(Thank you for the 50 Powerstone here 🥳your Bonus chapter as promised🤗❤️)
Chapter 22: Ryuzen vs. Momochi ZabuzaThe First Exchange
SWISH—CLANG—
The moment the sword light flashed, the sound of metal colliding echoed through the mist.
Ryuzen had moved instantly, placing himself before Tazuna. His blade rose one-handed, meeting the massive Executioner's Blade in a perfect block.
Zabuza's eyes narrowed as he studied the sword that had stopped his attack. The blade was completely black—not just the edge, but the entire weapon from hilt to tip. In all his years as a swordsman, he had never seen anything like it.
"Kid. What kind of sword is that?"
"An ordinary blade." Ryuzen's crimson eyes met Zabu's gaze without flinching. "It's ordinary because it's in my hands."
Zabuza's attention shifted—and he noticed for the first time that Ryuzen's entire wrist, the hand gripping the sword, was also completely black.
His brow furrowed. "Ninjutsu? A kekkei genkai?"
"This is... Haki."
Ryuzen's lips curved slightly. Then his right hand pressed forward.
The slender blade suddenly erupted with overwhelming force, sending Zabuza sliding backward despite his greater mass and strength. Before the Demon could recover, Ryuzen had already leaped back, sword raised high.
SWISH—BOOM—
Silver light tore through the thick fog.
A dark crimson sword energy—three, perhaps four meters high—erupted from his blade like some terrible creature rising from the depths. It roared toward Zabuza, carrying a violent wave of pressurized air that flattened everything in its path.
The slash moved like a tsunami, filling Zabuza's entire field of vision.
"Impossible!" Zabuza's voice carried disbelief for the first time. "A slash?!"
He had no time to dodge. He raised the Executioner's Blade with both hands, bracing it horizontally before his body.
The sword energy crashed against the massive blade.
The force was unimaginable. Zabuza felt himself lifted from his feet, hurled backward like a leaf in a storm. His body shattered a tree—then another—before the energy finally dissipated, leaving him crumpled against a third.
Behind him, a straight, smooth trench stretched from Ryuzen's original position to where Zabuza now lay—a full sixteen or seventeen meters.
A three-meter-high slash extending nearly seventeen meters. If produced through chakra alone, even a Kage-level ninja would exhaust themselves completely.
Kurenai stared at the devastation, her breath caught in her throat. "I've seen it twice now, and it still amazes me. Such an exaggerated slash... even the late Sakumo Hatake could only manage this much."
The Advantage of Haki
Ryuzen didn't pursue immediately. Instead, he examined the black blade in his hands with satisfaction.
Just the first stage of hardening—coating his wrist in Armament Haki—had allowed him to block the Executioner's Blade one-handed. The same technique made his slashes far more powerful than his normal strikes.
Armament Haki lived up to its reputation.
Yes—Ryuzen had finally mastered it.
This was why he had set aside Shigure Kintoki in favor of an ordinary tachi. Unless a blade was truly exceptional, the weapon itself mattered little in his hands now.
Mihawk had once said: any named blade could be damaged, could break. To protect your sword, to make it sharper, you must master Armament Haki. Once you did, any sword could become a black blade.
Ryuzen understood now.
The tachi he wielded was cheap, ordinary—a mortal's weapon by any standard. Without Haki, Zabuza's first strike would have shattered it. With Haki, it had not only survived but matched the legendary Executioner's Blade.
"A good sword really does depend on the swordsman." Ryuzen raised the blade, murmuring to himself. "With Haki, even the Breath of All Things feels heavier... more complete."
He paused, feeling the connection between himself and the weapon.
"I feel like I could cut anything right now."
Chakra gathered at his feet. His figure blurred forward like a gust of wind.
Kenbunshoku Haki spread outward like invisible fingers, tearing through the fog that had begun to reform. Through its perception, he found Zabuza—injured, forming hand seals, trying to recover initiative.
The Water Dragon
Zabuza was in terrible condition.
The sword energy had cracked multiple ribs. Internal bleeding stained the bandages covering his face. But his hands still moved through seals with desperate speed, and while Ryuzen gave him those precious seconds, he completed his technique.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
Chakra surged.
Behind him, a pond's surface exploded upward. A massive dragon of water took form, roaring as it arrowed toward Ryuzen's position.
SHUN—
A single afterimage shot skyward.
Ryuzen leaped, passing directly over the water dragon's charge. Silver hair streamed behind him, white scarf fluttering in the wind. His crimson eyes focused on the droplets scattered through the air—countless points of moisture, each reflecting light.
His blade moved once.
He landed gracefully on the far side, black sword held loosely at his side.
Behind him, the water dragon split into several sections and collapsed into a sudden downpour.
Ryuzen stood soaked, utterly unconcerned. His eyes remained fixed on Zabuza.
The Demon stared back.
And for the first time in years, Momochi Zabuza felt something he barely recognized.
Fear.
Impossible. I'm afraid of this child?
He refused to believe it. He was a product of the Bloody Mist—a killer who had survived where countless others died. He had earned his title through blood and death and unthinkable cruelty.
He would not fear a twelve-year-old boy.
Gripping the Executioner's Blade, he charged.
The Final Strike
Ryuzen watched him come.
Then, unexpectedly, he closed his eyes.
"You're unlucky to be facing me."
The words echoed what Zabuza had said to Kurenai earlier.
"Your ninjutsu. Your swordsmanship. Your assassination techniques." Ryuzen's voice was calm, almost gentle. "They all look so fragile to me."
He sheathed his blade.
Then settled into a drawing stance.
Beneath his feet, blue chakra condensed, preparing for the Shunshin.
"Iai..."
The next instant, he vanished.
When he reappeared, he stood six meters away, back turned to Zabuza.
His stance remained—but now, the sword was sheathed.
CRACK—
SPLASH—
The Executioner's Blade broke in two, its massive form falling in separate pieces.
A line of red appeared across Zabuza's body—from left shoulder to right hip. Beneath the skin, ribs had been severed cleanly.
Blood erupted in a great column.
Zabuza's eyes went wide, then empty. He fell without a sound.
Ryuzen removed his hair tie, letting silver hair fall loose around his shoulders. He didn't turn to look at the body.
"Safe travels, 'Demon' Zabuza."
✨Enjoying the story? You can support me on Patreon —
Patreon.com/MizuSan
✨ Patreon members get early chapter access, bonus content! 🥰
🎉 Plus, I'll release 1 extra chapter for every 5 reviews!💎 Or grab 1 bonus chapter for every 50 Power Stones you send my way! 🥳
🌊 Let's reach 20 Patreon members to unlock 5 extra chapters together