Betaed by Doodledon122
Chapter: 3
For several hours, I traveled along the road with Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji in silence. "You're not really much of a talker, are you?" Shikamaru asked as we walked. I was pulling the cart, and the three children were walking alongside it.
"No, not really. I've always been more of the quiet type. Besides, is there really much to talk about?" I replied, followed by a question of my own.
"We could talk about why the Hokage thinks it would only take three genin to stop you from running off," Shikamaru said with a sly smile, eliciting a short laugh from me.
"I think I'd prefer silence to answering that. But truth be told, I doubt Tsunade believes I'm actually going to run. This is more than likely just to add to my punishment. Which makes me wonder—where's Asuma? Shouldn't he be with you guys as squad leader?" I asked, quickly shifting the subject. Talking about how three children could likely bring me back wasn't a pleasant topic.
"When Asuma-sensei heard we were going to be escorting you, he just laughed and said we could handle it without him. He commented that it would be good experience for us," Shikamaru replied.
Hearing that answer brought a slight smile to my face. I'd spent most of my life alone without any family to speak of. Thankfully, the Sarutobi clan had been extremely kind, many of them treating me as if I were one of their own. Asuma, in particular, felt almost like a brother to me.
As we conversed, a small town came into view as we crested a hill. It was just after midday, and I hoped we'd be back on the road and heading to the Leaf Village by nightfall. Unfortunately, despite the town's small size, the three of us searched for several hours without finding the purchaser, Kenta. Reluctantly, I got us a room at the inn for the night.
"Don't you guys think it's a little weird that someone would order a bunch of weapons and then not show up to get them?" Choji asked as we began to settle down in our room.
"I agree. It's certainly odd. It's enough weaponry to arm a small force of shinobi," Shikamaru replied.
"I could think of a few reasons," I added while removing my boots. "Maybe this Kenta doesn't live here and is running late. Maybe bandits or something got the guy. Or maybe Senshi was just pulling my chain and wasting my time. Regardless, there's nothing we can do except hope we run into the guy before we leave tomorrow."
After that conversation, we bedded down for the night. The next morning, before anything else, the three of us grabbed breakfast. As we sat at a table, I watched in awe at how much food Choji could eat.
"Jeez, kid, maybe slow down a bit. There's plenty of food," I said with a short laugh, slightly shocked at the sheer volume he was consuming.
"It's no use. He always eats like this, no matter how many times I tell him it's immature," Ino replied as she ate her own meal. Her final sentence sounded annoyed as she elbowed Choji in the side.
After eating, we made one more attempt to find Kenta but with no success. We decided to leave the town just before noon, only to be stopped by a group of ten barely armed men.
"Ah, you must be the delivery guy we were told to meet. Sorry about the wait; it wasn't easy to get all the way over here," said the leader, the only one properly armed with two swords. He spoke with a smile, but their appearance and demeanor screamed "bandits."
"No, I'm no delivery guy, and I'm certainly not selling anything to people like you," I said firmly. My refusal made them visibly hostile.
"Look, we're taking these weapons whether you hand them over or not. Do you really think some one-armed guy and some kids can stop us?" the leader sneered.
That insulting question got to me. In response, I reached into my cart to retrieve a kunai. "You three stay back. I'm going to teach these guys a lesson," I told Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji, who had already entered their battle stances.
As I inspected the kunai, one of the men rushed me with a sword. A quick sidestep avoided his downward slash, and I countered with a cut of my own, slicing his throat. I threw the kunai at the leader, who managed to draw one of his swords in time to deflect it, only for it to strike the man next to him. Grabbing the fallen sword, I slashed the next advancing man across the chest, ducking under his attack aimed at my neck.
The leader then charged, leaping into the air and spinning with both blades aimed at my chest. I leaped back, dodging his strike, and pressed forward as he slashed at my stomach and shoulder in quick succession. I stepped back to avoid the first strike and intercepted the second, redirecting it with my blade. Pivoting around him, I delivered a final, swift slash across his back. Blood painted the ground as their leader fell.
The remaining men hesitated, fear evident in their eyes.
"You couldn't best me if you had a hundred years to try. Leave now while I'm still playing nice," I said coldly.
The bandits retreated, allowing Team 10 and me to leave. "Holy cow, that was awesome! I thought we were going to have to jump in, but he scared them off like it was nothing," Choji said excitedly as we walked away.
"Choji's right. For a guy with one arm, you sure can handle yourself pretty well," Ino added.
"Well, for a long time, I strived to be a shinobi, but it didn't quite work out," I replied.
We walked for several hours, eventually arriving back at the Leaf Village. After parting ways with Team 10, I returned to my home, hauling the cart inside my forge. To my annoyance, Senshi was waiting for me. This entire situation had felt off from the beginning, and now I voiced my suspicions.
"What the hell was that, Senshi? You set me up," I accused.
"Whatever do you mean? I set up a simple business deal between you and some fine gentlemen. If something went wrong, that's not my fault," Senshi replied in an amused tone, clearly withholding the truth.
After paying for the weapons himself, Senshi provided me with another order: an exquisite sword with a dual-bladed design, a decorative hilt and guard featuring a wave-like pattern, and a strange family crest in the center of the guard.
"Here, if it makes you happy, nothing could go wrong with this. Just make the sword and take it to an old friend of mine in the Land of Waves. It's only a few days from here, and it's just a simple trade. You're not even a shinobi anymore, so it's already been approved," Senshi said.
