Either they could serve him and continue to walk the ninja world like ordinary living beings—or he could send them away right now.
The first to make a choice was Jūzō Biwa. Before his death, he had already knelt once, and now, he felt no pressure to kneel again.
Next was Kisame Hoshigaki. The speed at which he pledged allegiance was only slightly slower than Jūzō's. It had to be said—Aoba Kawaki's judgment of him was highly accurate.
Finally, there was Raiga Kurosuki. Seeing his two companions swear loyalty so readily, he too chose allegiance after a brief moment of hesitation. After all, who would willingly die when life was still an option?
As for Kirigakure Village, they had already risked death once in service to the village, hadn't they?
After accepting the "Auspicious Three Treasures" as his new subordinates, Aoba Kawaki's first order was simple: retrieve all Seven Ninja Swords of the Mist.
In addition to the blades already carried by Jūzō, Kisame, and Raiga, Aoba, using his Observation Haki, was able to sense the location of the remaining four swords.
However, the other four had become so tainted—almost fused with their previous owners—that Aoba found it too distasteful to retrieve them himself. He tasked his new subordinates with the cleanup.
Perhaps wishing to show off in front of their new master, the Auspicious Three acted swiftly. After purifying the swords with Water Release techniques, they respectfully placed the seven blades in a neat line before Aoba Kawaki:
Executioner's Blade — Kubikiribōchō
Samehada — Sharkskin Sword
Kiba — Twin Lightning Blades
Hiramekarei — Twin-Sword Greatsword
Shibuki — Blast Sword
Nuibari — Sewing Needle Sword
Kabutowari — Blunt Sword (Helmet Splitter)
These seven blades were crafted from the finest materials Kirigakure could find, forged jointly by the village's most skilled swordsmiths and blacksmiths specialized in chakra-conducting metals.
Each blade was a national treasure. Outside of the legendary Six Paths Ninja Tools, few weapons in the world could rival them in quality and power.
Especially Samehada, Kiba, and Shibuki—they could significantly amplify the strength of even Kage-level ninja. Their combined power could even rival legendary artifacts like Uchiha Madara's Gunbai.
Furthermore, through unknown techniques, Kirigakure had bound these swords with summoning contracts during their forging.
Thus, even if the swords were lost outside the village, Kirigakure could summon them back at any time through advanced space-time ninjutsu.
In other words, unless Aoba dealt with the swords quickly, the village might reclaim them as soon as news of the swordsmen's deaths reached them.
For Aoba Kawaki, these seven weapons were treasures in his hands—and it was impossible to let them slip away.
But could ordinary sealing techniques truly contain them? He wasn't certain.
Thus, the safest method... was sacrifice.
As long as the blades ceased to exist in this world, Kirigakure would have nothing to summon back.
The idea was simple—and perfect.
First, Aoba picked up the Kabutowari — Blunt Sword.
Though called a "sword," it was actually a combination of an axe and hammer connected by a rope. Its method of attack involved striking with the axe, then hammering it to deliver crushing secondary damage.
Despite being embedded with chakra-conducting metal to boost physical strength, Aoba found the design laughably impractical.
In his eyes, Kabutowari felt like a filler weapon among the seven.
He didn't know which "genius" had invented such a clumsy tool, but he decided it was the perfect choice to "test the waters."
Placing Kabutowari on the sacrificial altar, Aoba began the ritual.
He didn't expect anything grand—as long as what emerged wasn't another "anti-human" design, he'd be content.
When the sacrificial light faded, what appeared was a simple-looking axe.
An axe... from an axe and hammer? A loss?
Aoba didn't rush to judgment. He focused his mind—and information about the item immediately flooded in.
It was a Teigu: Two Large Axes — Belvaac, from the world of Akame ga Kill.
Belvaac was a Teigu that required immense arm strength to wield. Not only could the axe split into two separate weapons, but when thrown, the blades would return like a boomerang—so long as their momentum wasn't exhausted.
