Naruto: The Age of Ninja Swords Begins in Kumogakure

Chapter 111 Shouzaki Lizard

"I humbly request your guidance, senior!"

Tamura Hao took a deep breath, put the big cat into the sealing spell, took out the little cat again, and also took out the matching scabbard.

"Don't die!"

He spoke seriously, his legs slightly bent, his right hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

Tamura recognized this as a standard Iaijutsu stance, also known as the standing Iaijutsu, used for head-on combat, with the core principle being speed.

Without delay, he bent his knees slightly, placed his right hand on the hilt of his sword, and stared intently at Mifune, or rather, at his sword.

He pushed the Sharingan's dynamic vision and Byakugan's X-ray vision to their limits, and with the added boost of his cheat ability and comprehension, he closely observed Mifune's physical outburst.

This is Mifune's strongest killing move. He used it to defeat Hanzo the Salamander during World War IV, and even cut Hanzo's scythe in half.

Faced with such a deadly sword technique, one must go all out.

The electric currents on his body converged towards his right arm, stimulating his muscles and bones to an extreme degree.

Seeing that Tamura was ready, Mifune did not wait any longer. His figure disappeared instantly and reappeared behind Tamura.

At the same time, Tamura Hao had already drawn his sword at some point, but only half of the blade remained; the other half flew out spinning and eventually stuck in the ground.

Immediately afterwards, the broken half of the knife in his hand fell to the ground, his right arm hung limply, and blood flowed down from his sleeve.

The breastplate was also cut open, and the sternum was partially severed from the right side of the abdomen to the left shoulder.

His bones were strong enough, otherwise his entire chest would have been cut open.

With great difficulty, he retrieved a bottle of spray medicine from a sealing spell and sprayed it on the wound. The medicine transformed into a gel-like substance, temporarily sealing the wound. Only then did Tamura Hao look at the broken sword on the ground.

"Is this what it means for man and sword to become one?"

Little Meow is a supreme weapon of the same caliber as Mifune's Kurosawa, and both were crafted by their teacher, Kusaya Ichiro.

But now it has been cut off by Mifune's Kurosawa, just like Mifune cut off Hanzo's scythe in the Future Fourth Shinobi World War.

He himself was also severely injured by that knife, and his chest was almost cut open.

And this is certainly not Mifune's full strength, at least not yet his killing intent and murderous aura have been unleashed.

Compared to ninjas, samurai's killing intent is more concentrated and its power is greater when integrated into swordsmanship.

In the future, Orochimaru intimidated Nisuke with his killing intent alone, and Zabuza Momochi even altered his chakra with his killing intent; both examples demonstrate the application of killing intent.

The samurai's killing intent was even more sharp and refined.

"This is a perfect fusion of man and sword, allowing the power of both to be transformed, and making the sword's sharpness surpass the limits of its own material, capable of cutting through anything."

Mifune sheathed Kurosawa, turned around and looked at the young man in front of him, admiring him even more.

This child not only possesses unparalleled talent in sword forging, but also astonishing talent in swordsmanship.

The three flashes of the previous attack had already caught his eye, and the Iaijutsu that had just been used was even faster and more swift, managing to keep up with his speed.

He only achieved the unity of man and sword, which allowed him to cut through anything; otherwise, he probably wouldn't have gained anything.

"The iaido technique you just used is a little different."

He asked another question. He could tell that the child's iaido technique was not quite right, it seemed to be more extreme. His right arm was hanging limply, and blood was flowing from his sleeve.

Clearly, the burst of power just now far exceeded the arm's carrying capacity.

"That's a sword-drawing slash that I evolved from the iaido slash. It's more extreme, emphasizing the unleashing of all one's own power, and even calculating and predicting the opponent's angle, speed, power, etc. It's either you die or I die."

It's suitable for unleashing power in desperate situations, based on the idea that the brave prevail when paths cross, and that you should go all out to cut through everything in your path. However, it still seems too immature at the moment.

Tamura Hiroshi still didn't hide anything, explaining the concept behind that attack.

This sword-drawing slash was created by him based on the idea of ​​the Crescent Moon Scimitar Divine Sword Slash. He practiced drawing his sword every night before going to bed, averaging over a hundred times a day throughout the year.

Don't be fooled by the fact that a hundred times may not seem like much, but each time it's his full-force burst, which is very taxing and can even injure the tendons and bones in his arms if he's not careful.

At the same time, he also needs to perform precise calculations, which consumes a lot of mental energy. He can now only make a maximum of ten cuts per night.

