A/N: And now we finally spend some time quality time getting to know who Higurashi Hiten is…a copy of the works of Shan-Yu the Psychotic Dictator won't be necessary. We'll be having a bit of drama in this chapter, and a bit more regrets in love. No combat just yet. Read and review would you kindly?

…

[Higurashi Arsenal…]

The 'ping-ping-ping' of a blacksmith's hammer filled the air of the workshop as it struck down upon the short blade that was being forged. Unlike kunai and shuriken that could be factory-pressed, a quality blade like this was a labor of love. It was of the tsurugi pattern with a wide blade—it was based on a foreign sword he believed was called a 'gladius', and it would be having a twin very soon; a special order for Mikoto to be given as a gift to one of the twins…the faster one he assumed, given the fact that this short sword he was making was catered specifically to a speedy fighter, while the stronger twin was getting a full-sized katana later. He only hoped she didn't get that katana…the damn thing was nothing but trouble for anyone using it from the day the Uchiha first found it, and poor Mikoto had to fucking learn that the hard way…although it was a smart idea to keep that thing only as an heirloom only—that sword would only kill anyone stupid enough to wield it.

Ah yes, Mikoto…Hiten never did understand what she saw in that power-hungry dick-head Fugaku to have his children. He was only sad that not all of the Uchiha were assholes like him…although he still did have a few friends in that family, by and large the Uchiha needed to be exterminated except for that handful he actually respected. Another thing he never understood was why the Haruno family needed to be around…true, Sayuri is an example of such exceptions in the family, but like the Uchiha, they were not good people in general. He'd even heard rumors that the head of the family was screwing the headmaster, and getting everything she wanted on a silver platter so long as she gave him ass. Yep, among the families he didn't like, it was those two who were on his top-ten offender list.

He simply pushed all thoughts aside, and continued to hammer the blade into its proper shape. Being a tsurugi meant that it would have two edges, thus making it a little more difficult than a katana to make…but he's made such blades before. In fact, he's made bigger and heavier…he paused from his forging in order to inspect his progress. Yes, this was a good work, if he had to say so himself…he may not be up to standard with the masters in Tetsu no Kuni, but his family was the best in Konoha. Also like his peers in Tetsu, he was required to have schooling in priest work—a necessary component for making swords really come alive as it requires a spiritual aspect to make swords and explosive tags. It was also due to his skills as a priest that successful exorcisms were performed, which meant that summoned creatures were easily dispatched of—exorcised summons didn't die by his hand so much as they were forcefully sent back to the summoning dimension…and then he eyed the tool of the trade for such an act. It was a massive battle-axe with holy seals stuck on the blade that he had made long ago when he led the civilian militia—and this was during the days when sometimes enemy ninja would trounce on in and attack civilians. Ha! Those were the days…he really missed seeing those ninja looking stupid as he sent their summons back with a swing of his axe before decapitating them with it.

Hiten paused momentarily to wipe the sweat off his forehead…he'd been going at it for a few hours now, and he needed to stop for a bit. He then started contemplating on the first day he met Uchiha Mikoto—it was in the defense of Konoha when Iwa had managed to sneak some of their ninja into the village disguised as merchants. Leading the civilian militia, he had aided in bringing down the enemy ninja despite the fact that he himself was a civilian. He was busy fighting off a ninja that relied on his summoned creatures to fight when one of his colleagues snuck up on him and was about to stab him in the back—that ninja never succeeded because the ANBU had returned to Konoha just in time as a bit of a vanguard for the rest of the returning Konoha ninja. The ANBU that had saved his life then was a ninja no taller than the bottom of his pectoral muscles by the name of Uchiha Mikoto…and she came to him praising him of his prowess with his axe and his paper talismans. He in turn thanked her for saving his life by giving her a discount on all things in his arsenal.

Suffice to say, they soon became fast friends—as Mikoto found herself returning to the arsenal on a regular basis. Sometimes they simply talked, sometimes she also went shopping in the store for that odd kunai or whetstone for her work as a ninja; but over time, it was clear to the both of them at the time that a connection was being formed between them that transcended mere platonic friendship. It was eventually realized that the two of them had crossed the line that made them friends, then the one that made them family, to that final line where they became lovers—yes, life was good…until the day she came to his arsenal with tears in her eyes, and the news that she had been married off. He wasn't surprised that their relationship would end badly…she was a member of the Uchiha Elite after all, and he was but a mere peasant by comparison. No, it wasn't the news that she was caught up in an arranged marriage that hurt him—hell, if it were anyone else, he would've at least tried to be happy for her and the lucky bastard…it was who she was being married off to that really pissed him off.

