"…I don't see how that's any business of yours," Zabuza cautiously comments.
"But I believe it is," Ōyashiro continues. "As you know, I have two legitimate buyers for the legendary Kubikiribōchō, one hailing from your very country, the other from parts I will not disclose. How slighted do you believe this other party would feel toward you, Terumī-dono, and your country, for not only wasting their time and resources, but additionally taking away their opportunity to at least bid on such a magnificent weapon?"
"I can't tell you how excited that makes me," Zabuza happily expresses. "To think they might come after me… mnn! There's nothing better in this world than feeding Kubikiribōchō still-warm blood from hacked and butchered bodies."
"I understand, Momochi-dono," Ōyashiro apathetically articulates, not bothered by the man's clear blood-lust. "Then, if I may ask, who does Kubikiribōchō currently belong to?"
Ōyashiro waits a moment for an answer but Zabuza only grows irate and silent. Without concern for his safety, Ōyashiro continues, "you said it wasn't Dānyī-san's to sell, and I know my old friend wouldn't have lied to me if he didn't think he could, at the very least, attain the weapon before I arrived, which tells me it couldn't have been in your possession. I've been a tradesman since I was a little boy, Momochi-dono, and currently, my instincts are telling me this amazing sword isn't yours to do as you wish either. So I ask again, who does own Kubikiribōchō? So that I may speak to him."
Barely coping with Zabuza's growing tension, Tenten wanted to yell to Ōyashiro to get help, but she's also amazed that such a slight and weak old man would be unshrinking in the face of such a monster. Tenten attributes such gall to his many years navigating perilous negotiations with villains from every corner of this world.
"If I may ask my old colleague," Ōyashiro says as he takes a step to Tenten's father, however, Zabuza effortlessly levels the heavy-sounding Kubikiribōchō right against Ōyashiro's neck, stopping him from speaking with the gagged man.
"It'll be mine soon enough," Zabuza admits.
"I see," Ōyashiro smoothly admits. "That's wonderful, Momochi-dono. May I assume it will occur through a challenge of some sort?" Zabuza's stern silence is answer enough for Ōyashiro, and the merchant continues, "I see. Might I know the date and time of the match so that I may bear witness? You have my word I only wish to observe the outcome."
"There's only one way it'll end," Zabuza confidently claims. "Kubikiribōchō will be mine once again."
"And if it isn't, would you give me your word you will not interfere in the sale-"
Ōyashiro is halted when Zabuza presses his giant sword against his pale skin, mastering the weapon to irritate the skin red rather than cut into it. Amused, Zabuza heralds, "you have a pair on you, Ōyashiro. Perhaps I should feed Kubikiribōchō your blood. My blade is starving for more."
The moment drags on in painful and tense silence until there is a patterned combination of knocks on the door downstairs.
"It's your lucky day," Zabuza remarks to the tradesman, removing the blade and settling it on his back. "Be a good sheep and get the door." Despite being called sheep, Ōyashiro bows before he exits the apartment.
When this nightmare will end doesn't concern Tenten nearly as much as how it ends. Bandits, thieves, protection detail, fighting other genin, lawn work, runaway cats, other mundane tasks have all been her ninja experience up to that point, but she's never come across an enemy shinobi of this strength. This was an assassin who wouldn't spare a second thought about killing them for attempting to take his sword, and still, her mind wonders how such a weapon could've possibly ended in Naruto's possession.
The blond was such a mystery to her she was beginning to hear his voice say odd things like, "who are you?" Her frazzled mind's mental slip corrects itself when she realizes that came from downstairs. "Where's Tenten-chan," she hears yelled, so grateful to recognize the loud voice, she's near to tears.
Tenten had been amazed by Ōyashiro's bravery despite Zabuza's clear strength, but she was absolutely dumbfounded when the blond oddity rushes upstairs, takes one look at her and yells at the Kiri assassin, "what the hell Zabuza-jiji!" Naruto rushes to her despite the constant threat Kubikiribōchō poses in the hands of a former Anbu and suddenly her vision is filled with the worried, blue-eyed countenance of one Uzumaki Naruto.
The blues of his eyes search her over for any wounds as he asks, "ne, are you okay, Tenten-chan?" He then spots her heaving, pale, sweating, bleeding father and calls out, "ah, uh, Haku could you make sure he's okay?"
"As you wish, Naruto-sama," Haku immediately responds.
"When did that brat upgrade to -sama," a lazy Zabuza asks and Haku plainly tells him as he walks to Dānyī, "he's the head of his clan now. It's unofficial, though, not for long."
But Naruto only cares to yell at the assassin, "what gives? Why didn't you just come to me? You didn't have to involve them."
"Ah-ah, shut it," Zabuza yowls with mild irritation. "I didn't touch Buns and that trash had it coming. Trying to steal Kubikiribōchō is a crime punishable by death."
"Says who," Naruto asks loudly as he helps Tenten up.
For some reason, Tenten couldn't let go of his orange sleeve and she didn't understand why. She wasn't hurt, nor does death seem as likely anymore. Holding his sleeve like a lost little girl was humiliating, and yet, she simply can't make her tight hand let go.
"Might I hazard a guess and say you're the owner of Kubikiribōchō," Ōyashiro asks Naruto from behind him.
"Who cares about that," Naruto tells the merchant. "Come on Haku, let's get him to the hospital."
"He'll be fine," Zabuza calls, effortlessly bringing Kubikiribōchō to Naruto's neck, and to Tenten's immense surprise, Naruto just shoves the blade away, as if it was nothing more than an annoying twig. Smirking, Zabuza reminds the blond, "we still need to settle our showdown, brat."
"It's Naruto," her fellow genin calls back, gently patting Tenten's hand. It was an unexpected comfort she was immediately grateful for, and to her relief, it helped. She felt control in her hand once again, yet, she chose to hold on for just a little longer. "You'd think you'd remember the name of the ninja that beat you."
"Tch, it was luck," Zabuza declares defiantly.
"Lucky you survived, jiji," Naruto tells the Kiri-nin as Haku and a red-haired girl treat her weakened father. "I know how you old dudes tend to be brittle in your old age."
Quickly setting his shoulders for a fight, Zabuza growls, "you fucking- I'm not even thirty yet!"
"Now that I think about it," Haku comments aloud as he looks at Zabuza. "You've never once told me your age."
"Do eyebrows recede," Naruto asks Haku.
With eerily calm confidence, Zabuza growls, "I'm going to kill you," raising his killer intent to the point Tenten feels like she can't inhale a decent breath of fresh air. She grips his sleeve tighter, yet, to her amazement, Naruto doesn't buckle.
Naruto simply glares defiantly as he asks, "why are you here? I thought you'd still be recuperating."
"Obviously, I'm here to kill you so Kubikiribōchō will once again be mine."
"Hmph!" Naruto calmly rebuffs. " You're not going to kill me so you might as well forget about that right now."
Staring daggers at the daring blond, Zabuza growls, "I can't wait to see the look in your eyes when it finally sinks in tonight'll be the last night you breath."
"Yeah, yeah," Naruto bemoans, cleaning his ears much to Zabuza's growing annoyance. "Let's just get this over with."
"It feels like you're not taking me seriously here," Zabuza notes. "Not that I care, but from one demon to another, only the last one breathing keeps Kubikiribōchō."
"I don't want Kubikiribōchō," Naruto responds. "That sword doesn't fit with my fighting style."
Stepping closer to the blond, Haku suggests, "Naruto-sama, this would be a good opportunity to try diplomacy. You're going to have to learn to settle things with other strong and angry men without resorting to violence."
"There's only one way this is getting settled," Zabuza tells Haku.
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