Hidden Mist Village Torture Chamber.
As a large door creaked open, the interior was filled with darkness, dampness, and deathly silence.
The oppressive aura that permeated the air made Juzo's body feel extremely uncomfortable.
Once inside, the surrounding atmosphere became unbearably oppressive; the narrow and dark passageway felt like a road leading to the depths of hell.
Yagura, leading the way ahead, was accustomed to the environment here and did not feel the slightest discomfort.
"Why did you bring me to a place like this?"
Following Yagura as they continued forward, Juzo asked in some confusion.
The Torture Chamber, as the name suggests, is used to detain Ninja who have committed offenses in the village, such as the formerly defeated and captured Blood Mist Faction Ninja, who are held here for forced reformation.
All in all, this is a place that, in various senses, makes Juzo feel unpleasant.
As a result, he came up with a possibility.
"You wouldn't be planning to imprison me in here, would you?"
Juzo asked somewhat uncertainly.
Yagura's enigmatic attitude truly made him anxious, more unpredictable than the retired Third Mizukage.
"Why do you think so?"
Yagura asked back without turning his head.
"Because I can't think of any other reason why you'd bring me here."
"Don't worry, no matter what, without any offense from your side, I could not possibly imprison you here without cause. Moreover, if I really intended to detain you, I wouldn't go through such roundabout means."
Yagura explained, reassuring Juzo not to overthink.
"Although a little unpleasant, what you said seems to be true."
Juzo sighed.
Indeed, if Yagura wanted to imprison him in the Torture Chamber, there was no need for such roundabout methods.
Yagura, who could effortlessly overthrow Suikazan Fuguki, could also easily take him down.
As one of the Seven-swords Ninja, Juzo was well aware of Suikazan Fuguki's strength; Yagura, who had wiped out Fuguki's faction, undoubtedly possessed even greater strength.
Any resistance on his part would be futile.
"Then what's your purpose for bringing me here..."
"You know the current situation of the village; we are in dire need of manpower. I'm looking to see if we can find any usable talent here."
"Here?"
Juzo's expression became strange.
If his brain wasn't malfunctioning, then surely Yagura's was.
Coming to a place like this to find usable manpower seemed bizarre no matter how you looked at it.
"Indeed, over the years, the Hidden Mist has experienced a severe decline in strength due to internal strife. Especially among the Seven-swords Ninja, now only you and Ringo Ameyuri are left."
"If that's the case, why not just pick people from your direct Anbu?"
Juzo asked in confusion.
In the Hidden Mist Anbu, there is no shortage of excellent Jonin capable of wielding the Seven Ninja Swords.
Yagura's decision to look far and wide puzzled Juzo greatly.
"The other Ninja Blades are manageable, but the Great Sword Shark Skin is special; it only likes Ninja with enormous Chakra."
"So, you're looking for a master for the Great Sword Shark Skin? That blade is indeed unusual and not something a regular Ninja can handle."
Juzo agreed with this viewpoint.
Among the seven Ninja Blades of the Hidden Mist Village, the Great Sword Shark Skin is the only living sword.
The primary condition to becoming the master of that sword is possessing an extraordinary amount of Chakra; otherwise, one doesn't even qualify to touch it.
The stronger the master's Chakra, the stronger the power Shark Skin can unleash.
That sword's destructive power does not compare to the Thunder Blade, its strength is not like the Bluntsword, its piercing power is not like the Longsword, and its cutting ability is not like his Decapitating Carving Knife... but that doesn't mean Shark Skin isn't strong.
On the contrary, the Ninja Blade Shark Skin is terrifyingly strong, and if there were to be a duel between Ninja of the Seven-swords Ninja, Juzo would least like to face a Ninja wielding Shark Skin.
The troublesome nature of this blade is undoubtedly the most complex among the seven Ninja Blades.
"I've already identified a candidate. I had been occupied with village affairs, which is why I've delayed dealing with this until now."
"Oh?"
Hearing that Yagura had already identified a suitable candidate for the Great Sword Shark Skin, Juzo smiled with interest.
"He's immature but undoubtedly an excellent Ninja."
"Then I shall look forward to it."
"It won't disappoint you."
The two proceeded on, heading deeper into the Torture Chamber.
Without a word along the way, about five minutes later, Yagura stopped in front of a cell.
Juzo also stopped with Yagura and gazed into the iron bars, immediately curling his lips and saying:
"What, it turns out to be just a snot-nosed kid. Can this kid really harness Shark Skin?"
Juzo doubted Yagura's judgment.
The one sitting on the cell floor heard Juzo's sarcastic voice, slowly raised his head, revealing a youthful face very similar to a shark, with a rare blue skin tone, appearing around seventeen.
"Karatachi Yagura..."
The young man didn't mind Juzo's sarcasm, instead looking toward Yagura and softly murmuring his name.
"Hey, hey, don't ignore me, kid. Moreover, addressing the Mizukage by name like that is disrespectful, you know. Might as well sentence you to death right away."
Juzo chuckled.
"Is that so? Have you already become Mizukage? Looks like the situation outside is settled."
Though his face was youthful, his speaking tone lacked the impulsiveness of an immature teenager, being instead remarkably calm and composed.