Hibari looked down at the Ame no Murakumo that Mifune held out. The sword was slightly stained with blood from the torn skin between Mifune's thumb and forefinger.
But this didn't diminish the aura of the divine sword. Instead, it gave it an air of solemnity, which made Hibari feel a bit emotional.
The Ame no Murakumo was one of the legendary divine weapons of the Land of Iron. Mifune could have claimed it as his own, yet in the end, he chose to give it away.
This grandeur made Hibari look at him in a new light. This conviction made Hibari feel he was an extraordinary person. He was truly worthy of becoming the Land of Iron's future general. It was no wonder that the five Kage would later trust him and choose the Land of Iron as the venue for the Five Kage Summit, inviting Mifune to serve as the mediator.
It was no surprise that Danzō would later try to use a genjutsu to control Mifune to propose him as the leader of the Allied Shinobi Forces.
If Danzō hadn't made a mistake and had his trick exposed, with Mifune's grandeur and prestige, it was very likely that the other four Kage would have agreed.
Even Hanzō the Salamander, a man who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals, was moved by Mifune's conviction and spared his life.
At this moment, Hibari finally understood how incredible the Land of Iron's future general was. This greatness didn't lie in his strength but in the power of his heart—a power that could influence and command the respect of others.
Hibari wondered if this guy were in the world of One Piece, would he have a Conqueror's Haki?
Thinking this, Hibari smiled and took the Ame no Murakumo that Mifune offered with both hands. He weighed it in his hand, looked at Mifune, and said, "Mifune-dono, your magnanimity and grandeur truly amaze me. But this is the divine sword of the Land of Iron. Are you sure you won't regret this?"
Mifune smiled and replied, "It's impossible to feel nothing. Even now, I feel a sense of loss. However, I didn't win this fight fairly. Compared to the divine sword, Ame no Murakumo, I would rather my heart become as strong as a divine sword. Therefore, even if I feel reluctant, I must use this to forge my conviction and strengthen my heart."
He paused for a moment and then bent down to pick up the other half of Hibari's broken blade from the ground. He held it and looked at it.
Then Mifune spoke again, "For every loss, there is a gain. By giving up a divine sword, I have also obtained a 'divine sword,' haven't I? Please, Oden-dono, grant me the courtesy of giving me this broken blade, this 'divine sword.' In the future, every time I see this blade, I will remember this day. I will use it to motivate and temper myself and to uphold the samurai's code of honor!"
Hearing Mifune's bold words, Hibari's lips curled up slightly. Hibari then said, "A trade. In this exchange, I'm the one who gained more..."
Mifune also smiled and replied, "No, I am the one who gained more!"
Hibari gained the divine sword, Ame no Murakumo, that he desired, while Mifune, through this exchange, "gained" his conviction. It was hard to say who truly benefited more. But sometimes, a trade doesn't have to be so clear-cut. Getting what you want and what suits you is a gain in itself!
"Alright. In that case, I won't refuse you any longer. I will accept this Ame no Murakumo!" Hibari said in a deep voice. He didn't feign humility, as that would be disrespectful to Mifune and make him seem like a petty man.
Hearing that Hibari had accepted, Mifune smiled.
Just then, the entire venue of the Sacred Sword Festival erupted in applause and cheers. The people were celebrating the Ame no Murakumo finding its master and were proud of Mifune's magnanimity.
Mifune already had a good reputation and prestige in the Land of Iron, but this righteous and noble act won over everyone in the audience.
The Ame no Murakumo was not something anyone could just give away. Upholding one's conviction was easy to say, but doing it in a real-life situation was a different story.
Even Hanzō the Salamander, known as a "demigod," failed to uphold his conviction in the second half of his life, didn't he?
Watching the lively atmosphere and listening to the endless applause, Hibari suddenly smiled and said, "You're right. You gained more, Mifune-dono."
Mifune was first stunned, then seemed to realize something and smiled as well, saying, "As expected, to gain something, you must lose something. I really did gain more..."
As the successor to the general of the Land of Iron, what Mifune lacked was prestige and authority. He wanted to obtain the Ame no Murakumo to accumulate prestige, but by giving it away, his gain was even greater than if he had won the Sacred Sword Festival.
He hadn't thought about this before. He had simply given the Ame no Murakumo to Hibari to uphold his convictions.
Now, this incident was bound to spread throughout the Land of Iron as the samurai and observers from all over the country left. Mifune would undoubtedly become a beloved figure in this story, and his reputation would soar.
And for the people of the Land of Iron, having such a magnanimous successor to be their future general was, of course, a good thing!
Weighing the Ame no Murakumo in his hand, Hibari smiled, leaned his head toward Mifune, and said softly, "Want to know a secret?"
"Are you going to tell me that your identity is fake?" Mifune smiled back and asked.
Hibari's eyebrow raised. He said, "So you found out?"
"When a young master like Oden-dono suddenly appears in our Land of Iron, the general's office has to investigate thoroughly..." Mifune said with a laugh.
"Then you were still willing to give me the Ame no Murakumo?" Hibari asked, a little surprised.
