"What is this?"
Haruko stared in amazement at the large blade. It looked like a giant strange fish, covered all over with sharp barbs. The blade was wrapped in oxhide and bound with red shimenawa.
"Don't look down on this sword just because of its odd shape—it's extremely powerful. I bought it at great cost. However, since it arrived at my shop, business has gone steadily downhill. A monk told me that only by giving this blade to someone destined for it could I dispel the misfortune haunting my store."
The owner sighed, looking both regretful and reluctant.
"Really?" Haruko responded doubtfully.
She stepped forward, gripped the handle of Samehada firmly with both hands, and swung it powerfully.
It was heavy, but felt totally balanced in her grip.
Swish! Swish!
In Haruko's hands, Samehada sliced through the air with mighty force, blowing decorations inside the shop askew. Such awesome power instantly brought a delighted expression to Haruko's face.
"Hey, stop already—don't accidentally destroy my shop!" the owner hastily urged.
"If you like this blade, just take it already."
"Well then, I won't be shy—I'll accept it gladly," Haruko said quickly, her big eyes sparkling. Fearing the owner might change his mind, she immediately slung Samehada onto her back and hurriedly left the weapon shop with her companions.
Not long afterward...
The group returned once again to the dock, boarded a small boat already prepared, and set off across the boundless sea.
Stormy seas awaited them, but Haruko and her crew knew these waters like the backs of their hands. With years of experience, they dodged the worst of the weather.
Led by "The Sea's Daughter" Haruko, the small boat finally passed safely through the turbulent stormy waters.
However, during their voyage, they faced one terrifying crisis—nearly becoming shark bait:
One night, a pack of sharks attacked them, surrounding the boat completely. Everyone waved their harpoons, standing along the ship's railings fighting against the sharks in the water.
As more and more sharks charged forth tearing at the hull, threatening to capsize their vessel, Samehada suddenly let out a deep, roaring growl.
Under the sword's terrifying influence, all the sharks immediately panicked, turning tail and fleeing away in disgrace.
This crisis was resolved in a way no one could believe.
"It's incredible—this is a living sword! It will definitely help me defeat those rogue ninjas!"
Overjoyed, Haruko couldn't get enough of Samehada, even hugging it while sleeping at night, whispering to it about all her troubles and inner thoughts.
Two days later, the group finally returned home, spotting their island from afar as they stood upon the small boat.
Beneath the azure sky, sitting calmly within the endless sea, Mikazuki Island shaped like a crescent moon lay peacefully.
On the island, lush tropical forests stretched continuously, wild grasses and countless blooming flowers attracting flocks of seabirds that nested and circled above.
The breathtaking ocean views blended with the island's lush forests, turning Mikazuki Island—a place of eternal spring—into something like paradise.
This was Haruko's homeland, where her companions had been living for generations. But now, it had been seized by villains.
Filled with grief and hatred, they gritted their teeth, tightening their grips on their weapons as they stealthily approached the island from a distant shore.
However, to Haruko's surprise, despite thinking they were undetected, the enemy sensed their presence the moment they stepped onto the island using Barrier Ninjutsu.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
They hadn't taken more than a few steps when dozens of figures burst from the island's woods—ninja, ronin, and thugs shouting wildly as they surrounded Haruko and her team on the beach.
When enemies meet, blood boils.
Not a word was spoken before both sides clashed, and the battle quickly intensified.
At the front line, Haruko was immediately surrounded and attacked by over a dozen foes. Blades and sword-energy slashed at her from every direction.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
Haruko swung Samehada forcefully, deflecting enemy strikes and producing a series of sharp metallic clashes. Despite her small stature, she radiated immense power, striking like an unstoppable force.
"Aaaahhh!"
One after another, amidst continuous screams of pain, seven or eight enemies were struck directly by Samehada's heavy blows and sent flying backward, bloodied.
Samehada is made specifically for slicing through human flesh. Once scratched by its barbed surface, one wouldn't die easily, but would surely lose layers of skin, leaving wounds that continuously bled.
"Get outta my way! Let me handle her!"
A tall chūnin among the enemy roared as he charged forward. With his hands forming hand seals rapidly, he activated an Earth Release technique that hardened his skin until it became as tough as steel.
