Slurp—slurp—
Blowing on the noodles to cool them down, then slurping them up.
Even if the Seventh Hokage himself showed up, eating ramen required this ritual!
Gotta admit, the owner might be an ass, but he sure knows how to cook.
No wonder this shop has managed to stay open in the mist-drenched, not-so-thriving business district of Kirigakure.
A few bites in, and the damp, clammy feeling from the ever-present mist faded from their bodies.
Yagura had asked Zabuza a few questions, getting a general idea of his background.
Nothing too complicated—born into a civilian family, chakra affinities in Water and Wind, self-taught in both ninjutsu and kenjutsu, and honing his skills through endless fights.
Zabuza even kept a little black book listing all the notable shinobi in the village.
Given his decision to challenge Mangetsu one-on-one, Yagura figured this notebook was basically a death list.
"Mind if I take a look?"
"Go ahead."
Zabuza casually pulled it out and tossed it onto the table, focusing back on his noodles.
Yagura picked it up while Onime Kaede and Mangetsu leaned in curiously to see who made the list.
Flipping open the first page—
Third Mizukage.
Mangetsu let out a whistle. "Damn, starting off heavy."
Even Onime Kaede was a bit stunned. "You really wrote that down?"
Yagura squinted. "Your handwriting is atrocious."
"Pfft!"
Zabuza nearly choked, spraying noodles everywhere. "The hell's it to you, bastard?!"
Mangetsu, now aware of this detail, doubled over laughing.
"Pfft! Hahahaha! Seriously, is this even writing? It's like chicken scratch!"
Onime Kaede activated his dōjutsu, then deactivated it.
"Confirmed... barely readable."
With effort, Yagura managed to decipher "Third Mizukage" from the scribbles.
The rest? Gave him a headache. Whatever.
Most of the intel Zabuza had gathered was probably unreliable anyway. Better to just look at the sketches and names.
He turned the page.
After the Mizukage came the infamous Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
In other words, right below the Kage were these elite jōnin. Kirigakure had no other Kage-level ninja.
By comparison, Konoha had not only the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, but also the legendary Sannin.
Eh, no point comparing. That village was a magnet for overpowered freaks.
Yagura refocused on the notebook.
Beheading Blade wielder, Jūzō Biwa... next page.
Lightning Blades wielder, Raiga Kurosuki. Sewing Needle wielder, Kushimaru Kuriarare. Explosive Blade wielder, Jinpachi Munashi. Blunt Sword wielder, Jinin Akebino. Samehada wielder, Fuguki Suikazan. Twin Swords wielder, Hozuki Chiren...
The first six names were familiar. Yagura could match the faces to his memory.
But this Twin Swords user—
Wait, Hozuki?
Yagura glanced at Mangetsu in confusion.
If he remembered correctly, the Hozuki Clan didn't have a good relationship with the Third Mizukage.
Yet the Third still allowed a Hozuki to be part of his personal elite unit?
"Tch."
Mangetsu's expression twisted with disgust and contempt. Not wanting to delve into family disgrace, he simply stated,
"That guy betrayed the Hozuki Clan for the swords. A traitor."
Onime Kaede gave a slight nod. "Agreed."
"I see."
Yagura nodded in understanding and turned a few more pages.
The strongest was at the top, and the weakest at the bottom—including academy students like Mangetsu, Onime Kaede, and even Mei Terumi.
But no sign of Ringo Ameyuri or Hoshigaki Kisame.
Closing the book, Yagura then flipped back to the Seven Ninja Swordsmen's page.
"Do you know much about the current Seven Swordsmen, Mangetsu?"
Mangetsu snapped his fingers. "Oh, you're asking the right person! I've memorized everything about them! Solid intel! Reliable intel!"
"Alright."
Yagura pulled a pen from Zabuza's chest pocket, ready to add notes to the book.
As a clan heir, his handwriting was naturally much neater than Zabuza's.
Zabuza scowled but didn't argue. Still, the occasional side-eye gave away his frustration.
Mangetsu spoke at a measured pace, giving Yagura time to write.
"Jūzō Biwa, the Beheading Blade wielder—probably the most normal one in the group. Strength-wise, he ranks lower mid-tier among them. Before getting the blade, he was just a chūnin. Orphan. The Third Mizukage funded his ninja training."
"Raiga Kurosuki, the Lightning Blades wielder... uh, I think he's strong? I forget. But the dude is weird. Loves giving enemies flashy funerals. Got noticed by the Mizukage during his academy graduation."
"Kushimaru Kuriarare and Jinpachi Munashi—the Sewing Needle and Explosive Blade users. They're partners. Mid-tier strength, but easily the most ruthless of the bunch. Highest mission success and kill count. Killed tons of students during their academy exam, caught the Third Mizukage's eye."
"Jinin Akebino, the Blunt Sword user. Top-tier strength. My grandpa said he's the best in taijutsu among the Seven. Oldest member, most experienced, first to be recruited by the Mizukage."
"Fuguki Suikazan, the Greatsword wielder. Without his sword, he's low-mid tier, but Samehada is a special weapon. With it, he ranks high-mid. Trusted by the Mizukage, serves as the head of Kirigakure's ANBU."
...
"And lastly, Hozuki Chiren, the Twin Swords wielder. Mid-tier. That's it."
...
Swish— (writing sounds for transition)
"Much easier to read than your chicken scratch, huh?"
Zabuza had no comeback. He refused to answer.
Yagura studied the two drastically different handwritings in the notebook, nodding in satisfaction.
After some thought, he added a final note:
'All personally groomed and promoted by the Third Mizukage from childhood to chūnin level.'
No surprise there.
A personal elite unit naturally had to be composed of trusted individuals.
In a way, Yagura realized he was doing something similar now.
With a final stroke of his pen, he set it down—
At that exact moment, the ramen shop's door slid open, and a loud, boisterous voice filled the room.
"Oi, boss! The usual! One bowl of ramen, two cups of sake, and three chicken skewers!"
A small, scruffy old man with a large nose and a goatee swaggered in and plopped down beside Yagura.
Yagura immediately noticed the strange weapon on his back—an axe with a hammer at the other end.
The old man propped an arm on the counter and barked, "Got any sake? Hm?"
The owner flinched. "Y-yes, right away, sir."
"Sir? Bah! I've been coming here for ages. No need to be so formal."
"O-of course."
The owner quickly abandoned his relaxed posture, jumping up to fetch the drink.
Gulp—gulp—gulp—
The moment he got his hands on the sake, the old man chugged it down, wiping his mouth with a satisfied sigh.
"Ah! Now that's the best part of finishing a mission! This—THIS is the essence of manliness!"
Yagura and the others: "...Staring..."
After several drinks, the old man finally noticed the kids beside him.
"Hmm?"
Just a bunch of brats. Still, he was in a good mood.
Swirling his bottle, he grinned. "What's up, kiddos? Want a drink? Good taste!"
Then, without warning, he downed another gulp and burst out laughing.
"Hah! Come back when your little—er—bits grow in! Hahaha!"
"Nah, scratch that—you little punks probably won't even survive your graduation exam! Hahahahaha!!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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