Chapter 107
Aburame Hatsuizumi relished the sensation of Hyuga Zixu's hand gently resting atop her head. The moment he stopped, she instinctively nudged his palm with her forehead, silently urging, Why did you stop? Keep going.
Meanwhile, Zixu's mind wandered to peculiar thoughts. How big is this giant rhinoceros beetle? It didn't seem appropriate to give it to Hatsuizumi just yet. Perhaps it would serve better as a reward? Or maybe he could modify it first? Uncertain of its fate, he decided to treat it as a prize for now. Hatsuizumi was bound to win, and if she wanted it, he would give it to her.
"Come to think of it, I haven't given Hatsuizumi anything yet... Alright, let's restore Shiyu."
Zixu signaled for her to retrieve Shigure. Taking the sword into his hands, he slowly drew it from its sheath. Its edge was still razor-sharp, gleaming with a cold brilliance that seemed capable of slicing through water itself.
The problem was, he had no idea how to repair a sword.
However, he did understand one thing—by continuously imbuing a blade with Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki), condensing its essence over time, any sword held the potential to evolve into a Kurogatana (Black Blade).
Dark energy flowed from Zixu's palm into Shigure, the once snow-white steel instantly turning a deep black, losing all its prior luster. Yet, paradoxically, a faint, eerie glow still radiated from its surface. Under the effects of Haki, the fine scratches and minuscule nicks that marred the blade began to fill in. When he finally retracted his Haki, traces of black remained embedded in the metal. Though the sword had lost some of its sharpness, it now exuded a solemn and unshakable aura.
Hatsuizumi, sensing Shigure's transformation, eagerly began to swing it around, her excitement completely erasing the earlier annoyance she'd felt when Zixu had called her short.
"That should do. I have something else to take care of. You get used to Shigure first," Zixu instructed. "Once you're done, I want to see how far you've progressed in Sage Mode. If you fail... there will be consequences."
After sending Hatsuizumi on her way, Zixu resumed his search for another target. Time was slipping away—if he didn't locate Uzumaki Karin soon, he might lose patience and end up drawing a random reward. Unfortunately, Karin wasn't the type to go out often.
At that very moment, inside her home, Karin was happily rolling around on her bed, clutching a handmade chibi-sized doll of Zixu.