Chapter 33 : Trap!!

Hanzo rubbed his temples, feeling a twitch in his right eyelid.

Ever since the day he agreed to work with Danzo, he couldn't shake the sense of unease. It was as though an invisible net had been cast over him, and he was trapped like an insect, struggling against its threads.

"It seems the older you get, the more you worry," he muttered, pressing his fingertips to his furrowed brow. If he were ten years younger, he wouldn't have these concerns. 

Back then, everything was clear-cut, and there was no need to second-guess his decisions.

"Lord Hanzo, it's time to leave," a voice called from outside the door. It was his most trusted elite Jonin, ready to give orders.

Today was the agreed-upon day.

"Let's go," Hanzo replied, slowly getting to his feet. His eyes became steely, filled with renewed determination. He was still the leader of the Village Hidden in the Rain, the legendary Hanzo of the Salamander, who had once defeated the legendary Sannin of Konoha.

This mission was just a formality for him. It wasn't complicated compared to the countless other operations he'd undertaken. The only complication was Tsunade.

The skies above the Rain Village were overcast, the clouds hanging low and oppressive. Hanzo hadn't been outside in months, having been holed up in his underground lair, but now he was leading a group of elite Jonin to the designated meeting point.

Tsunade had already arrived, accompanied by Hikari and Uchiha Sogetsu. They were a formidable group, yet Hanzo showed no sign of intimidation. He radiated an aura of dominance, reminding everyone that he was still in control.

Is this the kid?

Hanzo glanced at the ANBU accompanying Tsunade, carefully observing him without drawing attention. It was crucial not to attract the suspicion of the Uchiha, so he quickly shifted his gaze and turned to Tsunade.

"In case of unexpected developments, I brought along my best ninja from the Rain Village. Given this effort, I'd expect some kind of compensation from Konoha. Wouldn't you agree?" he said with a slight smirk.

"I'll report to the Hokage," Tsunade replied evenly.

"That's acceptable," Hanzo said, squinting as if he was pleased with her response. He avoided further eye contact with the mission target, knowing he had to play it cool. 

Once Tsunade was occupied with the Root agents, he needed to act quickly to complete his part of the plan, ensuring he could justify his actions afterward.

Deep in thought about his next moves, Hanzo didn't realize he was being watched.

"Hanzo glanced at me but pretended to be casual about it."

Hanzo, who thought he hid his intentions, couldn't escape Sogetsu's perceptive gaze.

Out of caution, Sogetsu frequently used Spirit Vision to silently assess people's Ether Body, mental states, body language, and facial expressions from a detached, third-party viewpoint.

The moment they met, Uchiha Sogetsu detected something off about Hanzo.

Despite Hanzo's efforts to maintain a composed demeanor, subtle movements and faint micro-expressions on his face hinted that he was concealing something.

Hostility, plain and simple.

Even a master of disguise can't hide their emotions from the Beyonder of Spectator Pathway like Sogetsu. The aura of Hanzo's Ether Body unmistakably glimmered with hostile intent, suggesting he was planning an attack.

However, it couldn't be Tsunade who was in danger, Sogetsu quickly concluded. With Hanzo's background, he wouldn't dare risk causing offense by targeting the last surviving member of the Senju clan—that would be akin to challenging the Third Hokage.

Behind his mask, Sogetsu's lips curled into a smirk.

If Tsunade wasn't the target, it could only mean Hanzo was coming after him.

The whole thing seemed odd. Uchiha Sogetsu had never met Hanzo before, and even during their brief encounter two days earlier, there was no sign of enmity.

Why would Hanzo suddenly show such open hostility?

Uchiha Sogetsu had a hunch, thinking: "Oh, is this Danzo's work again?"

Upon reflection, it seemed the most likely explanation. Danzo, among others, would have reasons to manipulate things this way. 

Anyone else who might be involved—like the schemer Black Zetsu—would have more pressing matters than stirring up trouble with Hanzo.

"Should I call it fate?" Sogetsu mused, glancing at Hanzo with a knowing look. "It's like the universe just handed me a perfect reason to fight back."

