"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen?" Granny Cat raised a brow. "I did hear about you defeating them. You've had quite the stroke of luck, boy."
After a pause, she added thoughtfully,
"I've also heard that each of their blades is bound to the Hidden Mist through special summoning contracts. If you take them out like this, won't Kirigakure just summon them back?"
Jin shook his head calmly.
"I already removed the summoning contracts using a Contract Seal. They're mine now. I wouldn't have brought them here otherwise."
Granny Cat nodded and unrolled the storage scroll. With a hand seal, she summoned its contents into the room.
Seven massive weapons clattered into existence.
She examined them one by one.
"Broken Blade: Decapitator.
Longsword: Sewing Needle.
Blunt Blade: Helmet Splitter.
Exploding Blade: Splash.
Lightning Blade: Fang.
Twin Blade: Hiramekarei.
Great Blade: Samehada…"
Then she looked up sharply.
"Seven? I heard you only killed four of them."
Jin smiled.
"When I realized what they were holding, I decided I wanted the blades. Once they understood that was my target, they threw them away to save their lives."
For the Swordsmen, losing a blade wasn't permanent. They could retrieve it via contract.
Losing their life?
Irrecoverable.
The first to discard his weapon had been Fuguki Suikazan, dropping Samehada to buy time. Once the others saw Jin ignore him and continue pursuit, they followed suit—scattering their blades in different directions to equalize the chase.
Jin had slaughtered four.
Three escaped.
Had they known he could erase their summoning contracts, they never would've abandoned their swords so readily.
Granny Cat nodded slowly.
"I see. So—what kind of blade are you looking for?"
With seven legendary weapons in the room—each forged with significant chakra metal and possessing unique properties—money was no longer a concern.
Jin leaned forward slightly.
"Can you melt and reforge some of these? Combine their traits into a single blade?"
"For example—Decapitator's regeneration. Helmet Splitter's durability. Splash's heat resistance. Hiramekarei's transformation ability."
If those four traits could be fused into one—
It would be a weapon without equal.
Granny Cat stared at him for a long moment.
Then rolled her eyes.
"You're dreaming."
"These swords weren't mass-produced. Each was born of unique circumstances and rare craftsmanship. Even restoring one after melting it would be nearly impossible—let alone merging their traits."
"If that were feasible, the Hidden Mist would have done it long ago."
She folded her arms.
"Sell them. Take the money. Commission something practical."
Jin exhaled softly.
Ordinary blades couldn't withstand the heat he generated.
Even pure chakra metal would last only seconds once temperatures surpassed ten thousand degrees.
"Durable. Resilient. Heat-resistant…"
Granny Cat narrowed her eyes.
"Wait here. I may have something."
She rose and rummaged through a storage cabinet.
Jin's eyes sharpened with anticipation.
If anyone possessed something unusual—it would be her.
Moments later, she returned with another sealed scroll and laid it before him.
This one bore several distinct characters:
'Ten'
'Eight'
'Fire'
Granny Cat asked casually:
"You've heard of the Kusanagi no Tsurugi?"
Jin's eyes lit up.
"The Kusanagi Blade? Orochimaru has one. It's said to be a legendary divine weapon."
She nodded.
"Correct. The Kusanagi blades are relic-class weapons. Unbreakable. Each possesses unique abilities."
Jin's thoughts raced.
Orochimaru's blade extended and retracted freely.
Sasuke's amplified Lightning Release.
And Itachi's Totsuka Blade—
A chakra-formed spiritual weapon that sealed whatever it pierced.
His gaze drifted slowly toward the scroll—toward the character marked 'Ten'.
…Surely not.
Granny Cat continued.
"Legend says there are eleven Kusanagi blades in total. Most are scattered across the shinobi world."
"I've managed to acquire three."
She formed a seal and pressed her finger against the symbol marked 'Fire'.
The scroll flared.
A blade materialized.
It was a seemingly ordinary katana—deep violet hilt, oval guard, brown sheath.
Yet the moment it appeared—
The air changed.
A sharp sulfur scent filled the room.
The faint smell of scorched air followed.
Granny Cat spoke slowly.
"This blade is said to have been born from volcanic magma."
"When swung, it ignites the air itself. Ordinary scabbards cannot endure its heat."
She looked directly at Jin.
"Its name is—"
Zanka no Tachi.
"A blade capable of reducing all things in creation… to ash."
Read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon -> patreon.com/warewolvesTL