Chapter 022: The Executioner's Blade – It Regrows by Absorbing Blood, But Isn't That Just Because It Breaks Easily? (Seeking Data)
[Descendant Chat Group (^_-)]
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: Now, now, Izuna, calm down.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: Honestly, I'm really glad you're in this group.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: Madara did become a rogue ninja of Konoha.
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: But I still can't be sure if he completely betrayed the promise we made back then.
[Tobirama's Achievement - Izuna]: ...
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: ...Not only did he not protect me, but he also made a promise with you?
[Tobirama's Achievement - Izuna]: ...
[Big Dumb - Hashirama]: ...Izuna, are you okay?
[Tobirama's Achievement - Izuna]: ...I'm far from okay. I must be under a genjutsu.
[Tobirama Senju]: Snap out of it. Aren't you the one with the Mangekyō? Don't you need your Sharingan?
[Tobirama's Achievement - Izuna]: ...
[Tobirama Senju]: And you probably don't know this yet, but above the Mangekyō is the Rinnegan.
[Tobirama's Achievement - Izuna]: What?!
[Tobirama's Achievement - Izuna]: Then... my brother...
[Tobirama Senju]: Not your brother. The current subject of this group's livestream—Kitahara Kaede—has the Rinnegan.
[Tobirama's Achievement - Izuna]: ...
[Tobirama's Achievement - Izuna]: Livestream, huh...
Izuna finally realized he had been ignoring the system's notifications.
He quickly turned his attention to the video feed at the center of the group chat.
It showed a group of shinobi wearing Konoha forehead protectors. Among them was a boy in a blue jacket with the Uchiha clan's iconic fan emblem on his back.
And when Izuna got a good look at this Uchiha boy...
For a moment, he thought he was seeing his own childhood reflection.
[Tobirama's Achievement - Izuna]: ???
Then Izuna noticed the strangest detail.
When the Uchiha boy turned around, his face was identical to Izuna's when he was young.
[Tobirama's Achievement - Izuna]: Wait a second, these people...
[Tobirama Senju]: Welcome to Konoha, Year 61.
[Tobirama Senju]: Sixty years after your death.
[Tobirama Senju]: And these are Konoha's shinobi.
[Tobirama's Achievement - Izuna]: ...
[Tobirama's Achievement - Izuna]: ...
Izuna was speechless.
[Tobirama's Achievement - Izuna]: But... what's up with this Uchiha brat?
[Tobirama Senju]: Right? Unbelievable, isn't it? This Uchiha Sasuke looks exactly like you.
[Tobirama's Achievement - Izuna]: ...
[Tobirama's Achievement - Izuna]: ...Yeah, at first glance, I thought I was seeing things.
[Tobirama's Achievement - Izuna]: So... the Uchiha clan is still around after sixty years? Hmph...
Izuna grumbled but didn't press further.
He had awakened the Mangekyō at a young age and even mocked Tobirama to his face—proof of his strength.
So now...
He began carefully examining the system panel in front of him.
[Tobirama Senju]: As expected, even though they look identical, they're clearly two different people.
Tobirama had already reached his conclusion.
Kakashi had already tested it—Sasuke was just an ordinary Uchiha.
Though he resembled Izuna, he was far inferior to the original.
[Future Mizukage - Terumi Mei]: ...
Terumi Mei noticed that ever since Izuna joined the group, the conversation had completely derailed.
But she didn't mind.
Because...
She still had no idea who had cast the genjutsu on the Fourth Mizukage.
So, pinning it on Uchiha Madara was just her throwing out the most infamous Uchiha name she knew.
The fact that the Second Hokage and the others weren't pressing the issue was the best outcome.
For now...
She would just lay low.
Terumi Mei thought to herself.
This was a Konoha-dominated chat, but since she could join, it meant other non-Konoha members might appear too.
So... she'd wait for an opportunity to benefit Kirigakure.
[Tobirama's Achievement - Izuna]: I see.
[Tobirama's Achievement - Izuna]: I've got a rough understanding of the situation now.
Izuna had finished reading the system's prompts.
He now had a basic grasp of the current state of things.
He confirmed that Big Dumb - Hashirama was indeed Hashirama Senju—the man who had stolen his brother away.
(The title suited him perfectly.)
As for Tobirama Senju... Even without a special title, he was just as annoying as ever.
Then there was the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and the Sixth Hokage, Kakashi...
"..."
Izuna was silent.
Konoha had really flourished.
Ignoring the Mizukage candidate for now, the sheer scale of Konoha's development made him feel like he'd stumbled into something extraordinary.
After all, he had died before Konoha's founding, and his brother had become a rogue ninja after its creation.
So his existence was... awkward.
But.
Whatever!
Izuna had no intention of leaving the group.
As a dead man, he had waited and waited, but his brother never appeared.
So... maybe here, he'd finally get to see him again.
He had so many things he wanted to say to his dear older brother.
---
Meanwhile, in the real world...
Kitahara Kaede and his team had safely arrived in the Land of Waves.
If they had encountered enemy shinobi along the way, it might have been troublesome and delayed them.
But the two rogue chunin working for Gato had already betrayed him, so they guided the team smoothly.
The two Kirigakure defectors quickly explained their situation.
They were former Kirigakure shinobi who had fled the village due to the brutal Bloody Mist policies.
They weren't fully up-to-date on current events, but they had pledged loyalty to their new boss—the former Kirigakure jonin, Momochi Zabuza.
And Zabuza had a special status: he was one of Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen were modeled after Konoha's ANBU."
"Each of the seven blades has unique abilities. Zabuza-sama's Executioner's Blade has a special power."
"Not only is it massive and heavy, but it also has incredible spiritual energy."
"It can absorb the blood of its enemies, and the broken parts will regenerate."
"Like a lizard regrowing its tail, it repairs itself instantly." The two chunin explained.
"..."
Kakashi, as a former ANBU captain, already knew all this.
In fact, he had detailed intel on Zabuza and Kirigakure's forces.
But he let these rogue ninjas talk freely—it was a good opportunity for Naruto and Sasuke to learn.
See?
"Ohhh..."
Naruto and Sasuke, on their first mission outside the village, were fascinated by these secrets.
But then—
"If Zabuza's Executioner's Blade is so amazing—if it can keep absorbing blood and chakra to regenerate itself—"
"Doesn't that just mean it's fragile and breaks super easily?" Naruto blurted out.
"..."
And just like that, the conversation ended.
Naruto didn't have many friends in Konoha.
Maybe it wasn't just because he was the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.