The Land of Iron also has a Daimyō, but here, like in other nations, the Daimyō holds no military authority. The difference is that in the Land of Iron, military power is in the hands of a class known as "samurai."
However, the essence remains the same: even samurai can use chakra. They typically infuse their chakra into their katanas and use exceptional swordsmanship to defeat their enemies.
The current general, who commands the Land of Iron's military and samurai class, is an old man. His personal disciple, Mifune, will one day become the next general.
A legend has always circulated within the Land of Iron: the divine sword that once slayed the Yamata no Orochi, Ame no Murakumo, is hidden somewhere in this country.
The current general has spent his entire life searching for this legendary weapon, but he never found it. Finally, in his twilight years, he located the Ame no Murakumo.
If he had found it in his youth, he would have used it himself. But now, he is so old that he can barely lift a sword. After keeping it in his personal collection for a while, the general decided to pass the blade on. The person he chose to inherit it was his exceptional disciple, Mifune.
However, the inheritance wouldn't be given to Mifune so easily. He had to be tested. The test was this year's Sacred Sword Festival.
If Mifune could defeat every participant in the festival, he would accumulate immense fame and prestige. This would not only grant him the divine sword Ame no Murakumo but also officially establish him as the leader of the younger generation of samurai, allowing him to take over the general's position at the right moment.
In Iron Forge City, the general, Mifune, and some of their subordinates had arrived a few days earlier in the city hosting this year's Sacred Sword Festival.
It had been a while since Hibari and his companions entered the city, and the Sacred Sword Festival had been underway for a few days.
In the general's courtyard, the young samurai Mifune sat formally across from his master. The two of them seemed to be discussing something.
The Land of Iron's general, who appeared quite aged, looked at Mifune's upright posture with a satisfied expression. He then asked, "Did you go to watch the Sacred Sword Festival again yesterday?"
Mifune didn't hesitate, simply nodding and replying, "Yes, I went to observe."
As the disciple of the Land of Iron's general, Mifune was quite famous. Even a food stall vendor knew his reputation and had warned Hibari not to butt heads with him to avoid losing his life, since blades have no eyes.
When Hibari was in Konohagakure, he often leveraged his status to get advantages and pull strings. It was a common thing in this era; social classes were clearly defined. As a kind of "second-generation official," Mifune also naturally received special treatment in the Land of Iron.
For instance, in this Sacred Sword Festival, he didn't have to go through the preliminary rounds. He could directly participate in the final stage, where he would be the main event. All he had to do was defeat the winner of the tournament, and he would rightfully claim the divine sword Ame no Murakumo.
Hearing Mifune's answer, the Land of Iron's general asked, "Did you discover anything? How many do you consider your rivals?"
Mifune was an arrogant man, but he had the skill to back it up. After hearing the general's question, he first shook his head, then nodded, saying, "Among the younger generation of samurai, not many are my equal. The top masters didn't participate in this Sacred Sword Festival. Based on my observations over the past few days, I found that almost no one can withstand a single strike from me..."
The Land of Iron's general smiled upon hearing Mifune's words and then asked, "So, are you confident that you will win the Ame no Murakumo?"
Mifune answered without reservation, "I'm certainly confident. However, my earlier statement of 'almost no one' doesn't include one person. I've never seen him before, and his face doesn't seem familiar. His strength is formidable. So far, he has won every battle with a single strike. Therefore, he may be the only one in this Sacred Sword Festival who can truly fight me."
Mifune had just said that the samurai participating in this festival were no match for him, implying that he only needed one strike to defeat them. This wasn't him bragging; he genuinely believed it. But now, another individual had appeared who also won every match with a single strike. In that sense, he could also be called a person with no equal.
In Mifune's eyes, this person was very strong, but his true limit was a mystery, so he considered him a true "formidable opponent."
"Oh? A master you don't recognize?" The Land of Iron's general was slightly surprised.
To sharpen his swordsmanship and will, Mifune had challenged many masters across the Land of Iron. Even if he hadn't fought them, he should have at least seen or heard of them. The way Mifune spoke, it was clear he had no impression of this person at all, which surprised the general.
The general then asked, "What is this samurai's name?"
"Kōzuki Oden. According to his registration, he is a reclusive samurai from the mountains near Iron Forge City. He calls himself 'a man of Kuri,' but I've racked my brain and can't figure out where Kuri is," Mifune said softly.
"Kōzuki Oden... that's certainly an unfamiliar name," the general murmured.
Just then, a samurai walked into the courtyard, respectfully bowed to the general, and said in a low voice, "General, the strongest opponent for Mifune-dono in tomorrow's Sacred Sword Festival has been determined in the last match."
The general's eyebrow twitched slightly when he heard this. He then asked softly, "Is it the samurai named Kōzuki Oden?"
The samurai who had come to report nodded and said, "Precisely, it is Kōzuki Oden."
As soon as he finished speaking, Mifune immediately asked, "How many strikes did he use in that match?"
