From Naruto Onwards, I Control Time

"Hanzō of the Salamander is mine."

Standing before the sand table map, Kaede calmly and directly stated his intention.

To him, Hanzō was far easier to deal with than the Tsuchikage. The Tsuchikage could fly, while Kaede still couldn't. If his initial strike failed to instantly take the enemy down, and the Tsuchikage managed to dodge using a substitution jutsu and then took to the skies, the fight would devolve into a long-range battle of attrition.

And there was no need to elaborate on how deadly Dust Release was in a ranged clash. While Kaede could use his time-reversal ability to recover even from a Dust Release hit, he had no desire to experience what it felt like to be disintegrated into atoms.

"Oh? You're choosing to go after Hanzō?"

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow, looking at Kaede with a bit of surprise.

"I should warn you, Hanzō is known as the 'Demi-God of the Shinobi World.' His strength is no less than that of the Tsuchikage, and he's far more cautious and meticulous. He's a harder opponent to deal with."

The Tsuchikage, with his Kekkei Genkai Dust Release, was undeniably powerful, but in Orochimaru's eyes, Hanzō was more troublesome. He had earned his reputation as a demi-god because no one had ever seen him injured!

Hanzō had mastered nearly every form of ninjutsu and taijutsu. The moment he sensed a fight wasn't in his favor, he'd immediately vanish using the Body Flicker Technique without hesitation. Even when he had the upper hand, he'd never push recklessly, always choosing the most secure and calculated strategy. He was a ninja who never allowed himself to be in danger.

Having clashed with Hanzō more than once, Orochimaru knew exactly how vexing he could be.

"I know," Kaede replied with a calm nod.

"But I've already taken down one Kage. I'm not particularly interested in the others. What I am interested in... is seeing what this so-called 'Demi-God of the Shinobi World' can really do."

"You like to challenge strong opponents, hmm... Mhmhm... Looks like defeating the Third Raikage has given you even more confidence than before."

Orochimaru gave a half-shrug.

"If you're set on facing Hanzō, just be careful of his poison. You've learned my Cell Activation technique, so the poison won't take effect right away, but if you notice any signs of being poisoned, withdraw immediately. Hanzō is far too cautious to chase you very far."

He paused, then added,

"Still, I'd suggest going after the Tsuchikage instead. Your speed-based abilities could backfire if you get poisoned, moving faster could actually circulate the toxin faster through your body. Hanzō is somewhat of a natural counter to your powers."

"No need to worry." Kaede smiled faintly.

"I studied medical ninjutsu under Lady Tsunade for a while. Even if I'm poisoned, I can immediately apply internal sealing techniques to contain the spread. It won't be a problem."

Orochimaru gave a slight nod.

If Kaede had learned medical ninjutsu from Tsunade, then he'd have some means to deal with poison. With his speed, there shouldn't be much risk involved, even if poisoned, Kaede could retreat without issue.

He wasn't particularly bothered by Kaede becoming Tsunade's student. As one of the Legendary Sannin and a former comrade who had once shared life-and-death situations with him, Tsunade posed no threat to his ambitions. In fact, Kaede being under her tutelage might even be a good thing, it meant he represented a part of Tsunade's will.

"Is Danzo-sama not here?"

Kaede retracted his gaze from the sand table and looked toward Orochimaru.

Orochimaru glanced toward the camp entrance.

"Danzo went to the Land of Rain to try negotiating with Hanzō. He should be back soon, though."

As Orochimaru finished speaking, Danzo entered the tent, leaning on his cane. His gaze briefly paused on Kaede before he continued walking in.

"Negotiations failed," he said bluntly.

"Hanzō is highly wary of us. He's convinced that if Konoha wins the war, the Land of Rain will be next to fall. He believes Amegakure can't possibly withstand a victorious Konoha."

Orochimaru gave a chilling chuckle

"If Hanzō and the Rain ninja refuse to stay out of it, then they'll be counted as enemies. We'll bring the war to them as well."

At this point, Minato was tearing through the Iwagakure battlefield, feared by every Mist ninja. Kaede had killed the Third Raikage, leaving the Cloud forces too terrified to engage directly. That left only Iwagakure and Amegakure forming a possible alliance. Even so, with Kaede now deployed on this front, Orochimaru still felt confident in achieving victory, even against both enemies at once.

Danzo gave a nod.

Then he turned to Kaede and said,

"You've done well with the Kumogakure front."

His tone and expression were composed, no signs of ulterior emotion.

Kaede sat down in a nearby chair and casually poured himself a cup of tea.

"Thank you, Danzo-sama. You too."

He couldn't help but feel a tinge of emotion in his heart.

From the moment he first arrived in this world, he had lived in constant caution, worried that revealing too much of his talent would make him a target for Danzo. But now, even while facing him directly, Kaede remained completely calm.

Seven years.

It had been seven years since he came to this world. What seemed like a blink of an eye had in fact been a long, hard journey. Years of grueling training had led to his current strength and achievements.

Orochimaru briefed Danzo on the upcoming strategy, including Kaede's assignment to deal with Hanzō and Amegakure.

Danzo was somewhat surprised by Kaede's choice but quickly came around to it. After all, Iwagakure's forces far outnumbered Amegakure. If Kaede had gone to face the Tsuchikage, command of the front line would fall to either him or Orochimaru. Whoever stayed would be left to deal with Hanzō alone.

Having Kaede go up against Amegakure made more sense. He only needed to lead a small unit, and despite his youth, his overwhelming strength qualified him to serve as a squad commander.

"Including the reinforcements we recently received from the village, we currently have 57 Jōnin, 5,600 Chūnin, and 2,000 Genin stationed here…"

Danzo looked at Kaede.

"Rain's total forces number just under 2,000. Among them, only a small number are elite. Most of their shinobi wouldn't even qualify as proper Chūnin or Jōnin. I can assign you a thousand-man unit to hold the Rain ninja. Can you handle it?"

Kaede took two sips of tea, then slowly set the cup down.

He stood up and replied calmly,

"That won't be necessary. All forces should be focused on the Iwa front. As for the Rain ninja... I can handle them alone."

Aside from Hanzō, no one in Amegakure posed any threat to him. Whether it was 2,000 or 20,000 enemies, it made no difference.

Leading a thousand-man unit would only distract him with command responsibilities and force him to account for their safety. That would only slow him down.

All he needed to do was defeat Hanzō. Then everything would fall into place.

"Alone?" Danzo frowned slightly.

"Don't joke about matters like this."

Orochimaru also looked surprised.

"Are you planning an assassination? Hanzō isn't that easy to kill. Even when he sleeps, he's surrounded by layers of guards."

"I think it's worth a try," Kaede replied plainly.

Both Danzo and Orochimaru were skeptical. They were all too familiar with Hanzō's reputation. Assassinating him was nearly impossible, and a failed attempt could leave Kaede surrounded and vulnerable. Even with his abilities, escape wouldn't be guaranteed.

But Kaede's resolve to act alone was unwavering. Ultimately, they couldn't overrule his decision.

….

Half a day later, 

Kaede departed the Konoha Camp alone, heading toward the Land of Rain, guided by the intelligence they had gathered on Amegakure.

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