SFS Chapter 412 Inviting the Enemy into the Trap
Chapter 412 Inviting the Enemy into the Trap
"All traces have been cleaned up."
The three had a clear division of labor and performed their actions skillfully.
The lingering smoke and acrid smell were quickly washed away by the heavy rain, as if nothing had ever happened.
"very good."
Yahiko stood up, looked around, and made sure nothing was missed.
"Speaking of which,"
He suddenly looked at Nagato with a grin, "Your Wind Release technique just now seemed a lot faster than before, it was almost too fast to see."
Nagato simply replied calmly, "Real combat and practice are different."
"Tsk, what a boring guy."
Yahiko's smile faded, and his expression became focused and sharp again. He gazed in the direction he had come from, towards the border of the Land of Fire.
"Our mission was accomplished, and exceeded expectations."
The boy patted his chest, feeling the hard outline of the scroll.
"Let's go home."
The three fell silent, their figures transforming once more into three black shadows as they nimbly leaped onto the slippery rock face, disappearing into the boundless rain curtain of the Black Iron Forest.
Behind them, the canyon that buried five enemy ninjas looked as if nothing had ever happened, washed away by the rain.
Only a faint, lingering scent of blood remained in the air, proving that Konoha's Akatsuki had already begun to show its strength.
……
The incessant rain bathed the entire world in a hazy, gray hue.
The trees in Amegakure Village had a sickly dark green color, and their trunks were covered with slippery moss. Water droplets gathered along the veins of the leaves and then dripped heavily, hitting the mud below with barely audible thuds.
The salamander darted swiftly through the tree canopy, its form almost blending into the gloomy backdrop.
The elite rain ninjas behind him remained absolutely silent, with only the faint sound of their clothes cutting through the rain.
Without needing to say a word, every member of this team exuded an extreme level of vigilance.
The closer they got to the meeting place indicated in the letter, the slower Hanzo's pace became.
It was a hidden cave located on the border, with complex terrain, making it a natural ambush site.
The intentions behind the choice of this location by the Wind Shadow and Earth Shadow are self-evident.
Finally, through the heavy rain, the dark entrance to the cave came into view.
Hanzo stopped and stood on a horizontal branch of a huge ancient tree, like a stone statue soaked in rainwater.
He did not move forward immediately.
The Rain Ninja behind him instantly understood. Without any instructions, they immediately dispersed and formed a tight defensive circle around Hanzo. Each of them placed their hands on their ninja tool pouches, vigilantly scanning every suspicious corner around them.
silence.
A deathly silence.
There was nothing but the incessant sound of rain.
But this silence itself is the greatest anomaly.
This is the Land of Rain, the territory of Hanzo the Salamander.
He knew the chirping of every insect here, and the sound of the wind whistling through different parts of the woodland. But at this moment, there was no sign of life in this area.
It was as if an invisible giant net had already enveloped this place.
Hanzo's face, covered by a breathing mask, showed no change, but the hand gripping the chain of the kusarigama tightened slightly without him noticing.
coming.
Without any warning, figures emerged from the shadows of the dense forest from all directions.
They wore beige vests from Sunagakure and red uniforms from Iwagakure, moving silently like ghosts that had sprung from the ground.
Dozens, hundreds...
More and more figures appeared, occupying every high point and blocking every possible escape route, forming a dense and seamless encirclement.
Cold gazes converged, filled with undisguised killing intent, locking onto Hanzo and his men.
The Rain Ninjas in the encirclement felt suffocating pressure, their backs instantly soaked with cold sweat.
They never imagined that one day they would be besieged by outsiders in their own country.
However, Hanzo the Salamander, which was at the center of the storm, remained standing firmly without swaying in the slightest.
He simply raised his head slowly, casting his cold gaze toward the deep cave entrance.
"What? Is this how the Kage of the two great ninja villages demonstrate their hospitality by inviting others here for discussions?"
His voice, filtered through the breathing mask, sounded somewhat muffled, yet it clearly pierced through the sound of the pouring rain, carrying a condescending questioning tone that echoed throughout the entire mountain forest.
A very soft chuckle came from the shadows of the cave.
Immediately, two figures walked out one after the other, unhurriedly.
Leading the way was a tall man, wearing a white divine robe symbolizing his status as the Kazekage, and his short, dark blue hair stood out against the gloomy light of the day.
He crossed his arms, his face was stern, and his yellow eyes were full of undisguised scrutiny and amusement.
It was Retsumon, the third Kazekage of Sunagakure.
Following closely behind was an elderly man of extremely short stature.
He was also wearing a red and green robe that represented his status as the Tsuchikage, a straw hat, and a white beard that almost reached his chest. His large red nose was particularly eye-catching.
The third Tsuchikage, Onoki.
With his hands behind his back, his cloudy eyes gleamed with a sharp light that seemed completely out of place with his physique, as he calmly surveyed Hanzo, who was surrounded by enemies.
"..."
"In the ninja world, who doesn't know your title, Hanzo the Salamander, the Demigod?"
Liemen spoke first, his voice hoarse and deep, carrying the unique dryness of the desert, which was out of place in this humid rainforest.
"Faced with such a formidable figure, how can we ordinary people not be cautious?"
As he spoke, a subtle curve appeared at the corner of his mouth, a curve full of mockery but without a trace of a smile, as if he were telling a harmless joke. But every word was like a poisoned needle, precisely piercing the other person's pride.
These words, seemingly praising Hanzo, are actually using the title of demigod to justify their current rude behavior of bullying the weak.
The implication is that with your prestigious reputation, the grand gesture we've made is the "courtesy" you deserve.
No one could see Hanzo's face clearly beneath the mask.
He just snorted coldly.
"Hmph, I thought that those who could sit in the position of Kage were all responsible people. I didn't expect that the current Kazekage and Tsuchikage would also like to play such underhanded tricks."
His words were blunt, directly labeling the other party's behavior as petty tricks, his tone full of contempt and sharp rebuttal.
"Two great powers have joined forces and deployed countless troops on the land of the Rain Country, just to deal with a few of us old folks. If word gets out, this will probably become a laughing stock in the ninja world for decades to come."
Lie Men's expression darkened slightly; the other party's words were even sharper than he had imagined.
Just as he was about to retort, Onoki, who had been silent all along, spoke up first.
"alright."
"I didn't come all the way to this damp, godforsaken place just to hear you two arguing."
The Third Tsuchikage glanced at Retsumon, who was still smug, and then at Hanzo, whose aura was icy cold. His suspended body floated forward.
"Let's go inside and talk in detail."
His commands were concise and direct, as if he were the master of the place.