superior naruto

A Date at the Ninja Tool Shop?

Naruto was inexperienced when it came to dates. Konoha didn't have amusement parks or fancy restaurants, so he wasn't sure where to take Hinata. In the end, he decided on the ninja tool shop. It wasn't exactly romantic, but it was practical.

What else can I do? Naruto thought, feeling a bit desperate.

Shopkeeper: "Alright, give me a budget, and I'll list out the materials you can choose from."

Naruto: "How about… half a million ryo?"

Shopkeeper: "Half a million? That's enough for a decent sword. You can get good materials, but you'll have to skip the live steel and chakra-conductive alloys."

Naruto: "What's live steel?"

Shopkeeper: "It's a high-quality material used for forging self-repairing weapons. If the weapon gets damaged, it can absorb iron from the enemy's blood to restore itself."

Naruto's mind immediately went to the Kubikiribōchō, the Executioner's Blade, which could regenerate by absorbing blood. That sword's probably made of live steel.

But the Kubikiribōchō wasn't suitable for him. Still, the idea of a self-repairing weapon was intriguing.

Naruto: "If I use live steel to forge a weapon, can it be reforged later?"

Shopkeeper: "Yes. Most live steel on the market has been reforged multiple times. It's rare to find pure live steel deposits."

So if I ever get my hands on the Kubikiribōchō, I could melt it down and reforge it… Naruto's excitement grew. He remembered that in the original timeline, the sword had been left standing at Zabuza's grave before being taken by Suigetsu. What a waste.

But stealing the sword from Zabuza wouldn't be easy. Zabuza was nearly as strong as Kakashi. Naruto shook his head, pushing the thought aside for now.

Naruto: "What about the materials that improve chakra conductivity? Are they related to chakra nature transformations?"

Shopkeeper: "Exactly. Those materials are used to enhance the flow of specific chakra types through the weapon. You're pretty sharp for a kid."

Naruto: "Thanks. Oh, and give me a chakra test paper too."

He had skipped buying one yesterday because it was expensive, but now he had the money.

Shopkeeper: "One chakra test paper, 500 ryo. Since you're buying a sword, I'll give you a 10% discount. That'll be 450 ryo."

Naruto handed over the money and took the test paper.

Hinata: "What's a chakra test paper?"

Naruto: "It's used to test your chakra nature. You've never used one?"

Hinata: "No…"

Of course not, Naruto thought. The Hyuga clan probably focuses too much on their Gentle Fist to bother with chakra nature transformations.

Naruto: "Uncle, give me one more."

Shopkeeper: "For the little lady? Hyuga clan, right? Not many of you use these."

Naruto: "Never mind that. Just give her one."

The shopkeeper handed over another test paper.

Hinata: "But…"

Naruto: "It's fine. This is nothing compared to the scroll you gave me. Don't worry about it."

Hinata: "Okay…"

She was curious, too. Naruto's enthusiasm was contagious.

As for why Naruto wanted to test his chakra nature again, it was partly because he didn't fully trust Kurama's explanation and partly because he was fascinated by the idea of the test paper.

Naruto: "How much do the chakra-conductive materials cost?"

The shopkeeper, not expecting Naruto to buy any, explained, "It depends on the chakra nature. The most common ones are wind, earth, and fire."

"Wind is the most expensive, around 100,000 ryo per gram."

Naruto: "100,000 per gram? How much do you need for a sword?"

Shopkeeper: "Not much. You don't need to make the entire sword out of it. Just a small amount mixed in can significantly improve the weapon's performance."

Naruto: "Oh, that makes sense."

Shopkeeper: "Earth is slightly cheaper, around 80,000 to 100,000 ryo per gram, depending on the mine. Fire is the cheapest, at 50,000 to 70,000 ryo per gram."

Naruto nodded, already making plans. Once I master my chakra nature, I'll forge a sword with these materials.

He decided to test his chakra nature first. He injected chakra into the test paper, which split cleanly down the middle—a sign of wind nature.

Shopkeeper: "Wind nature, huh? That's great for swordsmanship. But it'll be expensive to maintain."

Naruto: "…"

So Kurama wasn't lying, Naruto thought. His original soul must have been attribute-less.

Hinata injected her chakra into the test paper, which burst into flames.

Naruto: "That means you have a fire nature."

Hinata's eyes widened in fascination.

Shopkeeper: "Don't get the wrong idea, kid. The Hyuga clan can train in multiple chakra natures, but they usually don't. It's probably because of their focus on taijutsu."

Naruto: "Yeah, yeah. Chakra nature training isn't easy. I'm just experimenting."

Shopkeeper: "…"

"Anyway, if you trust me, I'll pick the steel for you based on your budget."

The shopkeeper could tell Naruto didn't know much about forging, so he decided to take charge.

Naruto: "Sure, go ahead."

Shopkeeper: "By the way, do you have a specific sword style in mind? Different styles require different blade lengths."

Naruto: "I'm learning the Leaf Style Swordsmanship. What kind of sword is best for that?"

Shopkeeper: "Leaf Style? That's what Might Guy's student, Rock Lee, uses. Do you know him?"

Naruto: "Not really. Should I go ask him for advice?"

Shopkeeper: "Never mind. Leaf Style doesn't have strict requirements for the sword. You can customize it however you like."

Naruto thought of Sasuke's straight sword. "I want a straight blade, no guard, with a hilt long enough for two-handed use."

Shopkeeper: "Got it. It'll take about a month to forge. Come back then."

Naruto: "Anything else I should know?"

His eyes drifted to the weight-training equipment. Maybe I should buy some of that too…