Amegakure, the Leader's Office.
"Leader, the four great nations have started fighting in full force."
The Amegakure shinobi, also wearing a gas mask, spoke respectfully.
Wrapped in bandages, Salamander Hanzō looked toward the distant places where flames of war were rising, a trace of despair surfacing in his eyes.
The countries of Fire, Earth, Water, and Lightning were fighting recklessly within Amegakure.
For the ordinary civilians of the Land of Rain, this was nothing short of a nightmare.
If shinobi infiltrators discovered a village during their mission, in order to avoid their identities being exposed early, they would usually choose to kill everyone.
Already, several villages had been slaughtered to the last person.
"Tell me… can a small nation like ours really resist the great nations?"
The overwhelming strength of the great nations caused Hanzō's resolve to waver.
Even if he was unwilling, what could he do?
The gap in strength between the two sides was like a bottomless chasm—there was no comparison at all.
"Leader, you must not give up!" The Amegakure shinobi from earlier panicked. "If you give up, the people of the Land of Rain are finished!"
Ever since the war began, waves of refugees had come to Amegakure seeking protection.
Hanzō had accepted all these civilians who had been displaced by war without hesitation.
If he stopped resisting, even more people would be forced from their homes!
Standing on a high platform, he looked down at a family of three, their clothes in rags but still holding onto each other, and at the countless civilians wandering the streets of the village.
The confusion in Salamander Hanzō's eyes slowly faded, replaced by growing determination.
For these displaced civilians, and for the countless innocents caught in the flames of war…
For the small countries to no longer suffer oppression from the great nations…
He absolutely could not give up—absolutely not!
"You're right. I can't give up."
Hanzō's voice came through the gas mask, resolute.
"Leader!" The Amegakure shinobi's eyes burned with passion.
This—this was the Salamander Hanzō they were willing to follow!
They believed that under his lead, they could drive the great nations out.
"I plan to speak with Konoha."
Salamander Hanzō wanted to cooperate with Konoha, to jointly resist the other shinobi villages.
The alliance of the three great nations was too powerful; the weak Amegakure was no match at all.
Even if they had the will, it alone meant nothing.
Reality was cruel.
Only by forming an alliance with Konoha would they have a chance of driving them all out!
Right now, Konoha was being attacked by three nations. Surely they wouldn't refuse an alliance…
"Leader, will Konoha accept?"
As Hanzō's right hand, he instantly understood what Hanzō intended.
But would Konoha truly agree?
"We'll try." Hanzō slowly closed his eyes. "This is our last chance."
If Konoha refused, he would truly have no options left.
"Leader, I am willing to accompany you to the Konoha camp!"
...
Konoha command tent.
Renya had just returned from supporting the front lines when he saw Nara Mikage wearing a strange expression.
"Nara Clan Leader, what happened?"
"Renya, take a look." Nara Mikage handed him a document.
"Oh? Amegakure wants to form an alliance with Konoha?"
Renya read with interest.
"Tch, and they're coming in person tomorrow to negotiate?"
The four nations were fighting in the Land of Rain, so it seemed Hanzō could no longer sit still.
"What do you think? Will you accept?" Renya asked, curious.
"Renya, I need to consult the Hokage on this matter."
Nara Mikage answered seriously.
"Before the Hokage responds, I cannot make this decision myself."
An alliance was too important; the Hokage must be informed.
He was just a battlefield commander—he couldn't decide something this big.
The moment he saw the alliance proposal, he had already sent the message back to the village.
"Tch, even this kind of thing has to go through Danzō?"
Forget it. They'd see tomorrow when Hanzō arrived.
Renya set down the alliance letter and continued lazily lying in his chair.
...
Konoha Village, Hokage Office.
"Amegakure's leader wants an alliance with Konoha?"
Shimura Danzō looked at the urgent battlefield report with slight surprise.
Amegakure was in a dire situation—wanting to ally with Konoha made sense.
He felt nothing in particular about Hanzō's invitation.
He even wanted to laugh.
Konoha was now stronger than ever. Even without an alliance, they could defeat the other nations.
There was no need to ally with anyone.
The strong always walked alone.
Only the weak clung together.
In his mind, an image surfaced of a long-haired youth holding a katana…
To Danzō, Renya was the embodiment of a true strong man!
But Danzō did not refuse directly. Instead, he wrote a single line on the document.
...
Konoha command tent.
General Commander Nara Mikage stared blankly at the line of text:
[Everything shall be decided by Renya.]
He looked at the sleeping Renya in the chair with a bizarre expression, shock flashing in his eyes.
So the Hokage trusted Renya that much?
No wonder—they had fought side by side since they were young.
Their bond was indescribable.
The news that the Hokage had entrusted the alliance decision to Renya quickly spread.
At the front lines, the battle had just ended.
"Did you hear? Danzō left the alliance negotiations entirely to Renya."
Beside the campfire, Sarutobi Hiruzen said to his former teammates.
"I heard. Danzō really trusts Renya-kun."
Koharu Utatane sighed emotionally.
The three of them had been on the same squad, but only the two men had formed an unusually deep bond.
Maybe neither of them was interested in women.
"Tsk tsk, if you told me nothing was going on between the two of them, I wouldn't believe it."
Mitokado Homura pushed his glasses up, speaking very solemnly.
He had long felt that the relationship between Danzō and Renya far exceeded that of normal comrades.
Now he finally understood the reason.
"Haha, no wonder they never planned on getting married."
Uchiha Kagami grinned mischievously.
Everyone understood without needing to say it!
"Let me tell you, back when I was in the Hokage's office…"
Sarutobi Hiruzen began to embellish stories, recounting everything he had witnessed over the years as Danzō's assistant.
"I can't believe they were like that!"
The group sat around the campfire, listening with great interest, occasionally gasping in shock.
They were completely absorbed in the various details of how Renya and Danzō interacted in daily life.
Nearby, a resting shinobi overheard the Hokage's advisors freely gossiping about the Hokage and Renya.
He immediately scrambled away in fear.
I didn't hear anything. Nothing at all!
Words of this level were not something a mere jōnin should be listening to.
Otherwise, the next day he might get sent to a suicide squad just for stepping out of his tent with the wrong foot first.
He could only pretend he knew nothing, while the advisors continued chatting without restraint.
Other nearby shinobi saw this and instinctively moved farther away as well.
If Renya and Danzō ever found out what they had been discussing…
What would they think?
They might draw their blades on the spot and chop them all into pieces, no?