His decision to participate in the Sacred Sword Festival was spontaneous, so he hadn't made many preparations. His name and identity were random, so of course, they couldn't withstand scrutiny. If the general's office had an interest in investigating Hibari, they would have definitely found issues.
"The Sacred Sword Festival doesn't say that only certain people can participate, does it? There are also many swordmasters from other countries who come here," Mifune said softly.
He paused for a moment, then asked, "I wouldn't have asked if you hadn't brought it up, but since you did, I'm very curious. What is your true identity?"
Hibari smiled and hung the Ame no Murakumo at his waist. He said softly, "I come from the Land of Fire. Although I love swords, I am not a samurai; I am a shinobi. It's a bit late for an introduction, but please forgive me, Mifune-dono. My name is Senju Hibari!"
The reason Hibari revealed his identity to Mifune was, on one hand, because he could already feel Mifune's grandeur, so he was willing to trust him. On the other hand, Hibari also approved of Mifune's character through this event, believing he was a person worth befriending, both for professional reasons and for personal friendship.
Since he intended to befriend Mifune, he couldn't keep his identity a secret, could he?
Mifune was very surprised when he heard Hibari's introduction. Although they had no shinobi in the Land of Iron, it wasn't a closed country. Information traveled freely. As a "second-generation official" of the Land of Iron, he knew a lot about the matters of the First Great Ninja War and the conflicts between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning, Konohagakure and Kumogakure.
The name Senju Hibari was no longer unknown. After Hibari defeated Kinkaku and Ginkaku, he had become a well-known shinobi.
Mifune had also heard of his name, which was why he was so surprised. But after the initial shock, an expression of "of course" appeared on his face. He smiled and said, "So you're Senju Hibari, the man who took down the Kinkaku and Ginkaku brothers. In that case, I am completely convinced by this loss..."
After this, Mifune and Hibari didn't part ways. Mifune seemed very interested in Hibari and also wanted to befriend this "big shot" who was so influential in the Land of Fire.
Although the Land of Iron was a neutral country, it didn't mean they didn't care about anything. At the very least, they wanted to maintain good relationships with the five great nations, and the strongest, the Land of Fire, was of great importance.
The appearance of Senju Hibari was an excellent opportunity to build a connection.
So, Mifune sincerely invited Hibari to his general's temporary residence to sit and talk. Hibari didn't refuse, as he could also take the opportunity to inquire about some information from Mifune.
After the Sacred Sword Festival ended, Hibari, with that brat Orochimaru, followed Mifune to the temporary general's courtyard. The Land of Iron's general didn't show up; Hibari wasn't very interested in him anyway. Instead, Mifune accompanied Hibari and sat down with him.
"I wonder what brings you to our Land of Iron, Hibari-dono?" Mifune didn't hide his intentions. After sitting down and pouring Hibari a cup of hot tea, he asked the question he was most curious about.
As Orochimaru had mentioned before, the Land of Iron's stance had recently changed a bit. Since the general might retire in the next few years, a new samurai leader would have to be chosen.
Although Mifune was the most prestigious candidate, he wasn't without rivals. Since there were rivals, they couldn't take the same path, so the internal policies of the Land of Iron were experiencing some minor shifts due to this transition of power and competition.
Mifune asked about Hibari's purpose because he wanted to find out if the Land of Fire had noticed their internal changes and wanted to interfere.
Hibari didn't hide anything. He also knew why Mifune was asking, so he answered candidly, "Mifune-dono, you don't have to worry. I am here for personal matters. I have also been away from the Land of Fire for a long time, so I'm not very aware of other matters. I didn't come here on any mission between our two countries."
Mifune nodded, immediately believing Hibari. He then asked, "Then, what is your personal business, Hibari-dono? If there is anything I can help with, please don't hesitate to ask. I have some influence in the Land of Iron."
Hibari nodded and said, "There is something I'd like to ask you about..."
"Please, speak," Mifune said, gesturing with his hand.
"It's like this: This young man and I came here to find a place called Ryūchi Cave. Legend has it that it is the dwelling place of a great serpent. The reason we came to the Land of Iron is because we heard the legend of the samurai who slayed the Yamata no Orochi. We suspect that if the Yamata no Orochi truly existed, it might have come from the Ryūchi Cave. In that case, the Ryūchi Cave might be located somewhere within the Land of Iron." Hibari said softly.
After listening to Hibari, Mifune was silent for a while. He then said, "Hibari-dono, there are some records about the legend of the Yamata no Orochi in the general's office... So I know some secrets. If you are interested in this, I can tell you about it.
"The samurai who slayed the Yamata no Orochi was indeed from our Land of Iron, but the location where the serpent was killed was not within the current borders of the Land of Iron.
"This happened a few hundred years ago. Back then, the Land of Iron's territory was much larger than it is now. It was a powerful northern country, and the Land of Waterfalls and the Land of Grass were both originally part of our territory.
"In other words, we were a country bordering the Land of Rain. Because of this, we still have a lot of friction with the Land of Rain to this day..."
Hibari had never heard of these things. When he realized that Mifune might have some clues, he asked with great interest, "Please continue, Mifune-dono. I am very curious about this."
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