The samurai were completely numb. The two swords at his waist had already fallen to the ground, and his whole body was on the verge of going berserk!
"Asshole! You despicable ninja!"
"We agreed to a blade duel, and you can't even afford to play fair!"
The remaining five samurai also stopped in their tracks, their gazes toward Gekko Chizan turning even more hostile!
"What are you waiting for! Take him down!"
"This is pissing me off!"
As they heard their companion's furious roars, the other five were just about to move—only to realize they couldn't move at all.
The calm snowy ground had, at some point, already been enveloped by flowing water. Their feet were now tightly wrapped by the currents.
"I'm a ninja, you know—"
"And a ninja who's proficient in Water Release, at that."
"This terrain advantage? I've taken it all."
"Thanks for yielding, hahaha."
Gekko Chizan didn't care in the slightest about the six gazes that could shoot fire even through gas masks, and laughed to himself.
[Ding! Detected that the host has no moral integrity, toyed with six samurai in the palm of his hand, causing them to deeply experience the shamelessness and roguishness of ninjas. Special reward: strength +1.]
The stat increase was small, but no matter how tiny a fly was, it was still meat.
...
The very next second after Gekko Chizan subdued the six gate-guarding samurai, the sound of footsteps gradually rang out. At the same time, a very stern voice sounded from the direction of the castle.
"Not bad Water Release, ninja from Takigakure. May I ask what business you have coming to the Land of Iron?"
"And also, please release the restraints on them."
This man wore a long robe rather than armor. He was bald, with a very conspicuous cross-shaped scar over his right eye.
Seeing him, Gekko Chizan grinned, because he knew the identity of the person before him.
Okisuke, the famous sword master of the Land of Iron, and also a member of the upper management.
"Release them? Sure. Let me see the general of the Land of Iron, and I'll release them."
"That's unfortunate. The general is not in the castle at the moment. If you wish to see him, you may need to wait a few more days."
Mifune isn't here?
Gekko Chizan's smile faded when he heard that. The Land of Iron wasn't that big, and the samurai didn't go out often—where could Mifune have gone?
"Then, may I ask, can you release the restraints now?"
"No. The general isn't here. And since you seem like someone who can make decisions, why don't you let me test this esteemed guest's blade?"
Okisuke's expression grew even more serious, but very quickly, he smiled.
A blade beneath his robe was instantly in hand. Immediately after, his entire presence changed, like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, brimming with cutting edge.
Even with Gekko Chizan's strength, upon sensing that chilling blade intent, he was slightly startled.
He had seen plenty of blade masters—whether Hatake Sakumo or the Seven Ninja Swordsmen—but compared directly, the blade intent erupting from Okisuke was more ferocious than any of them.
This was the power of a samurai who specialized solely in swordsmanship.
"Since this is still your attitude, then I can only keep you here."
"Land of Iron, Okisuke—pay attention!"
With those words, Okisuke slightly bent his knees, one hand gripping the hilt. His entire body became like a hunting leopard, entering the predation phase.
Iaidō emphasized killing in a single strike, seizing the instant to unleash a swift slash.
At this moment, in Gekko Chizan's eyes, Okisuke had already turned into a sharp sword about to leave its sheath, chakra beginning to surge.
Whether it was the hand gripping the blade or the sword at his waist, both were already infused with chakra.
A trace of admiration flashed through Gekko Chizan's eyes. This level of swordsmanship truly embodied a single word—formidable.
"Slash!"
Before he could even react, Okisuke's blade was already drawn.
With chakra amplifying his legs, in just an instant he had already rushed in front of Gekko Chizan, the sword at his waist flashing out.
"Clang!"
Sparks from clashing metal instantly burst before the two of them.
"Hm?"
Okisuke, who had just delivered that slash, fell into shock. He knew exactly how fast he was, and that strike had used all of his strength.
Polite words before force—since the other party didn't know when to back down, he had no intention of holding back.
But he truly hadn't expected that the other side would actually block this all-out strike of his.
The same—a blade?
This blade was extremely plain, but how had it appeared? He hadn't seen it at all.
"What a heavy slash. As expected of a samurai of the Land of Iron."
"This trip wasn't wasted."
"Even though I don't understand swordsmanship, fighting with a blade is something I'm very good at!"
Gekko Chizan still wore that smile, but only he understood the danger just now. As for the blade he used—it was the Kusanagi Sword.
It was hard to imagine that with the sharpness of the Kusanagi Sword, the opponent's blade hadn't broken?
Even wrapped in chakra, it was still just an ordinary sword.
"Not a bad blade."
"Esteemed guest, what exactly brings you to the Land of Iron?"
The two of them sheathed their swords at the same time. Sometimes, a single exchange was enough.
Okisuke already understood the strength of the man before him, though he was still puzzled—since when did Takigakure produce a ninja of this level?
"Haha, some things still have to wait until the general comes back."
"I wonder, Okisuke, would you welcome me as a guest in your castle?"
The fight was over. Next came the conversation.
Gekko Chizan casually released the restraints on the six samurai.
Hearing Gekko Chizan's words, Okisuke frowned slightly, but when he saw that Gekko Chizan clearly had no intention of continuing the fight, he relaxed.
"In that case, please."
"Takigakure's Shuan-sama."
Gekko Chizan laughed heartily, strode forward, and directly slung an arm around Okisuke's shoulders, acting as if the two had known each other for years.
"Okisuke, your swordsmanship is really impressive."
"I wonder if I could learn it?"
"Look, I've got a blade too."
"Don't worry, I definitely won't learn for free. Want a drink? Fine wine from all the nations!"
Okisuke: …You sure get familiar fast…
Guarding samurai: …So we got beaten up for nothing?
But when they saw Gekko Chizan actually pull out a scroll from his clothes, open it, and instantly take out seven or eight bottles of wine—
They were truly numb. This guy carries alcohol with him at all times?
One bottle per person. Gekko Chizan opened one himself and drank straight from the bottle.
The unspoken message: don't worry, it's not poisoned!
With Okisuke leading the way, although the patrolling samurai inside the castle were very curious, they didn't ask much.
After all, Okisuke could be considered the second-in-command of the Land of Iron's samurai group, second only to the general. His words carried weight.
When they entered a room that looked like a conference chamber, Gekko Chizan narrowed his eyes.
This room looked very familiar.
The room for the Five Kage Summit…
"Speak. Esteemed guest, what is your purpose in coming to the Land of Iron?"
After entering the room, Okisuke slowly sat down and questioned Gekko Chizan once more.
"Heh heh, as expected—the general of the Land of Iron never left at all."
"Am I right?"