, it seems you've wanted to kill me for a long time!"
"Hanzo, what makes you so sure it's me?" Li Jiexuan stepped out of the forest with a smile. "Maybe it's the Hokage and the others who want you dead!"
"Impossible…" Hanzo shook his head lightly. "They wouldn't do that. Even in defeat, they only want to teach me a lesson—to make me abandon the idea of becoming a sixth great ninja village."
"Oh?"
Li Jiexuan smiled and shook his head. "But that doesn't necessarily mean I'm the one trying to kill you."
"No—because you're different…"
At this point, Hanzo swallowed hard, a trace of fear flashing in his eyes. "I can see it in your eyes—that terrifying desire!"
"I just didn't expect you to gain control over my subordinates in such a short time." Hanzo looked dejected. Win or lose, he had already become truly alone. Whether ninjas or civilians, there was no longer any place for him in the entire Land of Rain…
The power granted by the curse mark was an irresistible temptation for these weak Rain ninjas!
"Sometimes, I can't believe you're only three years old!" Hanzo shook his head with lingering fear. "Perhaps only a true demon could possess such…"
"…a power to manipulate people's hearts!"
Hanzo admitted—even he had fallen under Li Jiexuan's influence…
"Don't make it sound so unpleasant. At least I picked a good burial place for you, didn't I?" Li Jiexuan chuckled lightly as he drew the Kusanagi Sword. With the surrounding green mountains and clear waters, it was truly an excellent resting place!
"A burial place?"
Unexpectedly, Hanzo burst into laughter upon hearing this. With a cold grin, he slammed both palms onto the ground. "Too bad—you've calculated everything, but you miscalculated one thing!"
"One thing?"
Li Jiexuan frowned. Whether it was the snake-marked humans or the Rain ninjas, he had them firmly under control. Orochimaru, the only one who could remove the curse marks, had already been killed by him. What could he have overlooked?
"That would be my strength!"
Hanzo let out a savage grin as he summoned his salamander and removed his gas mask. "In this entire ninja world, no one can defeat me head-on in a one-on-one fight! This isn't my grave—it's yours!"