Chapter 33 – Land of Iron
"Still thinking of running away?"
In a flash, before Kato Dan could even react, Yusuke's figure vanished and reappeared right in front of the fleeing enemy shinobi.
'Flying Thunder God Technique...? No, that's impossible. He didn't leave any kunai or markers behind. And just now, he barely even moved. Then how...?' Kato Dan watched in stunned silence, his thoughts racing.
"Speed carries weight... Ever felt a kick moving at the speed of light?"
As the words left his lips, Yusuke lifted his leg. His entire body shimmered with golden light, and in an instant, he vanished.
The next second, the escaping shinobi were hurled backward like ragdolls, their bodies twisting violently mid-air.
"Lightning Release: Falling Thunder."
Yusuke followed up with a crashing blow, a flash of power crashing down like a divine bolt. The enemy forces were wiped out instantly—none of them remained standing.
"Kato-san, let's go back up Minato-nii," Yusuke said as he casually approached Kato Dan.
"Right." Kato Dan blinked, finally snapping out of his daze. He didn't press further. Now wasn't the time for questions.
The two darted toward Minato's location.
—
Elsewhere, Minato felt a faint tremor rumble beneath his feet.
'That kind of shockwave… Is it Yusuke and Kato-san?' he wondered.
"Someone's coming," Minato murmured, shielding the merchant named Kafu behind him.
"Kill Kafu," one of the enemy shinobi barked.
A kunai shot toward him, but Minato swiftly intercepted with a Wind Release technique, the gale around him slicing the weapon off-course.
"Earth Release: Earth Wall!"
One enemy clapped his hands together, raising a massive wall of stone to block Minato's counterattack. At the same time, two others came at him from either flank.
Minato grabbed Kafu and leapt backward. All three opponents were at least Jonin-level, and with a civilian to protect, he couldn't afford to go all out.
'This is getting messy... I need to finish this quickly and regroup with the others.'
With a deep breath, Minato activated Body Flicker Technique. His body blurred and vanished, reappearing with a faint screech of wind behind one of the enemy shinobi—his hand glowing with swirling, spiraling chakra.
"Rasengan."
The man was launched backward, slamming into a rock wall before collapsing—still alive, but out cold.
"Damn it!" the other two cursed as they leapt away, clearly rattled by Minato's speed.
But Minato gave them no time to breathe.
Unknown to them, he had planted Flying Thunder God markers throughout the area from the beginning.
He disappeared again.
One shinobi's eyes widened—he barely caught a glint of light before a Rasengan slammed into his gut.
The last one turned to run, but Minato reappeared behind him and drove his special kunai straight through his spine. A clean, decisive strike.
That was the power of the Flying Thunder God Technique. Against slower opponents, it was instant death. Even against powerful foes, it gave Minato unmatched mobility and survivability.
Still, his mastery was far from perfect. The technique was chakra-intensive, and he hadn't completely refined it. Taking down three Jonin while protecting Kafu had drained him considerably.
Just then, Yusuke and Kato Dan arrived.
"Minato-nii, are you alright?" Yusuke called.
"I'm fine. Just a little tired," Minato replied with a faint smile.
Yusuke didn't say more, but everyone present knew—opponents of that level wouldn't pose much of a threat to Minato in a one-on-one.
"How did it go on your side?" Minato asked.
"Clean sweep," Yusuke answered calmly.
Kato Dan looked away, a bit embarrassed. He had taken out a few enemies... but Yusuke had handled the rest entirely on his own.
"They sent three Jonin and a dozen Tokubetsu Jonin... It feels like someone bigger is behind this," Kato Dan muttered, clearly suspicious.
"Let's talk about that later. We need to find a place to rest before nightfall," he added, shaking his head.
Everyone agreed. No one wanted to camp unprotected again.
—
Two days later, they arrived at the border of the Land of Iron—a country without shinobi, ruled instead by samurai.
These warriors operated independently from the Hidden Villages. Their code, structure, and fighting style were completely different.
Unlike shinobi, they didn't rely on techniques like Ninjutsu or Genjutsu. Instead, they channeled chakra through their blades, a style not unlike that of Yusuke's father, the White Fang of Konoha.
Their chakra-enhanced strikes were distinct from One Piece's swordsmanship, which focused more on physical power and Haki. The samurai of this world had refined their blade styles over centuries.
Yusuke couldn't help but feel intrigued. He wanted to test his skills against the legendary samurai general—Mifune.
His own fighting style was a hybrid—melding the chakra-based swordsmanship of Naruto's world with the cutting precision and Haki of One Piece.
While he hadn't reached Zoro's level, his strikes were more than enough to rival elite shinobi.
"Kato-san, Minato-nii... mind if I take a quick look around the capital?" Yusuke asked.
"Go ahead," Kato Dan replied without hesitation.
Minato also nodded. Assassins rarely dared to cause trouble in this land, and they both knew Yusuke's interest in swords ran deep—he was his father's son, after all.
As he strolled through the busy town, Yusuke wandered into a blacksmith's workshop. He wasn't looking for a blade for himself. His own weapon, Enma, was already more than enough. He was thinking of finding something for Kakashi.
Unless it was something legendary like Kusanagi, nothing could compare to Enma. In fact, Yusuke barely used Enma anymore—he could now forge his own blade using his Pika Pika no Mi, crafting the light-forged sword Ame-no-Murakumo, which rivaled even Enma in sharpness.
Just then, a gruff voice called out to him.
"Hey, young man! Wait!"
Yusuke turned to see a middle-aged man staring at him intently... or rather, at the hilt of the sword at his waist.
"Could I... could I take a look at that blade?" the man asked, his eyes filled with awe and curiosity.
"I'm afraid not," Yusuke replied calmly. He couldn't just let anyone touch Enma.
"Please, just hear me out. My family has been forging swords for generations... and never—never have I seen a blade like that. Just once... let me witness it. I'll pay whatever price you ask," the man pleaded earnestly.
Murmurs started to ripple through the crowd—some began jeering, calling Yusuke stingy or arrogant.
But then—
"Silence."
The pressure exploded from Yusuke without warning. A wave of Conqueror's Haki surged across the area.
Everyone around fell silent, their expressions pale, bodies frozen in place by sheer instinctive fear.
"Old man... I'm refusing for your sake, too," Yusuke said with a quiet sigh.
He respected those who devoted their lives to the sword. Deeply.
"W-What do you mean?" the man asked, more curious than afraid.
"This sword is called Enma. You can feel it, can't you? It's not just a weapon—it has a soul. Don't channel chakra into it. And never swing it carelessly."
Despite his warning, Yusuke slowly drew the blade and handed it over with great care—a gesture of deep respect toward a fellow lover of the sword.
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