The story begins with Hanzo arriving in the village to secure a loan for the construction of a new railway.
Hanzo found himself in a tight spot. Since Danzo had settled in the village, his annual income had taken a significant hit, making it essential for him to acquire funds to maintain and lay the railway tracks.
However, Hanzo's methods for securing funds were so unorthodox that even Kakuzu found himself at a loss on occasion.
Picture this: Even when you went to the bathroom, Hanzo would be lying in front of your bathroom door, asking for money. How could anyone, let alone a normal person, tolerate that?
Even Kakuzu, known for his extreme tactics when collecting debts, was stunned by Hanzo's behavior. So much so that he briefly entertained the idea of asking Hanzo to help with his debt collections. But when Hanzo, in his role as the village leader, refused with an air of dignity, Kakuzu couldn't contain his frustration. He spat water in Hanzo's face and retorted, "You still have the nerve to say that?"
As for why Kakuzu didn't approve of Hanzo's request for funding, it was likely because Kakuzu was dissatisfied with the amount Hanzo was asking for. If it had been a reasonable sum, Kakuzu would have agreed without hesitation.
In the end, with the funds secured, Hanzo happily returned to the Land of Rain to begin construction.
However, since Sand Village had joined forces with him, Hanzo had developed a rather annoying habit. He loved to brag in front of Chiyo. So, after securing additional funding, it was no surprise when the old man made his way to Sand Village to boast to Chiyo once more.
He proudly proclaimed how impressive and high-ranking he had become, going on and on about how easily the funds were approved for him, all without needing to ask again.
What Hanzo failed to mention, however, was that these funds had been acquired thanks to his 'unique' methods.
According to information from Ebizō, if he hadn't intervened in time, Chiyo might have been so furious that she would have used her White Secret Technique—The Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets—to kill Hanzo on the spot.
The triumphant expression on Hanzo's face as he left only made things worse. It was enough to leave Chiyo so angry that she couldn't even bring herself to eat.
In fact, if Sand Village had just recently joined, it wouldn't have been such a big deal. After all, everyone knew that Rain Village and Grass Village shared a strong bond, and Sand Village, still new to the alliance, hadn't yet made its mark. It was natural for the treatment to differ at first.
But now, after all these years, the situation has changed. Sand Village had worked diligently and faithfully, proving themselves over time. Yet, despite their efforts, they were still being treated differently. How could they not be frustrated?
Especially with that insufferable windbag from Rain Village coming to flaunt his success. It was enough to make anyone furious. So, Chiyo wasted no time and quickly applied for funds for Sand Village as well—intending to deliver a sharp slap to that old guy's smug face.
Sand Village was much different from Rain Village, which controlled the entire Land of Rain. Sand Village was merely a small village in the vast desert, with most of its resources having to be bought from elsewhere. It was compact, and with only one railway needed, its demands were relatively modest.
However, While the annual funds allocated to Sand Village weren't insignificant—much better than they had been when they were still part of the Land of Wind—they were far from abundant. As the elder and founder of this new Sand Village, Chiyo had her own plans. She wanted to renovate key areas, expand the academy, strengthen the teaching staff, and improve the overall infrastructure, all of which required a reasonable amount of investment.
However, the problem was that Hanzo's funds were not obtained as 'easily' as he claimed. They were acquired through less-than-normal methods.
Moreover, according to Treasurer Kakuzu's meticulous calculations, Sand Village's annual funds were already sufficient. While not lavish, they were adequate and kept within a tight margin, ensuring efficiency and careful management. Chiyo's application for additional funds was therefore promptly rejected.
Seeing that the old man from Rain Village had secured funds with apparent ease while she had been turned away, Chiyo was livid. Determined to get to the bottom of it, she decided to take matters into her own hands and confront Akihiko directly.
At this point, things seemed to be unfolding as expected. It was simply an elderly leader whose application had been denied, now seeking an explanation for the decision.
However, upon hearing that Chiyo was planning to confront Akihiko in person, Hanzo became anxious. He had always boasted in front of Chiyo, and now that she was serious about securing funds from Grass Village, he worried his bluff might be called, exposing the truth. Despite his earlier bravado, Hanzo had his pride. If Chiyo discovered the reality of his funding methods, it would be a blow to his dignity. The thought of that old hag Chiyo laughing at him was more than he could bear.
So, unsurprisingly, in a desperate attempt to prevent Chiyo from reaching Grass Village, Hanzo quickly turned to Kakuzu for help. Kakuzu, who also had no intention of allocating more funds, agreed to the plan.
When they learned that Chiyo was planning to board the train to Grass Village, they acted swiftly, dismantling the section of track near Sand Village. As soon as she boarded, they sabotaged the train and drugged the driver, trapping her in the Sand Village.
At first, it seemed like a minor setback—after all, Chiyo could have easily walked to Grass Village. However, Chiyo, ever stubborn and unyielding, refused to back down. She gathered a group of skilled puppet masters and decided to take matters into her own hands, planning to operate the train herself.