When he heard that Uchiha Fugaku was marrying Mikoto, it really made him mad! Hiten knew who Fugaku was as a person because every time someone came to vandalize and rob his arsenal, it was always Fugaku that first came to mind due to the fact that he left graffiti on his walls that said stuff like 'that should teach you your place you filthy peasant!', 'Baka! Baka! Baka!', 'your stuff is not even good for kitchenware!' and even 'Uchiha Fugaku did this!' Yes, he knew that Uchiha Fugaku was an asshole, and it didn't surprise him at all that the bastard was also power-hungry—a trait that would bring him his karma later on in life. At the time, Hiten knew he couldn't do anything about it…arranged marriages were acceptable and tended to be sacred, and so the only thing he could do was hug the woman he had loved in those strong arms of his, and hold her for as long as he could. He took in her scent, the feel of her petite body against his, and even the vibrations of her crying in his chest.

He could only let out a tear of sadness at the memory…this was a love he had always wondered as to the possibilities with. Eventually, the hole in his heart was mended when a ninja came into his shop—a ninja named Kikuchi Mina walked into his store…the woman who would eventually be his wife and the mother of his beautiful little princess Tenten. Hiten wiped the tear off his face—crying about regrets was not what Mina had wanted of him…she knew about his doomed relationship with Mikoto by word of mouth, and on her deathbed, she made him promise to above all, not cry over her death and that he would find happiness again. He soon took up the hammer, and began to pound away at the metal for the tsurugi he was making. Just as he had started bringing the hammer down, Hiten had heard that damn chime ringing again!

Fuck! Shit! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Shit! Fuck! Fuck! He never should have installed that damn chime! He should've just taken that damn annoying bell and smashed it into a thousand fucking pieces! He simply started grumbling every curse word he had on his tongue at this point as he started walking into the counter with a rage-filled glaze in his eyes. "ALL RIGHT YOU MOTHER-FUC…"

"DAD! What did mom tell you about cursing in front of potential customers?"

Hiten's mouth had started grinding to a halt upon hearing that sentence interrupting his tirade. It was there that his gaze had softened upon seeing his daughter…Kami she was beautiful, just like her mother. "Hi sweetie, how was your day?"

"Fine daddy! How are things at the workshop?"

"The same…I finally got a special order from Mikoto-sama."

"That's great…by the way, these are my friends; Uzumaki Naruto and Baihe Meilan."

The large man stepped forward, and inspected the young boy his daughter had brought home. Sun-kissed blond hair, three whisker marks on each cheek…yep, that's Kushina's kid all right. Hiten simply bowed from his hips at Naruto. "A pleasure to meet you Naruto-kun."

Naruto returned the bow. "The pleasure is mine sir."

As he looked even further at the blond, he could not help but feel responsible for the boy's situation. True, it was his brother's fault, but Hiten felt that he could have done more—of course he'd heard of the many attempts to adopt the poor boy from Mikoto herself when she found the time to visit him…and he believed her; he was among the people that tried…hell, even his other favorite customers Hayate and Yuugao had tried to adopt him. "Tenten, be a dear and take Naruto's friend shopping around the arsenal."

"Okay daddy."

Once Hiten saw that he was alone with the boy, he turned to face Naruto. "Okay then, if you'll just follow me this way, I'd like to check on your weapons…"

…

[Elsewhere…]

The rumbling of caravan wheels was the dominant sound on the road as GSD sat in the wagon carrying many goods. "Hey, old timer! You comfy back there?"

The older man turned to the driver. "Everything is fine sir, thank-you."

"So what are you doing out here? I'd think someone of your age would be sitting at home, and reading newspapers."

GSD could only chuckle to himself. "I would, but I am a bit of a vagrant—add to the fact that I like the outdoors more. And besides, I have business with a certain snake out in the world doing something foolish; I was hoping that perhaps I could…make him see reason."

"He's only human, but I suppose he's a relative?"

"No…simply a very foolish man that I've heard nothing but rumors about. I only hope that he's willing to listen."