If Hanzo was out for blood, then Sogetsu would return the favor.

The stakes had just gotten higher.

Though this analysis might seem long, only a few seconds had passed since the initial eye contact. 

Time to make the next move.

After getting a clear understanding of the situation, Uchiha Sogetsu stopped talking and quietly waited to see what Hanzo would do next.

He had already figured out Hanzo's intentions, but now he was curious to see how Hanzo planned to lure Tsunade away from him later.

The group continued through the canyon in silence, each person lost in their own thoughts.

Soon, they reached the location where the sealing had taken place.

"This is it," said Uchiha Sogetsu, confirming the seal's location based on the scroll he was holding.

However, the area near the seal was heavily damaged, suggesting that someone had been there before them and had taken something.

"Tsk," Tsunade frowned, realizing that this meant more work for her.

"Someone broke the seal recently," Hanzo noted, "It seems like our movements have been compromised."

"Now we're in trouble," Tsunade sighed, pressing her hand to her forehead, "We need to adjust our mission. We have to track whoever did this."

It was clear that whoever had broken the seal hadn't completely erased their traces, giving them a lead to follow.

As they followed the trail, they soon encountered a fork in the road. There were two sets of tracks, one leading left and the other right.

"It looks like we need to split up," Hanzo said, his voice steady.

"The enemy's clever," Tsunade agreed, understanding that this was the best course of action given the circumstances. "We'll take one path, and you take the other."

"Understood."

Hanzo and his team took the left path, while Tsunade, along with Hikari and Sogetsu, followed the right.

The scenery blurred past them as they moved quickly through the canyon.

"Found it!" Tsunade's eyes brightened as she spotted something ahead. "It's on our side!"

A figure appeared in the distance, carrying something wrapped in black cloth. When he noticed them chasing, he quickened his pace.

"Think you can get away?" Tsunade shouted, stamping her foot into the ground.

Boom!

The ground shattered beneath her, sending shockwaves rippling through the canyon.

With a powerful impact, Tsunade was propelled through the air like a cannonball.

"Stop!" she shouted, raising her right leg high and coming down from the sky like a battle axe.

Boom! 

The ground shattered over dozens of meters, sending shockwaves into the air. The force of the impact crushed the hard rock, creating a massive crater as if a meteorite had struck.

The ninja in front was thrown back by the airwave, coughing up blood. His chest was caved in, and he looked unlikely to survive.

Tsunade stormed up to him, hands on her hips, glaring down with authority. "Who sent you here?" she demanded.

But the ninja, instead of showing fear, grinned in an unsettling way. He laughed, "Hehehe."

Tsunade sensed something was wrong. Before she could react, she noticed from the corner of her eye that the rocks nearby were starting to shift. Something was moving underneath.

"No!" she exclaimed, spinning around and sprinting toward Hikari. "Get out of there, quick!"

In her eagerness to pursue, she had left Hikari alone, with Uchiha Sogetsu not too far away.

In the blink of an eye, the shifting rocks burst open, and several dark figures emerged, grabbing Hikari and dragging her toward the jungle.

"Ah!" Hikari screamed, but she was yanked into the trees before she could do much else.

"Dammit!" Tsunade's pupils widened with fury. She stomped the ground, leaving afterimages in her wake as she sped toward the scene.

Uchiha Sogetsu watched Hikari being kidnapped and remarked to himself, "Even though it's an old trick, it's pretty effective."

He stepped over to the dying ninja on the ground and looked down at him. 

The ninja, with a cruel smile, croaked out, "Uchiha Sogetsu... Danzo-sama sends his regards."

"Oh," Uchiha Sogetsu replied nonchalantly and brought his foot down hard on the ninja's neck.

Crack! 

The sound of breaking bones echoed. The ninja's eyes widened, a faint glimmer of life in his pupils. But soon after he slipped into death.

Uchiha Sogetsu had no use for conversations with the dead.

He took off his mask and tossed it aside, then adjusted his black-rimmed glasses. "If you see Danzo in the future, give him my regards," he said calmly.

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