But Hanzo, not one to be underestimated, wasn't about to let this elderly puppet master expose his bluffs. With his pride on the line, he activated his Rain Ninjas to intercept Chiyo and her crew midway, determined to stop her at all costs.
Eventually, the situation escalated into a direct confrontation between the two sides. However, aside from Hanzo and Chiyo, all the other ninjas were left utterly confused. Why were they fighting? What had their leaders gotten them into?
As things spiraled out of control, Ebizo quickly sent a message to intervene.
Reports suggested that the two leaders were already on the road, exchanging insults, completely losing sight of their original intentions. The situation had devolved into petty squabbles between two elderly ninjas, who seemed to have forgotten the purpose of the conflict altogether.
Even Akihiko, upon hearing of this, couldn't help but cover his face in exasperation.
He simply couldn't understand Hanzo's need to constantly brag and show off in front of Chiyo. Could it be that they were destined to be rivals? Perhaps, in some strange twist of fate, they were bound to clash at every turn.
Recently, Akihiko had heard that Ebizo was starting to suspect something rather unusual—that his sister might be caught up in a late-blooming romance, and, to his surprise, he thought it might be with Hanzo.
After all, he'd noticed his sister gazing longingly toward the Land of Rain, an expression in her eyes that couldn't be mistaken. Even Ebizo, a man who had been single for decades, could clearly see the look of longing and thoughtfulness in her gaze.
And there were those odd moments when she would mutter to herself, "Is he warm enough in this cold weather? Is he eating enough?"
If this wasn't love, Ebizo joked, he would eat sand on the spot. Though Akihiko believed that Ebizo was slightly mistaken, Ebizo had insisted to him, with great confidence, that he couldn't be wrong.
As for why nothing had changed despite the years of bickering between Hanzo and his sister... Ebizo theorized that perhaps Hanzo, in his own strange way, was trying to attract his sister's attention—like a young boy acting out to get the attention of his crush.
After hearing this, even Akihiko had to admit that if he didn't know the full truth, he might have been convinced by Ebizo's explanation.
Akihiko sighed in exasperation, shaking his head as he turned to the Grass Ninja standing nearby. "Tell Advisor Chiyo and Leader Hanzo to stop fighting. As for the funds… they're approved."
Although the confrontation wasn't going to be deadly, it didn't look good. Both Chiyo and Hanzo were high-ranking officials, and if anyone witnessed this, they might think they were bandits causing chaos.
The Grass Ninja, clearly caught off guard by the order, blinked before responding with a strange expression. "Yes, sir!" With that, he hurried off to relay the message.
The situation had become quite the spectacle, with the entire village watching the drama unfold. Even the Shinobi Times had picked up the story, and bets were being placed on the outcome.
However, when the infamous Tsunade-sama, who had a reputation for misfortune, entered the betting pool, the whole thing collapsed in an instant. The bookmaker promptly fled.
At least, it seemed like the farce was finally winding down. But, in all honesty, it had been quite an entertaining show.
…
Not long after, in the perpetually rainy Land of Rain, Ebizo, drenched from the downpour, was desperately shouting in an attempt to stop the fighting. He had just received a letter and rushed toward his sister, who was already preparing her puppets. "Stop it, stop it! Leader Akihiko has already agreed to allocate the funds. There's no need to keep fighting, Sister!" he pleaded.
"Go away!" Chiyo snapped, her attention fully on Hanzo. She completely ignored Ebizo's attempt to reason with her and instead summoned her secret technique, the 'Chikamatsu Ten Puppets,' glaring fiercely at Hanzo. "This is no longer about the funds. Today, I'll teach this old windpipe that I'm not someone to be trifled with!"
Ebizo opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get another word in, Chiyo marched forward through the pouring rain, her eyes burning with determination as she shouted, "Take this! You old windpipe!"
Hanzo, just as stubborn, ignored the plea to stop and retorted with defiance. "Come on then! Do you think I'm easy to bully, you puppeteer old hag?!" With a growl, he began his counterattack.
Once again, the two were at each other's throats, locked in a battle of insults and strikes, neither willing to back down. The fight had escalated beyond the issue of funds, becoming a full-blown clash of egos and pride.
Ebizo stood there, utterly bewildered and silent, as he watched the two of them clash with such intensity. He sighed heavily, his frustration evident. Looking at the escalating chaos, he muttered under his breath, "What a disaster..."
If he hadn't been aware of the real situation between them, he might have believed there was some deep, deadly grudge between his sister and Hanzo. The fight was fierce, filled with no mercy or hesitation, each blow and insult aimed with sharp precision.
Kaizou sighed once more, realizing there was no point in trying to stop them at this stage. Instead, he turned to the other ninjas nearby, gesturing for them to intervene and put an end to the brawl before things got even more out of hand.