Game of Shadow

Chapter 32

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor The Gamer. I own nothing, really.

Chapter 32

"What?"

I blinked in confusion before turning towards Anko. My sensei stood there wide-eyed and obviously as disbelieving as I was feeling. She even turned to me a second later, as if to check with me that we really had heard what we had heard.

Zabuza let out an annoyed sigh.

"It's how the swords are passed down," He explained, sounding like it pained him to do so. "You either win it in a battle or a Swordsman gives it to you."

"And if the requirements aren't met..." I tried, trailing off with an unsure voice. 'Is this really happening?'

"Then Kiri hunts the sword down to get it back, and another Swordsman will keep it until a new wielder is found," He finished.

"We never heard of this," Anko pointed out with a frown.

"Because nobody had ever won by themselves against a Swordsman," Zabuza replied curtly. "Maito Dai was the only one to do so, and he died to the rest of the Swordsman since he fought them all. If the brat hadn't interfered with yours, you would have been able to keep Shibuki. That's actually what Kiri expected to happen with both swords when we found out about Konoha helping retrieve the swords."

"Really want to smack you right now, kiddo," My sensei grumbled.

I, for my part, was unnerved by the grin that was evident in Zabuza's face even under the bandages.

"Well, I wouldn't be too happy if I were you, brat," He said, the smirk evident in his tone too. "That only means there will be a bunch of Kiri ninja wanting to challenge you for the ownership. Just hope our side wins, at least that way they'll keep the Swordsman code and do a proper one on one fight for it."

"On second thought," Anko added, with a wry smile. "I think I'm good. Although, you should know," She continued, looking directly at the Kiri Swordsman. "You ain't getting that sword from him. If I know anything about the kid is that he'll be Swordsman level in no time at all."

"That so…?" He asked, turning to me once more. I had to do conscious effort not to shiver under those eyes. They were much more intimidating than Nuibari's wielder had been. "High praise coming from the student of the Snake of the Sannin," My sensei's eyebrow twitched at that last part, understandably.

"Anyway," She clapped, clearly done with that conversation. "So, the brat's going to be challenged for the sword sometime in the future. Is this going to cause any more problems?" She asked, her tone joking although her eyes belied the seriousness behind the conversation.

"It shouldn't, at least from our side," Zabuza shrugged. "With that said, I'll be taking this," He added, throwing the scroll with Shibuki up after taking it from my hand. "And we'll be on our way. Good luck with that sword, brat," He directed at me. "Anyone else would be cursing your name for taking one of the Seven Swords while not being from Kiri. But you took it fairly."

There was something very, very surreal about Zabuza speaking like that to me. Where was the man that was called Demon of the Mist? Maybe my memories of just how he was were wrong? It wasn't like I remembered the show anymore, and I didn't know how well I had remembered it when I wrote it down on my notes.

"Just don't be a weakling, will you?" Now that was more what I expected.

A second later, Zabuza and Haki disappeared from the place.

We, for our part, stood where we were for a minute or so. I took a look at the sword still in my hand. It was long, almost as long as I was tall. Although, being fair, it probably had something to do with me being still twelve. A third of it consisted solely of its handle and at its widest, it was barely more than two of my fingers put together. The ninja wire attached to the end of it, I shuddered at the sight, was almost invisible. Much thinner than the normal one, that was for sure.