Crack.
The wind died down, and Taiichi stared speechlessly at the broken half of his sword still in his hand.
It had been his companion for over two years, and he had taken good care of it. But in the end, it was just a slightly better-than-average weapon. It only had a tiny amount of Chakra Metal mixed in during forging.
He had already been thinking about getting a replacement, knowing that future battles would only get more intense. He just didn't expect this sword to give up the ghost before he even started shopping.
Taiichi bent down, picked up the broken blade tip from the ground, and sheathed both pieces. The mood for training was gone. He might as well use this time to hit the weapon shop and see if there was a suitable replacement.
As he approached the weapon shop, he saw a commotion at the entrance. Getting closer, he realized it was Obito Uchiha and Rin Nohara.
"Say that again!" Obito sounded hysterical. They had clearly been arguing for a while. "One box of kunai is 10,000 ryo, but if I buy two boxes, it's 50,000 ryo? Are you sure that's right?"
"Yes, dear customer. We wouldn't joke about prices," the clerk said innocently. The pricing was set by the owner, and honestly, he didn't get it either. When he asked, the owner just gave him a mysterious smile.
Hearing the confirmation, Obito's eyes lit up. He thought he saw a loophole. "Here. This is 20,000 ryo."
He slapped the money on the counter, grabbed a box of kunai, and handed it to Rin.
Then he added, "That's correct, right?"
"Yes, customer. Payment received, goods delivered," the clerk said politely.
"And here is another 20,000 ryo." Obito repeated the action, grabbing a second box of kunai. He turned to leave, tossing back over his shoulder, "Transaction complete!"
"Thank you! Please come again!" the clerk called out cheerfully.
Obito turned to Rin, beaming. "Haha! Two boxes cost 50,000 ryo, but I just bought them separately for 40,000! Rin, aren't I smart?"
"Very smart, Obito," Taiichi interjected from behind them, nodding a greeting to a delighted Rin.
"Haha! Taiichi! Perfect timing! Listen to this..." Seeing his friend, Obito couldn't contain his excitement. He launched into a rapid-fire retelling of his "genius" exploit.
Taiichi listened patiently until the end. He almost felt bad about bursting the bubble. Poor kid.
"Taiichi, why are you looking at me like that? Did I buy the wrong type?" Seeing Taiichi's hesitant expression, Obito—who was slow but not stupid—realized something might be off.
Taiichi looked at him with pity. "How many kunai were you originally planning to buy?"
"One box. That's enough for training," Obito answered without thinking.
"So, if he hadn't told you the price for two boxes was higher... would you have bought the second box at all?" Taiichi hit the nail on the head.
Crack.
It sounded like Obito's jaw unhinged. He stood there, frozen, staring into space with a glazed expression.
Next to him, Rin realized what happened and covered her mouth to hide a wry smile.
"Look on the bright side," Taiichi patted Obito's shoulder consolingly. "You didn't lose money. You just bought an extra box of kunai. You'll use them eventually."
"Taiichi, are you here to buy gear too?" Rin asked, recovering from the awkwardness.
"Yeah. My sword snapped during training earlier. Need a better one." Taiichi walked past them into the shop.
Rin pulled the shell-shocked Obito along and followed him inside. She clearly wanted to talk more. By now, Obito was mumbling to himself, "It's not a loss... I'll use them eventually... not a loss..."
The clerk, who had overheard Taiichi's analysis, looked at the boy with admiration and enthusiasm. "Customer! Looking for a sword? Right this way!" He led Taiichi deeper into the store with a bright smile.
"What kind of blade are you looking for? Tanto? Katana? Or something more exotic? We have everything. Of course, if you have specific needs, we also do custom orders."
"Oh? You do custom work?" Taiichi asked, intrigued.
"Yes! As long as you have a need, this shop will do its best to satisfy it!" the clerk affirmed.
"Big talk," Obito muttered, still clutching his two boxes of kunai, clearly holding a grudge against the pricing scheme.
They arrived at the sword display. The collection was indeed impressive—blades of all shapes and sizes filled the racks, giving the feeling of a forest of steel.
Taiichi picked up a random tanto and swung it a few times. It felt okay—decent balance, decent length—but it lacked that click. It didn't feel like an extension of his arm.
He tried a few more. Same feeling. Taiichi realized these were just standard-issue weapons. Good enough for the average chunin, maybe, but not special.
"Show me your best stock," Taiichi told the clerk.
"Right away! Please wait a moment." The clerk realized Taiichi was a discerning customer (and potentially a big spender) after watching him test the blades. He scurried into the back room.
"Taiichi, did you just get back from a mission?" Rin asked while they waited.
"Yeah, got back yesterday. I have a few days off. Do you have questions about Medical Ninjutsu again, Rin?" Taiichi guessed her intent easily.
"Yeah... there are a lot of things I don't quite understand," Rin admitted openly.
"Perfect. You guys are off tomorrow too, right? Come to Training Ground 3 tomorrow morning," Taiichi offered. He never hesitated to help his friends.
"Me too! I'm coming too!" Obito chimed in, determined not to be left out, regardless of whether he understood Medical Ninjutsu or not.
"Of course, of course. You come too," Taiichi agreed with a grin, sparing Obito from begging.
Just then, a portly middle-aged man walked out from the back, followed by the clerk carrying three long boxes. These clearly contained the high-end goods.
"Apologies for the wait! I am the owner, Akira Togo." The owner introduced himself politely, then carefully took the three boxes and placed them on the counter.
"These are the three finest blades in my shop. If none of them suit your taste, we can discuss a custom order." He opened the boxes as he spoke.
Taiichi inspected them one by one. Just by looking, they were clearly superior to the rack weapons.
He picked up the first one carefully. He weighed it, spun it, and slashed at the air. Then he put it back.
"Good blade. Too light."
He reached for the second one. It was the most ornate of the three, but the moment his hand touched the hilt, he let go.
"What's wrong, Taiichi? Is it bad?" Obito asked, confused.
"Grip feels wrong. Not for me," Taiichi replied cryptically.
He looked at the last tanto. It was pitch black, matte, reflecting no light. It looked plain, almost unassuming. Taiichi picked it up cautiously.
Immediate comfort. The grip fit his hand perfectly.
He slashed through the air. The balance and weight were exactly what he wanted. Delighted, Taiichi tried to channel chakra into the blade.
His face fell instantly. The resistance was immense. His chakra could barely move through the metal.
"Owner... this blade doesn't have any Chakra Metal in it, does it?" Taiichi asked.
"Correct, young customer. Of the three, this is the only one forged without it." The owner looked regretful; he could tell Taiichi liked the black blade the best.
"That's a shame," Taiichi sighed.
Then he had a thought. "Owner, you said you do custom orders. Can you get the smith who made this to forge me a custom one? Same specs, but with Chakra Metal?"
The owner, who thought the sale was dead, lit up. "No problem! We can contact the smith. However... the cost will be significant."
"Price isn't an issue, as long as I'm satisfied with the product," Taiichi said boldly. He had saved quite a bit over the last two years. Buying a good sword shouldn't be a problem.
"Excellent! A straightforward customer! Please, come to the back for measurements. We need to measure your arm span and grip to ensure the blade fits you perfectly. We can handle the deposit then as well." The owner beamed, guiding Taiichi toward the back room.
"Alright, Taiichi, you go do your measurements. Obito and I will head back," Rin said, pulling Obito toward the door.
"Okay. See you tomorrow at Training Ground 3! Don't forget!"
"We won't!"