Naruto: Madwoman Of The Hidden Mist

Urakuro Murasame transformed her body into water, merging with the sea to make her escape.

This unique ability to alter one's physical form was a trait specific to the Hozuki Clan, yet for some reason, Murasame—a distant relative—had inherited this power as well. Using it, she made her escape.

Normally, leaving the Water Country, an island nation, would require a ship, but doing so would immediately draw attention. There were stories of other missing-nin who had escaped underwater using water-breathing techniques, but such advanced ninjutsu was beyond her ability. Besides, the incident had led to detection barriers being set even underwater, making such an approach impossible.

However, by blending into the seawater and spreading herself as thinly as possible, she was nearly undetectable. The only one who might catch her was *Ao*, a sensory-type ninja who had stolen the Hidden Leaf's secret *Byakugan*. However, she had heard he was away on a long-term mission, and only two people—her father and Suigetsu—knew she could use the hydration technique. By the time she reached the sea, the risk of being discovered was almost negligible.

---

"Konoha… or Kumo…"

Referring to the map burned into her memory, Murasame deliberated on her destination. The most immediate choices upon leaving the Water Country were the Land of Fire or the Land of Lightning. Between the two, the decision was clear: the Land of Fire.

The Hidden Cloud Village of the Land of Lightning was said to be led by a Raikage with a volatile personality. How he might treat foreigners was unpredictable. On the other hand, the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village in the Land of Fire was known to be more moderate. While there was no guarantee this attitude extended to outsiders, it offered more hope than the Hidden Cloud.

—Not to mention, the Hidden Cloud was home to an infamous swordsman who had an unsavory reputation of licking blades in public. Such conduct left a terrible impression, underscoring the importance of modesty and dignity.

"Konoha's Crescent Moon Dance is intriguing… Yes, the Leaf Village will be my first stop."

Despite the abundance of sword styles in the Hidden Cloud, Murasame's pride as a smith surpassed any swordsman she might encounter. Her real interest lay in exploring techniques applicable to swordsmithing rather than merely engaging in combat styles. This was why she prioritized destinations differently than others might.

Then, a new thought occurred to her: a village renowned for its innovative ninja tools, on par with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. It was further away than Kumo but likely easier to infiltrate. With this idea in mind, Murasame set her course and merged with the sea.

---

After secretly landing in a minor country near the Land of Fire, Murasame headed westward. 

Days turned into nights as she journeyed, her camping tools making the trek manageable. Yet, as the days passed, the landscape grew increasingly sandy. Two more days into the desert, she found herself near death.

"Water… Where's water…"

Though her ninja skills far surpassed those of a genin and her physical conditioning was solid thanks to her smithing, she now understood firsthand that no training could prepare her for such an extreme environment. Raised in the Water Country, surviving in the desert was impossible. Struggling to move for her ideals, she collapsed.

"I should've hired a transporter after earning more funds…"

Tears of regret streamed down her face as she clung to consciousness. She decided to rest until nightfall, when the desert would cool, making it easier to continue.

---

"Are you okay?! Hey, if you can hear me, open your eyes!"

A man's voice stirred her. Slowly, she opened her eyes to see a man in the uniform of a Hidden Sand ninja. He had long bangs covering one eye and a beard adorning his jaw.

"If you stay here, you'll die!" 

"I'm fine… I'll move at night…" 

"You'll die before nightfall!" 

Her words left him exasperated. She was puzzled—what was wrong with her reasoning? The desert environment had dulled her thinking.

---

"I'm a blacksmith from the Water Country," Murasame explained when cornered and questioned by three Sand shinobi. 

Her cover story was that she had left her home to improve her craft and start anew in another country. To convince them, she summoned several blades from a scroll, showcasing her craftsmanship. Their skepticism turned to awe.

---

Months later, Murasame had established herself in the Hidden Sand as a respected blacksmith. Her reputation earned her trust, and she began forging alliances with the village's puppeteers. With their help, she designed her magnum opus: *Fukurō (Owl)*, a puppet armed with countless hidden blades. 

