The Promise: Yet to be Kept
In a wrecked rubble somewhere...
There were two of the greatest swordsmen who existed, yet not all of Japan in Taisho Era knew they existed.
Two of its nine Pillars, Iguro Obanai, and Kanroji Mitsuri.
They were dying.
Mitsuri was without her arms due to tearing off one of Muzan's tentacles to save the kids at the cost of her own so she was bleeding to death other than being thrown off painfully, and Iguro has countless slashes from tentacles, a bite on his head, and his eyes torn out that he was relying on Yushiro's paper tag and Kaburamaru to see.
Iguro struggled to get to her at his last moments as well as hers, and wrapped her up in his haori.
She was very weak and dying, her own eyes losing sight due to incoming death. She felt someone cradle her.
At first, she doesn't know who, until she heard a hiss and cold scaly skin. 'Mmm? Kaburamaru-chan?' then this person cradling her must be... 'Iguro-san...did we win?'
'Yes. Muzan is dead.' said Obanai reassuringly in his gentle voice. Mitsuri sighed in relief before giggling.
'That's good...I don't feel pain anymore either, so I guess...I'm dying.' she told him in resignation. Obanai didn't want to accept the bitter reality but indeed, both of them are dying.
'I'll probably die soon too...you won't go alone.' this put Mitsuri to tears, happy that someone who cares will come with her. But he's still strong, right? Unlike her, he still has his arms and legs.
She could not see how bad off he truly was.
'Don't say that...I'm sorry I'm useless in the fight...'
'No, that isn't true.' Obanai held her close and oh so tender, how she dreamed a man who loved her would hold her. He spoke shakily as if he was about to cry.
Wait...
...what?
...Obanai holding her this way as she dreamed of...
...how could she have known? It's too late...the man of her dreams was beside her all this time and she never knew! But...why didn't he say anything?
But for now, she was content. He was by her side now.
'...do you remember the first day we met?' he asked her. Mitsuri laughed.
'I remember...I got lost on my first day in the mansion.' she said. 'And you helped me.'
'No. It's the other way around.' Obanai shook his head. 'You were such a normal girl when we first met. It's you who helped me.' Obanai insisted. 'You get excited over the smallest things. Your laughter was like bells ringing. You must have struggled on your path to Hashira...but you never showed it. I enjoyed talking to you and I felt like a normal boy.' he told her. 'I'm sure the others feel the same way.' he swore to her. 'Your bottomless cheerfulness and kindness has saved many people. You should be proud. I will never let anyone say otherwise.'
Mitsuri choked at that.
'Hic...w-waaaaahhhh!' she bawled. 'I-I'm so happy! I care about you so much, Iguro-saaan! Meals always tasted better with you, Iguro-san because you always looked at me so affectionately!' that was the least Obanai could do, when he got wind from her WHY she joined the corps. For a stupid thing like her hair color and her strength to be the reason she gets rejected when she was so pure and good, his heart boiled in rage at remembering it. Well, they don't know what they're missing, fools!
'Iguro-san,' she sniffled. 'I-if we're reborn...as normal humans...can I please be your bride?'
Obanai did a double-take.
She loved him back? He, the cursed child of a cursed sinful wretched family?! This person?! Mitsuri loved him back, a filthy thing borne from a filthy family?!
He shook as his torn eyes welled up in tears, salty tears mixing with blood from his torn eyeballs and held her tighter. Ahhh! What bliss! She loves him back!
'Of course...if you will have me.' he sobbed. 'And this time, I will make you happy. I will protect you so you don't die.'
And they cried together until they passed away, happy with each other. Mitsuri was the first to go. Iguro cried, hoping his soul would go with her until he too, perished.
xxx
In another world, another time...
The Uchiha family was baffled that on his fifth birthday, the younger son of the clan head brought home a young white snake he affectionately named Kaburamaru. And he took to wandering the streets to look for any girl who could be his dearest.
"Kanroji...where are you? Who are you in this place?" he wondered, looking in desperation. "Are we reborn together?"
And a young girl was sad and distraught, hiding from the mean people who wanted to hurt her and nobody would tell her why, making her upset. She was just glad she still has her strength to fight them all off, and lived alone, crying for someone. She has long blonde hair in three braids, and red-tipped hair. Even her bangs sported red tips! No matter the haircut, the tips always stay red.
"Iguro-san, where are you?! Didn't you say that you'll be with meee?!" she sniffled, crying. "Don't leave me aloooone!"
This village is such a meanie to her! She didn't do anything wrong, why does everyone hate her?! She has to survive first until she sees him again!
She fled Konohagakure, unaware that her beloved was oh-so-close!
As years went by, Uchiha Sasuke was seen as a genius like his older brother Itachi, showing great skill and promise with the sword...with just a twig as a child!
He demanded a sword for himself, and poured his time in training after he understandably got a bokken from his older brother as a birthday gift when Sasuke wanted a sword. 'I can't give you a live blade Sasuke, too dangerous!'
'...hmph, fine.' Sasuke sulked. 'But I want a sword made for me when I become Genin.' he showed his family a drawing of his old sword.
'...why not a straight blade, Sasuke? This one's wavy!' his father, Uchiha Fugaku asked, perplexed.
'I want this. Straight swords won't go well with what I have in mind.'
'Oh, alright...but the kanji on the sword is interesting...akkimesatsu, is it?'
'It looks cool.'
That, and he has a strange fashion sense, too.
(he was such an overspecialized genius who devoted every waking moment to his sword skills that he had to be erm, sternly reminded he's a ninja and not a samurai)
xxx
Elsewhere, Mitsuri who was starving, was found by a compassionate Haku who was traveling with his master, Momochi Zabuza. Zabuza was initially annoyed that his student likes strays. First a bunny and now a girl!
However!
'Please not you too! I didn't do anything wrong! A whole village hates me and nobody would tell me why!' Mitsuri sobbed. 'The adults wanna hurt me they look like demons! They enjoy hurting me! I ran away from Konoha! I don't wanna die! Please don't be mean to me too!'
Welp, that did it, Zabuza thought as the distraught girl was crying.
'Oh, alright, I'll take you in too.' he sighed. 'But this life will be hard, girl. I'm a wanted criminal just for rebelling against tyranny against a corrupt government but my faction lost.' he said. 'We're all on the run now.'
'Oh...so you travel?' Mitsuri asked him.
'Yeah.'
'Oh, that's good!' Mitsuri lit up. 'I'm looking for someone precious to me but we got separated by meanies! I wanna find him but I'm powerless as I am now...please train me! You're a ninja right?!' she pleaded.
'Well, until we find this person of yours, earn your keep by being useful!'
'Hai! I'm Kanroji Mitsuri, mister! Please take care of me!'
Welp, Zabuza later learned WHY Mitsuri has such a background...in later years to come. And Mitsuri requested a weird sword from him at that.