Reality Is More Absurd Than Fiction

The moon was bright and the stars were sparse. A night breeze swept through, rustling fallen leaves, while a few tenacious insects continued to sing the final movement of their lives.

In the dense forest, Ringo Ameyuri sprinted urgently, disregarding her own injuries; for a ninja, intelligence is always more important than one's own life.

The Land of Artisans had suddenly seen the arrival of a ruthless individual of unknown origin but heaven-defying strength, and this news had to be relayed to the others in Kirigakure.

Otherwise, given the habits of her colleagues, if they were to encounter that swordsman, would it not be a certain death?

If an ordinary person had suffered such severe wounds, with fragments of a short blade still in their abdomen, it would be absolutely impossible to move with such intensity.

In the end, Ringo Ameyuri arrived at a town alive, stumbling and drawing the attention of passersby, who, upon seeing her attire, chose to act as if nothing had happened.

Ninjas are known to kill at the slightest provocation.

On the surface, the group from Kirigakure had come to place orders for ninja tools, so they could not be too conspicuous; thus, they had booked an entire inn to stay in the town.

It was also convenient for observing whether any big fish were around, which was how Baki and his group had been targeted.

The lights had not yet been extinguished when the wounded Ringo Ameyuri burst into the inn, and then, her spirit finally collapsing, her vision went black and she fell to the floor.

The receptionist at the front desk had already been replaced by a member of Kirigakure, who grabbed a kunai and rushed out to investigate the situation.

Upon seeing that it was Ringo Ameyuri lying on the ground and confirming her identity after a quick check, they carried her into the innermost room of the inn.

About an hour later, Ringo Ameyuri slowly regained consciousness. Touching her abdomen, she found the bleeding had been stanched, but the short blade fragments had not been removed.

Among this team, there were no ninjas proficient in medical ninjutsu; being able to cast a basic healing spell was already the highest level of treatment available.

Inside the room, a dozen ninjas sat in a circle, with two figures in the center drawing the most attention.

One was Biwa Juzo, carrying the Kubikiribōchō on his shoulder; his attire was in the same style as the Demon of the Hidden Mist, Zabuza, lacking any particular uniqueness, as the massive blade was the primary focus.

The second was Suikazan Fuguki, with long orange hair and teeth as sharp as a piranha, his stature as imposing as a small mountain. He was just as eye-catching as the blade Samehada, wrapped in bandages, on his back.

Strictly speaking, there was one more person who looked quite distinctive: in the corner of the room, a shark-faced man stood quietly—the young Kisame Hoshigaki.

At eighteen years old, in the conference room, he stood like a mere lackey.

Seeing two members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, Ringo Ameyuri hurriedly rose, knelt on one knee before them, and said respectfully, "Chunin Ringo Ameyuri, greets the two captains."

In an instant, her wounds were agitated, and sweat poured down like rain.

"Hmm." Biwa Juzo nodded.

Suikazan Fuguki wore a stern expression, his hand gripping the hilt of Samehada as he asked, "Speak. Why have you returned alone? Where are Kaguya Taiga and the other members of your squad?"

Samehada writhed twice, eager for action, its powerful aura pressing down on Ringo Ameyuri's nerves; if she could not provide a satisfactory explanation, Suikazan Fuguki would surely strike her down.

"Captain Kaguya and the others have been killed. I am the sole survivor." Ringo Ameyuri dared not waste words, blurting out the most critical information in one breath.

A stone stirred up a thousand ripples; everyone in the room was shocked by this news, and the room erupted into a clamor of discussion.

Who was Kaguya Taiga?

An elite Jonin possessing the Shikotsumyaku, whose strength was not inferior to the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, had gone out with ten Chunin to mop up the remnants, only to disappear so inexplicably?

This did not make sense.

Suikazan Fuguki, the most suspicious of them all, drew Samehada and held it over Ringo Ameyuri's head, shouting sternly, "Lies! An elite Jonin plus ten Chunin—did he encounter the main force of one of the other four great ninja villages, or perhaps a Kage? Within the Land of Artisans, it is impossible for such a powerful existence to exist. Even if there were, why are you the one who survived instead of the strongest, Kaguya Taiga? Even when spinning a lie, one must maintain some semblance of logic!"

Ringo Ameyuri felt like crying but had no tears, her pretty face unsure of what expression to adopt. I know that telling a story requires logic, too! The problem is that reality is just this absurd. What can I do? I am helpless as well!

The ninjas in the room all looked at Ringo Ameyuri with suspicious eyes. To be fair, this lie was indeed highly illogical.

For a moment, everyone considered a possibility: had Ringo Ameyuri defected on the battlefield?

Killing intent permeated the air, and Samehada seemed ready to break out of its cocoon and hammer Ringo Ameyuri to death on the spot.

Just as Ringo Ameyuri thought, My life is at an end, the other leader, Biwa Juzo, waved his hand to stop Suikazan Fuguki.

He said coldly, "Tell us everything you experienced, from beginning to end. Do not hold back a single detail."

Phew, her life was saved. Her own people were more dangerous than the enemy.

Ringo Ameyuri had escaped a disaster for the moment, but she knew that if there were any inconsistencies in her words or actions, she would certainly face death.

Her brain raced, recalling the scene and fearing any omissions, as she said cautiously, "It was around dusk when I followed Captain Kaguya and the other colleagues to hunt down the stragglers. We did find one, and just as we were about to catch up and kill him, a person suddenly appeared and blocked our path..."

"Wait a moment!"

Suikazan Fuguki barked, interrupting Ringo Ameyuri, and asked, "Only one person?"

"Yes, only one."

Ringo Ameyuri nodded, smiling bitterly, "He was a young man with a long sword at his waist, a cross-shaped scar on his face, dressed in a kimono, and with long red hair. He claimed to be Himura Kenshin, saying he couldn't stand to see anyone violate the spirit of the samurai by bullying the few with the many, and then he attacked us..."

Everyone reached the same conclusion: ninjas were more accustomed to short blades, so this Himura Kenshin must be a samurai hailing from the Land of Iron. Only they wore kimonos and carried long swords—a group of people long since discarded by the era.

To meddle in the affairs of ninjas under the guise of samurai spirit was overstepping his bounds by far.

Wielding the sword of a fallen dynasty to execute the officials of the current one; what an overbearing display of authority.

"At first, we thought he was just a fool, a meddlesome busybody who couldn't read the room, so we attacked him."

Ringo Ameyuri lifted her head, her eyes burning with a hint of fanaticism and longing as she spoke with awe: "Then, he proved with his strength that he was indeed capable of interfering in this matter."

The Water Style ninjutsu, shuriken, and kunai unleashed by ten chunin formed an inescapable net, yet he shattered it all completely within two seconds using nothing but exquisite swordsmanship.

"Throughout the entire exchange, we didn't sense a single shred of chakra fluctuation. I am willing to stake my life on it—that was pure swordsmanship!"