24 Katana
When Naruto opened his eyes and rose from his meditative posture, the first thing he noticed was the smell of sake.
Tsunade was seated at the dining table, one leg crossed over the other, a cup lifted casually to her lips.
"Well, brat," she said, taking a long sip, "I thought you'd decided to hibernate."
Shizune sighed. "Lady Tsunade, you said you'd slow down on the drinking."
"Oh, come on," she waved him off. "I'm done with paperwork. I earned this."
Shizune stood beside her, arms folded, already tired. "You said that after the first bottle."
"This won't hurt me," Tsunade replied easily. "Now move it. We're heading to the vault. Let's see if we can find you a sword."
Naruto nodded and fell into step beside Shizune as Tsunade walked ahead. He leaned closer and lowered his voice. "How many?"
Shizune sighed. "Third bottle. And I'm fairly certain there are more hidden in her office."
Naruto winced. "Impressive."
"She has Senju and Uzumaki vitality," Shizune muttered. "Honestly, I think half the time she drinks just to mess with people."
"Yeah," Naruto said quietly. "I've noticed."
They reached the Senju vault, and Tsunade placed her palm against the seal. Chakra flared, mechanisms shifted, and the heavy doors slid open.
"All right, brat," she said, stepping aside. "Take your pick."
Naruto walked in slowly. The vault held relics of generations. Armor. Scrolls. Weapons. Several katanas rested on stands, each one clearly forged with care.
But one of them pulled at him.
"It's here," Kurama said.
Naruto paused. What do you mean, it's here?
"Close your eyes. Focus."
He did. The noise of the room faded, and the pull sharpened into something unmistakable. He opened his eyes and stepped toward a single blade resting apart from the others.
When he lifted it, the weight felt right. Balanced. Familiar.
The hilt was wrapped in black, faint red patterns etched beneath the guard. The blade itself was pristine, strong, and quietly dangerous.
"Kurama," Naruto murmured, "why does this feel… familiar?"
"That's because Mito forged it," Kurama replied. "She experimented with my chakra and sealing techniques. Part of my chakra is in that blade."
Naruto's grip tightened slightly. "So it won't break when I push mine or your chakra through it."
"No," Kurama said with certainty. "It was built for that."
Naruto exhaled, satisfied. "Then I'm taking this one."
Tsunade blinked. "That Kartana, huh? I honestly forgot it was still here."
"Does it have a name?" Naruto asked.
She shook her head. "No. Grandma never named it. If it's yours now, you should."
Naruto thought for a moment, eyes on the blade. "Ninth Cutter," he said finally.
Tsunade smirked. "Fitting."
Naruto sheathed it and strapped it to his back, then tilted his head. "How do I look?"
"Like trouble," Shizune said honestly.
"Bit bulky for daily wear," Naruto admitted. "But I've got an idea."
Back in the living area, he grabbed a pen and paper and quickly sketched sealing formulas. With practiced movements, he transferred matching seals onto both wrists.
"Okay," he muttered. He fed chakra into his right wrist. The sword vanished.
Then into his left. The blade reappeared cleanly in his hand.
He grinned. "Perfect."
Shizune slowly turned toward Tsunade, eyes narrowed. "Lady Tsunade… you're not using storage seals to hide sake in your office, are you?"
Tsunade laughed a little too loudly. "Don't be ridiculous."
Shizune's stare sharpened. "You are."
Before Shizune could continue, Tsunade shoved a sake cup into her hands. "Drink."
"Lady Tsunade—"
"Drink."
Shizune sputtered, defeated.
Naruto watched the chaos with a small smile, Ninth Cutter sealed safely away.
Tomorrow, everything would begin.