"But isn't the Sage of Six Paths just a legend? Did he really exist?"
"Idiot! The Sage of Six Paths is the ancestor of all ninja—the creator of ninjutsu! If he didn't exist, where would ninja have come from?"
"But… that's still just a legend…"
…
After the Rain shinobi gradually recovered from their shock, a small number of them voiced their doubts.
It wasn't that they disbelieved Hanzo of the Salamander.
Rather, the existence of the Sage of Six Paths was simply too ancient. His life and deeds could not truly be verified.
So when a supposed successor of the Sage appeared before them in the flesh, it felt unreal.
"There's no need to doubt it," Hanzo said firmly.
"I have verified this matter many times. The Sage of Six Paths truly existed."
"And Nagato's Rinnegan indeed possesses unimaginable power."
"I can assure all of you that once Nagato fully masters the power of these eyes, he will surpass me—and perhaps even surpass Hashirama Senju, the founder of Konohagakure and the so-called God of Shinobi."
With Hanzo personally vouching for him, the doubts among the Rain shinobi gradually faded.
The way they looked at Nagato slowly began to change.
Hanzo continued:
"Since the establishment of the One Country, One Village System decades ago, the shinobi world has experienced repeated wars. Yet after each war, the great nations always enjoy a period of peace to recover."
"But the Land of Rain has always served as the battlefield where those great nations settle their conflicts."
"During their wars, our country becomes their battlefield."
"And during their peace, our country becomes the arena where they struggle for influence."
"Peace has never descended upon the Land of Rain."
"And war has never left it."
The Rain shinobi and even the core members of Akatsuki lowered their heads in sorrow.
Almost all of them had grown up amid the flames of war.
Parents dead.
Families broken.
Children separated from their loved ones.
The endless wars had ravaged the Land of Rain so thoroughly that it was difficult to find even a single intact family.
They had all suffered similar tragedies.
And they all hated this cruel world.
"But even so," Hanzo said solemnly, sweeping his gaze across the room,
"we have never stopped resisting."
"And we never will!"
"This world should not be like this. And the Land of Rain should not be like this!"
"Why should the children of our country lose their parents from the moment they are born?"
"Why should our civilians lose their homes and wander like refugees?"
"Why should the Land of Rain become nothing more than a battlefield for the great powers?"
"When I declared war against three great nations during the Second Great Ninja War, it was to let the world hear the voice of the Land of Rain!"
"I wanted them to understand our suffering!"
"Although I failed, that does not mean my path was wrong."
"In the end, the only reason for my failure was that I was not strong enough."
"I could not save the Land of Rain the way Hashirama Senju ended the Warring States Period."
"And our nation, weakened by endless wars, simply lacked the strength to challenge the great powers."
"But because of that, my resolve only grew stronger."
"If we seek peace through compromise, then peace will perish."
"But if we seek peace through struggle, then peace will endure!"
"If we continue to compromise and endure silently, the great nations will only see us as weak and easy to bully!"
"Only by resisting again and again will they understand that the Land of Rain has its own will!"
"Only through struggle will they fear us enough to hesitate before turning our country into their battlefield!"
"My entire life has been devoted to this goal!"
Hanzo's speech swept away the sorrow that had filled the hall.
Every person sat upright, their eyes blazing with determination.
"And now," Hanzo said as he stood and placed a hand on Nagato's shoulder,
"he has arrived."
"He carries the will of the Sage of Six Paths."
"Heaven has not abandoned the Land of Rain!"
"The Sage of Six Paths has not abandoned us!"
"The Sage has bestowed his eyes upon our nation—and through them, he will bring true peace to the Land of Rain!"
"Give me five years."
"In five years, I will train Nagato to become the next Hashirama Senju, the next God of Shinobi!"
"When that day comes, the Land of Rain will rise with overwhelming power, and the entire world will finally listen to our voice!"
"Whether it is Konohagakure, Iwagakure, the Land of Wind, or any other great nation—none of them will dare ignore our will!"
"No one will freely trample across our land again!"
"No one will turn the Land of Rain into their battlefield!"
"No one will disregard our existence and allow the flames of war to burn our civilians!"
"At the same time, I hope all of you will remain true to your ideals—hold your posts, strengthen yourselves, and create the future!"
"If Nagato is the torch of hope guiding our path…"
"Then you are the sparks that can ignite a prairie fire!"
"The future of the Land of Rain cannot be built by one person alone."
"It requires the efforts of all of us together."
"Even the smallest spark can shine in darkness. And when countless sparks gather, they become a sea of stars!"
"Gentlemen…"
"The future of the Land of Rain rests in your hands!"
With those words, Hanzo of the Salamander bowed deeply to everyone present.
"We will give our lives for you, Lord Hanzo!"
Tianyu and Kanzō were the first to stand and shout, their eyes burning with fervor.
"We will give our lives for you, Lord Hanzo!"
Every Rain shinobi—and even the Akatsuki members—rose to their feet, their gazes filled with fiery devotion.
Hanzo straightened and spoke again.
"There is one more thing I must say in advance."
"All of you here are the pillars of Amegakure. I trust you—that is why I revealed Nagato to you."
"But Nagato has not yet grown strong."
"So I expect that no information about him will leak."
"Otherwise… do not blame me for being merciless."
Everyone nodded solemnly.
They understood the seriousness of the matter.
Even if Hanzo had not said it, they would have buried the secret deep within their hearts.
Nagato's uniqueness had to remain hidden.
"This meeting is now concluded," Hanzo said.
"Return to your posts as quickly as possible."
"Tianyu, Kanzō—you two coordinate the allocation of resources. Send additional supplies to the shinobi guarding our border."
"And arrange accommodations for the members of Akatsuki. From now on, we are all allies."
"Yahiko, Nagato, Konan—follow me."
After assigning the tasks, Hanzo looked once more at everyone in the hall.
"Gentlemen…"
"May Heaven bless the Land of Rain."
"Heaven bless the Land of Rain!"
Everyone bowed toward Hanzo in perfect unison, their voices rising like thunder.
The dark clouds that constantly shrouded the Land of Rain seemed to split apart for a moment—
allowing rays of sunlight to fall upon the land below.
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