Early the next morning, Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan set out together. After traveling for the entire morning, they finally arrived outside Amegakure around noon.
"Hello, I'm Yahiko of the Akatsuki. We were invited by Lord Hanzo and have come to pay him a visit."
Yahiko stepped forward and explained their purpose to the Rain shinobi guarding the village gate.
"Three guests, Lord Hanzo has already prepared a luncheon. Please follow me."
The guard had clearly been informed beforehand and was extremely courteous. After confirming their identities, he sent someone ahead to report to Hanzo of the Salamander's residence while personally guiding the three of them into the village.
Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan were somewhat overwhelmed.
None of them had expected Hanzo to take them so seriously.
With both nervousness and anticipation in their hearts, the three followed the guard through Amegakure, quickly arriving at Hanzo's residence.
Upon receiving the message, Tianyu had already been waiting at the entrance.
Seeing the three arrive, he greeted them with a smile.
"I'm Tianyu, Lord Hanzo's assistant. You three must be the founders of the Akatsuki."
"I'm Yahiko."
"I'm Konan."
"I'm Nagato."
After exchanging introductions, Tianyu led them inside Hanzo's residence.
Along the way, the three noticed the heavy security—guards stationed every few steps, with strict patrols everywhere.
The atmosphere made them even more nervous.
After hesitating for a moment, Yahiko cautiously asked,
"Senior Tianyu… has something happened recently in Amegakure? Why is Lord Hanzo's residence guarded so heavily?"
Tianyu smiled and explained,
"You don't need to worry. The security has nothing to do with your visit."
"Two days ago, Lord Hanzo was the target of an assassination attempt, so I strengthened the defenses here."
"An assassination attempt?"
Yahiko was startled and quickly asked,
"Is Lord Hanzo alright? Have you discovered who was behind it?"
The concern in Yahiko's voice was genuine.
After all, Hanzo of the Salamander was the leader of Amegakure. His safety was directly tied to the entire situation on the Land of Rain battlefield.
"Lord Hanzo is perfectly fine," Tianyu replied.
After thinking for a moment, he continued,
"This matter is rather complicated. Lord Hanzo suspects someone is trying to rekindle the flames of war, so he has already begun pulling back Amegakure's forces."
"You in the Akatsuki should also be careful during this time. Don't be too active, or you might fall into someone's trap."
Tianyu sensed how much Hanzo valued the Akatsuki, so he did not mind sharing a little intelligence with them as a warning.
Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan exchanged glances.
Each of them saw the same seriousness reflected in the others' eyes.
Tianyu's words immediately reminded them of the ambush they had encountered the previous day.
Even Hanzo himself had been targeted for assassination.
Clearly, the situation was far more serious than they had imagined.
"Thank you for the warning, Senior Tianyu. We'll be more careful."
Yahiko did not immediately mention the ambush they had experienced.
He decided to wait until they met Hanzo and understood his stance on the matter first.
"Alright, we've arrived."
"You three must have set out very early this morning. Eat lunch and rest here first. After that, I'll take you to meet Lord Hanzo."
Tianyu nodded and led them into a room.
Inside, a dining table had already been prepared with a variety of dishes.
While it wasn't particularly luxurious, it was still quite abundant.
The three were momentarily stunned.
They had originally assumed they would be dining together with Hanzo.
Tianyu anticipated their reaction and explained,
"You've probably heard some stories about Lord Hanzo."
"His body is special—every breath he exhales carries poison."
"So to avoid harming others, he always eats alone."
"He also didn't want to disturb your meal, which is why he isn't meeting you until afterward."
"I hope you can forgive any inconvenience."
Only then did the three recall the rumors they had once heard—that Hanzo was essentially a living poison user.
"Not at all! Lord Hanzo is very considerate."
Yahiko replied sincerely.
"Then let's eat. Don't be shy—help yourselves."
Tianyu invited them to sit and begin eating.
Perhaps it was because they had traveled all morning and were truly hungry.
Or perhaps they had never tasted such good food before.
At first, the three were quite reserved.
But as they continued eating, they gradually relaxed.
Tianyu himself only took a few bites before setting down his chopsticks and simply watched them from the side.
Yahiko, now much more relaxed, asked curiously while eating,
"Senior Tianyu, when did Lord Hanzo start paying attention to the Akatsuki?"
Tianyu did not hide anything.
"Any organization active in the Land of Rain is something we investigate."
"To be honest, I was the one who first reported your existence to Lord Hanzo."
Yahiko immediately put down his chopsticks.
"And what was Lord Hanzo's reaction after hearing about us?"
Nagato and Konan also looked toward Tianyu with curiosity.
Tianyu smiled.
"Lord Hanzo said that while your ideas are still somewhat immature, your intentions are good."
"And more importantly, you've turned those ideas into real actions."
"That alone is very commendable."
"For the Land of Rain, your organization represents a rare fresh force. That's why, after your group began to grow, Lord Hanzo wanted to meet you."
Yahiko's face lit up with excitement.
Even Nagato and Konan showed joy in their eyes.
Receiving such praise from Hanzo of the Salamander made all their efforts feel worthwhile.
Yahiko asked Tianyu many more questions, most of them related to Hanzo.
Tianyu answered everything patiently, allowing the three to gain a better understanding of the legendary leader.
By the end of the meal, the atmosphere had become warm and relaxed.
Not only had the three of them felt reassured, they even found themselves wishing the conversation could continue longer.
After the meal, seeing their eager anticipation, Tianyu took out three specially made gas masks and handed them to them.
He explained,
"Although Lord Hanzo already takes precautions himself, it's best that you wear these when meeting him—just in case."
The three had no objections and put on the masks.
"Alright."
"Now let's go meet Lord Hanzo."
With that, Tianyu led Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan toward Hanzo's office.
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