"Oh, it's really difficult to kill so many of my beloved men."
A cold voice echoed through the largest room in the village. Tom had always thought this room to be a conference hall, yet it now stood empty except for the carnage that lingered.
Sporadic flames still danced on the rooftop, crackling through the dark rain-soaked air. Thunder rolled above like a beast grumbling in its slumber. Seven corpses lay scattered before the hall, their blood painting the ground a cruel crimson.
From within the shadows of the room, a man emerged holding a massive sword. Everything about him felt off, his aura menacing. But what truly caught Tom's attention was the symbol carved into the man's forehead protector—a jagged knife gash through a strange emblem composed of a large rectangle, two smaller rectangles, and two acute triangles.
"That's the mark of a Takumi Village defector," Tom thought to himself.
The man spotted Tom. "So it was a brat from Konoha who slaughtered my men. I should've known. But your fun ends here."
In a blink, the man dashed forward, his sword a blur of black steel as it sliced through the rain-soaked air. Tom sidestepped quickly, drawing his kunai just in time to parry the strike. Sparks flew as steel clashed.
A flash of earth-colored chakra surged down the enemy's blade. The ground beneath Tom's feet shattered with a roar, rock fragments flying in every direction.
Boom!
Smoke erupted where Tom once stood.
"A substitution jutsu?" the man growled. "When did he have time to pull that off?"
From the shadows, Tom reappeared. "Who are you? You're clearly no ordinary rogue."
"The name's Gambou, formerly of Takumi Shinobi Village."
Tom narrowed his eyes. "Gambou... You're supposed to be dead. Takumi claimed you were killed in a rebellion two years ago."
Gambou laughed bitterly. "Rebellion? That was no rebellion. That was a massacre—an extermination of my people, the Auxiliary Blade Faction. Do you know how many died in that so-called riot?"
Tom remained silent.
Gambou continued, his eyes cold with fury. "Takumi Shinobi Village, a place of craftsmen. Every man, woman, and child skilled in forging weapons. But for years, we had no strength to protect ourselves. We were easy prey—pillaged by bandits and ignored by the Great Nations. So we offered our finest blades to the Five Great Ninja Villages in exchange for protection and training."
Tom listened closely. Despite the threat, he needed to understand.
"The Great Villages didn't take us seriously," Gambou said. "The shinobi they trained and sent back were weak, unmotivated. So we took matters into our own hands. We created our own path—one shaped by our tools and knowledge."
Takumi Village eventually divided into two factions:
The Attack Blade Faction believed that strength alone mattered. Their philosophy: "If the ninja is powerful, the weapon merely amplifies that power." Their training emphasized high chakra output and raw destructive techniques.
These ninjas rose quickly through the ranks, many reaching Chunin within a few years. But their understanding of ninjutsu was shallow, their tactics lacking nuance. Against seasoned fighters, they often collapsed.
The Auxiliary Blade Faction, Gambou's side, held a different belief. Their tools weren't just weapons, but extensions of the shinobi's chakra. Like Orochimaru's sword, which could extend, or Sasuke's sword, capable of transitioning between tangible and intangible states, Auxiliary Blades were designed to support, not dominate.
But their training was long and grueling. Where Attack Blade students became Chunin, Auxiliary Blade trainees barely graduated. Their strength came from synergy with their weapon and mastery of complex chakra flows.
Inevitably, the divide between the two sides deepened. Disagreements became arguments, then threats. Two years ago, it exploded.
"The Attack Blade faction struck first," Gambou said bitterly. "They assassinated our elders. Ambushed us during drills. We were caught off guard, overrun by numbers and sheer power. But it wasn't rebellion. It was planned genocide."
Tom gritted his teeth. "So you became a rogue, hiding among the bandits."
"I survived," Gambou corrected. "And I trained. My Auxiliary Blade, this one," he lifted his massive sword, "is the last prototype designed to counter brute force with finesse. You, boy, will be its next test."
Tom's eyes narrowed. Rainwater dripped from his soaked bangs.
"Come, Konoha ninja. Let's see what kind of shinobi your village is raising."
The storm thundered again.
Tom raised his kunai. "Alright, Gambou. I won't hold back."
The final clash was about to begin.