When Swords Clash (A One Piece Fanfic: Roronoa Zoro)

CHAPTER 22

Shimotsuki Miho, the General of the Joshitai

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Roughly 20 years ago, in the Land of Wano...

A loud crash boomed, and a small tremor followed, spilling a few droplets of tea from Miho's cup.

"..."

Miho stared at tea stain on the floor in disappointment.

"My, my.. an earthquake?"

"That's obviously Katana."

From across her sat Ushimaru, nursing his own cup of tea. He was just as nonchalant as her as he took a sip amidst the crashing and yelling from what sounded like a few rooms across the hallway of their home.

"I think you should go check it out," he murmured.

CRASH!

Miho took a sip.

"Should I?"

CRASH!

"You should."

Miho calmly placed the cup back on the table, suppressing a sigh. She stood from her kneeling position at the other end of the table, adjusting the crimson-red scarf around her neck snuggly.

"Let's see how many plates she broke this time."

Ushimaru lightly frowned as he watched her pad across the room and opened the sliding door. "That's not something you should take lightly."

"You should listen to yourself, darling," Miho called out with a languid wave as she closed the door, leaving Ushimaru with his hot tea and a tea-stained floor amidst the loud noise clamoring within the Shimotsuki manor.

Miho took out her kiseru pipe and rested it in her lips as she casually strolled down the hallway, taking her sweet time as she followed the source of the noise. She ended up right in front of one of the guest rooms and slid it open.

In the blink of an eye, Miho tilted her head to the side, narrowly missing the vase that was sent flying to her direction as it crashed on the other side of the wall.

"M—Miho-sensei!"

When Miho focused on the scene before her, she was greeted with the usual scene.

The room had been trashed, with ripped furniture and shattered ceramic scattered on the floor, as if it had been hit by a hurricane. Two of her students which she'd assigned to look after the rebellious redhead—Chie and Fuyuko—were on the floor, the former rubbing her swollen cheek, the latter with a gash on her temple as a trickle of blood streamed down.

Miho looked past her students and fixed her eyes on the redhead on the other end of the room.

And then, she offered a nonchalant smile to the young child, as if said child did not just commit a rampage in the middle of her own home and struck two of her youngest students.

"So you've come to. Good morning. Or should I say good afternoon?"

Miho watched as the red haired little girl glared daggers at her direction, a complete contrast to the warm smile she had given her. In her grasp was a sword—which Miho guessed she'd taken from either Chie or Fuyuko's possession during their.. small scuffle. Despite her small stature, the little one exuded an air similar to that of the ravenous beasts native to their country, uncontrolled bloodlust oozing out of her stance as she brandished the blade with both hands towards Miho's direction.