Sword of Indra

"Tr... try naming it? It actually wants you to name it!..."

Sasuke hadn't expected this.

Moonlight Hayate and Uzuki Yugao were even more excited to hear his question than he was to have obtained the sword...

"Wait, senpai, what does 'try naming it' mean?..."

If you didn't understand something, you asked.

Now that he knew Moonlight Hayate didn't mean him any harm, Su Jian let go of his wariness completely and asked outright.

"It means this ninja sword has acknowledged you and is willing to let you give it a new name."

"What?..."

Sasuke was astonished by Moonlight Hayate's explanation.

He hadn't expected the ninja sword in his hand to recognize its master.

Could it be a ninja tool on the same level as Jiaoji?...

"Senpai, how do I name the ninja sword?..."

"It's simple. Just use your chakra to write the name you want to give it on this sword!..."

The more Moonlight Hayate spoke, the more excited he got. By the end, he was even gesturing wildly.

"Is it really that simple?..."

Sasuke murmured to himself.

Just then, Moonlight Hayate's expression grew serious.

"No, Sasuke, you're wrong. A ninja sword has a spirit. Even if it's willing to let someone name it, that person has to be you. Nobody else should even think about it!..."

"Is it really that amazing?..."

Sasuke wasn't entirely convinced. After all, if Konoha had a ninja tool like Jiaoji, how had he never heard of it in the anime in his previous life?

Moonlight Hayate seemed to notice Sasuke's hesitation.

Without a moment's delay, he pressed his index and middle fingers together, gathering chakra between them.

The next moment,

he carved his name into the ninja sword.

The instant he finished writing it,

before Sasuke could even get a good look at his handwriting, the name he'd just carved vanished as if by magic...

"No way. It's actually real!..."

Sasuke was overjoyed.

He hadn't expected to find a treasure on the same level as Jiaoji in Konoha right from the start!

But then the thought struck him, and he was stumped.

"What should I name this ridiculously powerful ninja sword?..."

"...Sword..."

A flash of inspiration, and Sasuke suddenly thought of Naruto's father's Sword of Ninja Love...

"Ninja Love is out of the question. I'm someone who keeps score, for better or worse. I wouldn't hurt people, but I wouldn't go around doing anything selflessly heroic, either..."

"How about... a badass name? I'll call you the Sword of Badassery?..."

Before he'd even finished speaking, the ninja sword in his hand shook violently.

Sasuke nearly dropped it.

"Okay, okay, I won't call you the Sword of Badassery. Calm down, calm down..."

Sasuke's mouth twitched, and he was stumped again.

He knew that if he picked another ridiculous name, the sword in his hand might turn against him.

And there was no way he'd let such a treasure slip away right in front of him...

"What should I name it so this ninja sword won't turn against me?..."

He thought about it for a long while.

Then, at a certain moment, his eyes lit up.

Without another thought, he pressed his fingers together, gathered chakra, and touched the blade as he wrote:

[Indra]

"Sword of Indra?..."

Sasuke had written the three characters for [Indra] on the blade without the slightest hesitation.

Moonlight Hayate and Uzuki Yugao exchanged puzzled looks.

The name didn't seem to have any special meaning.

It didn't sound particularly impressive, either. It even sounded like an ordinary person's name...

Moonlight Hayate asked, puzzled:

"Sasuke, is Indra your nickname?..."

Sasuke laughed and replied meaningfully:

"Something like that..."

"Something like that?..."

His vague answer left the two of them even more confused.

A nickname either was or wasn't your nickname. How could it be "something like that"?

But just as Moonlight Hayate and Uzuki Yugao were puzzling over it,

the sky above Konoha suddenly darkened!

The next moment,

dark clouds rolled in and thunder rumbled.

Bolts of lightning tore through the cloud-covered sky like cracks!

"Why does it look like it's suddenly going to rain?..."

Uzuki Yugao gazed up at the sky.

Just then,

the Sword of Indra in Sasuke's hand suddenly trembled as if it had come to life!

"Are you excited?..."

With a ringing clang,

the sword seemed to answer Sasuke's question.

The next moment,

the Sword of Indra flew from his hand and shot straight into the clouds!

With a deafening crack,

the leaden clouds split apart, and a thousand-foot arc of lightning slammed into the blade!

Black clouds pressed down on the village as if to crush it; the sword's light soared to illuminate the heavens!

Lightning coiled around the blade, but its ringing grew even louder!

As if refusing to yield, it let out a fierce shriek and shot back into the sky!

"Th-this... what is this, Hayate? Do you know what's going on?..."

Uzuki Yugao asked tentatively, her beautiful eyes full of shock.

Moonlight Hayate didn't turn to look at her. Instead, he replied quietly:

"Perhaps only our master would know what's going on..."

Konoha, Root.

"Hm?... This familiar chakra...?"

"Could it... could it be the Six Paths Power?... But how is that possible?..."

Danzo gazed toward the flashes of lightning not far beyond the window.

His one visible eye, covered in scars, immediately filled with disbelief!

He looked down at his left forearm, wrapped up tightly long ago, and murmured to himself.

As if he were speaking to someone else.

Or perhaps trying to explain something to himself.

After a long while, he finally came to his senses and shouted toward the door:

"Yamanaka Fu! Send people immediately to bring everyone in that area surrounded by lightning back to Root!"

"Remember, don't let anyone find out. Especially the Anbu. Understood?..."

"Yes, Lord Danzo..."

A reply came from outside the door. Then, accompanied by the hurried sound of footsteps, the person disappeared...

"Clang!"

Who knew how long had passed?

At a certain moment, the Sword of Indra fell and plunged into the ground in front of Sasuke.

Lightning coiled around it, its blade gleaming with a cold light.

It looked like a beast about to pounce on its prey, waiting for Sasuke's command so it could spring into action!

"What a sword!"

Sasuke pulled the Sword of Indra out of the ground.

As the long blade came free, it seemed to bring with it gusts of wind and thunder!

"Sasuke, I can sense them. A large force of Konoha Anbu and Root ninja are rushing this way!"

"Seal the sword quickly, so nothing unexpected happens!..."

"Got it!..."

It was no wonder Moonlight Hayate made his living as a sensor.

Before the other ninja had even reached them, he'd already sensed most of them.

Seeing this, Sasuke didn't dare waste any more time.

He reached to his waist, and a scroll appeared out of nowhere.

The next moment,

he flicked out a brush and swiftly drew a simple sealing mark, concealing the aura of the Sword of Indra in his hand completely!...