Haruki quickly ran to Hanzo’s side and began to treat the wound on his hand.
"I’ve caused you to get hurt again."
His brows were tightly furrowed, his lips pressed into a straight line, looking utterly remorseful.
Hanzo looked at the rapidly healing wound on his palm and said to Haruki, "It’s common to get injured in battle. You should be happy that you could injure me, because you have gotten stronger again."
Haruki, however, didn’t dare to think so highly of himself. The reason he could injure Hanzo was that Hanzo willingly became a punching bag.
If Hanzo truly regarded him as an enemy, he might have released poison gas before he even got close.
"How could I be happy seeing sensei injured...?"
Haruki lowered his head, sniffled, "Sensei is so good to me. I only want to protect sensei and don’t want anyone to hurt sensei, not even myself..."
System rubbed its non-existent goosebumps.
Hanzo was startled. His heart was gradually filled with bitterness.
Hanzo had no family, he had never experienced the feeling of being cared for and worried about.
But at this moment, he felt the taste of having family from his student.
[System detected Hanzo’s affection value +2000]
[Your companion Cursed Spirit, Rika’s rank has increased to 60.5%]
Hanzo’s palm had recovered completely.
A hint of warmth appeared in his eyes as he looked at Haruki and said, "The two punches you just used can be systematically trained to become your secret weapons in taijutsu combat."
Hanzo said, "First, name the two moves. After naming them, we’ll conduct targeted training."
Haruki pretended to ponder, and after a minute of hesitation, he said, "Black Flash and Divergent Fist."
Hanzo nodded. "Good. First, train Black Flash, ensuring you can skillfully use it in any situation."
Haruki followed Hanzo and practiced Black Flash, Divergent Fist, and ordinary swordsmanship for an entire morning.
He had just started learning swordsmanship and was not yet suitable to display Ratio. He also didn’t plan to let Hanzo know about Ratio.
Once on the battlefield, he would naturally understand the effect of Ratio cutting people down.
In the afternoon, after Hanzo taught Haruki a ninjutsu, he left the training ground, leaving Haruki to practice his special power, Curses as usual for the remaining time.
Hanzo walked towards the office, glancing at a crow flying overhead. It wasn’t a summoning beast, just an ordinary crow.
Hanzo relaxed his guard.
Entering the office, Suzaku handed over a scroll and said, "Hanzo-sama, this is Konoha’s reply."
Hanzo took the scroll.
Yesterday, the ninja hawk had just delivered the contract signing letter to Konoha, and today, Konoha had sent a reply. It seemed Konoha’s situation was more difficult than he had imagined.
Hanzo scanned the contents of the scroll, reading ten lines at a glance. His expression didn’t change in the slightest.
He placed the scroll on the table and sat in his chair.
"Notify Yushi to draft the contract to be signed with Konoha." Hanzo instructed Suzaku.
"Yes." Suzaku left the office.
From Hanzo’s instructions, he knew that Konoha had agreed to sign a contract with Amegakure. Amegakure had finally taken a big step towards peace.
Suzaku appeared in the office with Yushi.
Yushi bowed respectfully.
Hanzo waved his hand indifferently and said, "Suzaku has already told you about it, right?"
Yushi nodded, his face showing uncontrollable excitement.
Amegakure would usher in a ceasefire with Konoha, how could he not be excited?
The dawn of peace was ahead, how could he not be excited?
All Amegakure ninjas had sacrificed their lives for this moment.
"The matter of drafting the contract is up to you, but there’s one more thing."
Hanzo pointed to the scroll from Konoha on the table and looked at Yushi. "We are to sign the contract at the border where the Land of Rain meets the Land of Fire."
Yushi’s brows unconsciously furrowed as he analyzed, "It would be best if Konoha truly wants to cease fire with us, but I fear they might want to take the opportunity to lure us to the border and wipe us out..."
"Hanzo-sama cannot leave Amegakure, lest he falls for Konoha’s trick..."
Yushi lowered his eyes, lost in thought.
Hanzo watched him quietly, his fingers lightly tapping the table. Yushi’s concerns were also his concerns.
Yushi suddenly looked up, staring directly at Hanzo, a smile involuntarily curving his lips. "There’s a way to solve this dilemma."
"What way?" Hanzo asked.
"We can spread the news of signing the contract with Konoha before we even go to the border."
Yushi analyzed, "Once the Ninja World knows that Amegakure is going to sign a contract with Konoha, Konoha won’t dare to go back on its word. As one of the Five Great ninja villages, Konoha won’t risk its reputation, otherwise, who in the Ninja World would trust Konoha in the future?"
That’s true, but there’s still one point...
Hanzo pointed out, "If Sunagakure knows in advance that we are going to sign a contract with Konoha, they will definitely cause trouble and prevent the signing of this contract."
Yushi sighed helplessly. "We don’t have a better solution."
Hanzo didn’t speak. Indeed, as Yushi said, they had no other more perfect solution.
"Then do as you say." Hanzo said to Yushi.
Yushi nodded, then hesitated. "Hanzo-sama, what about the ninjas to be sent to the border to sign the contract...?"
Going to the border to sign the contract, this mission was tantamount to a suicide mission.
Suzaku volunteered, "Hanzo-sama, I am willing to go."
Yushi glanced at Suzaku and said without hesitation, "Hanzo-sama, I am also willing to go."
Hanzo glanced at Yushi and rejected, "You stay, Amegakure still needs you."
Go to the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain to sign the contract?
Haruki was willing, he was very willing to go.
The more dangerous the place, for him, the more Emotion Points he could collect.
Outside the office, on a pipe, a crow twisted its head and blinked its eyes.
Hanzo looked at Suzaku, without the slightest waver and said, "Suzaku, you, Sakikawa, and Kurogaya will go to the border together to carry out the mission of signing the contract with Konoha."
Suzaku nodded, his voice firm. "Yes!"
Yushi opened his mouth, his throat feeling dry and rough. He knew why Hanzo would assign this dangerous mission to Suzaku, Sakikawa, and Kurogaya. It was because Suzaku, Sakikawa, and Kurogaya were all ninjas who had lost all their family.
Not only that, but the three of them also had no close friends among the Amegakure ninjas. It could be said that if they died, no one would be heartbroken.