The masterpiece featured claws of folded steel, a maw filled with serrated teeth, and razor-sharp hair. Though unconventional, it embodied her belief in the deadly beauty of her craft.

As she refined her techniques and deepened her understanding of puppetry, Murasame's ambitions grew. She dreamed of using this knowledge to achieve her ultimate goal—one that lay far beyond the sands.

Though still clumsy, all that could be done was to find time and keep practicing. 

With this, I had acquired not only the "Water Transformation Technique," which nullifies physical attacks, but also a new method of attack using puppets, which allows me to fight without relying on my physical abilities. 

If I combine these, I should be able to hold my own against an average shinobi. Perhaps, with some luck, I might even be able to disguise myself as one and infiltrate other villages. 

No, before that, it might be a good idea to use this owl puppet as a reference to create a puppet in the form of arms and legs made from swords. 

Among the seven swords crafted by Grandfather, there were some with unusual shapes. It might be interesting to create seven *new shinobi swords,* one of which could be a puppet humanoid. 

I would name it *"Jinto: The Puppet Sword"*—a humanoid sword manipulated remotely with chakra threads. 

"Perfect... absolutely perfect! I need to sketch this out immediately—" 

"What the hell are you mumbling about by yourself? Creepy." 

Shoot. I had lost myself in another hallucination. 

Turning my gaze toward Kankuro, who seemed slightly creeped out by my ecstatic mutterings, I saw several small knives—perfectly sized for puppet mechanisms. Alongside them were some larger needles. 

"Did you add something new?" 

"I thought about using them as poison-tipped needles. I was looking for something to fit in Crow's mouth." 

"Wh-What?! ...In its mouth... Of course, that's just what I'd expect from a master puppeteer. Your *level* is truly impressive." 

"That's nothing special, though." 

While Kankuro nonchalantly spoke, I shuddered at his words. Suddenly, the shop's door opened again, and a male shinobi, a member of the Sand Village's puppet unit, entered. 

"Hey, Murasame! I've got some big news!" 

"Did they find some good ore or something?" 

"No, that's all you ever think about, isn't it? ...Oh, Kankuro-sama, you're here too." 

Although I was just a genin, my reputation as a puppeteer and the fact that I was the current Kazekage's child made the man give Kankuro a polite nod before pulling out a small booklet from his pocket. 

It was a Bingo Book, a compilation of wanted posters for rogue shinobi from various villages. 

Opening it to a specific page, he revealed a photo of a person, marked with an X—indicating that the individual was no longer alive. It was someone I knew well. 

"They say the 'Demon of the Hidden Mist,' Momochi Zabuza, was killed in the Land of Waves." 

"What?!" 

His words struck me with no small amount of shock. 

Momochi Zabuza, a prodigy in the "Silent Killing Technique," was a rogue ninja from the Hidden Mist Village, skilled in both ninjutsu and taijutsu, and a former member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. 

I recalled how, during my father's time as a swordsmith, Zabuza would occasionally visit our shop. He wasn't particularly talkative and had an intimidating air, but he seemed to enjoy inspecting swords and shurikens. He even took a liking to some of the swords I made. Despite being a criminal who staged a coup in the Mist, I never harbored any ill feelings toward him. 

I closed my eyes for a brief moment, offering silent prayer for him after many years. However, more pressing than his death was the question I directed at the man. 

"Who killed Zabuza? Was it the Mist's hunter-nin?" 

"No, apparently it was a Leaf Village squad, led by the famous Copy Ninja, Kakashi Hatake." 

"The White Fang's—" 

The name *Copy Ninja* didn't ring a bell, but the surname *Hatake* did. 

Sakumo Hatake, known as the "White Fang," was a legendary shinobi wielding a radiant chakra blade. Hearing that his son had killed Zabuza made me leap from the counter. 

Kakashi Hatake—I didn't know much about him personally, but judging by the man's tone, he must be an exceptional shinobi. A man of that caliber wouldn't treat my late father's sword as mere relics. 

