"Look, Suigetsu. We're almost there." Jugo said as he pointed to an island on the horizon. The aforementioned shinobi looked up from his spot on the boat to see a familiar hut in the distance.

"Yeah… It's about time we ended this… Chojuro."

It had been several days since Sasuke and Karin were exonerated and Suigetsu left alongside Jugo, Tenten, and Killer B for the Land of Water. When his second journey with Taka started, Suigetsu co-operated with Chojuro to defeat Ikonokori Nashiken and avenge his brother Mangetsu, and promised Chojuro to return to the site of Nashiken's death to settle Hiramekarei's ownership. That time was finally upon him; one way or another, Hiramekarei would have a permanent wielder as of today.

When they finally arrived, Suigetsu met the one person he expected to, but someone else was with him: a young woman with frayed auburn hair and brown eyes who was wearing the standard Hidden Mist flak jacket.

"About time you showed up, Hozuki!" the woman shouted from beside Chojuro as she waved at Suigetsu, who reached their vicinity first. Suigetsu ignored the woman's greeting and focused on his rival:

"Chojuro! Long time, no see! Hey… who is this woman with you?"

"Ah… This is Tia Terumi, Suigetsu-kun. Tia-san is Lady Mizukage's cousin… on her father's side."

"So which Kekkei Genkai does that mean?" Tenten interjected, deadpan.

"I'm a user of Lava Style, thank you very much!" Tia said. "But that's not here nor there. I'm also a medic, which is why I'm here in the first place!"

"I see! They can fight without worry, about any injury!" B sang in response.

Huh. Next time I get into a fight I should bring Karin with me. Suigetsu thought.

"At any rate," Jugo interjected, "we should clear out and give Suigetsu and Chojuro space to fight."

"Agreed. I'm rooting for you, Chojuro!"

As soon as Tia finished, she proceeded to walk toward the nearby cabin. Jugo, Tenten, and Killer B followed her.

"Do your best, Suigetsu." Jugo said during the walk.

Once the others were far enough away, Suigetsu and Chojuro placed themselves on opposite sides of the crater and made the Seal of Confrontation once more. After ten seconds of holding the pose, Suigetsu and Chojuro simultaneously lunged at each other, Chojuro drawing Hiramekarei.

Chojuro attacked first by swinging Hiramekarei overhead, aiming for Suigetsu's right shoulder. Suigetsu reacted to this by buffing up his arms and making a clapping motion, blocking Hiramekarei in between his hands.

"You sure that was the best move?"

As Chojuro's voice met Suigetsu's ears, Hiramekarei began glowing blue and spikes rapidly grew out of the blade. The moment they began to protrude into Suigetsu's hands Suigetsu turned his arms into water and stepped aside to the right, letting Hiramekarei fall. Before the blade touched the ground, however, Chojuro lifted Hiramekarei and spun counter-clockwise. Suigetsu was forced in place, liquefying his torso to avoid any damage from Chojuro's spin attack.

The spin, however momentarily, exposed Chojuro's back, and that was not an opportunity that Suigetsu would pass up. In that split second, Suigetsu reformed his arms and shot two water bullets, one with each hand. The first hit Chojuro's mid-back, making him stumble, and the second hit Chojuro's right hand, forcing Hiramekarei out of his grip.

In a panic and on pure instinct, Chojuro spun back around. He saw Suigetsu grab Hiramekarei out of the air with his right hand while his left was trained on Chojuro's head. The Hozuki then smirked:

"You sure that was the best move?"

Tia gasped from the sidelines. "No way…!"

Chojuro put his hands in the air as a motion of surrender. "Looks like you win, Suigetsu-kun… I messed up. Hiramekarei is yours to do with as you please…"

"To do with as I please, huh?"

Suddenly, Suigetsu grinned. He approached Chojuro with Hiramekarei at his side, and once he was only a few paces away, he grabbed the pommel of Hiramekarei with both hands, raised it into the air, and promptly planted it into the ground next to Chojuro. He then released his hold on Hiramekarei and motioned for Chojuro to pick it up.

"What are you doing, Suigetsu-kun?" Chojuro asked.

"You said I can do with it as I please. And I want you to keep it. You've earned it. I've decided that you'll be Hiramekarei's wielder in the Neo Swordsmen of the Mist! … Provided you do me a favour, that is."

"What favour would that be?"

"It's a very simple request."

Suigetsu paused to raise his right hand - all four fingers up and his thumb down - in front of Chojuro:

"Don't play dumb. There are this many swords without wielders in the village. The Hokage told me all about it. I want them all!"

Chojuro nervously shook his head. "I'm sorry Suigetsu-kun, but that's something I can't do…"

"Then I guess I'm taking this!"

Suigetsu angrily pulled Hiramekarei out of the ground and walked away, toward Jugo, Tenten, B, and Tia. Once he got to the cabin, he stared at Tia with a furious glare:

"Why can't Chojuro give me the other swords?!"

Tia's eyes lit with comprehension. "Oh yeah… It's happening in two days!"

"What's happening in two days?!"

"A tournament! Lady Mei is hosting a tournament, and the top four prizes are those very swords! We were going to do it as soon as Nashiken was taken care of, but Chojuro insisted on postponing it until after your fight to give you a chance to compete for another sword if you lost!"

"WHAT?!"

Suigetsu and Tenten's jaws dropped and their eyes went blank with shock. The pair was stuck in awed silence.

"Would Tenten and I be able to compete too?" Jugo asked Tia while Suigetsu and Tenten couldn't. "If all three of us make it into the top four, then Suigetsu could take three of the swords home rather than just one…"

"Add one more, and that makes four!" B added, pointing to himself.

Tia stroked her chin. "I'm not sure… It's supposed to be Mist Ninja-only, but maybe Lady Mei could make an exception for Jugo and Tenten. But you, Lord B? Not a chance. You already have Samehada. But it'd still be fun to watch!"

B dipped his head in disappointment.

"But in that case, doesn't that mean I can't compete if I keep Hiramekarei?" Suigetsu thought aloud, strength returning to his voice.

"Well, yeah. If you already have one of the Seven Swords, there's no point in getting a second one, right?"

"Hmm…"

Suigetsu took a quick glance at Samehada and thought to himself:

As it stands now I don't have a ghost of a chance against Killer B… I need a way around Lightning Style before I even think about it. Wait a minute… A way around Lightning Style? There's a SWORD for that! If I compete in this tournament, then…!

At that moment Suigetsu's eyes widened in awe and he suddenly ran back to Chojuro, where he planted Hiramekarei in the ground once more:

"Chojuro, I made up my mind!"

"What about?"

"Keep Hiramekarei as its wielder in the Neo Swordsmen of the Mist. I'm going to enter this tournament the Mizukage's hosting and win myself a different sword. Kiba is going to be mine!"

"If you insist…"

Chojuro nodded, picked Hiramekarei out of the ground, and placed it at his back once more.

"Come on, everybody! Let's go the Hidden Mist Village!" Suigetsu shouted behind him to the audience. Then he looked forward, down to Chojuro, recalled a promise, and stretched out his right hand with his index and middle fingers out and his ring and pinky fingers curled in, aimed downward.

Chojuro gasped. "This is…!"

Suigetsu gave Chojuro a smile:

"We're still comrades, right?"

Without another word, Chojuro smiled back as he reciprocated the Seal of Reconciliation. They would then begin the trek to the Hidden Mist Village.