The Forge.
The Forge was the name of the room in the Dark Amphibian that Katsura Sadoshi worked in. It was constructed so the man could work and create armor and weapons from prying eyes. Katsura was getting updates on the status of his crew from the few people on the ship.
'So Mazui is dead huh. Even with my armor. That's a shame.'
He remembered the day he joined the Lightning Twins and Maki and became the founding member of the Gladiator Pirates.
Flashback.
Katsura Sadoshi was running through the trees as fast as he could. There were several people chasing after him. The next second Katsura had to dodge several shuriken but one clipped him in the leg making him lose his balance.
He crashed to the ground but there were only minor injuries on his body. He looked up and saw 4 people quickly surrounding him. They all had the headband with the stylized kanji for artisans.
"Don't do this, Hoki. Just let me go."
A man with a slim face, brown hair and prominent jawline stepped forward and sneered at Katsura. "That's not going to happen. You're a traitor."
"I'm a traitor only because I wouldn't go along with your insanity." Katsura stood and glared at the man.
A slender boy with green eyes and blue hair stepped forward. "Is it insane to want to see your village rise to the top? Is it insane to want the great nations to respect our village? They attack our village because they fear the abilities of our weapons. But no more. We won't tolerate this disrespect any longer."
"Katsura. You are the best of us. Your craftsmanship is unparalleled. We can forget your foolishness if you join us." A slender kunoichi with fair skin, blue-green cyan hair spoke. She held a hand out to the man in front of her.
Katsura shook his head "No Kujaku. You're all going to build weapons using my blueprints to wage war on the great nations. Can't you see how stupid that is. You won't win." Katsura yelled at the group.
"Yes, We will! We will take the power of their tailed beasts first. We'll begin with Shukaku and use its power to revive our founder. Then he will save us." The largest of the group spoke. It was a broadly built man with a purple coat.
"Suiko…" Katsura clenched his fist as he looked at the 4. 'It looks like they plan to kill me and take my scroll. There's no way out of this. I can't beat all of them and they won't let me take out my weapons from the scroll. Maybe if I surrender I might get the chance to escape again. It's better than dying here now.'
Katsura sighed and he relented. "Fine. Have it your way. I'll help you build the weapons."
Hoki smiled as he looked at the defeated man. "Do you think we're idiots? You're just looking to buy time aren't you?"
Katsura's eyes widened as he heard. He looked at the malicious intent coming from the four and came to a startling realization. "You all never intended to let me live did you?"
Ninja wire flew from Kujaku's hands and she quickly restrained Katsura.
"You've shown that you're not truly loyal to the village. So you'll have to die." A kunai appeared in Hoki's hand and he rushed forward towards Katsura.
In one timeline, Katsura was killed by the four. They would take his scroll and build the weapons needed to revive their founder. In this timeline however…
Several shuriken came from shadows and struck Hoki's vitals instantly killing him. From the shadows came two ninjas with a slashed cloud village headband.
"Now what do we have here…" Mazui said with a grin.
Flashback End.
'The twins saved me from Hoki and his team and I became a weapons creator for them… It was a far better deal at the moment.'
"Sir, we have enemies on board the ship." A voice came from the radio in his ear piece.
Katsura took his sword and waited for his opponent.
—-
Daichi looked at the notifications piled up on the corner of his vision. He looked ahead and saw that Neji, Lee and Tenten were in the process of destroying the large cannon.
'So they went after the cannon first huh. Good.'
He created a shadow clone and had it join the other Genins while he healed himself and slowly made his way over to the warship. Daichi looked at the notifications and smiled as another skill reached level 100.
[-73 HP]
[-80 HP]
[Skill Physical Endurance's level has risen by one.]
.
[Congratulations. You have successfully trained a skill to its highest level.]
[500 Exp.]
[75 Exp.]
.
[-44 HP]
[Skill Chakra Enhancement's level has risen by one.]
[-37 HP]
[Skill Chakra Flow's level has risen by one.]
[Negative Status - First degree burns]
[Skill Light Steps' level has risen by one.]
