Although the sun had begun to set over Konoha,
Kazuki, brimming with excitement, showed no signs of fatigue.
He rushed to the small forge behind his family's weapon shop—an area where shinobi tools were crafted—
Lit the charcoal fire, gripped the bellows tightly, and placed a thick iron ingot onto the heated anvil.
With both hands wrapped around the hammer, he swung with all his might!
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
The rhythmic strikes echoed through the backyard, sending a shower of glowing embers into the air.
At only six years old, he strained to lift and drop the hammer repeatedly,
his muscles burning from exertion.
After just a few swings, exhaustion set in, forcing him to pause.
But determination burned in his heart—like the Will of Fire passed down through Konoha's shinobi.
After catching his breath, he resumed forging.
This process repeated itself several times.
Sweat rolled down his temples, soaking his clothes,
but the shape of a kunai—a staple among ninja weapons—gradually took form on the anvil.
Three hours later, Kazuki held up his finished kunai, its black surface gleaming under the forge's glow.
His heart pounded with excitement.
This was no ordinary kunai.
This was Clone Kunai!
The moment Kazuki completed the kunai, he eagerly took it into his hands, inspecting every detail.
It was far from perfect—his craftsmanship lacked the precision of the expertly forged kunai imported from the Land of Iron.
However, despite its rough edges, this weapon held a special ability.
The knowledge surfaced in his mind as though it had been inscribed there the moment he finished forging:
[Clone Kunai: By injecting chakra, the kunai can instantly generate a physical clone that is capable of attacking and defending.]
This ability was vastly different from the basic Clone Jutsu (Bunshin no Jutsu), a core technique of the Three Basic Jutsu taught at the Ninja Academy.
Unlike the illusion-based Clone Jutsu, which merely created intangible mirages to confuse enemies,
this kunai produced a real, physical clone—a concept similar to the Water Clone (Mizu Bunshin), Earth Clone (Tsuchi Bunshin), or even Itachi Uchiha's Crow Clone (Karasu Bunshin).
While material clones required a small amount of chakra to maintain,
they were tangible, unlike the purely visual deceptions of standard clones.
Kazuki grasped the kunai firmly, directing a controlled stream of chakra into it.
Then, he hurled it forward.
Just as he had hoped—
Two meters ahead, an identical copy of himself materialized!
"This… is incredible!"
Kazuki's eyes shone with realization.
Regular clones were useless in direct combat since they couldn't physically interact with the enemy.
But this—this kunai functioned like a jutsu itself!
By simply channeling chakra into his weapon, he could create a physical duplicate without the need for hand seals—faster than any elemental clone technique.
In battle, this would be an unparalleled advantage!
This was more than just an innovative weapon.
This was a breakthrough in ninja toolcrafting!
Every weapon he forged from now on… could become something extraordinary.
With newfound excitement, Kazuki accessed his system properties panel again,
noticing a change in the display:
[Host: Kazuki]
[Age: 6 years old]
[Forging Level: Beginner]
[Unlocked Weapon: Clone Kunai (7%)]
[Self-Created Weapon: None]
7 percent?
What did that mean?
Had he not fully unlocked the Clone Kunai's potential yet?
As if responding to his thoughts, the system provided an explanation:
[The host's proficiency in forging Clone Kunai is currently at 7%. As proficiency increases, the success rate and speed of crafting will improve.]
After listening to the explanation of the system,
Kazuki's mind suddenly became clear.
It turned out that even if he obtained the blueprint for the Hiraishin Kunai—the iconic tri-pronged weapon used by the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato—the success rate of forging it was not guaranteed. Instead, it was linked to proficiency, much like how a shinobi refines their chakra control over time.
In this way,
During his first attempt at forging just now,
He had successfully created a kunai infused with the Shadow Clone Technique, similar to how Minato's kunai was imbued with his Flying Thunder God formula. This was indeed a stroke of luck!
After one success,
Kazuki felt a surge of confidence swell in his chest!
"Let's keep forging!"
His eyes shone with determination as he picked up another solid chunk of iron, placed it onto the anvil, and began swinging the hammer again with renewed vigor.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
The rhythmic sound of hammering echoed through the forge, blending with the steady whoosh of the bellows. The flames roared within the charcoal furnace, casting flickering shadows across the room.
The iron lump, glowing a deep red from the heat, rang crisply with each strike, gradually shaping into the distinctive form of a kunai.
However,
Not every forging attempt was successful.
When a failure occurred, the resulting kunai was no different from a standard weapon—devoid of the ability to produce a chakra-imbued clone. It was like failing to infuse a jutsu into a weapon, leaving it as nothing more than a basic tool.
[Ding! Forging failed. Result: Ordinary Kunai]
[Ding! Forging failed. Result: Ordinary Kunai]
[Ding! Forging success! Result: Clone Kunai ×1!]
[Ding! Forging failed. Result: Ordinary Kunai]
…
The night passed in relentless effort.
As the darkness faded and the first streaks of dawn appeared on the horizon,
"Phew—"
Kazuki finally concluded his hours-long forging session.
His arms, weary from continuously swinging the hammer, felt so sore and heavy that lifting them became a challenge.
Despite pushing himself to the limit—exhausting his physical strength, recovering, and repeating the process—he had finally reached his body's absolute threshold.
With a slow exhale,
Kazuki gazed at the three kunai resting silently before him.
Their obsidian-black metal gleamed coldly under the dim morning light, reflecting his sheer determination. A flicker of satisfaction crossed his tired eyes.
In a single night,
He had successfully forged three Clone Kunai!
Moreover, his proficiency in crafting these specialized weapons had risen from a mere 7% to 25%!
A significant achievement!
After carefully storing the three kunai in a pouch—similar to how Minato and shinobi of the Anbu Black Ops carried their weapons—
Kazuki finally left the forge, a sense of accomplishment washing over him.
It was only then that he noticed the damp stickiness of his clothes, drenched in sweat.
Forging for an entire night,
Especially for a child like Kazuki, who was only six years old,
Was as grueling as completing an intense taijutsu training regimen under Might Guy or enduring Tsunade's chakra-enhanced strength drills.
Crafting a proper kunai was not just a matter of hammering raw iron.
Throughout the process, he had to infuse his chakra into the metal continuously, much like how Asuma Sarutobi's trench knives were enhanced with wind chakra, making them razor-sharp.
Thus, in this forging process,
Both his physical energy and chakra reserves were heavily drained.
After repeatedly depleting his stamina and recovering, his clothes had been drenched with sweat several times, carrying the unmistakable scent of exhaustion.
Dragging his fatigued body, Kazuki made his way to the bathhouse, where the warm water finally helped relax his overworked muscles.
Only after cleansing himself did he collapse onto his bed, his body sinking into the mattress.
The moment his eyes closed, he slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep.
When Kazuki woke up again…