Honestly...
If Kabutowari was the "most questionable" of the Seven Ninja Swords, then Belvaac was certainly among the "most useless" of the Forty-Eight Teigu.
Though technically a Teigu, Belvaac's ability was more comedic than practical.
Even if classified among inferior Teigu, it wouldn't feel out of place.
Still—compared to the cumbersome Kabutowari, Belvaac was a marginal improvement.
Aoba could live with it.
Next, he picked up Nuibari — Sewing Needle Sword and placed it on the altar.
Unlike Kabutowari, Nuibari was exquisitely made. It was a slim, sharp blade resembling a sewing needle, with a thread trailing from its hilt—designed to skewer multiple enemies and stitch them together.
This time, Aoba had higher expectations.
He wasn't disappointed.
From Nuibari's sacrifice emerged another Teigu—Infinite Uses — Cross Tail.
Cross Tail was a glove-type Teigu woven from the hair of super-dangerous species in Akame ga Kill's world. The threads it produced were tougher and sharper than steel wire.
With these threads, the user could craft countless weapons—or use them offensively as near-invisible razor wires. The most lethal thread was known as the Severing Line, capable of slicing through almost anything.
If wielded by a skilled Jonin, Cross Tail could easily elevate them to the level of an Elite Jonin—or perhaps beyond.
Aoba was genuinely pleased.
Finally, he picked up Hiramekarei.
This twin-sword greatsword had the ability to store chakra and mold it into various forms upon release. While its destructive power was impressive, the pre-casting time was too lengthy for Aoba's liking.
Without much sentimentality, he placed Hiramekarei on the altar as well, treating it as little more than another stepping stone toward greater power.
After the sacrifice, the item obtained was somewhat unexpected.
Teigu: Roman Artillery — Pumpkin.
A long-range gun-type Teigu, Pumpkin converts the user's mental energy into energy bullets. Its power automatically increases according to the level of danger the user faces.
After removing its limitations, Pumpkin's power can be enhanced to a terrifying extent.
Just how terrifying is still unknown, but a standard Kage-level powerhouse would likely be unable to withstand a direct hit, barring exceptions like the Uchiha Clan's Complete Body Susanoo.
However, using Pumpkin's full power comes at a steep price: the destruction of the Teigu itself and the life of the user.
Of course, if one's life force is as abnormally strong as Hashirama Senju's—the First Hokage—they might ignore the second condition.
The fourth ninja sword to be sacrificed was the broken blade Kubikiribōchō (Executioner's Blade).
Among the Seven Ninja Swords of the Mist, Kubikiribōchō is not particularly outstanding in fame or ability and is even mocked at times for being repeatedly broken and repaired.
However, one of its former wielders achieved a level that few others could dream of.
That man was none other than Zabuza Momochi, the "Demon of the Hidden Mist," whose skills allowed him to nearly kill Team 7 — including the future Sixth Hokage, Kakashi Hatake, and the future Seventh Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki — with only a Water Clone and tactical brilliance.
There was even the Fifth Hokage's apprentice, Sakura Haruno, among them.
Had it not been for a stroke of luck and Haku's betrayal, Zabuza might very well have annihilated the entire squad.
Looking across the entire history of the ninja world, such a feat is rare — perhaps comparable only to monstrous figures like Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
So, is Zabuza on the same level as Kaguya? Of course not. But sacrificing Kubikiribōchō to summon a divine weapon still seems reasonable.
However, after the sacrifice was completed, Kawaki Aoba was left speechless:
A pair of... dentures.
Teigu: Blood Collection — Rapid Absorption.
Another Teigu from the Akame ga Kill! world, Blood Collection absorbs blood to repair itself and enhances its user's vitality and strength.
Given that Kubikiribōchō repairs itself by absorbing the iron in blood, the result was unexpectedly fitting.
Still, Kawaki Aoba couldn't help but wonder:
Was today the day he blew up the Teigu's nest?
