Chapter 25

**Monohoshizao – The Drying Pole** is the twenty-fifth chapter of *Tenkaichi Nihon Saikyo Bugeisha Ketteisen*.

## Summary

Mori Ranmaru is taken aback by the fact that Hattori Hanzo is using a smokescreen right off the bat. Hozoin Inshun exclaims that isn't fair while Miyamoto Musashi can't believe Sasaki Kojiro has been caught from the get-go.

As he rushes forward, Hanzo thinks about how there is only life and death on the battlefield before using **Kiso-Ryu Spear-Fighting: Clouded Lightning**, jabbing his spear through his cloak. The audience believe it landed but Ito Ittosai says it was a miss as it's revealed that Kojiro is gone and Hanzo only stabbed through the mask he left behind.

Reappearing behind Hanzo, while keeping his face obscure, Kojiro jokes that he used Ninpo: Substitution Jutsu. As Kojiro grips onto the hilt of his sword, the audience point out that now, Hanzo is the one off-guard, and Yagyu Munenori observes how Kojiro is in a perfect position. Because of how long his sword is, Yagyu believes that Kojiro has much space to strike and with Hanzo late to react, he won't be able to escape this.

As Kojiro steps forward, about to draw his sword, Hanzo pulls the polearm down a bit, causing the blunt end to fall off and reveal another spearhead underneath. With Kojiro taken aback, Hanzo unleashes the **Kiso-Ryu Spear-Fighting – Secret Art: Bolt-Tail**, thrusting the other end of his spear at Kojiro six times, resulting in Kojiro being cut all over his torso and his arms.

After confirming this hurts, Kojiro steps back and Hanzo expresses his surprise that not one of his attacks got Kojiro's vitals. Musashi makes a comment on how Hanzo is all grift. Inshun gets excited over how fun this is becoming while Tokugawa Ieyasu mutters Hanzo's name. Takigawa Kazumasu remarks on how Hanzo is completely different from the Hanzo that Ieyasu knows and he reveals that this is a side of Hanzo that is nothing like the man who commanded out on the battlefield on horseback.

This is the real him, done away with his reputation as a general: the man who'll win by any means necessary, the shinobi, Hattori Hanzo.

After Hanzo turns to look at Kojiro and spins his spear a bit, Kojiro says he has some funny tricks and Hanzo laughs over it was a shock to him that he couldn't finish Kojiro off with **Bolt-Tail**. But even so, Hanzo admits he didn't expect to catch a glimpse of what Kojiro's face looks like under the mask so soon. Hanzo says he never would have thought that Kojiro would be concealing such a pretty face.

As Musashi sweats and Ittosai looks pleasantly surprised, some members of the audience admit Kojiro looks beautiful while Ranmaru can't figure out whether Kojiro is a guy or a girl. Hanzo brings up the fact that even though Kojiro has lost his mask, it seems as if there is a mask beneath the mask since Kojiro's eyes look practically lifeless. Repeating how he said "lifeless", Kojiro wonders if Hanzo can see those kinds of things too but Hanzo clarifies it's just the initial impression he got. Kojiro expresses, with mild disappointment, that he thought Hanzo was like him and reveals that he can see Hanzo's functionality.

Hanzo is confused by what he means. Kanemaki Jisai guesses the preparations are all in place and Akechi Mitsuhide asks if that means Kojiro is going to do something now. Kanemaki tells Mitsuhide that Kojiro is no mere swordsman. He instructs him to behold how his ultimate work – the man-killing machine, Sasaki Kojiro – functions.

Grabbing the hilt with both hands, Kojiro decides to go and runs in while slowly drawing his sword out. Hanzo compliments his charge but is confident he can come out on top against a full frontal attack. After taking in distancing and skill level, Kojiro calculates he has analysed 80% of Hanzo's overall combat capability. Since this situation seems favorable, Kojiro proceeds to fully draw his sword. At that moment, Hanzo's instincts sensed an unknown threat. An image of himself being split in half flashed into his mind for a second.

As Hanzo leaps back, Kojiro slashes and destroys most of the ridge leading to Hanzo, much to the surprise of Hanzo, Ranmaru and Musashi as Ittosai keeps smiling. Thinking about how he split the tiles, Hanzo questions what kind of sword that is before Kojiro slashes again. Seeing the attack coming from below, Hanzo questions how a reversal can be this fast before being cut across the chest, unable to avoid it. Ieyasu shouts Hanzo's name as Hanzo stands on one of the slopes. Inshun questions what that is and as Yagyu expresses his interest, Musashi also questions what kind of sword that is. Hanzo sweats over how that was not an ordinary path the blade took.

Kanemaki confirms it wasn't and insists it arose from an approach wholly different from the unbreaking, unbending sword of their common conception. The sword Kojiro wields is ever-changing. It is a sword that is flexible and can bend, called the Bewitched Sword: Monohoshizao Nagamitsu. Kojiro warns Hanzo that he won't let him get away and whips the Monohoshizao at him.

Hanzo backs up to dodge the attack and is astonished that Kojiro can wield that whip-like blade so freely. Glancing behind him, Hanzo realises he'll fall down at this rate as he's close to the edge. Taking out five tobi-kunai, Hanzo throws them all at Kojiro and aims to stop his momentum. Calling that predictable, Kojiro tells Hanzo he can't stop him as he deflects all five of the tobi-kunai with one stroke. As Hanzo is in shock from how precise the slash was, Kanemaki tells Hanzo he underestimated him. Kojiro is the raw material that he discovered and fundamentally refined, who can even surpass Kamiizumi Ise-no-Kami.

No mere human technique can work against a killing machine like Kojiro.

Kojiro says he has him and Hanzo calls him more monster than man. Kanemaki inwardly encourages Kojiro to finish Hanzo off, referring to him as the sword of his ideals. After Kojiro bids him farewell, Hanzo says he's not winning but only if it's head-on. He then reaches into his pocket before throwing something. Kojiro tries to remind Hanzo that kunai won't work when he realises it wasn't a kunai he threw: it was a ball.

When Kojiro slashes it, it releases smoke and blasts his Monohoshizao back. Inshun wonders if that's even allowed. As Kojiro braces his other arm out in front of him, Hanzo says it may have just been a blast and smoke but it was more than enough to blow away Kojiro's limp sword.

Appearing above him and ready to strike, Hanzo says he used Ninpo: Explosive Jutsu before clarifying to Kojiro that it was a joke.

## Appearing Characters

* Akechi Mitsuhide
* Hattori Hanzo
* Hozoin Inshun
* Ito Ittosai
* Kanemaki Jisai
* Miyamoto Musashi
* Mori Ranmaru
* Oda Nobunaga
* Sasaki Kojiro
* Takigawa Kazumasu
* Tokugawa Ieyasu
* Yagyu Munenori
* Yasuke