Starting with rogue ninjas, building the insect kingdom.

Chapter 244 The Confidence of the Strong

The main camp of the Land of Rain.

Hanzo the Salamander removed his gas mask and placed it on the table, revealing his still-imposing face: "You mean those three brats are here again?"

"Yes." Yushe lowered his head and reported, "Kenji Kusa no also came back with them."

Hanzo remained silent for a moment, then tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

A few months ago, those three kids came to him for the first time, saying they wanted to mediate the war.

He thought it was absurd at the time—it was something that could never possibly succeed.

He originally intended to let them experience the harshness of the ninja world first, before rescuing and subduing them, and then properly training them. Unexpectedly, they actually managed to cause quite a stir.

"Let them in. I want to see how much skill Yahiko and the others have acquired."

A moment later, the tent curtain was lifted, and Yahiko walked in first.

Hanzo calmly observed the boy before him. Compared to a few months ago, Yahiko's demeanor had changed significantly.

Although Yahiko was enthusiastic at that time, his eyes always carried a hint of naivety and trepidation.

At this moment, he stood tall with his back straight, his gaze calm, and his whole being exuded an inner confidence.

"Lord Hanzo," Yahiko bowed respectfully, "we meet again."

Konan and Nagato followed behind, bowing in return. Negishi Kusanagi stood a little further away, remaining silent.

Hanzo put down his teacup, his gaze sweeping across the faces of the group before finally settling on Yahiko.

"I heard you've been to quite a few places lately?"

"Yes." Yahiko straightened up, his tone calm, but unable to hide his excitement.

"We went to Sunagakure, the Land of Waterfalls, and also to the camp in Iwagakure. Lord Hanzo, we have persuaded Lord Rasa to sit down and have proper discussions. Peace is within reach..."

Yahiko spoke eloquently, recounting his experiences and difficulties over the past few days, and how he used communication and persuasion to get the leaders of all sides to put aside their differences and discuss peace.

The process sounded extremely arduous, but it sounded particularly jarring to Hanzo the Salamander, simply because it was so bizarre.

"Wait a minute, you mean you weren't attacked when you entered the Iwagakure camp?"

"That's right, Lord Hanzo. Lord Onoki is, after all, the Kage of the village, a very reasonable elder. During this time, he taught me a lot and also made me see my own shortcomings."

As Yahiko spoke, his face unconsciously revealed admiration and gratitude, without even realizing it himself.

Hanzo the Salamander stared into Yahiko's eyes, trying to find any trace of a lie. But those orange eyes were crystal clear, without any evasion or guilt, only an almost innocent honesty. This left Hanzo both confused and bewildered.

It's absolutely unbelievable.

Reasoning? Hanzo the Salamander almost burst out laughing.

Onoki, who has been fighting in the ninja world for decades, would he really back down just because of a kid's persuasion? Even a three-year-old wouldn't believe that if word got out.

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Furthermore, the three of them, Yahiko, were not particularly strong, not strong enough to make even a Kage-level expert wary.

Why did those people sit down quietly and listen to him speak?

If it's said that no one in the Three Kingdoms Alliance dared to touch the three, it could be understood that Strategist Bai Mu was behind it, instructing the leaders of all sides to stay away from them.

Unless the other two parties also received warnings from behind, then there must be a conspiracy.

Hanzo the Salamander found this matter increasingly interesting.

"Interesting. You guys are more capable than I imagined."

"Lord Hanzo of the Salamander, you are...?"

Without hesitation, he answered with unwavering confidence, "I agree."

Yahiko was slightly taken aback. He had prepared countless excuses, imagined various responses, and was even prepared to plead again and again after being rejected. He never expected Hanzo to agree so readily.

"Lord Hanzo, you really agree!"

"Agreed." Hanzo picked up his teacup, his tone casual. "Seven days from now, I will go to the Sunagakure camp to sign a peace treaty with Rasa."

Konan and Nagato exchanged a glance, their eyes both flashing with surprise.

Negishi Kusanagi stood behind, his mouth slightly open, clearly not expecting things to go so smoothly.

Yahiko took a deep breath and bowed deeply: "Thank you, Lord Hanzo! Then I will take my leave now. I look forward to witnessing this peace with you in seven days."

Hanzo the Salamander waved his hand: "There's no need for that. I have my reasons for agreeing to go."

Yahiko nodded vigorously, his smile radiant.

The three bowed again, took their leave, and departed.

As he stepped out of the tent, Yahiko's steps became increasingly steady.

He turned to look at Konan and Nagato, a smile spreading across his face, and said, "It's done! It really is done!"

Konan's lips curled slightly, but she didn't speak. Nagato followed silently, a rare smile also appearing on his face.

Negishi Kusanagi stood at the entrance of the tent, looked outside, and gently shook his head at the three excited boys.

He still remembered the expression on Lord Kakuzu's face when he mentioned these three—a mixture of disdain and helplessness, yet in the end, he always lent a helping hand. Perhaps, that was their unique ability.

Inside the tent, just as Yahiko and his two companions disappeared, Amatsu emerged from behind the screen.

"Lord Hanzo, something's clearly wrong. This is obviously a trap, why are you going?"

Negishi Kusanagi chimed in, "It shouldn't be that bad, right? I was with them the whole time, and they seemed quite sincere."

Yu She shook his head and said, "So, with your intelligence, you're ultimately just a powerless henchman. Use your brain and think about it—how many things are unreasonable here? Do you really think the strong ninjas are all so easily persuaded? So reasonable?"

He had witnessed the darkness of the ninja world and never believed that ninjas could achieve cooperation simply through communication. If they could, there must be a condition behind it: unparalleled power.

Hanzo the Salamander waved his hand, signaling the two to stop.

"Of course I know there's something fishy going on here," he said slowly. "That's precisely why I need to go. I need to go openly and honestly, and let the three of them see the conspiracy behind this. Only in this way can I teach them the most vivid lesson."

Hanzo of the Salamander spoke with unparalleled confidence. He was now almost at the pinnacle of the ninja world; what did schemes and tricks matter? Even if all the ninjas of Sunagakure were tied up, he wouldn't take them seriously.

"Seven days later, I will go with the three of them."

Yu She asked from the side, "My lord, should I select a group of elite troops to accompany you?"

"No need. You two stay here, I'll go alone. If something unexpected happens, having others with me will only be a burden."

"Negishi Kusanagi will remain here to guard against any sneak attacks from other ninja villages."

Before the other two could say anything more, Hanzo the Salamander waved his hand dismissively: "Alright, the matter is settled, no need for further discussion."