The sword was quick to make, and getting Tsunade's permission was even easier, thanks to Senshi. I couldn't help but question the oddity of it all.
"So you don't find this strange in the slightest?" I asked Tsunade.
"Of course I do, but a bit of strangeness isn't enough to cause worry. We've done stranger deals. However, just like last time, I'm assigning you a genin squad, Team 7 to be specific. It's more of a formality; I don't believe you're going to take off, but I have to make the elders happy," Tsunade replied.
With our conversation concluded, I bowed to Tsunade before returning home to prepare for another journey. The trip to the Land of Waves was slow and, at times, irritating. Naruto's constant questions didn't help.
"So, how did you lose your arm?" he asked, earning a swift smack on the back of his head from Sakura.
"You idiot, you don't just ask something like that!" she scolded.
I chuckled softly. "It's fine. Believe it or not, I lost it to Orochimaru. I'm actually a very accomplished swordsman."
A moment of silence followed before Naruto spoke up again, incredulity clear in his voice. "What? Orochimaru? No way! I mean, I know you're the guy Pervy Sage and Grandma Tsunade found, but Orochimaru? Besides, how could a guy with one arm be a swordsman?"
Another smack from Sakura shut him up, but I ignored their bickering and turned my attention to Sasuke, who walked beside me in silence. His face was an emotionless mask, but everyone knew the tragedy that had befallen him. Every time that night came to mind, so did Senshi.
"Hey, Sasuke, I need to ask you something about Senshi," I said, hoping for answers.
"Uncle Senshi? What about him?" Sasuke replied coldly, a scoff escaping his lips.
"What's he been up to lately? Surely, you've noticed some oddities in his behavior."
Sasuke's expression darkened, irritation flashing in his eyes. "How should I know? Whenever he's around, it's all training and drills. He never talks about what he's doing, and when he does, he acts like he knows everything. But he doesn't know anything."
His tone matched the frustration on his face, and for a moment, I hesitated to push further. Thankfully, Naruto interrupted.
"Hey, I know where we are! Follow me—I want to show you something," Naruto exclaimed, leading us off the road.
Eventually, we arrived at Zabuza's grave, which overlooked a village connected to the mainland by a bridge.
"So, this is the resting place of the Demon of the Hidden Mist. I will wield your blade with honor," I said respectfully as I stood before the grave. I retrieved Kubikiribōchō, unwilling to leave such a legendary blade buried in the dirt.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing? You can't just take that!" Naruto shouted, clearly upset.
"I'm not leaving it buried like this," I said, my tone firm. "A blade of this caliber deserves proper respect, wielded by someone who understands its true value."
Naruto looked ready to argue, but my determination silenced him. I fashioned a makeshift holster for the massive blade and secured it on my back.
After a few more days of travel, we reached the village Senshi had specified. Following his instructions, we approached a side entrance but were quickly stopped by three shinobi guarding a hidden path.
"Hold it right there. You've got Leaf genin with you. What's your business here?" the leader demanded aggressively.
"We're here on a delivery. Just let us in and out," I replied calmly.
The shinobi weren't convinced. The leader drew his sword, taking an offensive stance. "No one's supposed to know about this entrance—especially not some one-armed trader from the Leaf. For all we know, you could be spies."
With a sigh, I removed Kubikiribōchō from my back. "First blood or to the death?" I asked.
He didn't answer, charging at me instead with a flurry of slashes. Deflecting his strikes with the broad blade was easy, and I quickly knocked him back with a shoulder check. With a single thrust, I drove the jagged tip into his chest—not enough to kill, just to draw blood.
Before I could declare the fight over, something unexpected happened. The blade began absorbing the man's blood, brutally restoring itself to its full length. His agonized screams brought the conflict to a halt.
Sliding his lifeless body off the blade, I turned to face the remaining shinobi.
"That blade... there's no mistaking it. How did you get your hands on it?" one of them demanded.
I was about to answer honestly but decided against it. "I took it after I killed Zabuza," I lied smoothly.
"Impossible! I heard he was killed by the Copy Ninja, Kakashi," one of them retorted.
"Rumors," I said confidently. "If I didn't kill Zabuza, how would I have this blade?"
My assertion left them stunned. After a moment, one muttered, "Maybe he's telling the truth. He took out our captain like it was nothing. And that arm… he must've lost it fighting Zabuza."
Smiling, I added, "Wrong. I lost this arm fighting Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin. Now, let us pass—unless you want to end up like your captain."
Frightened, the two remaining shinobi stepped aside, allowing us entry.
Finding the blacksmith Senshi had sent us to was simple. I instructed Team 7 to wait outside while I entered the forge. An old man was at work, shaping a dagger from a single billet in six precise strikes.
"So, you're the smith Senshi sent? Let's see what you've got," he said, turning to face me.
I handed him the blade I had crafted. "I hope it meets your standards. It's one of the best swords I've ever made," I said.
The old man inspected it carefully. "It's a high-quality blade, no doubt. It'll withstand both time and battle. But it's far from legendary—not like the one on your back. Come here. I'll show you a thing or two."
For several hours, I watched and learned as the old man shared his wisdom. I realized I had much more to learn about smithing than I'd imagined.
When I finally emerged, night had fallen, and Team 7 was visibly annoyed. To avoid unnecessary conflict, I secured a room for us to stay the night. By morning, we were back on the road, heading home.