When you unleash a single strike that exhausts your chakra and depletes your mental and physical energy, you will have achieved mastery.

That is the ultimate burst of one's true power, just like the Eight Gates Formation, a desperate killing move used to fight to the death, where it's either you or me who dies.

Although they are ruthless, when faced with a desperate situation, they must fight to the death without hesitation, otherwise they will have no chance to fight.

"When two armies meet on a narrow path, the brave one will prevail!"

Mifune admired that phrase even more.

This child truly possesses the essence of their samurai, unlike those sinister and ruthless ninjas.

Perhaps this truly is the future of their warriors.

"Okisuke!"

Mifune called out to a young man watching from the sidelines. He had prepared a gift for the boy earlier, and now it seemed that the gift was very appropriate, and the boy deserved to take it.

The young man walked quickly over, holding a scroll in his hands.

"I've heard Ichiro-senpai talk about your swordsmanship ideas. This gift should be helpful to you. I hope you can make your vision a reality."

Mifune had high hopes for the child; at least the idea of ​​swordsmanship involving chakra nature transformation was feasible, and some of his samurai had even tried it.

However, their samurai system lacked experience in this area, resulting in minimal progress.

But this child comes from Kumogakure, and with his talent and comprehension, he will definitely be able to make it through this path.

Such an outstanding junior is worth investing in.

"Thank you for the gift, senior. I will certainly not let you down."

Tamura Hiroshi didn't mince words and accepted the scroll with a determined look.

He is quite determined to follow the path of taijutsu and swordsmanship, as this is how he will fight against the Otsutsuki clan in the future.

"If you ever encounter that demigod in the future, please have him compete on my behalf."

Mifune revealed his deepest regret: as a general of the Land of Iron, he could not act rashly and feared he would never be able to confront that person again in his lifetime.

But this child is a ninja from Kumogakure (Hidden Cloud Village), so he wouldn't have the same concerns as him, which is one of the main reasons he gave this gift.

"I've got it!"

Tamura Hao nodded solemnly in agreement. This was not a difficult task for him, and he had already been planning to go to the Land of Rain.

I wonder if Madara Uchiha transplanted the Rinnegan into Nagato Uzumaki's body.

Nagato Uzumaki should still be in the Land of Rain. At least none of the children brought out from Uzushiogakure are named Nagato Uzumaki, and there is no record of him in the family genealogy. His parents must have left Uzushiogakure and settled elsewhere.

After exchanging ideas on swordsmanship with Mifune, Tamura Hiroshi did not linger. He left the general's residence with Kusaya Ichiro and met up with Uzumaki Kushina and the others who were waiting outside.

"Teacher, I have to go!"

Tamura Hiroshi bid farewell to Kusayama Ichiro. They needed to detour to another place, and time was tight, so they had to leave as soon as possible.

"Take care on your journey!"

Kusayama Ichiro glanced at his disciple's right arm, which was no longer bleeding, and nodded, his heart filled with anticipation for the future.

He himself could not forge a legendary sword, but his disciples certainly could.

Tamura Hao didn't say anything more, turned around and left with the others, while Uzumaki Yuye used her Palm Healing Technique to heal Tamura Hao's drooping right arm as they walked.

That final slash caused significant damage to my muscles and tendons; they still ache terribly.

"You can't keep doing this kind of reckless behavior."

"Withdraw your Palm Immortal Technique," Whirlpool Jade Leaf warned.

Through her chakra perception, she could tell that the child's arm injury was extremely serious, enough to cripple an ordinary person.

"That was a desperate measure; we probably won't need to use it many more times."

Tamura Hao didn't want to resort to such desperate measures. If he hadn't wanted to further comprehend the state of man and sword as one, he wouldn't have used the draw sword slash.

"I don't need your blood."

Pushing away the small hand offered to him, Tamura Hao glared at Uzumaki Vanilla.

Vanilla Uzumaki's blood is indeed miraculous, but after fusing with Kaguya's and the Ten-Tails' chakra, she also has a certain self-healing ability. In particular, the ability of Shikotsumyaku can quickly repair injuries to the bones, and such injuries can be healed in just a few days.

However, the girl still stretched out her hand, appearing quite stubborn.

"Snapped!"

"Sweetie, I don't like disobedient people."

Tamura Hao decisively slapped her, causing the girl to blush and cover her backside, no longer persisting.

This scene made Kushina Uzumaki, who was watching from the side, grit her teeth in anger, and Hikaru Uchiha also cast an unfriendly glance at her.