Clang!
Leaping high into the air, Haruko swung Samehada downward in a mighty slash. To her surprise, however, the opponent blocked the strike with just his bare arms.
"You're finished."
The chūnin sneered coldly, preparing to close in and defeat Haruko. But just then—
Chiii-chiii-chiii!
Suddenly, a powerful suction surged from Samehada's blade, absorbing the chakra from the chūnin's Earth Release technique and nullifying his jutsu.
Not good!
Realizing something was wrong, the man's expression turned to panic. Instinctively, he tried to pull away, but Samehada clung to him like glue, greedily draining every drop of chakra from his body.
Thud!
Within less than ten seconds, the once muscular chūnin became nothing more than a frail skeleton of himself before collapsing lifelessly to the ground.
This eerie spectacle terrified the remaining enemies. For a moment, hesitation filled their eyes as they retreated, unwilling to continue fighting against Haruko.
"What just happened?"
Staring at the suddenly fallen foe, Haruko herself felt shocked too. Yet quickly realizing this must be some special ability of Samehada, she soon understood.
Regardless, her side had completely gained the upper hand in this battle.
Raising her arm high and giving a rallying cry, Haruko led her companions charging forward to seize the opportunity and wipe out the remaining enemies once and for all.
Unfortunately, her boldness soon brought consequences—she fell right into an enemy ambush.
Swish!
An iron-wired net dropped from above, trapping Haruko inside. As she prepared to cut the mesh apart using Samehada, a brilliant flash of lightning came soaring from behind her.
Crackle!
Lightning surged through the iron net and into Haruko in an instant—her body went limp. She crashed to the ground.
At that moment, an elite Chunin emerged from the woods and approached Haruko. Clearly, he had used a long-range Lightning Release Jutsu to ambush her.
"You've taken out a lot of our men."
He grabbed Haruko by her short hair, yanking her up. With a cold sneer, he spat a big wad of saliva onto her face before kicking her away hard.
"Damn it..."
Gritting her teeth, Haruko forced herself back to her feet, determined to keep fighting. But she was quickly surrounded and beaten mercilessly by multiple enemies.
Pound! Pound! Pound!
Cursing loudly, they rushed forward, throwing punches and kicks without holding back. Soon, Haruko was bruised all over, blood dripping from her nose and mouth, wounds covering her body.
"Don't kill her yet; she's still useful. Take this woman along with the other fishermen back. They'll make good replacements for the mine workers."
The elite Chunin ordered coldly.
Then he picked up Samehada, the large sword that had fallen to the ground, examining it repeatedly while clicking his tongue in amazement.
"If I present this blade to Boss, he'll surely be delighted."
Muttering to himself, he slung the Samehada onto his back.
Sunlight filtered through the thick woods, dappling the ground below.
Haruko and the others were now shackled, continually whipped, and driven forward like livestock.
Under enemy escort, they passed through the forest and arrived at an open-air mine on the opposite side of Mikazuki Island.
Haruko lifted her head, staring at the scene before her, her entire body trembling.
Inside the mining pit, she saw many of her tribe being forced to work under enemy supervision. Due to the brutal labor, many had unkempt hair, disheveled appearances, and hands covered in dried blood. One after another, they collapsed—some dead from exhaustion, some beaten to death. The enemies didn't even bother to bury the bodies; instead, they tossed them directly into the sea as fish food.
The fishing tribe on Mikazuki Island once had over four hundred people. After the enemy's invasion and massacre, fewer than a third remained.
At this moment, a grim and bitter smile appeared on Haruko's face. Her heart was filled only with endless despair.
"Send the others off to the mines. This woman—take her to see Boss first."
The elite Chunin commanded several subordinates before grabbing Haruko's chain and dragging her swiftly toward the hideout of the rogue ninja.
Near the mine, there were several tents set up on an empty lot.
A Ninja whose massive build resembled a small hill sat on a chair, supervising the slaves within the mine while idly playing with a piece of ore in his hands.
His eyes had vertical pupils. His mouth was wide, blood-red, filled with jagged, razor-sharp teeth. His face was full of thick, rough flesh, his skin covered in bumps and ridges like crocodile hide. Just looking at him was terrifying enough.
