Over the next few days, Aoki Yoru challenged every dojo in the capital of the Land of Iron; however, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.
Only a few dojos had decent moves worth referencing; the rest were all just for show.
Without the expected gains, Aoki Yoru wandered the streets with a look of disappointment.
"Sigh, it seems these are all the gains to be had in the Land of Iron. Someone like Isshin is truly hard to come by."
Aoki Yoru then looked up at the tallest pavilion in the center. That was the residence of General Mifune of the Land of Iron, and his ultimate goal for coming here.
However, he had no intention of breaking in by force. Even if he succeeded, he wouldn't be able to hide it. Konoha would eventually hold him accountable, as the nature of such an act was far too severe.
Publicly stealing a treasure from the General of a neutral nation—wouldn't that make it seem like Konoha wanted to overturn their previous agreement?
If that happened, Danzo would be laughing his head off.
"Hmm... what should I do exactly?"
He stroked his chin, pondering. He couldn't just walk up to the door and say Aoki Yoru of Konoha requested an audience with General Mifune. They'd never let him in; did he think he was the Hokage?
Unfortunately, he hadn't come up with a solution by nightfall. Left with no choice, he returned to the inn first.
At night, the bright moon hung high in the sky.
The once bustling streets were now deserted. At this time, Aoki Yoru transformed into a middle-aged man and quietly appeared outside the pavilion, standing behind a wall to sense the defenses of General Mifune's residence.
His goal tonight was to sneak in and see if he could trade with General Mifune for the star-fallen mysterious iron. This was the simplest way; if it didn't work, he'd have to find another.
"As expected of the General's residence, the security is airtight." Aoki Yoru discovered that the defenses had no blind spots; sneaking in silently was nearly impossible.
However, there was no disappointment on his face; instead, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. After all, they were just samurai without Chakra. He only needed to be faster than their eyes could follow.
Aoki Yoru then bypassed the hidden sentries and crept toward General Mifune's quarters. When he encountered ones he couldn't avoid, he used the Body Flicker Technique.
The samurai only felt a gust of wind pass by. Though puzzled, they found nothing wrong and continued their patrol.
Reaching General Mifune's quarters, Aoki Yoru extended his finger. A thin thread of Chakra quietly reached out, precisely wrapping around the lock cylinder. With a gentle twist, the lock clicked open silently.
Aoki Yoru slipped inside and looked toward the bed. His heart suddenly tightened, and his whole body jolted in shock.
General Mifune was sitting upright on the bed, his palm gripping a long sword, eyes cold and alert as he watched him.
Snapping back to his senses, Aoki Yoru bowed slightly and spoke calmly, "Hello, General Mifune. I apologize for the intrusion so late at night. I hope you can forgive me."
General Mifune did not take his hand off the hilt. He remained vigilant. "Since you know it is an intrusion, what business brings you here so late?"
Aoki Yoru looked at General Mifune awkwardly. "I know you have a piece of star-fallen mysterious iron. I wish to trade for it. Please, name your price."
Hearing this, General Mifune slowly stood up from the bed, looking down at him.
"I won't ask how you know I have the star-fallen mysterious iron, but your sincerity seems negligible since you haven't come to trade with your true face."
Aoki Yoru nodded. "You have a point. Since it's a trade, we should be honest with each other."
With that, he released the Transformation Technique, returning to his original appearance.
Looking at the boy who had restored his original appearance, a flash of surprise crossed General Mifune's face. "So it's you. I didn't expect us to meet this way."
"Does Lord Mifune know me?" Aoki Yoru asked, confused.
"Haha, it would be hard not to know about the commotion you've caused in the capital, challenging every dojo by yourself. Besides, that old fellow Isshin strongly recommended you to me, saying you will surely surpass me in the future and that it would be best to keep you in the Land of Iron, as you would be its future..."
He then jumped off the bed and stared straight at him. "With your age and strength, no one would believe you don't have a background. Who are you, and where do you come from?"
Aoki Yoru cupped his hands. "This junior is named Aoki Yoru, from Konoha Village in the Land of Fire."
"Oh, it's you. I've heard of your name—Konoha's Kirin."
General Mifune suddenly realized. He then walked toward the door and said without looking back, "If you want the star-fallen mysterious iron, then fight me. Let me see what makes someone so highly recommended by Isshin special."
At that moment, the pavilion guards noticed a stranger following General Mifune. They immediately drew their swords and surrounded them.
"Stand down. I'm going to spar with this young lad."
The guards retreated, clearing a space for the two to duel.
"It seems this duel is unavoidable."
Aoki Yoru sighed and drew his ninja sword, which already had cracks on the blade, and performed a flourish.
"Lord Mifune, please guide me."
He cleared all distracting thoughts, synchronizing his breathing with his blade's stance. General Mifune was no small fry; if he wasn't serious, he would be killed in an instant.
Seeing Aoki Yoru's mind and body perfectly in sync with his sword, a flash of surprise appeared in General Mifune's eyes.
He then gripped the hilt with one hand. A flash of blade light suddenly erupted as General Mifune's wrist sank. He drew his sword cleanly, delivering a fierce Iai Slash straight down.
Aoki Yoru blocked with his sword horizontally. With a crisp clang, he was knocked back two steps, his hand numbed by the impact.
He didn't rush to counterattack; instead, his gaze locked onto General Mifune's movements. This was a rare opportunity to see firsthand the swordsmanship that even Hanzou praised.
He watched how he placed his feet, how his waist gathered strength, when his fingers tightened on the hilt, and at what angle the blade suddenly left the scabbard.
The second strike followed immediately—still an incredibly fast Drawing Technique. This time, Aoki Yoru didn't block head-on. He moved sideways to avoid the edge, memorizing General Mifune's entire process: the start, the power generation, the slash, and the sheathing.
The third strike, the fourth...
The two clashed at close quarters, their blade shadows intertwining. With every collision, Aoki Yoru silently analyzed: how much the center of gravity shifted forward, how the shoulder strength flowed, and when the wrist power exploded.
Gradually, he saw the rhythm of the draw, understood the sequence of power, and even began to anticipate the direction of the next strike.
After several moves.
Aoki Yoru subconsciously mimicked the technique: lowering his waist, pressing his shoulders, gripping the hilt, and drawing quickly. An identical, if slightly unrefined, Iai Slash flew from his blade.
"Clang—"
The two blades collided in the air.
General Mifune's face was full of disbelief. In just a few exchanges, this young man had actually watched and learned his Drawing Technique.
Now he understood a bit why Isshin had recommended Aoki Yoru so strongly; he truly had the potential to reach the pinnacle of the Way of the Sword.
General Mifune took a deep breath, sheathed his long sword, and said in a low voice, "Enough. There's no need to continue. Your strength and comprehension are indeed worthy of the star-fallen mysterious iron."
Hearing this, Aoki Yoru lowered his ninja sword in disappointment. He had wanted to snag a few more ultimate moves from General Mifune.
Taking a deep breath, he put away his sword and looked at him. "Then, General Mifune, what price must I pay to exchange for the star-fallen mysterious iron?"
Hearing this, General Mifune shook his head. "None. I'll give it to you for free."
Aoki Yoru looked at him in confusion.
'For free?'
He wasn't General Mifune's illegitimate son; there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world.