Night Moon Ai and Fukai were filled with envy.

Look at all those beautiful girls around them, while they're all still single.

When I go back to the village this time, I must find a beautiful girlfriend.

After Yu Ye used medical bandages to wrap Tamura Hao's arm and hung it around his neck, the group quickened their pace.

Several days later, the group arrived at the location of Shouzaki Ridge, the former capital of the Kingdom of Shou.

"This should be Shouzaki Ridge, but according to intelligence, the Shouzaki Kingdom was destroyed more than 20 years ago, the castle where the capital was located was also destroyed, and their royal family, the Shouzaki clan, was completely slaughtered. There can't possibly be any survivors."

After taking out the map and examining it carefully, Ye Yue Ai felt that this trip was not very reliable.

"But there are strange rumors about this place, and many people have gone missing here, so there must be something wrong."

The strange rumors that have arisen are most likely related to illusions and secret techniques. According to our intelligence, the last daimyo of the Shuzaki clan seems to possess a summoning beast with illusionary powers.

Either the remaining members of the Shuzaki clan are causing trouble here to scare people and prevent others from getting close, or it's some kind of mysterious spirit beast.

Summoning beasts with illusionary powers are rare; it's worth the trip.

Tamura Hiroshi gazed at the rolling mountains ahead; he had come all this way for that giant lizard.

"You've got your eye on that kind of summoned beast!"

The group suddenly realized that they hadn't asked many questions before, thinking that the real target was the surviving members of the Shouzaki clan. Who would have thought that the real target was the summoning beast?

"A summoning beast skilled in illusion!"

Uchiha Hikaru became interested. Her talent for genjutsu was quite good, and if she could have a genjutsu summoning beast to cooperate with her, the effect would definitely be better.

"Aunt Yuye!"

Tamura Hao gestured to Uzumaki Tamayo, indicating that if there really was a summoning beast or other ninja, this person would be needed to sense it.

The Kagura Mind's Eye, with its 30-kilometer radius, is best suited for this task.

Whirlpool Jade Leaf didn't say much, but quickly gained something from using Kagura's Mind's Eye.

"There, there is a powerful chakra surge."

It points to the highest mountain peak, where there is a reaction of chakra, and the intensity is not low.

Without delay, the group ran towards the castle and soon arrived at it.

While Aya and the others hadn't figured it out yet, Hikaru Uchiha and Tamura Hiro, who had borrowed Kaguya's eye power, realized that it wasn't a castle at all, but a giant lizard coiled up there—a very large lizard.

The large lizard seemed to realize that its illusion had been seen through, and it warily stared at the group below.

"It really is a summoning beast!"

Tamura Hao said "I knew it," then looked at the others and asked, "Who among you is interested in this giant lizard?"

He had no particular feeling for these spirit beasts, and they weren't of much help to him.

He would consider spirit beasts with magical powers like those from the three holy lands, or those from the ape clan with indestructible abilities.

Of course, most importantly, he was somewhat averse to psychic practices.

I've tricked too many opponents with psychic abilities in the past, and I'm worried about karma and retribution, that I might be tricked by psychic abilities myself in the future.

"It's so ugly!"

Uchiha Hikaru lost interest and even looked disgusted.

"Illusion abilities don't suit me!"

Ye Yue Ai shook his head. He wanted a summoning beast with super jumping ability, so that it would be more fun to ride it and slash people with a sword. He would give up on this kind of illusion.

Fukai also shook his head, saying it didn't fit his fighting style.

"Give it to Vanilla!"

Kushina Uzumaki suggested that among them, Vanilla is currently the weakest, mainly because she started training too late. Having a summoning beast to protect them would give them peace of mind.

Moreover, with Vanilla's chakra reserves, summoning such a large summoning beast is not difficult; it's sufficient.

Whirlpool Vanilla looked at Tamura Hao, for her master's will was her own will.

"I know you can understand human language. If you agree to become my companion's summoned beast, you will receive one dose of this life energy per month. You can also make other requests. Once you agree, I will send out the summoning contract."

Tamura Hao raised his hand and condensed a ball of pure life force, wrapped in chakra, which originated from the life force of the Little Ten-Tails.

He had no interest in going inside the giant lizard's mouth to farm resources; he'd just use bribery.

Sure enough, as soon as that pure life force appeared, the giant lizard stared at it intently. After hesitating for a while, it finally dispelled its illusion and extended its long tongue to stick the life force wrapped in chakra into its mouth.

He squinted, enjoying the comfort of the life force spreading and merging within his body, before finally opening his eyes and speaking in human language.

