Sweat, poisonous water, raindrops, and blood mixed together, dripping from Hanzō of the Salamander's fingers to the ground.
How long had it been since anyone had seen him in such a wretched, ferocious state?
Hanzō of the Salamander's summoned beast, the Salamander, was different from others'.
Forty-five years ago.
The poison sac of the previous, already deceased salamander had been dug out by the villagers. Out of some unknown sentiment, they had sewn it into the abdomen of a young child.
Before this poison sac was implanted, Hanzō was just Hanzō. His surname was also another normal surname. He hadn't yet realized what this poison sac meant. But when he effortlessly took several lives merely by breathing, a strange and terrified expression on his face, he suddenly understood, as if enlightened, how he would continue to live.
Breathing through his mouth wasn't very difficult; anyone could do it. Observing the once kind and amiable people of the village through his mask, the air he breathed through his mouth lost its flavor.
What had he lost?
The freedom to breathe. What he gained was the shackle of poison gas and the fear of the people.
And unparalleled power.
His parents were already dead. Hanzō took "Salamander" as his new surname and prepared to adopt the offspring of the original dead salamander, raising it.
The little salamander, terrified by this boy, scurried everywhere, spewing poison gas that wasn't yet lethal. This gas, which could make ordinary people keep a respectful distance, was merely a drizzle to Hanzō, who now possessed antibodies to the adult salamander's toxins.
"It and I are the same kind now."
"Hanzō, do you really want to adopt this salamander?"
The village chief, one of the few who still maintained a close relationship with Hanzō, spoke in a much more agitated tone than usual. He saw Hanzō as hope; this child was the future of the Land of Rain.
"I want to adopt it."
And so, he raised it for twenty years. During this time, Hanzō of the Salamander witnessed the rise and fall of the village, the myriad states of human existence, understood life's hardships, and finally, became aware of his own power.
He yearned more for the life of a samurai – open and honorable, skill against skill, strength against strength, without scheming and plotting.
But he ultimately became a ninja.
He knew very well that he could never be separated from the salamander in this lifetime. Next, this creature would be the beginning of his ascent to greater heights.
The Second Great Ninja War erupted.
In the war of the Five Great Nations, small countries had almost no say. No great nation wanted a war fought on its own territory, so the small countries became the biggest victims. It was so in the First Great Ninja War, so in the Second, and presumably, it wouldn't change in the Third.
A heroic ambition surged within him. In these chaotic times, he would protect the safety of this weakest nation among the three great powers.
In just one year, he became the leader of Amegakure, repelling their invaders even while making enemies of three nations simultaneously.
This power and ability were not obtained through his own training, but given by the salamander.
As the salamander grew larger, Hanzō could no longer completely immunize himself against its toxins. He made a summoning contract with it, pointing to his own abdomen.
"I am the same as you. It once belonged to your mother."
The salamander had low intelligence, perhaps even less than a cat or dog, yet it was surprisingly obedient and could even execute Hanzō's complex commands. Feeling Hanzō's unique affection for it, this inexplicable bond between man and beast became ingrained in their subsequent instincts.
As he grew stronger and his reputation more formidable, the obscure Land of Rain gradually entered the sights of the Five Great Nations. After they sacrificed wave after wave of ninja lives, Hanzō of the Salamander gained a new moniker.
"Demigod!"
It wasn't just about killing the enemy. Wherever he went, if there wasn't an exceptionally strong medical ninja to support them, even if those poisoned and injured ninja received timely treatment, it would only delay their deaths by a little.
The salamander's poison was incurable, unbreakable, not even by himself.
Until a battle with a puppet master let him know that someone in this world could actually neutralize Hanzō of the Salamander's poison.
Albeit incompletely.
That puppet master was quite skilled. Hanzō deliberately went easy on him after their fight, allowing him to escape. After all, possessing an antidote meant he might be able to harm himself, which wasn't worth the risk.
At the same time, standing at the pinnacle of Amegakure, and indeed the ninja world, he was no longer content with merely developing within Amegakure.
He took the initiative to attack Konoha.
Amegakure's casualties were far higher than Konoha's.
This reality frustrated him. The strength of one person did not represent the strength of the group. His ability to turn the tide of a war did not mean other Amegakure ninja could reverse the decline in other war zones.
The final battle of this war took place within the Land of Rain. Three young Konoha Jōnin attacked him together, without any other reinforcements.
It had been a long time since he had seen fewer than double-digit ninja dare to attack him.
Hanzō of the Salamander saw a bit of his younger self in these three ninja, and they were strong enough.
"I, Hanzō of the Salamander, henceforth bestow upon you the title of Sannin."
Hanzō stood on his summoned partner, the Salamander, and with absolute power, declared his victory in the final battle and Amegakure's retreat.
Supporting the defeated Land of Rain with his strength alone, guarding the dignity of Amegakure, the name "Demigod" resounded throughout the ninja world.
The Second Great Ninja War ended thereafter. The temporary peace was greatly enjoyed by Hanzō; his training slacked, and his desire for future peace grew ever stronger.
If only it could always be this peaceful.
Under my protection, Amegakure will surely be able to sustain this peace.
He was extremely certain of this.
Twenty-four-hour continuous guards, absolute strength, a widespread network of spies – even after the Third Great Ninja War, when the three nations fought here again, they exercised extreme restraint.
Although the ordinary people of the Land of Rain suffered some losses, it was of no great consequence. As long as his rule could continue, peace would exist.
"Did something go wrong somewhere?"
For the first time in decades, he questioned himself.
This young man named Nagato, and that Uchiha Obito... why did I want to kill them?
Their ideals weren't wrong. And what about those deceased kinsmen?
Blocking who knows which wave of their joint attacks, Hanzō of the Salamander's expression showed a hint of hesitation.
Danzō's previous words suddenly echoed in his ears like lightning.
"They will eventually lose themselves on the path of pursuing ideals, transforming into malevolent spirits."
So, the one lost on the path was me, huh? Mistaking the means for the end...
Danzō stopped the fellow named Yahiko below from continuing his jutsu, preparing with extreme speed to plunge his ninja blade into Hanzō's heart.
"Well come!!"
Hanzō grabbed the blade that pierced his heart and, with unimaginable resolve, slashed downwards forcefully.
The poison sac in his abdomen ruptured.
"This move is called... Salamander Hanzō!"
The ultimate killing poison gas instantly enveloped both men. The man who had released all his poison, though lacking the composure of his "Demigod" days, looked more like a demigod than ever before!
His face, made ugly and terrifying by the poison, showed a smile of liberation. Before the final contraction and explosion of the poison gas, Danzō had already lost consciousness due to the toxins.
"You two brats over there! Having killed me, the Demigod, you must become new gods!!!!"
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