'Not bad. Not bad at all.'
His hands glowed green as he brought them to his chest. The healing chakra soothed the small lingering pain and healed the minor burns on his chest. He looked ahead and saw the other Genins taking down the crew and going inside.
'Time to put my plan to work. I need to find the weapons maker before they do. But with Neji's eyes it won't be long before they get to him. I can't let that happen.'
Having made a decision, Daichi disappeared from his spot and a few moments later reached the ship.
Meanwhile with Team Guy and clone Daichi.
"HIYAA!"
BOOM BOOM BOOM
Lee sent a powerful kick towards the barrel of the cannon while Tenten hurled several kunai with paper bombs tied to the base of the large weapons. Their attacks wrecked the 'Destroyer Cannon' while Neji took down the crew that was coming for them. His gentle fist made swift work of the enemies that stood in his path.
At that moment Daichi's shadow clone quickly joined them.
"Daichi! That was so cool. I can't believe you stopped such an attack on your own like that." Lee said as he gave his friend a big grin and thumbs up.
"Yeah. We thought for sure you were a goner when you stood in its way. I can't believe you're so strong." Tenten spoke as she landed near him.
Daichi smiled at the two compliments and replied. "I've been training and increasing my muscle strength these last several years. So I knew I would be able to take that attack head on. But only one. If you guys hadn't destroyed the cannon and if it had fired again we would have been screwed."
Neji finished his opponents and came near them. "You're a clone, right. Why didn't you come here yourself?" He asked Daichi.
The gamer ninja raised an eyebrow at that. "I might look fine, but I did take some serious damage from tanking that attack. My real self is healing himself while he sent me to finish this. We need to sink this ship and everything on it. He'll come as soon as he's done healing his wounds."
Neji nodded at that answer and the four Leaf Genins made their way inside the ship.
"We need to find the navigation room first. Stop this vessel before it goes any further." Daichi spoke.
Neji used his Byakugan and quickly found the control center of the ship. They made their way there and quickly took down any crew member that attacked them.
Tenten gave a sad sigh as she handed Daichi the Frost sword. She didn't meet the required conditions to use the sword and it made her a little sad.
Daichi on the other hand was able to connect with the Frost sword. He channeled some of his chakra and placed the tip of the sword on the floor. The next second the entire room except for the 4 Genins was frozen solid. A cold wind blew through the air that sent shivers up the Genin's spines.
"Wow. This thing is almost on the same level as one of the seven swords of the Mist." Daichi said as he used the weapon.
"Where did these pirates even get a sword like this from? And how did they make that cannon?"
"Those are good questions, Tenten. We should search the ship." Lee made a suggestion but Neji disagreed.
"No need." Neji was using his Byakugan and was silent for several seconds. "It seems the real Daichi is here and he's on the floor below. He's fighting someone with a sword that can emit fire." The shock and surprise in his words are evident to everyone.
The next moment Neji's eyes widened. "We need to get out of here right now. Daichi defeated the enemy but the fire has spread to the engine room. This ship will soon blow."
The Genin quickly exited the way they came and jumped off the warship. They saw the real Daichi escaping the ship and making his way towards them. The small group ran a short distance away from the ship and watched it explode and then slowly sink.
"What happened in there?" Tenten asked the gamer ninja.
"I found the person who created the weapons. But he was unwilling to surrender peacefully. He attacked me with a Fire sword and after everything that's happened, I had little patience for people aiming their weapons at me."
Daichi didn't elaborate anymore as he crossed his arms and looked at the burning ship. He thought about his encounter with the man who created powerful weapons.
Several Minutes ago.
Daichi made his way to the Forge. He got the location from Onizaki and quickly made his way after he entered the ship. He created a thick mist with his chakra to make sure the conversation in there remains private from Neji's eyes. 'The Byakugan will be able to see through the Mist but it won't be able to clearly read lips, if Neji is even able to do that right now. A precaution just in case.'
He punched through the door and saw a man with sharp jawline, red eyes, and long brunette hair waiting for him with a red sword in his hand.
