Takeshi's face visibly darkened. "Mizutani? Toshiro's son?"
A heavy silence fell over the room.
"Oh, that's why..." Takeshi ran a hand through his gray hair, visibly uncomfortable. "I have to apologize first. You see, there was this ninja cat that's been stealing my blueprints lately, and I thought... you know, when someone knocks... the cat, you know?"
Kurara rolled her eyes. "Grandpa, there's no ninja cat."
"Are you sure? Just yesterday I saw some suspicious prints on my workbench!"
"Those were YOUR prints, after you fell asleep on the blueprints."
Ren watched the exchange, torn between the absurdity of the excuse and the weight of his father's memory still hanging in the air.
Takeshi cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. "Well, then... young Mizutani, what brings you here? Your father... Toshiro was one of my most demanding customers. Never satisfied until every detail was perfect."
"Actually," Ren began, "I'm here for a special request. I don't want combat weapons, but training swords."
Takeshi raised an eyebrow. "Training swords? There are many blacksmiths who make them..."
"Not ordinary bokken," Ren specified. "I want metal swords, not sharp but heavy. Very heavy."
Takeshi's eyes lit up with professional interest. "How heavy?"
"As heavy as possible, while maintaining the correct proportions. The goal is to increase endurance and strength, not to simulate real combat."
"Hmm..." Takeshi stroked his chin, thoughtfully. "An unusual request. Most ninja want lighter, faster weapons..."
Kurara, who had been silent until then, spoke up with a thoughtful expression. "Actually... it could work. I've never heard of anyone using this method, but it makes sense. It would be like... constant training even while practicing forms."
'On the one hand, I was lucky to meet Kurara,' Ren mused, keeping a neutral expression, 'but on the other hand, I didn't want to make this training method known. Not that it makes much difference in the short term, but it makes it harder for me to keep a low profile.'
Takeshi nodded slowly as he considered the request. "It's unusual, very unusual... but I like the idea." He walked over to his workbench, starting to scribble a few sketches on a piece of paper. " It should be easier because I don't have to worry about sharpening the blades. That always takes a lot of time and precision."
He scratched his head with his pencil. "But the balance... that might be a problem. Increasing the weight isn't difficult, I can use denser alloys, but getting the balance right will take several tries. An unbalanced sword, even if it's just a practice sword, is worse than having no sword at all."
Takeshi continued to scribble, muttering to himself. "I could use a high-density steel alloy for the core... maybe incorporate some heavier elements into the structure..." He paused, looking at Ren with suddenly sharp eyes. "How heavy exactly do you want them?"
"As heavy as possible while maintaining the correct shape and balance," Ren replied. "The goal is to gradually increase the weight through training."
Takeshi continued to scribble in his plans, now completely absorbed in his work. "I could use a modular system... yeah, with pins here and here..." He muttered to himself as he drew, adding small symbols to the margins of the paper.
Ren absently noticed some circular patterns in the sketches that vaguely reminded him of the basic principles of fuinjutsu he was studying with Tatsumi.
"Takeshi-san," he asked with apparent casualness, "those symbols in the blueprints..."
"Oh, these?" Takeshi looked up slightly. "They're just basic forging marks. They help maintain the structure of the metal as it's being worked. Nothing special, but they make the difference between a decent blade and an excellent blade."
'Interesting, if I could learn those it might help me with Fuinjutsu too.'
"Takeshi-san," Ren said as the blacksmith continued to scribble on his blueprints, "could I watch the forging process? And maybe lend a hand?"
Takeshi looked up from his sketches, surprised by the request. A hint of a smile crossed his face as he studied the boy before him.
'Interesting,' he thought. 'It's not often you see a boy this young interested in forging.'
"You know," he said after a moment's thought, "a blacksmith rarely shows off his work." He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "But considering our... little misunderstanding earlier, I might make an exception. I'll allow you to help me with the forging."
"And if you like," Kurara said as she examined a rack of weapons, "we could also test each other's fighting styles. The backyard here is perfect for that."
"That sounds interesting," Ren replied.
"Don't worry if Grandpa seems grumpy sometimes," Kurara laughed. "He's actually happy to have someone who actually cares about his work. The last apprentice ran away after half an hour."
'That's a good idea,' Ren mused as he considered the offer. 'While I don't want to expose myself too much, I need to gain experience. With Aoi and Jun'ko, I've already gotten used to their patterns, so having a little more experience can be good.'
"Come back in two days," Takeshi said as he put away his sketches. "I need time to finalize the design and gather the right materials. And come early - the metal needs to be worked while the air is still fresh."
As he stepped out of the forge, Ren noticed that the morning was still young. With the weights on, it would take him about half an hour to get to the academy. The library would be open, and old Shizuka-san was always more helpful in the early hours.