"Th-this sword is huge!" Terumi Mei exclaimed, looking at the large blade.
"Yeah," Sakura Haruno said, struggling to lift the Executioner's Blade. Although it had been left here for a year, it seemed no one had discovered it. Zabuza and Haku's bodies were buried nearby; the Executioner's Blade hadn't been buried with Zabuza.
If I had buried it with him back then, wouldn't I have to dig up Zabuza's grave now? Digging up a grave is whatever, but Zabuza's body definitely wouldn't have fully decomposed. It's better not to see such a disgusting sight.
"Hm?" Terumi Mei tilted her head and looked at it for a while. "Why does this sword feel somewhat familiar? Have I seen it before?"
"Probably not!" Sakura felt a bead of sweat. This sword was quite famous; it was unlikely their paths would have crossed in a way that involved it, and bringing it up would only make Mei more suspicious. It was better to just brush it off.
Terumi Mei thought for a moment, then shook her head and gave up. Sakura looked at the enormous blade. Although she could wield it now, it still felt somewhat unsuitable for her.
The Executioner's Blade was 2.5 meters long in total, with the blade itself being 1.86 meters and the hilt 64 centimeters. Sakura, even now, was only about 1.55 meters tall. To wield it as an extension of her arm, she would probably need to be at least 1.8 meters tall.
Sakura figured she probably wouldn't grow to 1.8 meters in this lifetime; she'd be grateful if she even reached 1.7 meters. Thinking about this made her want to cry a little. Her previously imposing height had now been reduced to that of a "third-class disabled person."
"Heh! Ha!" The young girl, holding the greatsword taller than herself with both hands, swung it around a few times. Although it dragged on the ground when she used it, it was still somewhat manageable. As long as she mastered the technique of exerting force, she could wield it. However, it was clearly a bit strenuous to use against enemies.
Glancing at Terumi Mei beside her, Sakura said, "You try this sword."
Terumi Mei was much taller than Sakura. If her estimate was correct, Mei should be over 1.7 meters tall. If Mei could use it, then she could have it. This sword practically discriminated against short people.
However, it seemed Terumi Mei wasn't very keen on swordsmanship; she wielded it even less smoothly than Sakura.
Seeing this, Sakura said, "Never mind. You carry this sword for now. It's too troublesome for me to carry, and you're taller than me."
"Mhm," Terumi Mei nodded, found a rope, and tied the sword to her back.
The Executioner's Blade has a big name, but it doesn't seem to have any special properties. If I get the chance, I'll find a place to sell it. Due to my height, I can't really use it, and Mei doesn't seem to know how either. It's practically useless. Selling it could also annoy Kirigakure. It would be best to sell it to Iwagakure; it seems those two villages are hostile towards each other.
Sakura looked at Zabuza's tombstone with a sense of nostalgia. Strictly speaking, Zabuza was the first enemy she encountered after becoming a ninja. At that time, his strength had left her helpless, forced to abandon the mission just to get a sliver of a chance to survive. Looking back now, she felt a bit emotional. She was standing here perfectly fine, while he was lying in his grave.
"Do you know the person buried here?" Terumi Mei asked curiously, looking at the grave mound.
"Mhm, I do. It was a long time ago," Sakura said, composing herself. "Let's go, don't waste any more time."
"Mhm."
Just as she lifted her foot to leave, alarm bells suddenly went off in Sakura's mind. A sense of crisis filled the young girl's heart, and the air around them seemed to solidify.
"Heh, it seems we're surrounded, sister," Sakura said, looking at the surrounding bushes and trees, but she couldn't see a single trace. It seemed the ones who had come this time were ninjas, and their skills were not low.
Although she no longer had senjutsu chakra to enhance her perception, Sakura's sixth sense for danger was never wrong.
"What?" Terumi Mei looked bewildered and asked Sakura, "We're surrounded? But I don't see anyone?"
"You don't see them with your eyes; you rely on feeling!" Sakura reached out, pulled the Executioner's Blade off Mei's back, and said, "Prepare for battle. These enemies are different from the ones before!"
"Yes!" Terumi Mei adopted a defensive stance, her eyes wide, but she still couldn't see where the enemy was.
Hm? Sakura frowned. They're not coming out? I've already assumed a battle stance; it's obvious I've discovered them.
Just as Sakura was about to call out, she heard several swishing sounds. Instantly, a dozen ninjas wearing masks appeared before the young girl, forming a circle and surrounding the two of them.
"Hmph, finally decided to show yourselves!" Sakura shouldered the Executioner's Blade. The 1.86-meter blade formed a stark contrast with the girl's seemingly petite body.
"Lady Terumi Mei, why are you with this wanted criminal?" The ninjas ignored Sakura and addressed Terumi Mei instead.
