Aoki Yoru looked at General Mifune with clear confusion in his eyes.
For free?
The thought lingered in his mind, refusing to settle.
He wasn't General Mifune's illegitimate son, nor had he done anything extraordinary for the Land of Iron. In the Ninja World, there was no such thing as a free lunch—every gain came with a price, whether visible or hidden.
Seeing the doubt in his expression, General Mifune let out a faint chuckle.
"Of course," he said calmly, "it is not entirely free."
Aoki Yoru's eyes sharpened slightly.
"I knew it," he thought.
Mifune continued, his tone steady yet firm:
"From this moment onward, you owe the Land of Iron a favor."
He stepped forward, his presence carrying quiet authority.
"If the Land of Iron ever faces a crisis—no matter where you are—you must come and lend your strength."
The condition was simple in words… yet heavy in meaning.
Aoki Yoru fell silent.
A single favor from a powerful ninja could influence the outcome of a war, tip the balance of power between nations, or even change the fate of an entire region.
Mifune wasn't being generous.
He was investing.
From his perspective, Aoki Yoru was a rising force—a young man destined to stir the winds of the Ninja World. Securing a promise from him now was a strategic move that could yield immeasurable returns in the future.
Aoki Yoru quickly understood this.
Yet instead of rejecting it, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
Because—
This deal was still overwhelmingly in his favor.
Before coming here, he had mentally prepared himself for all kinds of conditions.
He had imagined Mifune demanding rare treasures, dangerous missions, or even political allegiance.
As long as it wasn't something absurd—like assassinating a Kage—he had been ready to agree.
But this?
A single promise in exchange for the star-fallen mysterious iron?
It was practically a gift.
Moreover, based on what he knew…
The Land of Iron remained stable even years later. By the time of the next era, it still stood strong as a neutral nation.
Which meant—
The chance of this "favor" ever being called upon was extremely low.
"In other words…" Aoki Yoru thought calmly, "this is almost the same as getting it for free."
He raised his head and met Mifune's gaze.
"I accept."
His voice was firm, without hesitation.
"If the Land of Iron ever faces an insurmountable crisis, send word to me."
"No matter where I am, I will come."
Mifune studied him for a moment—
Then nodded in satisfaction.
"Good."
Without another word, he turned and gave an order to one of the guards.
"Bring it from the vault."
The Treasure
A few minutes later, Aoki Yoru stood outside the pavilion, holding a piece of ore in his hand.
It was roughly the size of a fist.
Its surface shimmered with a faint greenish-blue hue, as though starlight had been frozen within it. Even without channeling chakra, he could feel a subtle, profound energy emanating from it.
This—
Was the star-fallen mysterious iron.
The very material he had traveled so far to obtain.
Aoki Yoru couldn't hide the excitement in his eyes.
After expressing his sincere thanks, he took his leave.
As he walked through the quiet streets, he kept turning the ore over in his palm, examining it from every angle.
"This is it…"
"With this—and the chakra active crystal—everything is ready."
For a moment, he even felt the urge to rush back immediately.
To fly straight to the Land of Artisans.
To forge the blade without delay.
But—
He stopped himself.
"It's the middle of the night," he muttered.
"And I've already used quite a bit of energy today."
Suppressing his excitement, he returned to the inn.
There would be time.
Tomorrow—
Everything would begin.
The Journey Back
At dawn, Aoki Yoru was already awake.
Without wasting a second, he packed his belongings and left the city.
Once he reached a remote area far from prying eyes, he raised his hand.
"Summoning Jutsu."
A burst of smoke appeared.
From within it emerged a massive black crow—
Yatagarasu.
With a powerful flap of its wings, the air stirred violently.
Aoki Yoru leapt onto its back.
"Let's go."
With a sharp cry, Yatagarasu soared into the sky.
At full speed, it cut across the Land of Fire like a streak of shadow.
Mountains blurred beneath them.
Rivers became silver lines.
Villages passed like fleeting memories.
In just five hours—
They reached the Land of Artisans.
Return to the Blacksmith
The familiar blacksmith shop came into view.
Inside, Sosuke stood by the furnace, a cigarette dangling from his lips as he hammered away at a glowing piece of metal.
Clang—!
Clang—!
Each strike echoed with power and rhythm.
Noticing Aoki Yoru at the entrance, he paused slightly, a puzzled expression appearing on his face.
"You're back?"
He wiped the sweat from his brow.
"Given up on your 'divine weapon' dream already?"
Sosuke snorted lightly.
