Kusanagi Sword!
Kazuki was elated.
This could be regarded as a secondary artifact-level weapon in the Naruto world!
In Kazuki's mind, three Kusanagi Swords have appeared throughout the series.
These three swords are:
1. The Kusanagi Sword wielded by Orochimaru,
2. The Totsuka Blade used by Uchiha Itachi's Susanoo,
3. And the Chidori Katana utilized by Sasuke Uchiha.
Each of these legendary swords possesses unique abilities.
Orochimaru's Kusanagi Sword is made of one of the hardest materials in the world. It can extend from the mouth of a snake, altering its length at will, and is sharp enough to pierce even Enma's Adamantine Staff.
The Totsuka Blade, sealed within Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan-manifested Susanoo, is a spirit weapon capable of sealing anything it pierces into an eternal genjutsu, trapping them in a drunken dream-like illusion.
Sasuke's Chidori Katana is infused with Lightning Release, drastically increasing its cutting power and precision. When it strikes an opponent, it paralyzes them, leaving them vulnerable to follow-up attacks.
These three Kusanagi Swords each possess immense power.
Although Kazuki's blueprint was only for a basic Kusanagi Sword, he estimated that the weapon he was about to forge wouldn't be too weak!
That night, upon returning home, Kazuki immediately activated his system, ready to absorb the knowledge from the primary Kusanagi Sword blueprint.
For this, Kazuki placed great importance on the process.
Aside from kunai, this would be the first weapon he had ever crafted with full combat potential!
It would play a vital role in his future battles.
In Kazuki's mind, the blueprint of the primary Kusanagi Sword appeared.
[Primary Kusanagi Sword]
Forging Difficulty: ★★
Required Materials: Blue Crystal, Gold Wood Sand, Ruby, Star Steel, Heavenly Red Copper, Black Gold Stone
Skill: Randomly enhances 1-3 chakra attributes
Another two-star forging blueprint!
From his previous experience forging the two-star Primary Storage Ring, Kazuki had learned an important fact:
Any weapon crafted with a two-star rating or higher would have a recognition-of-master ability.
Once forging was complete, all he needed to do was smear his blood on the weapon, signing a contract that made him its rightful wielder.
Only the bonded master could unlock the sword's true potential.
If the weapon fell into an enemy's hands, it would merely function as an ordinary blade.
This was the fundamental difference between two-star weapons and standard ninja tools.
With this safeguard in place, Kazuki felt more confident.
Even if he encountered an opponent stronger than himself and lost his weapon in battle, he wouldn't have to worry about it being used against him.
"The process of forging this Kusanagi Sword is incredibly complex," Kazuki thought to himself.
Although it was another two-star difficulty weapon, it was far more intricate than the ring he had crafted previously.
Even the materials required were significantly more expensive.
Among them, two crucial ores—Heavenly Red Copper and Black Gold Stone—were especially costly.
A mere 100 grams of either material cost 200,000 ryo, an amount equivalent to the commission fee for a C-rank mission in Konoha.
After searching through his family's shop, Kazuki finally gathered all six required materials.
The combined price of these ores had exceeded one million ryō!
Kazuki's heart tensed slightly with guilt.
It seemed that being a blacksmith alone… was still an extremely costly endeavor!
Fortunately, the family had accumulated some wealth over the years. If it were only one million ryō, it was still within an acceptable range.
In the forge,
In front of Kazuki,
Three rare materials lay in wait.
In other words, he had only three chances to succeed.
If he failed all three times, the forging of the Kusanagi Sword would have to be postponed until his parents returned from the Land of Iron.
Kazuki closed his eyes,
Gathering his chakra and focusing all his mental energy on the forging table before him.
He meticulously visualized the entire process of forging the legendary Kusanagi Sword once again in his mind.
Then, he abruptly opened his eyes.
In his dark pupils,
The reflection of the glowing red ore, superheated by the raging flames, flickered ominously.
Channeling a substantial amount of chakra into the forging hammer, he gripped it tightly with both hands and struck down repeatedly. His movements were unwavering, precise, and filled with unwavering intent.
Clang~
Clang! Clang!!
The rhythmic sound of hammer meeting metal echoed through the forge.
[Ding! Forging failed. Result: Ordinary longsword.]
[Ding! Forging failed. Result: Ordinary longsword.]
Another failure?
Kazuki furrowed his brow, halting his movements.
Twice now, he had encountered an impasse at a critical juncture.
The most challenging aspect of forging a Kusanagi Sword lay in the fusion of two rare materials—Heavenly Red Copper and Black Gold Stone.
These two metals required precise temperature control but needed to be forged simultaneously in order to meld together.
Yet, both previous attempts had met the same fate.
Each time Kazuki attempted to fuse the two blazing ores,
They violently repelled each other,
Shattering into countless fragments upon impact.
What was going wrong?
Why wouldn't the two ores successfully merge?
Kazuki meticulously reviewed the details of his forging process, resting his chin on his hand as he sank into deep contemplation.
Was his previous understanding flawed?
No, it shouldn't be.
Every step of his forging process had adhered strictly to the blueprints, leaving no room for error.
Could the blueprints themselves be incorrect?
Kazuki quickly dismissed the thought.
Then,
Could it be possible…
That his method of chakra infusion was the root of the rejection?
"I've figured it out!"
A spark of realization ignited in Kazuki's mind.
Perhaps, if he altered his chakra infusion technique, he could resolve the issue he had just encountered!
Kazuki turned his gaze toward the final remaining set of materials.
If he failed this time, he wouldn't be able to forge even a preliminary version of the Kusanagi Sword in the near future.
However,
Hesitation wasn't in Kazuki's nature.
If he didn't attempt it, how could he confirm whether his hypothesis was correct?
Kazuki steadied his breath,
Reassessing the entire forging process in his mind.
With his conviction solidified, he clenched his fists.
"Let's begin!"
He inhaled deeply,
Seized the hammer once more, and resumed forging.
One by one, the rare ores were carefully placed onto the scorching forge.
After being heated to the perfect temperature, they were gradually melded together.
Throughout the entire process, Kazuki's expression remained as still as the surface of a tranquil lake, unwavering and composed.
The only movement was the steady descent of his hammer, striking the ore with unwavering precision.
Two hours passed in silence.
Kazuki had already completed the fusion of the first four minerals.
He inhaled deeply,
Not daring to let his guard down for even a moment.