Terumi Mei was slightly taken aback, then said, "You've mistaken me for someone else. I just look a bit like the person you're talking about. If you're only here because you're looking for someone who resembles me, you can leave now."
The lead ANBU, wearing a mask, showed no expression, but the length of his silence indicated he was stunned.
However, he didn't inquire further. Instead, he said, "In that case, please forgive us."
Then he said to the accompanying ninjas, "You go and take Lady Terumi Mei away. The rest of you, with me, take her down."
"Yes!"
Heh, as expected of ANBU. Their style is simple and direct; they don't even bother communicating with me. If Mei weren't here, they probably wouldn't have shown themselves and would have attacked directly.
Watching the kunai flying towards her, Sakura directly held the Executioner's Blade horizontally in front of her. Following the hum of clashing metal, the vibration transmitted from her hand made the web between her thumb and forefinger, gripping the hilt, a little numb.
The ANBU from Kirigakure are indeed strong. This is a bit troublesome. The Yin Seal has been emptied, I haven't learned Seijutsu yet, and there's still no word from Katsuyu. For now, I can only rely on my own chakra to fight. Fortunately, my own chakra reserves are already considerable; there's still a fight to be had.
After the Kirigakure ANBU fired a volley of kunai, they all drew the ninja swords from their backs and charged towards Sakura.
Seeing the somewhat distorted edges of the blades, Sakura knew they had imbued their chakra into the swords, which would increase their sharpness. She didn't know if those swords were made of chakra-conductive metal, but she figured they probably weren't. Such metal wasn't that easy to come by, especially not so many blades at once.
Although the length of the Executioner's Blade was somewhat cumbersome for Sakura, it now gave her an advantage against the sword-wielding Kirigakure ANBU.
Sakura held the Executioner's Blade horizontally in front of her with both hands, then turned sideways, using her waist strength to rotate the blade. A silver semicircle swept towards the ANBU charging at the young girl, aiming for their waists.
The Kirigakure ANBU, seeing this, all jumped back to evade, simultaneously forming hand seals with one hand.
"Water Release: Water-Flowing Whip!"
In an instant, seven or eight whips made of water lashed out towards Sakura, binding her and the Executioner's Blade tightly.
After landing, the Kirigakure ANBU yanked hard on the whips, tightening them further. But that wasn't all; they formed hand seals with one hand again.
"Lightning Release: Ground Runner!"
From the ends of the whips held by the Kirigakure ANBU, streaks of electricity sparked from their hands. Then, due to water's conductivity, seven or eight Lightning Release attacks directly hit Sakura.
Instantly, Sakura's hair stood on end from the lightning blast, her body numb and tense.
"Mikoto!!" Terumi Mei, who was being held back by two ANBU on the side, anxiously shouted Sakura's alias, revealing an opening.
However, the two ANBU's intention was only to separate her from Sakura; they didn't take the opportunity to deliver a killing blow.
"Wait a moment!"
Just as the Kirigakure ANBU were about to advance, the lead ANBU, who hadn't moved until now, stopped his subordinates. He then took out shuriken and, with a few swishes, threw them directly at the girl who was motionless from the electric shock.
Just as the shuriken were about to hit the girl, everyone suddenly heard a cold snort.
The ANBU who were binding the girl with water whips suddenly felt their hands lighten, and a sense of weightlessness forced them to stumble back a few steps.
Looking at the girl again, the seven or eight water whips had already been snapped, and she had dodged the incoming shuriken by merely shifting her body slightly.
"Hmph, as expected. How could someone who assassinated the Fourth Mizukage only have this much strength!" the Kirigakure ANBU leader snorted coldly.
"Looks like I'll have to fight head-on," Sakura said, shaking her still somewhat numb arm, her expression becoming serious.
Sakura had already overestimated their strength, but she hadn't expected to still underestimate them. Not to mention their coordination, just their ability to perform one-handed seals placed their average skill level at the Jonin tier.
Sakura didn't feel much pressure dealing with ordinary Jonin, but the ANBU in front of her were clearly not ordinary Jonin. Thinking about it, that makes sense. They're hunting someone who could assassinate the Fourth Mizukage.
Kirigakure knew very well the strength and status of the Fourth Mizukage. How could the people they sent still be ordinary ANBU? Perhaps these were all ninjas at the level of former ANBU captains.
Using the Executioner's Blade at the beginning was just an attempt to conserve chakra and feign weakness, then catch them off guard and kill a few with minimal chakra.
It seemed they were being more cautious with her than she had imagined. Her current state could be said to be her worst: senjutsu chakra depleted, Yin Seal chakra depleted, and still no news from Katsuyu about the Gelel Stone.
If there's still no news from Katsuyu soon, then I'll have to...