Foolish indeed…Jiraiya had just provided him with useful information…apparently, the person he was looking for was known as Orochimaru—he didn't know what that man was up to, but GSD knew that either way it was not good. Apparently, Orochimaru was Jiraiya's teammate when they were younger…the bad news was that he didn't know where the snake was hiding; but he did mention a place called Otogakure no Sato. Now he had a destination—his job now was to get to wherever this character was, and then question him…last Jiraiya heard, this monster was somewhere in Otogakure…waiting…watching…biding his time for the opportunity to strike like the venomous snake he was.

In exchange for that bit of information, Jiraiya had received what he knew and heard of the ten rogue ninja that were chasing after Bijuu…rumor had it that these ten rogue ninja were organized under a group known as Akatsuki, and they were kage-level ninja if the rumors were true. According to what GSD had heard from interrogating one of the spies for the organization, Akatsuki was not making its move yet—he did not know when, nor did he know where, but when it does happen, it would be a highly devastating attack…that much he knew from experience. He'll just have to wait and see what it is that they're up to, but in the meantime, he started to catch up in his nap. No point in fighting a war on an empty stomach…much less so with insomnia.

GSD had thought back to the last point of their meeting—because Jiraiya had proposed a sort of trade afterwards. The arrangement was simple…after that point he would use a small group from his spy network to gain information on Orochimaru to trade with him for any rumors he happens across in his travels regarding Akatsuki. When asked how he would find the younger elder, Jiraiya simply told him not to bother—he'll find him. Perhaps it was time he worked with someone…his progress on his investigation was getting rather slow, and besides it never hurt to have someone scratch his back…

…

[Higurashi Arsenal…]

He could not believe it…as he studied the weapons that Naruto had, Hiten could not help but marvel at the blades and how durable they were. The zanbato was a flat piece of highly dense iron 1.9 m long in total and was .3m wide at the tip as it started shrinking down and down to become a handle…the blade was unremarkable in its design as it had a closer resemblance to a meat cleaver with a long blade than an actual sword. There was no handguard due to its resemblance to a cleaver, but it did have a .45m handle made of wood and wrapped in leather.

The next sword that he inspected came to an extreme in size—it was a short sword with a 1m-long blade and a .3m handle. It was one of those short swords that Kumogakure no Sato ninja tended to favor to the point that, like the zanbato he was studying, it too became a standard-issue weapon—it wasn't too long, and it wasn't too short, it was just right. Frankly, Hiten was impressed by the smiths that forged these blades due to the practical applications deliberately put into making these swords—it was long enough that it provided enough reach for a good two-handed slash, was aerodynamically-designed with two edges in order to make it easy for thrusting and stabbing, and was still short enough to be thrown in any manner.

Then he came to the final sword that really stood out…so this was the famous Masamune katana that Tenten had told him about! Such a work of art—it balanced practicality with beauty in one fell swoop. He eyeballed the length of its blade to be about 140cm long, so this was a little bit over standard. Yes, this seems to have been inspired by waves and by water—the final masterpiece of the great Masamune himself…a shame the poor man died, Hiten would've liked to go to Tetsu no Kuni himself and take personal lessons from him. As he inspected the edge of the sword, he noted that it was extremely sharp—there was something special about this sword, he knew that much…it was something never before seen in that treatise that had been written on the art of forging a sword. "Very good choices you have here," he finally said, "two of your swords are standard-issue weapons that are reliable—your katana however, is a true masterpiece. Tenten told me that you got this sword while you were in Tetsu no Kuni."

"Yeah…a swordsmith by the name of Masamune gave it to me. He told me to take extra special care of it…"

"And I can see why. This sword is worth millions if not billions of ryo—and given that this was the final work of the greatest swordsmith in the world, I wouldn't be surprised."

The look of curiosity on Naruto's face was clear. "What do you mean 'final work'? What happened to Masamune-san?"

Fuck! He just remembered that Tenten asked him not to tell the boy that Masamune was dead. Hiten sucked in a deep breath, and let out a huff of shame—he should not have said this out loud. "I shouldn't have…"

The look of curiosity had melded into one of concern. "What happened to him?"

Hiten sighed…he really didn't know how the boy would take it. "Masamune, the man who gave you this sword, has died almost three years ago. This katana was his final masterpiece."

The forlorn look on Naruto's face had been clear…he had wanted to visit Old-man Masamune again…then again he shouldn't have been surprised. Masamune did seem to have a weakened chakra signature…it was like he was going to die soon anyway. "How did you hear of this?"

"It was by rumor that I learned of this. Smiths of all trades tend to talk, and so news of his death spread like wildfire…his death had hit the bladesmith community pretty hard."

"Did you hear how he died?"

