Elder Itachi spoke in a tone full of surprise: "The Kusanagi Sword, you even know about that?"
Tōshirō replied enthusiastically: "In the past, when I was bored in the library, I came across it. It's considered one of the strongest weapons in this world."
Elder Itachi started to recall information about the Kusanagi Sword and then suddenly smiled.
Tōshirō asked, "What is it?"
"Nothing, I just remembered some legends about the Kusanagi Sword."
The Uchiha clan revered power, and in their pursuit of it, they collected any tool that increased their combat strength. The Kusanagi Sword was one of those legendary items.
In the past, Uchiha Madara was interested in the Kusanagi Sword. He acquired one and, during that process, learned some intriguing secrets.
However, as his power grew, Madara inherited the Uchiha fan, and the Kusanagi Sword became just another piece in his collection, rarely used.
In the end, the Kusanagi Sword, aside from its unique existence, was notable only for its hardness and sharpness.
Compared to the Uchiha fan, which could easily repel attacks at the level of the tailed beasts, the Kusanagi Sword was merely a forgotten piece in storage.
"A legend?" Tōshirō asked curiously, "Can you tell me about it?"
Elder Itachi began to recount a story.
The Kusanagi Sword isn't a specific sword but refers to a type of weapon.
The true history of the Kusanagi Sword cannot be verified; all that remains is a vague legend.
It is said that in ancient times, a massive beast named "Yamata no Orochi" lived on Mount Kizan. It had eight snake heads, with eyes that glowed like red lanterns, and its body was enormous like the mountains, covered in moss and cedar trees. Its belly was always bleeding as if corroded, and dark clouds of eight colors hovered above its heads, making it terrifying.
The beast consumed countless creatures daily, and it especially loved devouring humans.
People feared it and called it "Yamata no Orochi," meaning the giant eight-headed snake.
The local people tried hard to eliminate it, but they failed and lost their lives.
The beast wasn't just enormous; it also possessed strong abilities.
Its ability to control the wind.
Its ability to control fire.
Its ability to control lightning.
Its ability to control the earth.
Its ability to control water.
Its ability to create illusions.
Its ability to regenerate its body endlessly.
These seven abilities were akin to the seven chakra natures, and each ability was tied to one of its heads.
However, there was one head larger than the rest, seemingly the main head, which didn't regenerate as quickly as the others when attacked, suggesting that if this head were cut off, the beast would die.
However, getting close enough to the main head to cut it off wasn't easy.
Two local brothers, Yagami Iori and Kusanagi Kyo, heard of a legend about sages in the distant east. The brothers decided to seek out these sages to learn the power that could defeat Yamata no Orochi. After a long and arduous journey, they found the sage, who taught them powerful techniques.
Before they left, the sage gave the brothers two spiritual weapons: the 'Totsuka Sword' and the 'Yata Mirror,' one for offense and the other for defense.
The brothers returned to Mount Kizan and fought a fierce battle with the beast for three days and nights. In the end, they managed to cut off its head and rid the world of this great menace.
However, the cost was Kusanagi Kyo's life, as he was poisoned by the beast's fangs while protecting Yagami Iori.
The sage had told Yagami Iori that Yamata no Orochi was a creature born from the darkness in humans' hearts and couldn't be killed entirely, only sealed.
Thus, Yagami divided the beast's body into eight powerful weapons, each one among the most formidable of that era.
Then, with the sage's help, Yagami Iori sealed the beast's spirit within the Kusanagi Sword, but he didn't stop there. He also sealed the Totsuka Sword and Yagami's shield into the same sword.
Yagami Iori gave each of the eight weapons a special name, and they all came to be called the "Kusanagi Sword" in honor of his late brother, Kusanagi Kyo.
Finally, Yagami kept the sword containing the beast's spirit and shield, while he scattered the other swords across different regions.
Legend has it that whoever gathers these eight swords will be able to resurrect Yamata no Orochi and control it.
Listening to Elder Itachi's information about the Kusanagi Sword, Tōshirō suddenly understood why Orochimaru, in the original story, was so fascinated with this sword and obsessed with collecting it.
