Two days later, Zoro takes his swords from the smithy. They look much better now after their damages have been repaired.
"Are you still going to use them?"
Torao asks Zoro after leaving the smithy.
"Yeah, I'll use them until they break, just like my previous swords."
Zoro thinks that it's only right to use swords until they break before changing them. Torao said there are better swords in his storage jutsu and Zoro can use them now.
But Zoro insists on using these swords until they can't be used again. He will also do his best to keep the swords in good condition until they can't be repaired anymore.
Both of them leave Iwagakure and head to Kumo to exchange more bounty rewards. Zoro is quite disappointed because he couldn't see any big figures in Iwagakure like the Tsuchikage though.
It takes 2 weeks for them to reach Kumogakure from Iwagakure. They take their time on the way by visiting a few towns. It's not like they are on an urgent mission, after all, and they also enjoy traveling.
Of course, Zoro just needs to sit on Torao's back after the small cat transforms into a tiger-sized cat on their way from town to town.
Zoro also doesn't wear his weight straps while riding on Torao's back because they are too heavy for Torao.
Anyway, they enter Kumogakure after going through a strict security procedure. The process to claim the bounty rewards is similar to the one in Iwagakure, so Zoro isn't surprised.
Rather than the procedures, he is more worried about something else. A few years ago, he lived in a village in the Land of Lightning when the 3rd shinobi war started.
The village was attacked, but the villagers managed to escape. Turned out, the villagers were retired ninjas from Kumo. They returned to Kumo because the village was attacked and asked Zoro to join them, but he refused.
Now he is quite worried whether they still remember him and whether they will ask him to join them again. His answer won't change, but he is quite worried if they will do something extreme to get him.
'Well, if Kumo wants to be my enemy, then so be it. But I doubt they will go to such a length just for 1 person. Recruiting someone from outside their village is too risky. After all, they won't have the loyalty like those growing up here.'
Even those born and raised in a hidden village can betray their village. Not to mention someone from outside. That's why hidden villages won't usually recruit people from outside no matter how powerful they are.
"Hmm? Aren't you Zoro?"
Someone suddenly calls Zoro while he looks around the village after getting the rewards. He looks at the one calling him and remembers who the old man is.
"Village chief?"
"Hahaha, it's really you. You have grown a lot taller and bigger now."
"And you look older too."
"Might as well tell me I look close to my death door, will you? Hahaha. What are you doing here, little Zoro?"
"I came to exchange bounty rewards of 2 wanted nins from Kumo."
"Eh? You hunt bounties now?"
"Yes. Hunting animals has gotten too easy, so now I'm hunting criminals. My Master said I need to gain real life experience to get stronger, so I hunt criminal ninjas to fight them."
"Your Master, huh? Was he also the one who sent you to the village a few years ago?"
Zoro can tell that this old man is still wary of him even now and curious about his motives for entering that village.
"Ah, he didn't. He only sent me to this country to see the outside world. Finding that village was pure coincidence when I tried to find a good place to live because the towns were too annoying. But then the 3rd war started and I got into danger, so my Master called me back to The Land of Iron."
The old man has an expression saying that it is just as he thought. Zoro actually just made up that story. He has thought of what to say if he meets those villagers and Torao came up with this story.
Torao thought that the made-up story won't just make Zoro less suspicious, it will also show that he has a Master that will back him up if anything happens to him.
Then as they hoped for, the former Village Chief seems to be calmer after that and stops talking about the village. He even leaves quickly, saying he has an urgent business.
'I hope they don't bother me again and just enjoy their new life here.'
Thankfully, none of the people from that village come to disturb him. However, someone else takes that role.
Zoro just wants to buy some Takoyaki when a muscular man with dark skin and white-blonde hair suddenly calls him out. The man talks strangely too, like he's rapping.
"Fool! Ya Fool! Are you the swordsman~? The bounty hunter-man~, yeah?"
"... Sorry, I don't have spare changes."
Zoro treats him like a busker asking for some coins.
"Ya Fool! I don't need money~. Or even honey~. Just being curious~, if we can talk serious~."
Again, Zoro just looks at him blankly before asking the Takoyaki stall owner.
"Excuse me, do you know where the closest police station is? I mean the Guard station? Oh wait! The hospital seems better."
"U-um, i-it's okay. He might look like a weird person, but he's actually Raikage's brother."
"What?! This weird uncle is Raikage's brother?"
Zoro looks 'shocked' when he hears that. Then he suddenly gets hit in the head by the pissed rapper.
"OUCH! WHAT'S THAT FOR?"
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN UNCLE? I'M STILL 20 Y.O."
"..... Oh, you stop rapping."
"... *Cough* What uncle~? I'm a brother~. Still 20 years old, Fool! Ya Fool!"
Of course, Zoro knows who this guy is. He just wants to mess around to see if this guy is really friendly.
"So? What do you want from me, Unc- Brother?"
"Ya Fool! I heard you're a swordsman~, so what if we clash our swords like a man~?"
"You want to spar with me? Hmm, what will I get from accepting it? You don't really think I will just accept without any compensation, right? It's not like I am so free to have a spar with you anytime, you know."
B doesn't expect that kind of answer and now thinks hard about it. He just heard that a swordsman from the Land of Iron came to exchange some bounty rewards and got curious about it.
After asking here and there, he found out that the swordsman is even younger than him. But the swordsman actually defeated a jonin and a chuunin who were quite infamous here by himself, so B wants to see how strong Zoro is.
But he never expected such an answer and hasn't prepared for it.
"I-I'll give you some money~. If you win, I'll add more money~. How is it, fool? Ya Fool?"
"Hmm, how much?"
They quickly discuss how much money Zoro will get by simply accepting B's challenge and if he wins. It takes a while before they agree on the nominal and go to an empty field outside the village.
When they arrive, Zoro can sense some people are watching from hidden spots. There's even a very powerful aura, stronger than even Killer B.
'So that's how it is.'
Now Zoro knows that Raikage must've sent B to fight him or simply knows what B wanted to do and let him fight Zoro so they can see how strong Zoro is.
'Sure, I'll play along with your little game.'
Zoro stands quite far from B as they get ready. Then Zoro finally sees it, B's unique 7 sword-style that looks even more ridiculous than his 3 sword-style.
But he knows better than underestimating B's kenjutsu. After all, B could toy with Sasuke in the story simply by using his swords.
So Zoro also gets serious from the start. He ties his bandana on his head, something he didn't do even against those twin jonin brothers from Iwa or other opponents so far.
He even drops all the weights on his body so he can use 100% of his power. Then he wields all his 3 swords as he looks at B with full concentration.
B and the spectators are amused because this is the first time they see someone else hold a sword with his mouth like B.
Both fighters just look at each other without moving a single inch. Then without any signal, both of them suddenly start their battle.
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Chapter 54. Return to The Cold Land
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