Or were the Seven Ninja Swords particularly compatible with Teigu?
Only three swords remained. Kawaki Aoba decided to save the best for last.
The next choice was the Lightning Sword: Kiba.
Since the Teigu appearance rate was high today, he decided to keep the momentum going.
If he remembered correctly, among the 48 Teigu, there was indeed one associated with lightning, known for its impressive destructive power.
When the altar's light faded, Kawaki Aoba's heart leapt in delight: a pair of armguards rested on the sacrificial platform.
It was none other than:
Teigu: Thunder God's Wrath — Adramelech.
This powerful Teigu can summon lightning from thin air and manipulate thunderclouds, ranking among the top-tier Teigu in terms of elemental power.
That Kiba could be exchanged for such equipment was a massive win.
It also made Kawaki Aoba more confident about the final sacrifices.
The next was the Explosion Sword: Shibuki, which releases explosive tags from its blade. As long as sufficient tags are supplied, it is arguably the most destructive weapon among the Seven Ninja Swords.
However, in Kawaki Aoba's memory, there didn't seem to be any Teigu among the 48 directly related to explosions.
But he had been too hasty.
When the sacrificial glow receded, Kawaki Aoba almost cursed aloud.
What is a surprise? This was a real surprise.
While there were no explosion-related Teigu, there were space-related ones.
Teigu: Dimensional Formation — Shangri-La.
A space-type Teigu that enables instantaneous teleportation to pre-marked locations.
If Kiba's trade was a big win, then Shibuki's sacrifice was an even greater jackpot.
Kawaki Aoba had truly struck gold.
Now only one remained: the Great Sword: Samehada, the living sword that would one day be wielded by the Akatsuki's "honest man," Kisame Hoshigaki.
Even if this final sacrifice was mediocre, Kawaki Aoba had already profited handsomely.
But fate had even greater plans.
Today, he was obviously favored by the goddess of fortune.
The final prize was:
Teigu: Humanoid Biological Teigu — Susanoo.
Not only was Susanoo a fearsome warrior with superb combat abilities, but he was also an expert in wilderness survival. He could construct shelters, prepare over a thousand types of dishes, and handle domestic chores like laundry.
Upon activating his secret technique — Calamity Soul Manifestation — Susanoo's combat power skyrocketed, enabling him to wield abilities like:
The Yata Mirror (defensive barrier)
The Yasakani no Magatama (powerful projectile attack)
The Kusanagi Sword (lethal melee weapon)
An ideal companion for both combat and survival.
In terms of the ninja world, he would be at least Elite Jōnin-level. In desperate situations, he could even stall a Kage-level opponent temporarily.
However, activating the secret technique drains the master's life force.
A double-edged sword indeed.
For Kawaki Aoba, though, Susanoo was somewhat impractical. He decided to shelve him for now, perhaps gifting him to a trusted subordinate later — or simply using him as an excellent "nanny."
Thus, the seven sacrificed Ninja Swords were now replaced by seven powerful Teigu:
Thunder God's Wrath, Adramelech
Lightning Flash, Susanoo
Dimensional Formation, Shangri-La
Blood Collection, Rapid Absorption
Twin Axes, Belvaac
Thousand Transformations, Cross Tail
Roman Artillery, Pumpkin
Gazing at the seven gleaming Teigu arranged on the altar, Kawaki Aoba shifted his gaze toward the "Three Lucky Treasures" — the trio of subordinates standing at attention, empty-handed.
After a moment of thought, Kawaki Aoba decided.
After all, weak subordinates would only embarrass him. Letting them wield these new Teigu would not only put the weapons to good use but also greatly strengthen his own faction.
First, he took out the Twin Axes, Belvaac, and handed them to Kisame Hoshigaki.
Originally, Kisame wielded Samehada and favored large, sweeping attacks. Switching to axes might suit him even better — or at least give birth to a terrifying new fighting style.
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