Drop Some power stones! If you like the chapter! It helps to keep me motivated to upload more!šššĀ
------
Hashirama kept his promise. On the way back to the Senju clan, he sent a portion of the chakra-conducting metal to the Sarutobi clan. How the smaller clans divided it among themselves was no longer his concern.
Tobirama was reluctant, but Akio was grinning from ear to ear.
Because the moment the chakra-conducting metal was delivered to the Sarutobi clan, a familiar row of characters flashed before Akio's eyes:
"You have witnessed and participated in a side quest of the Naruto world: The Origins of Feiyan. Witness Points +2."
It took Akio a moment to recall that Feiyan was Asuma Sarutobi's weapon in the Naruto storyline. So, this blade was actually forged from the chakra-conducting metal they had just obtained? What a pleasant surprise.
Speaking of which, Asuma Sarutobi was the great-grandson of the current Sarutobi clan leaderā¦ This weapon had quite the lineage.
Over the past month, Akio had spent one Witness Point on mining and had now earned two. Overall, he had profited by one point.
"A whole month of traveling, and I only earned one Witness Pointāand that was just an unexpected bonus. The Warring States period really has too few opportunities for earning Witness Points..."
Though unsatisfied with the gains, there was little he could do about it.
Back at the Senju clan's territory, Akio's favorite part of any mission awaited himāthe victory banquet.
After eating and drinking to his heart's content, Hashirama stood up and announced, "On this expedition, we obtained a great deal of chakra-conducting metal. Any clan members who need it can register with Tobirama."
The Senju clan members looked at one another, hesitant to be the first to speak.
Akio chuckled and took the lead. "Tobirama, I'll take two shuriken."
Tobirama nodded, mentally noting the request.
With someone breaking the ice, the clan members quickly became enthusiastic, making their requests one after another.
Even though they had collected less than a hundred pounds of chakra-conducting metal, it was far from a small amount. After all, weapons weren't made entirely from this rare materialāmost of the structure was still iron. The haul was enough to provide at least one kunai to every Jonin and above in the Senju clan.
The Next Day
Akio and Tobirama arrived at the Senju clan's forge.
The workshop was filled with iron ore and various auxiliary minerals. Blacksmiths worked diligently, crafting weapon blanks. Only after these rough shapes were completed would the master blacksmiths integrate the chakra-conducting metal.
Indeed, even in the Warring States period, chakra-conducting metal was extremely rare. Within the Senju clan, only the master blacksmiths had the expertise to handle it.
"Granduncle, there are a lot of weapons to forge this time," Tobirama remarked as he observed the bustling forge. "I'm afraid our weapons will have to be crafted last. You're not in a hurry, are you?"
"I'm in no rush. But wait, ourĀ weapons? You need one too?" Akio asked, surprised.
"That's right. I need a sword to complement the Flying Thunder God Technique," Tobirama replied.
Akio's eyes narrowed in thought. Tobirama's swordā¦ Could it be the Raijin Sword from the storyline?
"If I get involved in this, wouldn't it count as another side quest? That's at least two more Witness Points..."
A gleam flashed in Akio's eyes as he turned to Tobirama. "No need to wait that longāI'll forge it myself! I'll even make you a treasured blade."
"Granduncle, you can forge weapons?" Tobirama was skeptical. He had already noticed that Akio was oddly skilled at mining, but forging was an entirely different matter.
Akio shot him a glare. "Your granduncle can do anything!"
With that, he strode into the forge, picked up a hammer, and started pounding away.
Tobirama's expression darkened. Thisā¦ is forging? He's just hammering randomly!
For a full half-hour, Akio continued hammering. The iron block turned into a flat iron disc, yet there was still no sign of the forging skill appearing in his status panel.
Glancing at Tobirama, Akio's expression grew awkward. "It's been a while since I last forged anythingā¦ I'm a bit rusty."
Tobirama rolled his eyes. More like you've never forged anything in your life.Ā Losing hope in Akio's skills, he turned to take care of other matters.
Akio's face darkened. This is embarrassingā¦
But why? Based on my mining experience, after hammering for half an hour, I should have unlocked the forging skill by nowā¦
Determined, he spent the entire day in the forgeāstoking the fire, adding charcoal, and assisting the blacksmiths. Finally, just before closing time, after helping a master blacksmith complete a kunai, a notification appeared in his status panel.
Forging LV1 (0/100)
"Phew, that was a hassleā¦ So I actually had to successfully forge a weapon for it to activate," Akio sighed in relief. He had been on the verge of giving up, but backing down would have been too humiliating in front of Tobirama.
Now that he had the skill, he immediately invested a Witness Point into it.
Forging LV6 (10000/20000)
"This skill system is ridiculous... It directly instills forging experience into my brain."
He had wanted to test his new skill by forging a pair of kunai, but the blacksmiths had already extinguished the furnace and were closing up shop. His stomach growledāhe had forgotten to eat dinner.
After his meal, Akio reviewed his newly acquired forging knowledge.
"So, level 6 is basically the peak of ordinary craftsmanship? That makes me a master blacksmith. The Senju clan's top blacksmith is probably around this level too."
He checked his remaining Witness Pointsāfour left.
"The kunai I make for myself will probably be used for a long time. Forging the Raijin Sword for Tobirama might even grant me more Witness Points."
Making up his mind, he spent three more points.
Forging LV8 (40000/60000)
"With this, I should be able to forge legendary weapons tomorrowā¦ Maybe even artifacts! I wonder how they'll compare to the Kusanagi Bladeā¦"
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, he gradually drifted off to sleep.
The Next Morning
Akio eagerly arrived at the forge.
In just half a day, he successfully crafted two shuriken. The difference in his skill was immediately apparent. Though the weapons looked ordinary, a casual swipe against the forge's surface left a visible gash.
"Crapā¦ I messed up!" Akio's face paled as he grabbed the shuriken and quickly left.
After some thought, he headed to the Senju clan's Second Training Ground to test them properly.
Pouring chakra into the weapons, he immediately noticed something unusual.
"ā¦Huh?" His eyes narrowed as the shuriken emitted a dazzling glow.
"Well, there goes stealth. Maybe if I overcharge them with chakra, I can blind my enemies?"
Weighing the shuriken in his hand, he threw one with force.
Just as he was about to form hand seals for the Shuriken Replacement Technique, he froze.
A moment later, he and the shuriken switched places.
"No hand seals neededā¦?"
Akio nearly laughed out loud.
"Isn't this just the Flying Thunder God Technique?!"
Looking back at where he had been standing, he shook his head.
"Still not as convenient as Flying Thunder God, though. I can't afford to use these shuriken as disposable toolsā¦ Looks like I need to start working on storage scrolls. If I can make something like the Seven Ninja Swordsmen's summoning scrolls, that'd be perfect."
He smirked.
"Tomorrow, I'll show Tobirama what real forging looks like!"
---
For early access to advanced chapters visit my P@treon:
P@treon/ Dexy3
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!