A\N: Please, I deeply apologise for thelack of real chapter considering how long it's been. I've been suffering a strong streak of Writers Block but I think I can break it soon.
To be honest, this oneshot's been lying around for a long time but for some reason I couldn't bring myself to upload it.
Silence. All that come out of his mouth, or the lack thereof. Utter silence. No words, no grunts. No screams of agony, no cries of rage. Pure, unadulterated silence. Only the weak cried. Only the weak screamed. Only the weak needed to hear the sounds of their own voices. Weak.
Those in Kiri were not weak. And if they were, they either became strong, or died. Not many ninja died in Kiri's training, despite popular belief. The weak were already dead, unable to stand life on the streets, very few slipping through the clutches of the brutal mentality that infected Kirigakure down to its very roots. The poison of bloodshed.
Kirigakure epitomized Natural Selection. On the streets, where virtually all the populace lived, ninja and clan alike… even the Mizukage didn't have a fancy tower; he just had a small fortified, unassuming building on the water's edge with most of the actual rooms underwater. Everybody shared in the tainted blood of Kirigakure. It held them together, despite all odds. Everybody had to survive, so people formed groups. These groups formed alliances, and those alliances formed the Seven Clans. Clans formed even more alliances, and each Clan appointed a member as one the Seven Swordsmen. It was a surprisingly strong democracy in a surprisingly brutal country.
Theoretically, the Seven Swordsmen were the Kirigakure Council. Instead of the doddering old fools other countries were so fond of using, Kirigakure used it's strongest fighters. All other more mundane matters were handled by the elders.
But, there was of course, one flaw in the otherwise perfect system. Anybody could be one of the Seven Swordsmen, provided they wielded a bladed weapon of sorts (And even then, Kisame had managed to make it in because he killed anybody who disagreed with his statement that Samehada had blades). So, it was really more of the Seven Edged-weapon wielding People, but the Seven Swordsmen had a much better ring to it. Occasionally, a foreigner took the position as a member, often unintentionally by beating their predecessor in a fight (so long as they got enough time to tell them of their new found responsibility before dying) and even then, Kirigakure did not like foreign members. But they did not do much against them, for they had earned their place.
Like any council, they were primarily a power-check against the Mizukage, who was chosen by the previous one. Or challenged, killed and succeeded. The Seven Swordsmen had decided to revolt against the Daimyo and the Mizukage, after he had denied their suggestion to remand the age old tradition of anybody becoming a Swordsman. The Mizukage was big on traditions as was the Daimyo, but that was mainly because part of the suggestion was that the Swordsmen could deny a Kage's appointment (they decided that the Third Mizukage was too much of a useless flop, and they didn't want another one). So, civil war tore Kirigakure apart.
And poor not-so-little ever-silent Tenbatsu got caught in the middle. He followed orders from the Mizukage and Kirigakure indiscriminately; even if they conflicted or contradicted. He'd be protecting a small bastion in the Village, and then smash it to the ground. He'd protect a VIP, and then snap his or her neck just a few seconds later. After the Seven Swordsmen lost and were driven out, the Mizukage wanted to ensure total loyalty from dear old silent Tenbatsu. With torture. Lots, and lots of bloody torture. And Tenbatsu didn't say a thing. He followed orders.
Strong ninja followed orders. Tenbatsu was strong; he always would be.