Mei Terumi's words were so blunt that both men present felt personally insulted.
Zabuza thought furiously behind his bandages:
(No, you understand nothing. Among the Seven Ninja Swords, the beheading sword is the coolest. Do you understand its value!?)
Biwa Juzo's inner voice exploded as well:
(Is my beheading sword really trash!? Sure, the quality isn't the best and it snaps easily when hit by chakra—but it's durable! Durable!)
(If it breaks, it can regenerate as long as there's blood! I once killed a fish without even realizing why—just to fix my beheading sword! My swordsmanship is best understood by fish! It satisfies my joy of fishing, tempers my character, and sharpens my blade techniques.)
(Do you think just anyone can use such a massive blade to shave fish bones cleanly!?)
"Speak! Why aren't you speaking? What's wrong? Are you one of those quiet types who doesn't like talking?"
Mei Terumi kept pressing. Zabuza's lips opened and closed under the bandages—he wanted to speak, but couldn't.
What could he possibly say?
Should he admit that he'd been trying to steal that extremely cool beheading sword before this guy Biwa Juzo completely returned?
And that he still hadn't managed to steal it yet, and now this woman was interrogating him like this? (｡•ˇ‸ˇ•｡)
Who knew this deserter was this strong!?
If Uchiha Hikaru were here, he would've died laughing.
He truly didn't understand what Zabuza was thinking.
In the original story, Zabuza was a man who could escape alive from Might Guy's Eight Gates.
Did he not understand the value of the Eight Gates?
If Guy's decisive kick had landed cleanly on Madara's head, the Fourth War might've ended right there.
Even ignoring that, Biwa Juzo was a man who dared to clash directly with the Fourth Mizukage Yagura, a perfect Jinchūriki, enduring Tailed Beast Chakra Cloak and even Tailed Beast Bombs.
Even Orochimaru would have to shed several layers of skin and swap bodies early if he had to fight that thing head-on.
Although Biwa Juzo died after resisting a Tailed Beast Bomb, at least it was the Broken Beheading Sword that split him in half!
That alone proved his worth as a real man.
He escaped unscathed from Might Duy's fully opened Eight Gates, partnered with Itachi after knowing him for barely a day, risked his life to save comrades, and even resisted a Tailed Beast Bomb.
That was the ceiling for ordinary humans.
To summarize in one sentence:
"Invincible below Kage-level, and willing to trade one-for-one with Kage-level."
A chivalrous man who never sold out his teammates—that was Biwa Juzo.
As for why he betrayed the original Seven Ninja Swordsmen?
Because they were scum. Monsters in human skin. Not worth mentioning.
It was a pity Uchiha Hikaru wasn't here to enjoy this magnificent scene…
Seeing Zabuza glaring angrily yet unable to speak, Biwa Juzo's mood gradually softened.
At least Zabuza acknowledged the coolness of the beheading sword.
That alone was enough ― they were comrades in spirit.
Suddenly, Biwa Juzo had an idea.
"Well, Mizukage-sama… I have a thought."
"It can give Zabuza his own beheading sword."
Zabuza's eyes flashed immediately. Even Mei Terumi looked at Biwa Juzo with suspicion.
"What? Did he move you so much you developed Stockholm syndrome?"
Both men choked instantly.
"C-cough! Cough!"
"The beheading sword can regenerate by absorbing the iron in blood…" Juzo explained.
He pulled out a pair of chakra-metal brass knuckles from his sleeve, placed the beheading sword on the ground behind him, fitted the brass knuckles onto his right fist, and aligned his punch with the blade.
Then, under Mei Terumi's confused stare and Zabuza's eager ones, he struck.
"Clang!"
"Clang!"
"Clang!"
With three clean blows, the beheading sword split perfectly in half.
He exhaled softly and handed the half without the handle to Zabuza.
"Kid, we're both fans of the beheading sword. We connected through battle."
"You've got strong bones and well-built arms. You're like me—born with the holy physique of a beheading sword wielder."
"I'll teach you how to wield it today. Just remember to buy chakra metal to make your handle."
Then he took out a scroll and handed it over.
"It has my personal notes on blade maintenance and regeneration. I figured it out bit by bit."
Zabuza accepted the half-blade with trembling hands.
Then, head lowered, he muttered:
"…Sorry."
Biwa Juzo patted him on the shoulder with a hearty laugh.
"Haha~ stupid brat."
"When I was your age, I was just like you—full of stupid passion! Isn't that what youth is!?"
The two men put their arms around each other, grinning like fools.
Mei Terumi could only pinch the bridge of her nose.
Suddenly, as she studied their similar hairstyles, clothing, and expressions, a thought struck her.
"Hey… You two may have different surnames and a big age gap, but…"
"Aren't you basically identical? Are you sure you're not long-lost brothers?"
Both men froze.
They stared at each other.
Really stared.
Then jumped apart instantly.
"You copied me!"
"No—YOU copied ME!"
"You're impersonating ME!"
"No—you!!"
Mei Terumi giggled as she walked away.
"I knew it~ You two must be half-brothers. Have fun bonding!"
She waved goodbye and left the two swordsmen in utter confusion.
"…Brother," Juzo finally said, "now that she's gone, want to go repair the blade?"
"I have a great method to speed up repairs. Want to learn?"
"How could I refuse such a passionate invitation!?"
"If I refuse, it means my love for the beheading sword isn't pure enough!"
"Shall we go?"
"Elbow!"
The two men bumped elbows, each holding their half of the blade, and walked toward a desolate beach.
Biwa Juzo surveyed the surroundings and nodded.
"Look, bro—reefs everywhere, seaweed on the shore, and all these fishing footprints."
"That means tons of fish. In the ocean, fish are endless!"
"Of course, inland you can use animal blood instead."
"Goose, duck, chicken, sheep, pig—the iron content decreases in that order."
"Fish blood has low iron, but there's plenty of fish and they're easy to catch…"
By the time Haku found them late that night, both men were drenched in blood, smiling innocently as they massacred fish on the beach.
That night, everyone ate endless fresh seafood.
No one went hungry.
...
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Send Power Stones
Bonus Chapter at 150 Power Stone
Second Bonus Chapter - 300 Power Stones
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