Moreover, if he had defeated Zabuza, he would undoubtedly have taken the Severing Blade, *Kubikiribocho,* as a war trophy. 

There was no room for hesitation. 

Gathering all the money Kankuro had just paid me, along with the shop's funds, I began packing every sword on display into storage scrolls. 

Kankuro, noticing my sudden actions, turned pale as if realizing my intentions. 

"Wait, wait, wait! What are you doing, packing everything up?! You're not seriously—" 

"I'm going out for a bit." 

"Don't give me that! You're obviously heading to the Leaf Village, aren't you?!" 

Kankuro's voice rose, almost to a shout, but the man beside him intervened. 

"Let it go, Kankuro-sama. People like her exist everywhere, even in the Puppet Corps' development team. They're the kind of lunatics who'll do anything to perfect their craft—whether you call them artists or zealots, you can't talk sense into them." 

"But still—" 

"That said, Murasame, remember this: you're a blacksmith allied with the Sand Village. If you sell your techniques to the Leaf, you'll be branded a traitor and executed. Even if the Leaf shinobi don't harm you as a mere craftsman, once you cross the line and sell your swords, your head's as good as gone." 

The man tapped his neck with his hand as if to emphasize the point, issuing a stern warning. 

I nodded slightly and finished packing up the shop. 

After locking the door and taking down the sign, I headed toward the Sand Village's main gate, ready to set out. 

---

"Seriously, she's such a sword freak..." 

"Don't be too hard on her. Like I said, people like her pop up from time to time. In that sense, maybe Sand and Mist aren't so different after all." 

The Sand and Mist, both villages that chose to advance ninja tools instead of focusing solely on traditional skills, seemed to produce similar types of individuals. 

"Still, someone with that much talent and dedication at her age... I'd say there's only one other person in the Sand Village who matches her." 

"Who?" 

"The greatest genius of the Sand Puppet Corps—*Sasori of the Red Sand.*" 

As he listened to the name of the master puppeteer who had left the village 20 years ago, Kankuro burned the name into his memory, all while gazing at the girl as she walked away toward the village gates. 

---

I registered my name with the gatekeeper and left the village. 

The desert stretched endlessly before me, but unlike six months ago, I had survived and thrived in this land. I no longer feared it—especially since I was now traveling with my puppet, *Owl,* carrying me on its back. 

It was the right decision to come to the Sand Village first. 

I marveled at the practicality of puppets while praising my past self for recognizing their potential. 

Though Suigetsu, one of my few friends back in the Mist, had once called me a "useless mess outside of making swords," I now realized I was not only a skilled swordsmith but a genius in every sense. 

Of course, my near-death experience upon arriving at the Sand Village without a plan had conveniently slipped my mind. 

Now, however, I had no room to think about anything other than my destination: the Leaf Village and my target, Kakashi Hatake. 

The Severing Blade, *Kubikiribocho,* which I hadn't seen since Zabuza left the Mist, and the White Fang's Chakra Blade might soon be within my grasp. My excitement carried me forward—or rather, carried by my puppet. 

But just as I was reveling in my dreamlike mood, my puppet came to a sudden stop. 

"Huh? Owl, why aren't you moving—?! Sand in the joints?!" 

How careless of me, losing focus and neglecting my puppet's maintenance... 

It was clear that disassembling and repairing it in the middle of the desert would only make things worse. 

I had no choice but to turn back—or rather, I couldn't. I was already halfway across the desert, too far to return. 

"This is so inconvenient..." 

Still, there was no point in dwelling on it. In fact, I was already halfway through the desert. 

The fear from six months ago briefly resurfaced, but I reminded myself that I had lived in the Sand Village for half a year now. I could manage the remaining half of the journey. 

Besides, unlike before, this time I had something waiting for me on the other side: the Severing Blade, *Kubikiribocho,* and the White Fang's Chakra Blade. 

The motivation was incomparable, and my steps—no, my puppet's—felt lighter. 

Yes, it would be fine... it had to be.