"It was known by smiths worldwide that he was fighting a disease called leukemia, which made it so that he said that he would not make another sword for a time, in addition to his loss of inspiration. Apparently, he was seen in his home with his relatives and students dying in peace and in bed…with a smile on his face. His last words a few minutes before he finally passed were 'thanks for the inspiration, now don't disappoint me boy!'…nobody knew who the boy was that he was talking about, but he had a look of hope and excitement on his face when he said it."

Naruto could not believe his ears…Old-man Masamune had left him a message from beyond the grave! It was then that Hiten watched as his sadness was exchanged for a look of determination—and so he finally knew who Masamune was referring to in his last moments. He then looked to the sky as if to speak with the God of Swordsmiths himself…and with that, he made a silent promise. 'Watch Masamune…Naruto is going to make you proud!'

…

[Meanwhile…]

Sakura was walking on home…she was really disappointed that the Uchiha twins couldn't beat that blind brat at his own game! Sasuke was obviously better than that annoying sister of his…even if she was very similar to him in looks! Although a thought ran through her head…maybe she could get that baka as a slave—yeah, maybe she'll even have Ino as a slave too! And then she'll have Naruto-baka, that bitch Tsukiko, and Ino-shishi licking her feet like the dogs they are! Oh yes, so many kinky thoughts were running through that abysmally large forehead of hers that she could not help the heat that started blossoming between her legs. But first she'll have to…wait a minute, is that the twins she's seeing? As she looked on closer, she noted that she was in fact looking at the Uchiha twins! But what were they doing out here?

The curious part of her was overtaking the love she had for Sasuke at the moment…using what skills she had in the art of stealth, she started to follow the twins up to a public restroom bungalow. Once she noted that they had stopped, she immediately hid behind some bushes as they started to scan the area, as if making sure nobody was around. As soon as they were satisfied with the fact that nobody was around, the two of them went into the girl's restroom; no sooner had they had done that than Sakura's curiosity began to reach its peak. Once she saw that both twins had entered the restroom, she crept up to the entrance, and listened in.

"Are you sure you want to be doing this here Tsukiko?"

"Positive…I need to do this, or else I'm going to go crazy."

"I still don't think it's a good idea…but if you insist…"

Dirty thoughts had started filling Sakura's head at the insinuations of what she was hearing from outside the door. She was about to move closer to the entrance as she watched the twins facing each other shortly after a poof was heard…Sakura was about to get a better view when a noise had startled her. Sakura noted that the twins were now looking in her direction.

"Who's there?"

"Show yourself!"

The adrenaline rush had pumped through Sakura as she started to run…little did she know that she was being pursued. Little was she aware of a quick chop to her neck that turned her whole world black…

…

[The Restroom Building…]

"Got her!" called out Satsuki in disguise, as she dragged Whore-uno into the restroom, and propped her up against the wall, "Looks like we missed someone sis."

Tsukiko looked on at the unconscious form of Haruno Sakura. "Shit! Of all the people to catch us…UGH! Do you think she saw anything?"

"I don't know," said Satsuki as she started tying a gag into the pink-haired banshee's mouth, "and frankly, I think we should kill her just in case…just as well though, neither of us liked her anyway, so I think it'll work out. Plus, we'll be getting revenge for everything Naruto-kun has had to put up with her."

"That was fast…why not…"

"You don't think I've thought of that? Inoichi-san is out on a mission, don't you remember?"

Tsukiko was about to retort until a look of realization had crossed her face. She could only sweat-drop as she had just remembered that what her sister had just said was true. "Oh yeah! But still, do we have to kill her? I think it'll just put suspicion on us."

The sigh that left Satsuki's mouth was that of annoyance. "This is the best option we have at the moment…and if you can think of a better way Tsukiko, I'm all ears."

Upon hearing that line from her, the other Uchiha twin was about to give up quickly when she suddenly had an idea…and she started grinning that mischievous grin of hers that promised a plan was in the works; a grin that Satsuki never looked forward to seeing. "How well-versed are you in the lessons from the kunoichi classes Namida-sensei taught us girls?"

Her apprehensive look had changed to one of confusion. "I'm fair with it, why?"

The grin only seemed to widen on Tsukiko's face upon hearing her sister's response. It was there that Satsuki had finally understood what it was that her younger sister by one second was planning…it was also there that her look of realization had melted into the same mischievous cat-ate-the-canary grin her younger sister had. The twins simply chuckled ominously as to the possibilities…until they heard the Haruno-bitch stirring.

