One Piece Fanfiction : Shimotsuki Ryuma Inheritance

Yajuro gritted his teeth, blocking the attack of three blades with his own. It was then that he finally saw who these hidden attackers were.

They wore tattered black ninja uniforms, with strange headscarves covering their foreheads and noses, leaving only their eyes and mouths exposed.

"Who are you?"

With a shout, Yajuro swung his sword, sweeping the three figures away.

But to his surprise, after flying three meters through the air, their forms began to fade, and then they disappeared entirely.

"Damn it, where did they go?" he growled, his teeth clenched.

At this point, Takeda scanned his surroundings as well. It was clear these mysterious ninjas were exceptionally well-hidden; even he hadn't detected their presence earlier.

"Hand over your food and all the money you have on you!"

Suddenly, a voice echoed from the side, ethereal and as if coming from underwater.

Takeda turned his head and swung his long sword.

"Autumn Equinox!"

A ripple-like arc spread through the air, flying swiftly toward the river not far away.

A moment later, there was a loud explosion. Cries of surprise erupted from the river, and three figures leaped out of the water.

"There they are!"

Mikurou rushed forward, but when he reached the riverbank, he could only watch as the three figures quickly faded again, vanishing from sight.

"Swish, swish, swish!"

At that moment, countless shurikens filled the air, dense enough to block out part of the sky, descending upon the three of them.

Yajuro stepped back, took a deep breath, and prepared to draw his sword. But just as he did, a figure stepped forward, brushing past him.

"Flowing water lantern light, shining life, faint wind sound."

"Autumn mist, twenty-eight lotus winds!"

The gentle chanting voice reached the ears of everyone present. At the same time, Takeda, holding his sword in his right hand, opened the sword case on his back and gripped Autumn Water in his left hand.

His body leaned slightly, eyes fixed on the rain of shurikens above. Bending his knees, he leaped into the air.

At that moment, the dual blades in his hands swung simultaneously, forming a whirlwind in the blink of an eye. In another instant, countless lotus flowers formed from blade energy floated in mid-air.

The rain of shurikens seemed frozen in that moment, caught by the spinning lotuses, shredded into powder, and then scattered by the wind.

"What is this?!"

Yajuro's eyes widened as he watched the scene.

When Takeda landed back on the ground, everything vanished. All that remained were trees, green grass, flowers, and flowing water.

The three ninjas hidden in the shadows exhaled lightly.

"Who are these people? How could they block our shurikens?"

But at that moment, Takeda suddenly shot forward, a grin spreading across his face.

"You've revealed your weaknesses!"

These ninjas appeared to have a camouflage technique that allowed them to blend seamlessly with their surroundings. However, this was merely a color-changing ability and not the power of a Devil Fruit.

His speed was astonishing. In the blink of an eye, he reached the three ninjas.

With a twist of his dual blades, under their widened, shocked, and terrified eyes, his swords swung.

"Song of Autumn's Decay!"

"One verse!"

A gust of wind erupted, shaking the area. Trees were sliced apart, and the three ninjas were swept into the air with cries of pain, before falling heavily to the ground.

Looking at the figures lying before him, Jiangliu stepped forward.

"You wanted to steal money and food?"

"With such interesting ninja techniques, how have you fallen to this state?"

There was a smile in his eyes.

Strictly speaking, these three weren't weak by outside standards. Their ninja techniques, capable of confusing perception, were already quite impressive.

Against some of Kouzuki Oden's subordinates, they could hold their own. Moreover, Takeda understood that the famous daimyos and the shogun of the Land of Wano often had ninja retainers by their side.

"My lord, they… they seem to be descendants of the Sanada Clan!"

At this moment, Itō Tōsai walked over, surprised.

"Descendants of Sanada?"

Both Takeda and Yajuro showed puzzled expressions.

"Have you heard of the Sanada Ten Braves? It's another legend of the Land of Wano!"

Itō Tōsai explained.

Takeda remained confused, but Yajuro's expression turned to shock.

"The Sanada Ten Braves? That's a legendary group of ninjas from the Land of Wano!"

Itō Tōsai nodded, looking at the three, who, having had their identities exposed, now closed their eyes in shame and pretended to be dead.

"Exactly!"

"The Sanada Ten Braves were renowned throughout the world. Who would have thought their descendants would now be reduced to banditry!"

"Truly lamentable!"

He shook his head, sighing deeply.

"Curse it! Curse it!!"

"If not for our circumstances, who would choose this life?"

"We haven't eaten in ten days!"

"We're starving to death!"

The three suddenly opened their eyes, shouting loudly, tears streaming down their faces.

Hearing this, Takeda laughed, sheathing his sword.

He had just tested the new dual-sword technique he'd recently developed, and it had performed well. His mood was excellent.

"If you're starving, why not serve me?"

"Become my retainers!"

But at his words, the three immediately showed defiance.

"Even if your strength is great, who are you to deserve our loyalty?"

"The descendants of Sanada would rather die than serve an unknown nobody!"

Takeda Laughed, stopping the enraged Mikurou with a hand.

"I am a son of the Shimotsuki Clan, Shimotsuki Takeda!"

The three froze, their eyes wide as they stared at Takeda. Then, without hesitation:

"We are willing to serve!"