Once a Jonin of Kiri, Crocodile Boss — that was his name.
"Never thought I'd find chakra-conductive metal in this wasteland. Looks like fate still favors those who fight to survive. If I sell this ore to the Five Great Ninja Villages, I could make at least several hundred million ryō. With that fortune, I could establish my own kingdom here and enjoy the rest of my life."
The Crocodile Boss lifted the ore in his hand, turning it over under the sunlight with an ecstatic expression.
"Boss! I've captured the escaping fisherman and seized an exceptional quality weapon!"
At this moment, the elite Chunin ran over and presented Samehada with both hands, offering it to the Crocodile Boss to gain favor.
"Hmm?"
When he heard this, the Crocodile Boss indifferently turned his head. At first sight of Samehada, he paused for a moment.
But quickly, his eyes widened as he stared intently at this peculiar large blade covered entirely in backward-facing spines. Shock and confusion crossed his face—he was clearly shaken.
As a former Jonin from Kirigakure, the Crocodile Boss naturally recognized it immediately—the blade was one of the Seven Swords of the Bloody Mist, Samehada.
But why would Samehada appear here?
His mind raced with thoughts rapidly.
During the recent battle at Uzugakure, serving as part of the Kiri military forces, the Crocodile Boss had witnessed the fall of the Seven Swords of the Bloody Mist firsthand.
From his memory, after the Seven Swordsmen were completely annihilated, the seven blades had been left scattered on the Battlefield. He was certain that during their retreat, the Kirigakure forces had recovered some of them, while the remaining swords should have fallen into the hands of the Konoha Sannin.
"Boss, this sword was taken from this woman."
At this moment, the elite Chunin timely stepped forward to explain, roughly pulling on the chain and dragging Haruko—who was covered in blood—before the Crocodile Boss.
"Tell me, where did you get this great sword?"
The Crocodile Boss narrowed his eyes, questioning Haruko severely in a tone that allowed no resistance.
Haruko stared at her enemy with pure hatred but stayed silent—she refused to betray the weapons shop owner and drag him into this mess.
"Speak up now!"
Seeing this, the nearby elite Chunin grabbed Haruko's short hair violently, preparing to torture her.
Right at that moment, something unexpected suddenly happened.
Whoosh!
Samehada, which had been quiet all along, suddenly sprang into action. In a flash, it viciously bit down on the Chunin's arm.
"Ahh!"
Instantly, he let out a piercing scream as Samehada tore off his entire arm, blood gushing from the stump.
This sudden occurrence startled everyone present.
The Crocodile Boss shot up from his chair and stumbled back a few steps. His eyes locked onto Samehada—narrowed, alert.
Under everyone's astonished stares, Samehada slowly opened its mouth.
First, a human arm extended outward from its mouth, followed by the entire body, then legs. Finally, a young man approximately six feet tall with long black hair emerged before everyone's eyes.
"What...?"
Haruko's eyes widened in shock beneath her messy bangs. She never imagined that within Samehada, the great sword she had stayed closely with for several days, there had actually been hiding a live person.
"Enemy! Get him now!"
The elite chunin clutched his severed arm wound and shouted in panic.
Yet before these rogue ninjas could even react, a heavy thud echoed through the air. Everyone turned in shock to see their leader—Crocodile Boss—with both legs trembling, actually dropping to his knees before that black-haired young man.
"Mercy, my lord... please, Lord Heiyan, spare my life!"
Crocodile Boss fell to his knees in desperation, bowing his head so low that his forehead nearly touched the ground. His voice trembled violently; his entire body shook uncontrollably as streams of cold sweat rained down from him, quickly dampening the surrounding earth.
Forever etched into Crocodile Boss's memory was how, on the Battlefield at Uzugakure, this man named Heiyan had single-handedly swept away countless warriors, mercilessly crushing the Allied Ninja Forces. That divine figure of an immortal sage, seemingly unbeatable, still haunted him like a nightmare he could never escape.
After seeing Heiyan's power up close, Crocodile Boss finally understood: even jonins like him were nothing more than oversized cannon fodder in the world of shinobi—easily used up and quickly forgotten.
Facing this harsh truth, Crocodile Boss pulled together a group of broken survivors, crossed the sea by ship, and fled south all the way here.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>