Hoshigaki Clan and Samehada

It was afternoon.

Irori had just returned from the Intelligence Division and personally relayed something to Yayoi.

"You mean the Hoshigaki Clan?"

After hearing Irori's account, Yayoi could not help showing a surprised expression.

"Yes, Lord Yayoi. What do you think? Would you like to meet the Hoshigaki Clan's patriarch?"

Irori looked serene, wearing a gentle smile as though nothing could stir much emotion in her.

"As I recall, the Hoshigaki Clan is a ninja clan from the Land of Water, isn't it? Why have they appeared in the Land of Night?"

Yayoi did not understand.

Just from the clan name, one could tell that this was the clan Kisame Hoshigaki belonged to—the S-rank rogue ninja from Kirigakure and one of the Akatsuki's members in the original story.

In fact, before learning of the Hoshigaki Clan, this was the first time he had known that Kisame Hoshigaki had also come from a ninja clan.

"According to the Hoshigaki Clan's patriarch, because their facial features and bodies differ greatly from ordinary people's, and because the clan itself is not particularly strong, they have long suffered exclusion and oppression from other clans in the Land of Water.

"Now that Kirigakure has been established, many ninja clans in the Land of Water have gradually joined the ninja village. Because the Hoshigaki Clan faces discrimination, they are somewhat worried about what would happen after joining..."

Irori briefly explained the Hoshigaki Clan's difficult situation in the Land of Water.

"I see."

Long ago, when Yayoi learned that the Hoshigaki Clan existed in the Ninja World, he had specifically investigated the clan.

Naturally, he had not learned much in detail, but he knew that the clan members' physical appearance truly differed from that of ordinary people.

The ninja of this clan had gill-like markings on their faces and shoulders, sharp teeth, and differently colored pupils. It was only natural for them to receive strange looks from others.

Moreover, thanks to this appearance, all ninja of this clan primarily possessed a water affinity and could breathe underwater for extended periods.

It could barely be considered a secret technique inheritance based on a physical trait.

But honestly, among secret techniques, this unusual trait was not particularly powerful.

This special physique merely allowed Hoshigaki Clan ninja to breathe underwater for a while longer. It offered little enhancement to Water Release itself.

As a result, although this clan's ninja primarily had water affinities, they rarely produced powerful Water Release ninja who drew attention.

By comparison, the Hozuki Clan, who were likewise skilled in Water Release, produced exceptional talents in abundance and were a top-tier first-rate ninja clan.

By Yayoi's estimate, the Hoshigaki Clan had at most five or six Jonin. They were somewhat stronger than the Kusanagi Clan he had wiped out, but in essence, they were still a third-rate ninja clan that could barely brush the edge of the second rate.

"In that case, let's meet them. No matter what, the Land of Night is badly short on talent right now. With this, there will be four clans with secret technique inheritances."

Yayoi spoke in a good mood.

Aside from the Aburame Clan and the Hoshigaki Clan, which was now preparing to join them, two other ninja clans gathered by the Land of Night possessed secret technique inheritances.

They were the Untori Clan, which focused on Yin Release and excelled in genjutsu, and the Kamakō Clan, which possessed bodily abilities like the Hoshigaki Clan and primarily used Wind Release. (Both were original minor ninja clans.)

However, these two clans had fled there after defeat and suffered severe losses. Between them, they had fewer than seventy ninja and needed time to recover.

"Lord General, I am Hoshigaki Kairyu. I earnestly ask that you take in our Hoshigaki Clan. This is a small gift of introduction. I hope Lord General will accept it."

The man named Hoshigaki Kairyu was around forty years old.

Aside from his short dark-blue hair, aqua-blue skin, silver eyes, and the gill-like markings on his face, he looked remarkably similar to the Kisame Hoshigaki Yayoi remembered.

Clearly, these were common physical traits among Hoshigaki Clan ninja, traits outsiders would find difficult to imitate even if they wanted to.

At that moment, he took out a blue ninjutsu scroll, his attitude respectful.

Aoi stepped forward, took the ninjutsu scroll he offered, and placed it before Yayoi.

Both she and Rinko were curious what gift the Hoshigaki Clan patriarch had brought, but they knew it was inappropriate to ask in this setting, so they obediently stood to the side without saying a word.

"I'll accept the gift. To be honest, I am very pleased and welcoming of the Hoshigaki Clan's decision to join us. However, procedures are procedures, and they cannot be skipped. I will need to observe your Hoshigaki Clan for three months."

Yayoi did not waste words.

He had long established his own process for incorporating ninja clans that came to join him.

Unlike the Aburame Clan, whom he had personally invited, the Untori Clan, the Kamakō Clan, and now the Hoshigaki Clan had all come to him voluntarily.

Therefore, their incorporation process needed to differ from that of the Aburame Clan.

"Yes."

