2As dusk approached, dread encompassed the men of Mikawa. Ieyasu and his followers could no longer imagine the impossible, and all of their curiosity in Hanzo's challenge waned. He had yet to return from the water. Ieyasu's men reassembled in front of Hamana and assisted their Lord in calling out to the ninja commander.
"HANZO!"
"Lord Hattori! Where are you!"
"MASTER HATTORI!" They cried out at the top of their lungs, sending their voices across the entire river. Their yelling seemed to have gone on forever. After a while, the men went silent. It was but for a moment, but was it was an eerie silence like death. Even the wind was still, and it seemed like an eternity of pointless waiting had past. It felt like someone was lost and was never coming back. Ieyasu slowly moved from the crowd until his feet touched the water. His ankles were chilled; he gazed across the Hamana, watchful and tight-lipped.
"Lord Tokugawa?" A vassal called out, but Ieyasu didn't return a response.
"What have I done? Where are you?" The Mikawa Lord thought, his concern over his missing friend being the most grand out of everyone. He couldn't turn away from the river and his body was motionless. His quietness scattered a deep emotion among the Mikawa men, and no one else tried to raise another word to Ieyasu until he spoke.
"I am going to look for him." The Mikawa Daimyo said. Before anyone could move, there was an uncanny popping sound. Ieyasu bowed his head after hearing the sound.
"Uwaaaah!" The men behind Ieyasu suddenly screamed. Ieyasu didn't turn around to see what was wrong with them, but rather he kept looking again, his eyes widened from shock. There was the noise of splashing water, and standing before Ieyasu was a naked figure. Long, dark wet hair hung over its face like a haunting woman ghost, and its arms were mysteriously folded behind its back. Ieyasu was met with a smirk from the figure.
"Ehhh!" Ieyasu uttered a yelp of astonishment.
The figure spoke only a few words in a clear, bass tone, "Lord Tokugawa?"
"H-huh?" Ieyasu blinked his eyes at the smile and voice. He looked a little closer, then he gasped, "Hanzo?"
"It's, it's Hanzo!" One soldier shouted, which was next followed by cries of apprehension. The men behind Ieyasu began to back away slowly.
"He revives!" Another soldier said.
"Like from the Sanzu River! He really is a demon!" Said another. Hanzo couldn't help but let out a light laugh. He was not out of breath at all.
"Here," While standing in front of Ieyasu, Hanzo pulled his arms from behind his back and reached out both hands.
"WHAT? Where?" Ieyasu cried out from surprise. In Hanzo's hands was a tanto or a common short sword. It was usually carried by a samurai in a pair. Ieyasu looked down at the waist's left side and saw an empty sheath.
"How can this be?" Ieyasu thoughtto himself. He couldn't even put aside the amazement that he showed on his face (in fact, it was the same with everyone else), which made Hanzo laugh again.
"My Lord, everyone. I was not beneath the water all the time," The Iga ninja began to explain. He slid his drenched hair behind his ears while everyone attended to him, unable to hide their astonishment.
"After going underwater, I swam ashore on the other side, hid behind a rock and took a nap. When I was called, I dove underwater and surfaced." Hanzo said. He kneeled in front of Ieyasu with the tanto in his hands, bowing his head,
"I apologize for taking your short sword, my Lord." The Iga commander said, "This is the art of my people. This is ninjutsu."
This incident about Hanzo and Ieyasu became a popular tale. Little did anyone knew, amidst their fear while attending to the water, a hand (from one of Hanzo's followers from Iga) had carefully pulled out Ieyasu's short sword and threw it in the river when no one was watching. But after Hanzo's words, the word ninjutsu installed amazement in the Mikawa samurai, and throughout history. The same word corresponded with magic.