"I've got some decent materials here. I can forge you a blade no worse than the famous ones… but you'll have to pay for it."
Clearly, he still didn't believe Aoki Yoru had any chance of obtaining those legendary materials.
Especially the chakra active crystal.
Even he had only heard of it in myths.
To him, Aoki Yoru's earlier ambition had seemed like nothing more than youthful fantasy.
But—
Aoki Yoru didn't respond.
He simply walked forward.
Then, without a word—
He placed something on the counter.
Sosuke's eyes fell on it.
And froze.
"…That is…"
He dropped his hammer instantly and rushed forward, grabbing the ore with trembling hands.
His eyes widened as he examined it closely.
"This… this is…!"
His voice shook.
"Star-fallen mysterious iron!"
He looked up at Aoki Yoru, disbelief written all over his face.
"That piece from General Mifune… I recognize it!"
He couldn't help but mutter under his breath:
"I asked for it so many times… tried every method… and he never agreed…"
"And yet you…"
His gaze turned strange.
"…Are you his illegitimate son or something?"
Aoki Yoru ignored the comment.
Instead, he spoke calmly:
"What if we add more to it?"
Before Sosuke could respond, Aoki Yoru took out a sealing scroll.
With a flick of his hand—
The seal released.
Four weapons appeared on the table.
The Four Sacred Tools
The moment Sosuke saw them—
He froze completely.
His pupils shrank.
His beard trembled uncontrollably.
"Th… this…!"
His voice cracked.
"These are…!"
He reached out with trembling hands, touching each weapon as if afraid they might vanish.
"The Four Sacred Tools…"
"They actually exist…"
For a long moment, he said nothing more.
Only muttered in disbelief.
Aoki Yoru crossed his arms.
"These are the weapons forged by Seimei using chakra active crystals, right?"
"With your skill… you should be able to extract the crystals."
Sosuke didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he carefully picked up each weapon, testing them one by one.
Their unique abilities.
Their structure.
Their craftsmanship.
Everything surpassed ordinary ninja tools by a wide margin.
Finally—
He looked at Aoki Yoru, his expression filled with reluctance.
"Are you really going to melt them?"
His voice carried genuine pain.
"Do you understand what you're destroying?"
"These are treasures of the Ninja World!"
Aoki Yoru remained indifferent.
"I don't care about their abilities."
"I'm a swordsman."
"I only need one blade."
His gaze sharpened.
"Can you extract the chakra active crystals or not?"
Sosuke clenched his teeth.
"What a waste…!"
"A complete waste of heaven's gifts!"
But in the end—
He sighed heavily.
"…Fine."
"If this is your decision… I will respect it."
The Birth of a Masterpiece
Sosuke straightened his posture.
His eyes burned with determination.
"When Seimei forged these tools, he didn't just use chakra active crystals."
"There are other materials inside—some of which are already extinct."
He looked directly at Aoki Yoru.
"With these… and the star-fallen mysterious iron…"
"I can forge a weapon—"
"One that rivals the Kusanagi Sword itself."
Aoki Yoru's eyes widened slightly.
Even he hadn't expected such a result.
Without hesitation, he bowed deeply.
"Then I'll leave everything to you."
Sosuke nodded proudly.
"As promised, I won't charge you."
"But this will take time."
"About half a month."
"Understood."
Waiting
For the next fifteen days—
Aoki Yoru did not relax.
He stayed at a nearby inn.
Barely left his room.
Even his meals were delivered.
Every moment—
He monitored the blacksmith shop with his senses.
He didn't trust Sosuke completely.
If the old man got greedy and ran off—
Everything would be lost.
By the end of the two weeks—
His face had grown pale.
His eyes were slightly sunken.
His mental energy was nearly exhausted.
But—
He endured.
The Divine Blade
On the fifteenth day—
Aoki Yoru arrived at the shop.
Sosuke stood inside, looking energetic despite working for days without rest.
"Ah, you're here!"
He smiled broadly.
Then, from behind the counter—
He brought out a sword.
"This… is my masterpiece."
Aoki Yoru stepped forward.
His hand reached out slowly.
The moment his fingers touched the scabbard—
He felt it.
A faint vibration.
A resonance.
He drew the blade.
—
A flash of cold light burst forth.
The air seemed to tremble.
The blade was flawless.
Its edge gleamed with a sharpness that felt almost unreal.
Aoki Yoru's eyes widened slightly.
At that moment—
He understood.
The divine blade…
Had been born.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)