After spending two days wandering through the mountains of the Land of Iron with no luck finding any leads, both Hibari and Orochimaru decided to head to a town. They needed to restock their supplies, and getting a bath and cleaning up a bit didn't sound bad either.
Since there were no shinobi in the Land of Iron, Hibari and Orochimaru put away their Konoha headbands. Each of them had a sword at their waist. With the layered armor Hibari was wearing, they looked a bit like samurai, so they didn't run into any trouble or checkpoints on the road from the mountains.
The Land of Iron is famous for its samurai and master-crafted swords. As a result, many of their towns are named after related concepts, like "Hundred Forges City" or "Coldforge City." The town they were currently headed to was the closest one to them, "Iron Forge City."
Seeing the town in the distance and the large number of samurai with swords passing by on the road, Hibari couldn't help but feel a little confused. "I know there are a lot of samurai in the Land of Iron and that they're a powerful force, and that even the general populace knows a thing or two about swordsmanship, but I really didn't expect to see so many on the road. What's going on? It's like a big market day or something..."
Orochimaru was also puzzled. He shook his head and said, "I'm not sure. But it does look like something big is happening."
"Well, there's no point guessing here. We'll just find a place and ask around," Hibari said with a laugh.
The two of them followed the road right into Iron Forge City. Upon entering the town, Hibari was even more surprised. There were samurai everywhere, each with a sword at their waist. If something were to suddenly go wrong and everyone went wild, there would be blood everywhere.
"You'd think they were planning a coup or something," Hibari said, stroking his chin.
He then led Orochimaru to a random restaurant on the side of the road. He plopped down at a table and told the waiting staff, "Two of your local specialties and some good liquor."
Orochimaru was a bit stunned. Who was going to drink? Aren't they both underage? But then he thought about it—Hibari wasn't a stickler for rules. He was already "breaking the law" on their journey.
Orochimaru wasn't a tactless person, so he didn't say anything.
The waiter smiled and nodded before heading off to get their order.
Not long after, two plates of stewed beef were brought out, along with two bottles of local liquor. Hibari didn't say much about it. What could you expect from a small roadside restaurant? You couldn't ask for a gourmet feast.
He poured himself a cup and then, with a grin, he looked at Orochimaru, shaking the bottle in his hand. "Want some, kid? It's pretty good."
Orochimaru hesitated, looking at the bottle. Back in Konoha, no one would ever offer him a drink, and no one would dare sell him alcohol. Was he crazy? Selling liquor to the Third Hokage's disciple, an underage kid at that? Wouldn't they be afraid of the Third Hokage's wrath?
Although he had never had a drink, Orochimaru was a curious child and was very interested in alcohol. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded and said, "I'll try a little..."
Hibari didn't have any reservations. Seeing that Orochimaru had agreed, he simply poured him a cup.
Orochimaru knew nothing about alcohol. He didn't even think to eat some of the beef first. He just picked up the cup, looked at it with great curiosity, and downed it in one go.
Before he even put the cup down, his face was already flushed. His normally cold demeanor softened a little, and he looked much more adorable. Hibari couldn't help but laugh and finished his own drink.
The two of them ate and drank. After a while, seeing that the restaurant had quieted down, Hibari decided to put his social skills to good use.
He reached out and waved at the waiter who had served them. "Hey, come on over. You've been running around for a while; you must be tired. Why don't you sit down and eat and drink with us?"
The waiter was a bit confused to be called over and invited to join them. After a moment of hesitation, he waved his hands and said, "No, thank you. I don't want to bother you."
Hibari didn't care. He spoke directly. "What's this about bothering us? We're just sitting around. Let's chat. Boss, bring us another bottle of good liquor and two more plates of your best stewed beef."
The restaurant owner saw a new business opportunity and noticed that Hibari didn't seem like the type to skip out on the bill. He quickly gave his waiter a look, signaling him not to mess with the customers.
If they invited him to eat and drink, he should go and keep them company. They could even make more money that way.
The waiter was a little tired himself. His initial refusal was only because he was afraid of being scolded by his boss. Now that his boss had given him the green light, he didn't hesitate anymore. He brought two more plates of stewed beef and a bottle of good liquor and sat down at Hibari's table. "Thank you, sirs."
Orochimaru was stunned by Hibari's brazen maneuver. What was this? He was this friendly with strangers?
Hibari just laughed. "Don't be so formal. Meeting is destiny. Come on, let's have a drink."
The waiter quickly picked up his cup and clinked it with Hibari's. The two of them drank, and after a few cups, their relationship seemed to grow closer.
Only then did Hibari ask, looking a bit confused, "We're brothers who have been training in the mountains with our master for over ten years. We haven't been down to a town in a long time. The moment we came into this town today, we saw samurai everywhere just like us. What's going on? I've come here occasionally before and never saw this many people."
Orochimaru was amazed by the lies Hibari was spouting, seeing another side of him. But of course, he didn't expose him. He just sat there quietly, eating his meat and drinking his liquor.
The waiter didn't suspect a thing. He just assumed that Hibari and Orochimaru were genuinely training in the mountains. This was a common sight for people from the Land of Iron. Many samurai would often go into the mountains to practice their sword techniques.
