Hattori , Puppet Tyrant in Sand

Hiruzen Sarutobi had been through two previous ninja wars, and now, this was his third. 

During that time, he had encountered many troublesome enemies, but it was the first time he had met someone as peculiar and challenging as Hattori.

His intuition and past experiences told him that Hattori wasn't just bluffing; he truly had something substantial to rely on—something dangerous enough to pose a threat to them.

What made him even more uneasy was that he knew nothing about Hattori, while Hattori seemed to know a lot about him.

After thinking carefully for a while, he finally looked around at the others.

"Does anyone have any questions?"

"…"

Hearing Hiruzen's question, everyone showed a thoughtful expression, except for Jiraiya, who cheerfully spoke up.

"Haha, let me ask then. Since you can see people's fates, tell me, what is my fate?"

"You will die!"

Hattori answered without hesitation.

"Your fate is to die at the hands of one of your students, guiding another of your students to move forward and bring peace to the ninja world!"

"Oh? Really?"

Jiraiya laughed even more heartily upon hearing Hattori's words.

"Hahaha, not bad! That suits the great Jiraiya's style perfectly, haha!"

As he spoke, something seemed to cross his mind, and he pointed at Hiruzen.

"Earlier, Yamanaka Inoichi seemed to see that the old man died too? Is that his fate?"

"Yes!"

Hattori then looked again at Hiruzen.

"The Third Hokage's fate is to die at the hands of his student, Orochimaru, sacrificing himself to protect the Leaf and uphold his so-called Will of Fire."

"…"

Hearing Hattori's words, Hiruzen fell silent, his expression unreadable.

Sensing the heavy atmosphere, Minato Namikaze, who had remained silent, spoke up.

"Well… since everyone's asking, may I ask about my fate too?"

"Sure!"

Upon hearing Minato's question, Hattori shifted his gaze to him.

"Your fate, Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, is also to die protecting the Leaf. And by the way, your student is the direct cause of your death. Oh, and you'll die before the Third does!"

"Uh…"

Hattori's words left Minato visibly awkward.

"Though hearing how I die is a bit strange, I'd still be honored to become the Fourth Hokage!"

"Haha… Minato, it's too early to talk like that!" 

Just as Minato finished speaking, Orochimaru stepped forward, looking at Hattori with a cold gaze.

"Since you've talked about everyone else, what about me? What's my fate? Surely, I won't die at my student's hands. I trust my students quite well, you know?"

"Heh, do you even have students?"

Hattori exposed Orochimaru's trap without hesitation, showing a slight smirk.

"Honestly, I think you see them only as test subjects, don't you? But don't worry; you won't die. Even if the ninja world is destroyed, you'll somehow survive. When it comes to resilience, I give you credit, Orochimaru!"

"Haha…"

Hattori's words seemed to strike a chord with Orochimaru, who chuckled, eyeing Hattori with newfound interest.

"What a fascinating kid. I'm beginning to feel reluctant to kill you!"

"Don't worry; you won't be able to kill me."

Hattori raised an eyebrow and flashed Orochimaru a radiant smile.

"But I can definitely kill you. Right now, you haven't yet reached the threshold of immortality, so I shouldn't have any issues taking you down!"

"…"

At the mention of "immortality," a subtle change appeared on Orochimaru's face, which didn't escape Hiruzen's notice. However, he didn't comment and instead gestured to the others.

"Alright, fate is unpredictable. Let's focus on defeating the Hidden Sand Village for now."

Then, he turned to Hattori again.

"Can you tell me what Hidden Sand Village is planning?"

"Sure!"

To Hiruzen's surprise, Hattori answered immediately.

"Their plan is to stall you until you're overwhelmed by the Hidden Cloud, Hidden Mist, and Hidden Stone, and then strike while you're down to defeat you. 

Oh, by the way, I came up with this plan. Surprised? Unexpected, right?"

"…"

Hiruzen fell silent again, while Jiraiya couldn't help but show a hint of anger.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Hattori shot him an odd look, seeing Jiraiya's indignant expression.

"Of course, it's to win the war. The Leaf is too strong, and the Sand is no match for you. If we can't win alone, we have no choice but to join forces!"

"Uh…"

Jiraiya was taken aback by Hattori's words, finding himself momentarily speechless by the logic.

Seeing this, Hiruzen shook his head in resignation and turned back to Hattori.

"If you're so wary of the Leaf's strength, why are you fighting against us? With your position in the Hidden Sand, why not prevent this war?"

"Heh, you really think highly of me!"

Hattori let out a bitter smile.

"I suggested an alliance with the Leaf more than once, but it was always rejected. Besides the usual interests, there's a deep-seated hatred between the Sand and the Leaf. Only if one side is beaten down will there be any chance for peace."

"True enough."

Hiruzen nodded, a slight smile on his face.

"So, do you think your Hidden Sand can bring down the Leaf?"

"I don't know, but I'd like to try!"

Hattori's face showed a hint of a smile.

"Besides, even if we can't win right now, give it a year or so, and who knows? We have to dream big, right?"

"…"

Hiruzen squinted his eyes and responded with firm resolve.

"A fine dream, but that's all it is. The Leaf won't fall. The Sand won't be able to stop us, and defeat is your fate!"

"Nicely said!"

Hattori immediately flashed him a bright smile.

"That deserves some applause, but sadly, your subordinates don't seem to get it. Don't they know to clap when their leader speaks?

Why not let that shadow-wielding guy over there release me so I can clap for you? Lighten the mood?"

Hiruzen: "…"

Trying to set the mood, huh? What kind of reaction is that?

Feeling somewhat helpless in the face of Hattori's grin, Hiruzen gave an order to Yamanaka Inoichi.

"Inoichi, use your Mind Reading Jutsu again and find out how the Sand intends to stall the Leaf!"

"Yes!"

Inoichi responded and prepared to probe Hattori's mind.

But before he could act, Hattori spoke up again.

"No need for that. I'll tell you. The Sand is planning to use underground warfare. If you lack any large-scale earth-release jutsu, get ready to play hide-and-seek with the Sand. 

Oh, and that's my idea, too. Impressive, right?"

Hiruzen: "(╬￣皿￣)"

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