The instant the Kusanagi blade appeared, Jin's entire focus locked onto it.
A strange certainty rose within him—
This blade belongs to me.
And when Granny Cat spoke its name—
Jin's head snapped up in shock.
"Granny… what did you say this blade was called?"
"Zanka no Tachi," she repeated calmly. "Why? You've heard of it?"
Jin nodded almost instinctively.
How could he not?
In another world, that name belonged to the Bankai of the strongest Shinigami in two thousand years—Genryūsai Yamamoto.
But this…
Could it truly be that Zanka no Tachi?
Granny Cat assumed he'd merely seen the name in some ancient text and didn't dwell on it.
"'Burn all things in creation' is an exaggeration," she said evenly. "But it is indeed a powerful fire-aspected divine blade."
"Durable. Resilient. Heat-resistant. It meets all your requirements."
"And it amplifies Fire Release techniques."
Jin's eyes flashed.
Without hesitation, he reached out and grasped the sword.
The moment his hand wrapped around the hilt—
A pulse.
A connection.
As if flesh and steel had always belonged together.
Clang—!
He drew it.
The blade scraped through the air—and flames erupted instantly along its edge.
The temperature in the room spiked violently.
"Good blade," Jin murmured.
It didn't possess the apocalyptic, sun-incinerating might of its namesake from another world—
But for him?
It was perfect.
Granny Cat retreated several steps, shielding herself from the heat.
"Of course it's good—it's a Kusanagi blade!"
"Now sheath it before you burn my house down, you brat!"
Jin blinked and quickly returned it to its scabbard.
The moment steel slid home—
Runes along the sheath ignited faintly.
The flames were forcibly suppressed and drawn back into the blade.
Jin looked impressed.
Granny Cat explained:
"The sheath is carved from the trunk of a legendary divine tree. Nearly indestructible."
"It's engraved with Fire-Sealing sigils to restrain the blade's heat."
"Time has worn the seal slightly—that's why heat was leaking."
"If you plan to use it seriously, you'd best restore the seal fully."
"Simple enough."
Jin formed a hand seal and pressed his palm against the sheath.
"Seal."
Black formula markings spread outward like ink flowing through veins, reinforcing and completing the Fire Seal.
Though Fire Seals counter flame naturally, they were structurally simple compared to more complex sealing arts.
Jin handled it easily.
Granny Cat narrowed her eyes.
"So. You're satisfied?"
"Very."
He held the blade with unmistakable attachment.
"I'll take this one."
Then he glanced at her accusingly.
"If you had something like this, why didn't you show it last time?"
She gave him a flat look.
"Could you afford it last time?"
"…."
"Without those seven swords you brought today, you wouldn't even know this existed."
Jin coughed lightly.
She wasn't wrong.
Even now, aside from the Seven Ninja Blades, his cash reserves were laughable.
Ninjas earned well—
But they also burned through money.
Shuriken. Kunai. Explosive tags.
War drained finances fast.
If not for battlefield spoils and certain shipping ventures, he might actually be broke.
Then it hit him.
"…Wait."
"You're saying these seven swords only get me this one blade?"
"Of course."
"What did you expect—two?"
She snorted.
"Those seven blades have market value."
"This one is a legendary Kusanagi blade."
"A divine weapon."
"Priceless."
"If not for rising prices and my current need for funds, I wouldn't even consider trading it."
Jin forced a smile.
He would have chosen Zanka no Tachi over the Seven Blades any day.
Still—
His gaze drifted toward the other seals on the scroll.
"Granny… those other seals—those are Kusanagi blades too, aren't they?"
"You selling?"
She rolled up the scroll immediately.
"Not for sale."
"They're heirlooms."
"With your seven swords, I can sell one a year and eat for seven years."
"Why would I trade the rest?"
"If you want them, bring something comparable."
"Comparable?"
Jin leaned forward.
"What exactly would qualify?"
She took a slow drag from her pipe.
"Well…"
"If we're trading divine weapons, then divine-tier items."
"The Six Paths Ninja Tools from Kumogakure would do."
She paused.
"Or… your Uchiha Mangekyō Sharingan."
"That would be valuable enough."
She said it casually.
She had no real intention of making the trade.
But Jin—
Froze.
In the original timeline, Fugaku's Mangekyō Sharingan had appeared once—in Itachi's memory.
After that?
Gone.
Never mentioned again.
What if—
Just what if—
Itachi had traded his father's Mangekyō for a Kusanagi blade?
If that were true—
Jin's expression turned deeply complicated.
"Uchiha Itachi…"
"…what a filial son."
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