Daichi immediately used 'observe' on the man and noted down the details.
'He's definitely the blacksmith I'm looking for... So this guy was a former Chunin from the Village of Artisans. Makes sense. He was saved by Mazui and Bozui and then joined them. That's another shift in the timeline. He was the one who created the cannon for the ship. His blacksmithing talent is incredible.'
Daichi paid attention to one specific information shown in his 'Observe'.
'His ultimate goal is to create tools that surpass the seven swords of the Mist.
Daichi used 'Observe' on the red sword in his hand next.
[Phoenix Blade] [Unique Item: Rank B]
[The Phoenix Blade is a Unique ranked item that was created by Katsura Sadoshi, a master weapons creator from the village of Artisans. This sword is capable of emitting and freely manipulating vast amounts of fire and can burn whatever is in its path. This blade only uses a fraction of the chakra required to activate it. Its ultimate attack is a Fire Style jutsu that appears in the form of a phoenix. This jutsu can incinerate anything in its path.
Note: Only those with inborn Fire chakra nature affinity can use this sword. Once damaged or destroyed, it cannot be repaired.]
"I take it Maki is dead?! You wouldn't have gotten inside this ship otherwise." Katsura spoke.
"Yes. That Frost sword he had… That's quite something. I doubt there are many people in the world who could make something like that."
The blacksmith had a smirk as he heard the praise. "There aren't. I'm the only one capable of building that."
Daichi nodded and turned serious. "What's your goal? I want to hear your greatest desire."
Katsura was taken aback by the question. "And why would you want to know that?" He narrowed his eyes and looked at the Genin readying his sword to attack.
"What if I told you that you could have funding and a workshop to create more weapons… You'll be free to make whatever you like. Would you do it?" Daichi asked the man.
The man was surprised to hear that offer. He looked at the Genin and spoke. "I have no interest in building weapons for the Leaf."
Daichi shook his head. "I wasn't talking about the Leaf village… I'll let you in on a little secret. The lightning twins aren't the only ones with a rebellious attitude."
Katsura's eyes narrowed as he looked at the Genin. "What's your name?"
"Daichi Hekima."
Katsura remembered the information he had about the Genin. 'He's the one who found the treasure. So he would definitely have some capital to fund my projects.'
After thinking for a few moments the blacksmith made a decision. "I want to build weapons and tools that surpass the might of the seven swords of the Mist village."
Daichi smirked and nodded his head. "I can help you with that goal. But you need to trust me."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Use that weapon on the surroundings. Destroy this room. I can't have anyone else find your weapon blueprints."
The man looked into Daichi's eyes and decided to take a leap of faith. 'If I refuse, I'll die or be taken prisoner. None of the two options appeal to me. But if I join him then maybe I'll be able to survive and accomplish my goal.'
Katsura nodded to Daichi's suggestion and channeled his chakra to the sword. He pointed the Phoenix Blade towards the blueprints he created. Every blueprint he created was stored in his memory. So destroying the physical copies won't be a problem for him.
The Fire from the sword destroyed the room and it blew the Mist away. The fire also struck part of the engine room and destroyed several machines.
"Now what?" The Chunin asked Daichi.
"Now I'm going to kill you."
"What?" The blacksmith was shocked when he heard that.
"I need you to trust me on this." Daichi said, making a few seals.
Katsura panicked and pointed his sword at the boy. He sent one of the strongest fire jutsu at the Genin but Daichi dodged and sent a large fireball at Katsura's back. It struck and killed the man instantly.
Chakra strings came to life from Daichi's hand and he took the Phoenix Blade and something else from the dead man. He sealed the two items in separate scrolls and put them in his inventory.
Seeing the ship becoming unstable, Daichi decided to make his exit. 'My plans will only work if I can get the information I need…'
Present time.
Daichi was brought out of his thoughts when Kakashi and Guy landed next to the team.
They didn't have any injuries on them save for a few minor wounds. "Any serious injuries?" Daichi asked them just in case.