As the Hoshigaki Clan's patriarch, Hoshigaki Kairyu had already roughly learned how the Land of Night incorporated outside ninja clans before deciding to seek refuge there.

One reason they had come to the Land of Night was that the Hoshigaki Clan was easily exploited by other ninja clans in the Land of Water. Another was their hope that the clan could develop better.

The Land of Night was not as powerful as the Five Great Nations, but anyone with eyes could see that it was one of the few great powers beneath them. Its national strength was by no means weak.

If the Hoshigaki Clan joined Kirigakure in the Land of Water, they would receive few resources.

But in the Land of Night, a country lacking ninja clans, the resources available to the Hoshigaki Clan would be far better than what they could receive in the Land of Water.

Furthermore, the Land of Night had a relatively open atmosphere, unlike the oppressive and closed-off Land of Water.

Most importantly, the Land of Night's general was a powerful figure capable of subduing Tailed Beasts. That was strength enough to protect an entire nation.

After speaking with Hoshigaki Kairyu, the Hoshigaki Clan patriarch, for a while, Yayoi had Irori lead him away to settle the rest of the Hoshigaki Clan.

According to Hoshigaki Kairyu, the Hoshigaki Clan had sixty-one ninja and over four hundred non-ninja clan members.

Of them, five ninja could be rated as Jonin.

Hoshigaki Kairyu himself, as the patriarch, was not weak. By Yayoi's judgment, he was slightly stronger than Kakuzu before he fused with Earth Grudge Fear.

"My lord husband, could there be some kind of ninjutsu inside this scroll?"

"I think it might seal some powerful weapon, like the Kusanagi Sword my lord husband obtained."

After Hoshigaki Kairyu left, Aoi and Rinko came over, curious about what exactly was inside the ninjutsu scroll he had presented.

Aoi guessed that it recorded a fairly powerful ninjutsu.

Rinko thought it sealed some kind of weapon.

"I'm curious too. How about we make a game of it? Whoever guesses correctly gets to decide who serves me first tonight."

Yayoi weighed the blue ninjutsu scroll in his hand. Seeing Aoi and Rinko's curious expressions, he could not help feeling playful.

"That hardly counts as a reward..."

Aoi could not help but complain.

Besides, what difference was there between going first and going second?

"..."

Rinko's face flushed red, and her body felt somewhat lightheaded.

But what was this feeling of her heart pounding uncontrollably, as though a deer were crashing about inside her chest?

I've become as shameless a girl as Lady Kicho...

"Since neither of you objects, it's settled."

After saying that, Yayoi untied the string around the blue scroll and spread it over the table.

Its contents were visible at a glance. It was simply an ordinary sealing scroll.

"It seems Rinko's guess was right. There should be a weapon inside. You two, stand a little farther away."

Before determining what weapon was sealed inside, Yayoi needed to treat it cautiously.

Aoi and Rinko obediently moved farther away, though they stood on tiptoe to see more clearly.

Yayoi carefully inspected the formula once, then pressed both hands against the corresponding positions on the scroll and poured chakra into it.

Bang.

A cloud of white smoke rose. Lying horizontally on the table amid the smoke was a massive blade nearly two meters long. Its blade was wrapped in white bandages, making its true appearance impossible to see.

Without a closer look, it did not resemble a bladed weapon at all, but rather a large club wrapped in bandages.

"Samehada..."

Yayoi stared at the exceedingly familiar bandaged greatsword and softly murmured its name.

Long ago, the Land of Water had been a nation where samurai and swordsmanship flourished.

Like the Land of Iron, it was one of the earliest birthplaces of samurai.

Even now, with ninja dominating the age, many samurai clans still remained within the Land of Water. Many ninja clans in the Land of Water had even evolved from samurai clans.

Thus, the Land of Water had produced many ninja blades with strange forms and bizarre functions since ancient times.

It was said that they were crystallizations of ancient swordsmiths' painstaking efforts. (Unless a time and creator are explicitly stated, treat them all as made by ancient swordsmiths.)

The great blade Samehada was one of these strange ninja blades.

"The Hoshigaki Clan does not inherit ninja blades like this, nor are they particularly skilled with swords. Did they obtain it by chance?"

But no matter what, it belonged to him now.

Then wouldn't Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen become the Six Ninja Swordsmen?

The thought suddenly flashed through Yayoi's mind.

(An explanation here: in Naruto, higher-ranking ninja can tell a lower-ranking ninja's level of strength at a glance.

During Part One, both Orochimaru and Jiraiya assessed Kabuto Yakushi's abilities as being, at most, around Kakashi's level.

How strong was Part One Kakashi? When he encountered Orochimaru, he could not even withstand his killing intent and instantly experienced an illusion of death. Refer to manga chapter 70.

Excluding Irori, Yayoi's base strength was barely at the Kage level. Once he released his killing intent, he could easily suppress Jonin-level ninja.)