…

"What the hell happened?" she asked groggily, "Did I get hit by a runaway bull or something?" She then found herself looking towards the Uchiha twins, turning their heads to face her. She seemed to calm down when she saw Sasuke there—now that Uchiha-bitch was going to get it, and she was going to be spirited away so that she'll be able to confess her love to him…she did not like the grin that she was seeing on the female twin's face though; it was as if Tsukiko had something bad in store for her…

"Well Sakura, it seems your curiosity would have gotten you killed had I not intervened," said Tsukiko, "but I think we have a surprise for you…why don't you do it 'Sasuke'?"

Sasuke had briefly taken a glance at his sister. "With pleasure, sis," he said before focusing his attention on the Haruno, "So Sakura, you're the president of my fan-club are you?"

She could not believe that Sasuke knew…although something about that grin appearing on his face started to look something like his sisters. Sakura could only nod dumbly at her crush's question. "Well then, I think you'll be interested that the Uchiha twins are not fraternal twins at all…"

Sakura could only widen her eyes in surprise at that comment as she watched as her precious Sasuke's hands formed the 'ram' seal as he uttered "Kai"…she didn't like the looks of it, because the ram seal and "Kai" only meant one thing: Sasuke was under a genjutsu. No sooner than she heard that word than a loud 'poof' filled the air and steam filled the restroom. When it cleared, she saw another girl that looked exactly like that whore Tsukiko…from the face that the two of them shared, to the bust size she wished she could have, all the way down to how firm and tight her ass looked. It was there that the twins finished that comment at the same time. "…we're identical twins!"

That was the last straw that broke the camel's back! Sakura could only scream in terror, before the information overload had caused her to black out.

The twins could only wince upon hearing that scream. It was then that Tsukiko looked at the unconscious form of Sakura, and she let out a huff of aggravation. "I think you broke her, Satsuki."

"True, but it'll be easier for what we have planned for her…so long as we're quick about it of course."

"Yeah…I think she'll eventually come to appreciate the irony. So, are you taking her ankles or her shoulders?"

"I'll take her shoulders…since you're such a wimp that you can't take them."

"Hey! She's not that heavy is she?"

It was then that Satsuki put the genjutsu back on and reached for Sakura's shoulders by the armpits. "No, this is a typical fan-girl we're talking about—she has been dieting, and so she doesn't have the healthy amount of fat in her body. But that's not the only thing I'm worried about…are you sure you can handle touching someone else's feet?"

At that, Tsukiko could only have a scandalized look on her face as she picked up Sakura by her ankles. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh dear, have you forgotten how good it felt when you made me wash your feet two nights ago before our bath?"

Tsukiko turned red upon hearing that line that she almost dropped Sakura's ankles the second the both of them had crossed the threshold of the restroom. "S-s-shut up you dumbass! B-besides, you're not so innocent yourself! I heard you moaning when I washed your back on the same day!"

"I did not moan!"

Yes, she was finally getting revenge from her sister now, and Tsukiko found herself pressing farther and farther into making Satsuki every bit as embarrassed as she was! "Oh yes you did! You were even begging me to keep on rubbing your back…even asking me to scrub it harder and faster—and in an animalistic voice!"

Satsuki could only turn red with embarrassment upon hearing her sister reminding her of the back-washing she had received that same day. "L-look, let's just stop this right now and focus on the task at hand all right?"

"…fair enough."

The twins had continued the trip home with their would-be peeping tom in tow…with an awkward silence between the two of them…

…

[Higurashi Arsenal, four hours later…]

Meilan was walking around with Tenten through the armory—so many things she could have! There were gloves that were reinforced with steel knuckles, oaken tonfa of all shapes and sizes, even claws! All of which were perfect weapons for her. "See anything you like?"

"Mostly just the fist weapons," said Meilan, looking at her rival with a bit of jealousy mixed in, "you have some great-looking stuff here. A shame we can't buy anything from this store just yet."

"You could be in luck when you do come in here though," began Tenten, with a sigh, "a lot of ninja have been going to the other people for their weapons and gear. Sure, they're cheaper, but they're not as good a quality…which is why business isn't exactly booming around here, but according to dad, that's okay. Says he'd much rather deal with quality customers over larger numbers of customers at the drop of a hat any day. Personally, to a degree, I think he's right…I'd much rather spend my time on worthwhile customers who are more likely to be loyal."

