Naruto: Starting with Infinite Chakra-Chapter 191: Defeat

Hanzo of the Salamander was in a heavy mood.

He had just witnessed Jiraiya effortlessly defeat the Tailed Beast, and the pressure he felt was immense.

Hanzo was well aware of how terrifying Tailed Beasts were. Although Amegakure did not possess one, their records on these creatures were extensive. Every Tailed Beast contained an unfathomable amount of power—enough to raze entire cities and slaughter thousands of shinobi with ease.

Owning a Tailed Beast had long been Hanzo's dream. If Amegakure could secure one, the village might rise as a new great nation, no longer subjected to the oppression of the Five Great Shinobi Countries.

However, that was easier said than done. The Tailed Beasts had long been distributed by Senju Hashirama, making it nearly impossible for him to obtain one. As for the ones possessed by the Great Nations, he didn't dare entertain the thought of stealing them.

Despite his reputation as the "Demi-God of the Shinobi World," Hanzo understood his limits. No matter how powerful he was, seizing a Tailed Beast from a Great Nation was a fool's errand. If he ever attempted such a thing and was discovered, his fate would be sealed. There was no chance of success.

Thus, he turned his attention elsewhere.

His first target had been Takigakure, the only non-Great Nation village in possession of a Tailed Beast. Hanzo and his forces meticulously planned their assault, intending to infiltrate and steal the beast.

But every attempt ended in failure.

Their elite shinobi were slaughtered by the very creature they sought to capture. Only then did Amegakure truly grasp the horror of the Tailed Beasts and abandon their plans.

Hanzo himself could not afford to make the attempt. If he personally led the mission, his identity would be exposed unless he wiped out the entirety of Takigakure—which was simply impossible.

And if he was discovered, the Five Great Nations would undoubtedly take action. They would never allow Amegakure to gain a Tailed Beast and rise to power.

Hanzo lived every day with this anxiety. The Great Nations saw him as a threat, and he constantly feared that they would send their elite assassins to eliminate him.

Because of his strength, Amegakure had become a significant force. But even so, Hanzo knew that if the Five Great Nations joined forces, he would be powerless to stop them.

...

In the original timeline, Hanzo's later years saw him lose faith in himself and his ideals. His once proud and unyielding spirit was broken, and he spent his days in seclusion, surrounded by bodyguards, fearing the inevitable assassination attempts.

But right now, Hanzo still held firm to his beliefs. His pride remained unshaken.

Even so, the sight of Jiraiya effortlessly defeating Sunagakure's Tailed Beast sent a deep shock through him. Once again, he found himself questioning the future of Amegakure.

"Are we forever doomed to survive in the shadows of the Great Nations? Will Amegakure never become a true power?"

Hanzo clenched his fists as these thoughts swirled in his mind.

Now, with the emergence of Jiraiya—a rising star in the Fire Country—leading Konoha's forces, the threat to Amegakure had never been greater.

Hanzo had originally believed that as long as the Five Great Nations remained divided, Amegakure would have a chance. Even if the combined forces of Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Konohagakure attacked, he was confident in his ability to hold his ground. After all, the Kage of each village needed to stay and protect their own lands, meaning they couldn't afford to personally lead the invasion.

As long as no Kage joined the battlefield, Hanzo believed he could turn the tide, proving Amegakure's strength and forcing the Great Nations to acknowledge it as an equal.

But things had changed.

Jiraiya had already reached Kage-level strength.

Hanzo had never expected someone so young to achieve such power. It caught him completely off guard.

With Jiraiya at their helm, Konoha's forces had gained a tremendous advantage. Hanzo was still confident he could defeat Jiraiya, but he also knew that Jiraiya could stall him long enough for Konoha's elite shinobi to overwhelm Amegakure's forces.

If Amegakure fell, its future would be bleak.

All of the village's young shinobi were within its walls. If Konoha breached their defenses, they would not show mercy.

If Amegakure's next generation was wiped out, the village would be doomed. Without young blood, Amegakure would never recover.

Konoha would never teach their children ninjutsu. The only chance for future generations to become shinobi would be if they were either raised in Konoha as its own or abandoned their hatred and willingly assimilated.

...

"Lord Hanzo, I never expected Jiraiya to be this powerful. He actually defeated Sunagakure's Tailed Beast."

A high-ranking Amegakure jonin spoke, still in awe of Jiraiya's strength. But then, a smirk crossed his face.

"This might actually work in our favor. The One-Tail is crucial to Sunagakure. Now that Jiraiya has sealed it, the Land of Wind will surely pressure the Fire Country to release it."

"The Tailed Beasts are too important. The Fire Country won't hand it over easily. If the situation escalates, a full-scale war between the two nations could break out. That would take a lot of pressure off us."

The jonin's analysis was sharp. There was no way Sunagakure would accept the loss of its Tailed Beast. Their land was barren, and their ability to cultivate top-tier shinobi was already far lower than the other Great Nations.

Losing the One-Tail would be catastrophic.

They would be at risk of falling from the status of a Great Nation.

At the same time, Konoha would never willingly give up such a valuable asset.

War between the Fire and Wind Countries was now inevitable.

If that happened, both nations would have no choice but to withdraw their forces from Amegakure, leaving only Iwagakure to deal with. The pressure on Amegakure would decrease significantly, giving Hanzo the perfect opportunity to reclaim lost territory.

Perhaps, Amegakure's rise to power was not entirely out of reach after all.

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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