Kozan truly felt that Elder Itachi was like his "personal search engine." Whenever he didn't understand something, he could just ask him directly.
"Having an elder in the home is like having a treasure."
"I loved it, I loved it."
(Author's Note: This was a creative interpretation of Orochimaru's obsession with collecting Kusanagi Swords and how Itachi obtained the Totsuka Sword and Yata Mirror.)
Elder Itachi shook his head and said, "It's not that big of a deal." He sighed, "When a person lives long enough, they naturally start to know some things and become colder towards the world." Then a wry smile crossed his lips.
Tōshirō nodded slightly in agreement.
Elder Itachi asked, "Do you enjoy using swords?"
"Yes, I'm a practical person. As they say, 'the longer the weapon, the stronger it is.' Plus, swords are lightweight, giving me an advantage over ninjas who heavily rely on throwing shuriken. The sword isn't just strong; it also looks elegant, so I don't see any reason not to like it."
Elder Itachi smiled slightly and said, "Yes, I suppose so."
Tōshirō then joked, "In truth, not just the weapon, but fighting techniques should also follow the principle of practicality. Take, for example, the Hyuga clan's technique, 'Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.' It looks impressive at first, but if you think deeply, instead of delivering that many strikes, a ninja could just use a shuriken to tear the enemy apart."
Elder Itachi chuckled softly, "You're cautious sometimes, but surprisingly arrogant at other times. How dare you underestimate the Hyuga clan, which stands second only to the Uchiha and Senju?"
Tōshirō shrugged nonchalantly and said, "I'm just speaking based on what I've seen."
Elder Itachi added, "The Hyuga clan was once considered the strongest in physical techniques, which is why they ranked just behind us Uchiha."
He then hinted at their decline: "But over time, they lost their power, and it was inevitable."
Itachi remembered that Uchiha Madara once fought one of the Hyuga's finest fighters, who managed to break through the Susanoo barrier with the power of the Divine Fist. That was one of the strongest taijutsu users he had ever faced.
Tōshirō asked in surprise, "It was inevitable?"
Itachi laughed coldly, "Have you heard of the Caged Bird Seal that the Hyuga clan places on their branch family members?"
Feigning ignorance, Tōshirō replied, "I've heard a little. They say it's to protect the branch family from having their Byakugan stolen. When the Byakugan is stolen, the seal activates to destroy the eye, preventing it from falling into the wrong hands."
Itachi chuckled, "That nonsense only fools people like you. The seal not only protects the eye but is also used to control the branch members of the clan."
"Control?"
"Yes, as long as the Caged Bird Seal exists, the branch members will always serve the main family, generation after generation."
Itachi continued, "You may think I'm exaggerating, but think about it. Even if the seal destroys the eye, it doesn't stop the bloodline from flowing. A branch member could easily be controlled using genjutsu, forcing them to mate and produce offspring who bear the Byakugan."
"Did you notice that all Hyuga clan children receive the seal when they turn three?"
"Additionally, the main family prevents the branch members from learning advanced techniques to ensure they don't grow too powerful and rebel. This is how they maintain control."
Itachi sighed bitterly and said, "They consider themselves noble, yet they can't tolerate powerful fighters within their own clan. It's no wonder the Hyuga clan is in decline."
Tōshirō let out a deep sigh.
Then, Itachi said proudly, "Strong clans don't fear challenges. In our Uchiha clan, those who prove their strength rise to the top, and those who fail fall. The clan leader was never a hereditary king."
"With that belief, the Uchiha clan has maintained its strength and remained at the top of the shinobi world."
But then, Itachi's expression darkened as he said angrily, "But look at Konoha now! Because they fear the Uchiha's power, they oppress us and prevent us from advancing. How is that any different from how the Hyuga clan treats their branch members? Konoha is on the path to destruction."
Tōshirō replied shyly, "Even if you say that... I don't want to become..."
But before he could finish, Itachi shot him a sharp look, silencing him.
Itachi said angrily, "How can Konoha become strong while we're stuck with these fools?!"
He added, "That's why you must become Hokage to stop this decline. Not just for the Uchiha, but for the village and the whole world to achieve peace."
(End of Chapter)
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