He put his cup down and said, "You must have been in the mountains for a long time, sir. You've forgotten what day it is. It's almost the end of February. In a few days, it will be the third day of the third month..."
Hibari heard this and, although confused, put on a look of sudden realization. He then pretended to think and said, "Ah, yes, yes, yes. The third day of the third month. I can't believe it's already here. What was it called again... Tsk... It's the day that thing starts!"
"The Sacred Sword Festival!" the waiter blurted out without thinking.
Hibari played along. "That's it! The Sacred Sword Festival! Ah, time flies. I almost missed it. Thank you for the reminder. Come on, three more drinks!"
Hibari said this while raising his cup. The waiter also clinked cups with Hibari. Orochimaru watched this scene with a hundred thoughts running through his mind. This is how you do it?
Hibari put his cup down, picked up his chopsticks, and grabbed two pieces of beef. While chewing, he asked, "Oh, by the way, I haven't kept up with the news. Is this year's Sacred Sword Festival the same as in previous years? Have there been any changes?"
Hibari asked nonchalantly, and the waiter still didn't suspect anything. It wasn't some huge secret anyway. He didn't even think twice about it and just said, "It's pretty much the same as in previous years, but this year it's our Iron Forge City's turn to host it. That's why there are so many samurai here..."
He seemed to remember something and added, "But according to the rumors, the General has actually found the divine blade, the Kusanagi, and is planning to offer it as the prize for the Sacred Sword Festival this year. Whoever wins the title of number one swordsman at this year's festival will be given the Kusanagi by the General..."
"The Kusanagi?!" Hibari was genuinely surprised, and even Orochimaru looked up at the waiter.
"That's right, the Kusanagi... They say the sword can cut through anything and has a spirit of its own. It's even said to have once slain the Eight-Headed Serpent!" the waiter said.
Hibari stroked his chin as he listened, then laughed and said, "I have been training in the mountains for over ten years, and my martial arts are quite strong. The moment I came down from the mountain, I heard that a divine blade had appeared. Isn't that a sign of destiny? In my opinion, this Kusanagi and I are meant to be. I will have to try my luck at the Sacred Sword Festival..."
The waiter was stunned when he heard Hibari say this. He then said, "Sir, since you are so determined, I won't say anything discouraging. But out of gratitude for the food and drink, I must warn you. The General's personal disciple, Mifune, will also be participating in this festival to compete for the Kusanagi. If you meet Mifune, you must be very careful. Do not lose your life for this."
"Mifune?" Hibari muttered softly to himself, then laughed. "You don't have to worry about me. I'll know my limits."
Mifune... that guy should be around the same age as him, maybe at most the same age as Sakumo. He's probably in the prime of his youth. As for his strength... Hibari didn't look down on him, but he figured if he went all out, he could defeat him with one hand tied behind his back.
But when it came to swordsmanship, there might actually be some risk. However, the Kusanagi was a divine weapon, and Hibari had always wanted a good sword.
The Samehada was decent, but it was a bit inconvenient to use and only suitable for specific situations. It also wasn't something Hibari could just hang on his waist to look cool. It didn't quite match his style, did it? It might compromise his handsome image.
Being strong is only a momentary thing, but being handsome is for life!
After that, Hibari got the information he wanted. He then discreetly asked about any legends of large snakes or anything about the Ryūchi Cave, but he still came up with nothing. Hibari wasn't too surprised by this.
After finishing their meal, Hibari paid the bill and also gave the waiter a tip. He then took a slightly tipsy Orochimaru to explore Iron Forge City again.
"Although we couldn't get any information about Ryūchi Cave, this trip wasn't a total waste like in the Land of Sound. Did you hear that? The divine blade, the Kusanagi, has appeared," Hibari said with a grin.
Orochimaru said, "From the sound of it, it's probably been pre-determined for the General's personal disciple, Mifune."
"Pre-determined? Not when I'm around. I'm not going to let them get away with any shady dealings! Besides, Mifune probably isn't that kind of despicable person. He's probably just very confident that he can defeat all the samurai from across the country who want to compete for the Kusanagi.
"After all, didn't we just find out that only the young generation can participate in the Sacred Sword Festival, and only three times in their life? Those who are more skilled than Mifune have probably already used up their chances." Hibari raised an eyebrow and said with a laugh.
"Hibari-aniki, are you good at swordsmanship?" Orochimaru asked.
"So-so. Our Senju clan has a family swordsmanship technique passed down through generations, and I've done a bit of research on it..." Hibari said, stroking his chin.
"Every profession has its specialties. I don't think you're necessarily more skilled than Mifune when it comes to swordsmanship," Orochimaru said logically after thinking about it.
"There's also a saying, 'one strength can subdue ten techniques.' In the face of absolute power, skill is just a small part of it. For example, Mifune can slash me a hundred times, but I only need to slash him once... Understand?" Hibari said with great confidence.
Orochimaru nodded thoughtfully and said, "It makes sense."
"You need to have a little more faith in me. Once I get my hands on the Kusanagi, I'll show you. Hahahaha," Hibari said with a loud laugh.
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