"My tribe needs meat, tens of thousands of kilograms of meat every day."

Their own tribe needs a large amount of meat to grow and reproduce, at least tens of thousands of kilograms every day.

"Is fish okay? If you're not picky, you can have as much as you want."

Tamura Hao asked, "It's not difficult to get tens of thousands of kilograms of meat, especially if you're not picky about food."

The village has reached an agreement with the daimyo prefecture to launch railway and steamship projects. In particular, once the large steamships are built, they will have the ability to sail in the deep sea, allowing them to fish in deep-sea areas.

Let alone 10,000 jin, even 10,000 jin would be no problem for him; it would just cost him a little money.

If one were to directly fund the construction of fishing boats, the overall cost could be further reduced.

The lizard race is clearly a group, and these magical creatures, which are more inclined towards illusion, are also very valuable to cultivate; he will give them as much as they can eat.

"Okay, my name is Tadashi-maru!"

After giving a brief reply, the giant lizard, Tadashimaru, spat out a scroll of a summoning contract from its mouth.

"It really is Kishimoto. Is it just a coincidence of the same name?"

Unfolding the summoning scroll, Tamura Hao looked at the second-to-last name inside and pondered the origin of that person.

Vanilla Uzumaki happily pricked her palm with a knife, wrote her name on it with her blood, and then used chakra to activate the brand, completing the contract signing.

Upon seeing the contract completed, Churyomaru stuck out his tongue, stuck the contract scroll to his mouth, and then exploded into a cloud of mist, returning to the spirit world.

In fact, its steadfast presence here for over twenty years is more about waiting—waiting for a new psychic.

Otherwise, without a medium, they would be unable to leave the spirit world on their own, and their lineage's spirit contract would be rendered useless.

Don't think that being a spirit beast means being a slave, selflessly helping the spirit master. In fact, most of them are rewarded, especially high-level spirit beasts in the spirit world.

The greatest reward is food. Feeding an entire race is no easy task, and it's unrealistic to rely solely on the small space of the Spirit Realm.

He used to rely on the Shuzaki clan for support, but now that he has such a generous and powerful family, he is very satisfied.

"We need to get to a port with a thriving fishing industry first; we should have enough time!"

Tamura Hao was already thinking about getting some fish, and he planned to use his money to get a batch first.

"The nearest major port is here. If we travel at full speed, we can reach it in two days, and then head to Konoha."

After searching the map, Frokai finally located a port marker.

Unlike Aya Yoruzuki, who is the son of the Raikage, he frequently goes out on missions, including missions abroad, and has a better understanding of the outside world.

"Then full speed ahead, Vanilla!"

Tamura Hiroshi glanced at the markings and route on the map, then crouched down and gestured for Whirlpool Vanilla to climb onto his back.

Vanilla Uzumaki had never received ninja training before, and only began training after arriving in the Land of Iron. Her foundation was relatively weak, especially in terms of physique.

The main reason is that he was drained too much by those people from Kusagakure in the past, which damaged his foundation and made him extremely weak. It took him a year to recover.

The previous few days of travel had already pushed her to her limit; if she sped up again, she wouldn't be able to keep up.

Knowing she couldn't go fast, Vanilla Whirlpool climbed onto her owner's back, her little face beaming with happiness.

It's so great to be able to get close to my owner.

Without delay, the group quickly headed towards the port.

As Tamura Hao hurried along, he recalled the scroll that Mifune had given him, which contained Mifune's insights into swordsmanship, including several killing moves, among which were the Iai Slash and the Sky-Splitting Slash.

As an exceptionally powerful samurai, or rather, a master swordsman, who had achieved the state of perfect harmony between man and sword, Mifune's understanding of swordsmanship was unparalleled by other samurai, greatly benefiting Tamura Hiroshi.

Then there's a footwork technique called Shunpo, similar to the Body Flicker Technique. It's also a basic footwork technique for Iaijutsu, capable of bursting out with super-fast speed in an instant, assisting in the Iaijutsu strike.

There are now rumors that ninja techniques are ineffective against Mifune because ninjas simply don't have time to form hand seals in front of him.

The key lies in this Instant Step, which is a type of physical technique called the Body Flicker Technique, but it is more refined and has a faster burst speed.

Tamura Hao valued this Shunpo (Instant Step) very much. He happened to have a move that required it. His previous idea was to use the Body Flicker Technique and the Lightning Body Flicker Technique to assist him, but now that he had this Shunpo, it was even better.

(End of this chapter)