Lying on the beach by the shore, Zabuza looked up at the sky and laughed wildly.
"Mizukage, I will make you pay."
Zabuza glanced at the broken hilt of his decapitation blade, a bitter smile flickering across his face.
He would make the Mizukage pay—that much was certain. But not now. Right now, he didn't have the strength.
After all, Kirigakure didn't just have the Mizukage; it also had numerous elite ninjas. Not to mention, the power of the Tailed Beasts wasn't something a single Jonin could stand against.
"Strange… Why is the wind blowing toward the sea?"
Zabuza removed his forehead protector. Given his current injuries, things didn't look good. As a seasoned ninja, he knew better than to reveal his identity in such a state.
He noticed strange clouds falling from the sky several kilometers away. A tinge of curiosity welled up in his heart.
"Could it be caused by some powerful ninja beast?"
His mind wavered with suspicion.
If it really were a powerful summonable beast, it might actually be an opportunity for him. Signing a summoning contract could grant him a powerful ally.
But in his current condition, facing such a beast might not be possible.
After some thought, Zabuza decided to head into the forest. Staying near the sea was too risky.
Before long, he dealt with his boat and headed into the woods.
On the way, he noticed something unusual—there were very few animals in the forest. With his experience, this suggested a powerful creature was lurking here.
The deeper he went, the more shocked he became.
The ground was torn with countless ravines, trees had been sliced apart.
Such devastation could only mean one thing—whatever beast lived here was terrifying, its destructive power second only to the Tailed Beasts.
But despite continuing forward, Zabuza found no signs of any beast. Instead, a small lakeside cabin came into view.
Outside the cabin stood a man dressed like a commoner, holding a katana and meditating.
A terrifying chakra gathered around the man's blade. Zabuza felt his hair stand on end.
There was no beast. No summoning animal. The most powerful being here—was this man.
"Red hair?"
Zabuza noticed the man's striking hair.
"As long as he's not an enemy…"
Realizing who the man was, Zabuza let out a sigh of relief.
Chapter 3: You Call This Swordsmanship?
The moment Zabuza saw Shanks, he recognized him. That red hair was far too conspicuous.
Ordinary ninjas might not know, but for someone like Zabuza, once part of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, this wasn't a secret.
Red hair was a signature trait of the Uzumaki Clan. On top of that, the terrifying chakra the man radiated was leagues above ordinary ninjas.
The Uzumaki Clan had vanished from the ninja world decades ago after the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools.
Seeing Shanks here stirred complex emotions in Zabuza. In a way, they were the same—both exiles.
"You know me?"
Noticing Zabuza's expression, Shanks walked over and asked curiously.
He wasn't careless—his Observation Haki hadn't sensed any threat.
"Not really."
Zabuza replied coldly and sat down.
"I'm Shanks. Now you know me! Hahaha."
Shanks grinned and sat as well. The smell of blood still clung to Zabuza, and his bandages were stained red.
He must have fought hard at sea. The ocean was dangerous. Shanks realized he wasn't ready to set sail yet.
Still, the arrival of a stranger gave him a chance to learn about the outside world.
"I'm Zhan." (Zabuza gave a fake name)
Zabuza replied coldly.
Both men fell silent after that.
Shanks wasn't in a rush. After a brief rest, he resumed his sword training.
As chakra gathered around his katana, Zabuza couldn't help but feel envious.
"The Uzumaki Clan's chakra really is terrifying... that density is beyond the limits of a Jonin."
But… what exactly was this man doing? This wasn't how a chakra blade was supposed to be used.
Zabuza could tell Shanks was using a technique similar to the chakra blade technique—coating his weapon in chakra for enhanced cutting power.
But clearly, Shanks was doing something more.
"Still not enough. What am I missing?"
"If the power is too strong, the blade can't handle it. It's not just about power… it's about transforming that power."
Shanks glanced at Zabuza.
Zabuza held only the hilt of a broken blade—clearly also a swordsman. Instead of trial-and-error, maybe he could ask for advice.
A moment later, Shanks brought Zabuza a skewer of grilled fish.
Zabuza eyed the "Uzumaki clansman" warily, but eventually accepted the food.
"Do you know Armament Haki?"
Zabuza hadn't taken a bite yet when Shanks suddenly asked.
"Armament Haki? What's that?"
Zabuza had never heard of it. Was that what this guy had been training all along?
"You don't know? It's the power that lets you hurt Logia users—even if their body turns into water or mist, Armament Haki can still damage them."
Seeing Zabuza's confusion, Shanks explained.
Zabuza realized this guy was probably not from the Shinobi World at all.
From what he understood, that power was similar to sealing jutsu—used to counter certain kekkei genkai like liquefying the body. For example, Hozuki Mangetsu, another member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, could turn his body into water.
And sealing jutsu was the only real counter to such abilities.
So was "Armament Haki" actually a kind of sealing technique? The Uzumaki Clan was known for their sealing prowess...
"How would I know something like that? Do you think someone would just teach a random passerby such advanced secret techniques?"
Zabuza snapped, annoyed.
"Ah, yeah, you're right! Hahaha."
Shanks scratched his head sheepishly.
He realized he had forgotten he was now in a different world—things weren't going to work the same here.
"Still, if you don't know Armament Haki, the sea's too dangerous."
Zabuza's expression darkened. Shanks had a point—roaming alone without that kind of power was dangerous.
"If I stay here to recover, I won't bother you, will I?"
Zabuza suddenly asked. He wanted to stay here for a while—heal, and maybe grow stronger.
Otherwise, dealing with Kirigakure's pursuit would be troublesome.
"Not at all. I've been away from the sea for too long anyway. Maybe you can tell me about the outside world, and we can share some swordsmanship."
Shanks welcomed the idea warmly.
"Exchange swordsmanship?"
Zabuza was intrigued.
As one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, his specialty was assassination, but his sword skills were nothing to scoff at either.
"My swordsmanship isn't bad."
Shanks smiled. In the Four Seas, few could rival his skills with a blade. He doubted this stranger could surpass him.
He sheathed his katana and turned to face the lake.
"Wanna see?"
"Gladly."
Zabuza stood up. He wanted to see what this "Uzumaki clansman" was really capable of.
In the next instant, Shanks' gaze sharpened. A powerful aura burst from him, and the forest fell silent.
To Zabuza, Shanks had suddenly transformed into a fearsome beast.
As the pressure built, Shanks' eyes narrowed. At the final moment, he saw only his target.
HUMMMMM!!!
CLANG!!
The katana left its sheath. All the built-up power exploded in that instant.
The light around them dimmed. A terrifying slash shot toward the lake.
Wait, what? A slash wave? What is that?
Zabuza was stunned. No chakra fluctuation. Yet the katana had unleashed such terrifying power?
Not even an A-rank ninjutsu could compare. Was this really swordsmanship?
In the ninja world, swordsmanship meant close-range combat—there were no visual effects like this. You're calling this swordsmanship?
One slash, and the blade light stretched nearly a hundred meters.
Looking at the now shattered lake surface, Zabuza was dumbfounded. His mind was blank.
The tone of this world had completely fallen apart.
"You call that swordsmanship???"
Chapter 4: Zabuza's Realization
Crushingly powerful—this single strike was equal to an A-rank jutsu.
No chakra. No technique. Just a katana that looked entirely ordinary.
"This… How is this possible?!"
Zabuza looked at the broken hilt in his hand—his decapitation blade was now completely destroyed.
And even a blade of that caliber couldn't produce a strike this devastating