"No. Just tired. Since the ship is destroyed along with everyone on it, we don't have anything else to do. Let's get out of here." Kakashi said as he looked at the burning sinking wreckage.
The two Leaf teams made their way to their ships and set course for Mother Island. It took several hours and the two teams didn't face any unexpected enemies. An hour after sunrise the two ships made shore and the people aboard the ship finally set foot on their homelands after several weeks.
The islanders seeing the ships coming were already making their way to the shore. They were surprised to see the Leaf ninjas aboard and their family members unharmed coming towards them.
An elder of the island came near the two Leaf shinobi teams and bowed his head. "Thank you for saving them. But what about those pirates? Will they come and attack us?"
"Don't worry my good sir! We took care of those pirate scum. They won't harm your citizens again. You have nothing to fear." Guy said, giving the man a thumbs up.
The elder's eyes widened with tears of joy. "Thank you for coming all this way and saving us."
"Well, you did call for our help. We can't just ignore a mission." Guy said as his team smiled at the people who were waving at them.
The elder had a frown as he heard that. "Mission? What do you mean? We never requested any official help!"
Guy and Kakashi were surprised to hear that. "You didn't ask the Leaf village for a C Rank mission to take care of the pirates?" Kakashi carefully asked the old man.
"No. The captain told us that if we contacted anyone for help they would kill the hostages. We thought that if we did as they told us then they would let our family go free. So we never requested anyone's help. At least I don't think the people on this island did. And I heard that they took a large sum from the people of the other islands so they couldn't call for help either."
At that moment Kakashi turned to Ishido. "You're not the one who requested our help are you?"
The man shook his head as he looked at the ninja. "No. I just took a gamble when I saw you guys. I don't have the money to hire anyone."
"This is strange indeed." Kakashi rubbed his chin and thought about the situation. 'So someone definitely wanted those pirates dead. Or the lightning twins dead specifically… Hmm I'll inform Lord Hokage when we get back to the village.'
Soon the villagers thanked the Leaf ninjas and left for their homes. As the two teams were getting ready to leave and head home, Daichi spoke.
"Sensei, I found some interesting information that I think you should know."
"And what's that?"
"I think I know where Orochimaru's lab is. Or at least one of them."
Kakashi and Guy's eyes widened as they heard that sentence.
"What!?"
—-
Somewhere far away.
"Are you sure the Leaf Ninjas could handle the Twins sir?" A man on one knee asked his master.
"Yes. And even if they couldn't and they die, the leaf will send more ninjas to investigate. They will send stronger ninjas and soon the Lightning Twins and their crew will perish." A man in a suit replied as he looked at the sunrise from his mansion.
"They are Jonins from the cloud village. I doubt they would have any trouble with a Genin team."
"It doesn't matter if they're strong. I wasn't going to pay for a mission above C Rank. I'm not going to waste any more money than I absolutely needed to. This way if the team dies in this mission, the Leaf will be forced to send stronger ninjas to take care of the problem."
"It's a brilliant move sir."
"Of course it is. Those damn Gladiator Pirates shouldn't have attacked my ships and stolen my merchandise." The man in the suit clenched his fist in slight anger as he spoke. But that anger soon faded. "They will pay for their arrogance, if they haven't already."
"You are truly a cunning man, Lord Gato."
Gato, the founder of Gato shipping company, stood on his balcony as he looked at the sunrise with a malicious smirk.
-----------------
Author's Note.
'Gasp' Gato? No way!
How many of you saw this twist coming?😁😁 Next chapter is exploring the hidden lab and Daichi making his move…
Now for those of you wondering what Daichi looks like.
He looks similar to the adult self of Momonosuke kozuki from One piece. Just His face and hairstyle. Not his attitude. He has a lean muscular body. Long somewhat spiky dark brown hair. Wears black punk futuristic sunglasses. Has a black scarf with two ends. Hmm… the best way to describe its shape would be to say it's like the scarf Kai from Beyblade wears in g revolution. The scarf is black. He has a dark purple jacket with silver line designs and long black pants. He has a chainmail mesh undershirt.