The Broken Sword—Executioner's Blade, the weapon that, in the original timeline, would one day belong to Zabuza.
Without hesitation or reservation, Yagura promised this very sword—currently in Biwa Jūzō's possession—to Zabuza.
Zabuza had never expected things to take this turn.
Just moments ago, he had scoffed at the absurdity of Yagura talking about dreams in the Hidden Mist.
But then he heard those four words—Executioner's Blade—and his heart skipped a beat.
The mockery and disdain in his eyes faded, replaced by disbelief and anticipation.
If he could obtain the Executioner's Blade and become one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist…
Then he would be among the strongest in Kirigakure, second only to the Mizukage!
Zabuza lifted his head, looking intently at Yagura. His tone, however, remained coldly amused.
"Heh… If you're trying to win me over, you've succeeded. What do you need me to do?"
Yagura shrugged. "Simple. Just like Mangetsu and Kaede, become one of my Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Do what a ninja is supposed to do. Right, Kaede?"
Kaede…
That name, spoken so casually.
Mangetsu couldn't help but glance at Onime Kaede in curiosity.
With all three of them suddenly looking at him, Kaede silently pulled up his high collar to cover the lower half of his face and lowered his gaze to the ants crawling on the ground.
It wasn't a big deal. The conversation between him and Yagura had been much the same as the one just now with Zabuza.
The only difference was that Yagura had promised him the Long Sword—Sewing Needle.
And for some reason, after that, Yagura just started calling him Kaede.
Too familiar. Too fast. He wasn't used to it.
Seeing Kaede nod in agreement (wait, what?!), Yagura smiled in satisfaction and counted on his fingers.
"Mangetsu has the Twin Swords—Hiramekarei, Kaede has the Long Sword—Sewing Needle, and Zabuza, you'll have the Broken Sword—Executioner's Blade. Hm…"
Halfway to assembling his own Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
If Hōzuki Suigetsu's goal in the future was to collect all seven blades, then Yagura's goal was to gather all seven swordsmen.
That left four more.
Yagura tapped his chin thoughtfully and asked, "Have you guys heard of Ringo Ameyuri and Hoshigaki Kisame?"
?
Who?
Mangetsu and Kaede exchanged looks, confirming they were equally clueless, then shook their heads in unison.
Zabuza frowned. "Never heard of them. They're not on my list of opponents."
Yagura scratched his head in disappointment. "Damn, never heard of them? That makes things tricky. Kirigakure is big—finding them won't be easy."
If Yagura actually remembered their names and wanted to seek them out…
Zabuza's gaze darkened. "Are they strong?"
"Oh, definitely strong. They'll be your… well, your comrades in the future."
Yagura explained, "Ringo Ameyuri wields the Thunder Swords—Kiba, and Hoshigaki Kisame carries the Great Sword—Samehada. Both are stronger than you."
Seeing the look in Zabuza's eyes, Yagura slyly added, "For now."
Zabuza's battle-hungry grin widened. "Heh… I'm looking forward to it."
Nearby, Mangetsu leaned over to Kaede and whispered,
"I don't know why, but I get the feeling Yagura just picked us up, then immediately set his sights on Zabuza. And now, barely two seconds after roping Zabuza in, he's already thinking about someone else."
Total player energy.
This kind of guy? Definitely not to be trusted!
Hearing Mangetsu's comment, Kaede couldn't quite put it into words, but he agreed completely.
Same vibe.
He added, "Not just one—he's thinking about two more people."
Yagura? A player?
Impossible!
He was just asking out of curiosity. If they didn't know, then fine.
Besides, they might show up like Zabuza did—voluntarily.
"Alright, that's settled!"
Yagura cheerfully invited Zabuza, "Want to grab some ramen? Mangetsu's buying."
"???"
Mangetsu's head snapped up, utterly baffled. "Why am I buying?"
"Didn't you say last time that you'd cover the next ramen outing?"
"What?! Ugh—Fine! But why does this guy get a free meal too?"
Seeing Mangetsu flustered, and getting a free meal out of it, Zabuza had no complaints.
"Sure."
Yagura grinned. "Nice! Let's go!"
"Wait! I never agreed to this!"
Mangetsu reached out in protest, but Yagura ignored him completely.
Kaede patted Mangetsu's shoulder. "Don't mind."
…
Smooth transition to the ramen shop…
They lifted the noren curtain at the entrance.
Not that it mattered—at their height, they could walk in without touching it.
On the way there, Yagura had asked Zabuza about his preferences. Now, seated, he raised two fingers and called out, "Boss! Two bowls of miso ramen!"
The shopkeeper, a burly man with a scarred face, frowned. "Brats. You got money? No credit here."
Kaede followed in behind. "The guy behind me's paying."
Mangetsu slumped into his seat, looking miserable.
"Clear broth for me."
As a Hōzuki clan member, he couldn't handle overly rich foods.
Don't ask why. The answer was disgusting.
"…"
The shopkeeper took one look at Mangetsu and went to prepare the order.
"Four bowls—coming up."
Noticing the shift in attitude, Yagura propped his chin up and teased, "The Hōzuki name sure carries weight."
Mangetsu smirked proudly. "Of course! Just hope someone here knows how to appreciate it."
The Hōzuki clan was the most prestigious in Kirigakure, after all!
Yagura let it slide with a chuckle and watched as four bundles of noodles were dropped into the boiling pot.
Glancing at Zabuza, he noticed the boy staring at the rising steam.
"Zabuza, you're still in the Academy, right?"
Zabuza snapped out of it, moving his hand away from his stomach. "Yeah. Second year."
So he's a year older than me. No wonder he's taller.
Yagura sized him up. "What possessed you to challenge Mangetsu?"
Zabuza smirked. "I'd heard the Hōzuki heir was a genius. Now that I'm enrolled, of course I had to test that claim."
"You know any Lightning Release?"
"No."
"Then what the hell were you thinking?"
Yagura rolled his eyes, then grinned mischievously. "No big deal. Next time, charge your sword, and as long as you land a hit, you win."
Zabuza blinked. That's an option?!
Of course.
Yagura nodded sagely.
Kaede made a thoughtful noise.
Mangetsu's whole body bristled. "You're the devil, Yagura! Kaede, why do you look like you're taking notes?!"
Kaede wiped his expression clean.
"You're imagining things."
…
The ramen arrived.
Four pairs of chopsticks snapped apart in unison. "Alright, let's eat!"
Yagura stirred his noodles before taking a bite.
Not bad.
He wondered how it compared to Ichiraku Ramen in Konoha. One day, he'd have to find out.
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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