The samurai looked at Mifune and said, "Still just one strike."
"As I expected," Mifune murmured softly.
At this moment, the Land of Iron's general suddenly smiled and said, "Mifune, as my disciple, you have inherited all my teachings. You are a truly talented individual. Until now, you've had a smooth journey and haven't faced any setbacks. This time, however, may be your breaking point. For both you and me, it might be a good thing. So, if you are truly defeated by this samurai named Kōzuki Oden, I won't show any favoritism. It would simply mean that the divine sword Ame no Murakumo was not meant for you."
The Land of Iron's general had a grand demeanor and didn't intend to use any backdoor methods to help Mifune. After all, while the divine sword Ame no Murakumo was precious, for the general, raising Mifune was even more so.
Furthermore, their lineage highly valued the cultivation of one's conviction. The future Mifune would become a man with strong beliefs, so how could the general who taught such a loyal and moral person be a vile character? On the contrary, he was a samurai with an open mind and extraordinary temperament.
Hearing his master's words, Mifune's expression remained composed as he nodded. But he still spoke with great confidence, "A breaking point... perhaps my blade is so sharp that it will split this tough stone instead?"
"That would be even better. If possible, I certainly hope your life will be one of perpetual victory, defeating all the masters in the world, and that your fortunes in battle will be prosperous," the general said in a deep voice.
"I will work hard to achieve that!" Mifune said, his voice resolute.
On the other side, Hibari had returned to his rented room. That's right, the person using the alias "Kōzuki Oden" was him. As he pushed the door open, he saw that brat, Orochimaru, sitting on the bed again, meticulously reading a scroll.
Seeing this, Hibari said with a hint of exasperation, "All you do is read all day. Today was the last match before the finals, and you didn't even go to see if I would win?"
Orochimaru's attention was completely focused on the scroll. When he heard Hibari's words, he calmly replied, "I already watched your opponent's match yesterday. It's obvious that his strength is not a match for yours, aniki. I could even tell that you would only need one strike to defeat him."
One strike.
Hibari's eyebrow twitched slightly as he listened to Orochimaru, then said, "That's true, I only used one strike."
As he finished speaking, Hibari waved his hand with a feigned air of importance and sat down on the bed, his tone full of emotion. "Sigh, life is truly as lonely as a snowflake. This so-called Land of Samurai doesn't have a single person who can withstand a single strike from me. I don't know if it's because I'm too outstanding, or if this Land of Samurai is a disappointment."
Hearing Hibari's words, Orochimaru shifted his gaze slightly from the scroll and looked at Hibari. He then said, "Aniki, this Sacred Sword Festival only features the younger generation of samurai. You are a leader of the younger generation throughout the entire Land of Fire. It would be surprising to me if someone from the Land of Iron's younger generation could defeat you. After all, wouldn't that just prove that our great Land of Fire is inferior to the Land of Iron?"
He paused for a moment, then Orochimaru continued, "As for the masters of this Land of Samurai, I believe there are still many, you just haven't met them yet. Perhaps the samurai Mifune, who you will fight tomorrow, will be a formidable opponent."
Hibari laughed at Orochimaru's serious words, reached out, and tapped his head. "Unbelievable. You've probably read too many books, you're becoming more and more uptight. For a moment there, I thought Hitenn was talking to me."
Orochimaru was taken aback by Hibari's comment, then asked, "What should I have said?"
Hibari froze for a moment, then said, "Anything is fine..."
"You're sick..." Orochimaru murmured softly.
Orochimaru had always been very respectful towards Hibari, but for some reason, whenever Hibari spent a long time with someone, his "authority" would naturally fade away.
Now that Orochimaru had been with Hibari for so long, he had completely grown used to his personality and style. Their relationship was no longer as formal as before, but much more familiar.
Hibari didn't mind, but he still pretended to be a little annoyed and said, "You're becoming more and more disrespectful towards me, you brat."
"Respect is in the heart, not on the lips," Orochimaru replied in a cold tone, his eyes still fixed on the scroll in his hand without even looking at Hibari.
"You weren't like this before!" Hibari said, speaking like a frustrated parent.
"My impression of you wasn't like this before, either," Orochimaru said softly.
Seeing this, Hibari couldn't help but feel frustrated. He immediately said, "Looks like I need to change your impression of me. Time for class!"
As soon as Orochimaru heard this, his hands moved quickly, snapping the scroll shut. He turned to face Hibari, and in a very serious and respectful tone, said, "Aniki, I still have one last crucial point I haven't figured out about the Striking Shadow Snakes technique. I'd like to ask you for guidance..."
Seeing Orochimaru's respectful demeanor, Hibari smiled with satisfaction and said, "That's more like it. Come on, tell me, what doubts do you have that you need me to answer?"
Seeing Hibari's happy expression, Orochimaru felt helpless and thought to himself, 'He's really an easy man to trick...'
Putting that thought aside for a moment, Orochimaru began to ask Hibari for advice, and Hibari started explaining.
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