She was not that well-versed in understanding other people yet, but Meilan knew that this was more than just people not coming to shop at this very place. Oh she had a very good idea why—and the sad thing was that this was not even her fault to begin with. If she ever found the man that did this to make her Naru-kun suffer, she was going to pound the living daylights out of him. She looked at Tenten with a sympathetic look upon noticing how hard it was for her to not cry at her situation…to be honest, she'd be depressed too if she had no customers for something as little as that. Before she could say anything more, she saw Naruto walking with Higurashi Hiten leading him by the hand to her. "You've got a pretty good selection there boy," he said, after allowing leaving Meilan to the hand-holding, "several of your swords are well-made but are still standard-issue, so they're nothing new in my eyes, but that katana of yours is a masterpiece. Treasure it well."

"Will do Higurashi-san."

With that, the couple left the threshold of the arsenal. They'll be returning after they graduate the Ninja Academy. It was here that Hiten turned his attention to Tenten when he was sure the two of them were out of earshot. "He's doing fine Tenten," he said, "and by the looks of things, he's going to be a fine man. If you decide to marry him, then I approve"

The scandalized look on Tenten's face was precious. If he could take a picture now, he would have…because that was a funny scene he had just caught his daughter in. "D-daddy! It's not like that!" As she continued to watch her father for any more funny business, she let out a sigh. There was no escaping her father's knowing gaze when he gave her that 'don't bullshit me' look, especially when there was a smile of amusement on his face. "Besides, even if I did want to pursue him, I highly doubt it's going to work."

"Why not?"

"Because of what…that man did. And I use the term 'man' very lightly. How can I honestly say I deserve the right to be with him after what my so-called 'uncle' did to him?"

"I've only officially met Naruto for a moment, but I can tell you he doesn't seem to me like the sort that holds grudges. But all the same, confront him about what that man did, and make sure you apologize for what he did…if Naruto wants nothing to do with you anymore, then that's the end of the story—not that I blame him, because personally if I were in his position, I wouldn't be so forgiving and trusting of this family. On the other hand, if he holds nothing against you, then do all in your power to make up for the crime that was committed against him. And I would recommend that you work up the courage to do so soon—before you lose the chance to do so on your own terms, in addition to losing your chance to be with him forever."

Tenten could not deny the wisdom in her father's words. The tears she'd been holding back all this time had finally come flooding out as she hugged her father's large and muscular frame and he returned that hug. "I wish mom were still alive!"

He could only comfort his daughter…she was all he had left of his wife, and the advice he gave to her was all he could provide to her to try and help. "Yeah," he finally managed to say, "me too."

…

A/N: Oh no! What's going to happen to Sakura, now that she knows the Twins' secret now? And what katana was Hiten thinking of that the twins would not get? I'll probably reveal the latter when the twins run off with the Sound Four. In the meantime, I'm thinking of how soon it is until Tenten confronts Naruto about what her uncle did. Naruto's zanbato is the one used in Final Fantasy XI, and the short sword resembles one of Killer Bee's Raiton swords.

…

Confirmed Character Classes So Far:

Naruto: Asura (initially), by Shippuuden he'll also be the other Slayer subclasses

Meilan: Nen Master

Rock Lee: Striker

Tenten: Rogue

Sasuke/Satsuki: Blademaster, Berserker, Rogue, Soul Bender

Tsukiko: Blademaster, Berserker, Rogue, Necromancer

Hiten: Exorcist

Tsunade: Monk, Grappler

Hinata: Nen Master, Striker

Haku (will be female and in the harem): Glacial Master

Zabuza: Berserker

…

Songs Used:

"Battle Stations" by Masashi Hamauzu from "Musashiden II: Blademaster": Hiten at work

"Yonah (Piano Version)" by Okabe Keiichi from "Nier": Hiten reflects on his love life

"Run to You" by Noriyuki Asakura from "Rurouni Kenshin": GSD's travelling

"Evil" by Toshiro Masuda from "Naruto": Tsukiko's idea

"Departure" by Noriyuki Asakura from "Rurouni Kenshin": Tenten speaks with Hiten

…

Vocabulary/Culture Notes:

Tsurugi—the Japanese double-edged sword; essentially a copy of the Chinese jian

Gladius—the ancient Roman short sword…this is where the word 'gladiator' comes from

Ino-shishi—Japanese for 'wild boar'…that is why whenever her insult-name is translated, Ino is called "Ino-Pig" in the English translation/dub.