superior naruto

After returning to the village, Team 7 first reported to the Third Hokage.

Upon hearing that their C-rank mission had nearly escalated to A-rank difficulty, the Third Hokage fell into deep silence. He even threatened to add Tazuna to Konoha's blacklist.

Naruto: "It's fine. The bridge is named the Kakashi Bridge. I heard Tazuna say he plans to engrave the deeds of Konoha's ninja on a plaque. It's great publicity."

Third Hokage: "Hmm... That's not bad."

"In any case, this mission was harder on you than expected due to my oversight. Kakashi, let your team rest for a day."

Next came the private discussion between Kakashi and the Third Hokage. Naruto wasn't interested in their conversation—his mind was already on the blacksmith at the ninja tool shop.

How much living steel can be extracted from the beheading sword?

It's one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen's blades, after all. It must be worth a fortune!

As soon as the Third Hokage dismissed them, Naruto rushed out, leaving Hinata behind. She could only call out weakly as he disappeared.

Naruto arrived at the ninja tool shop. Earlier, when the Third Hokage had confiscated his sword, Naruto had sent a clone to retrieve it as soon as they entered the village.

"Jingle..."

The bell on the door rang as Naruto pushed it open.

Naruto: "Uncle, can this sword be smelted?"

The blacksmith, Uncle Xuan, was solemnly running his fingers along the blade, his eyes closed.

When Naruto entered, he opened his eyes. "Are you sure you want to smelt this sword? From its craftsmanship, I can tell it's the work of a master. Its value is immeasurable."

Naruto: "Smelt it! No matter how good the sword is, it's not suitable for me. I want to make a sword that fits me."

Uncle Xuan: "..."

He wanted to argue that this was a legendary blade. Its value wasn't just in its materials or craftsmanship—it had historical significance.

It was like an antique. Even if it was just a piece of metal, its worth could be hundreds, thousands, or even millions of times its material value.

Uncle Xuan: "If you just want living steel, you could sell this sword and buy more than you'd get from smelting it."

Naruto: "Who would buy it?"

Uncle Xuan hesitated. He wanted to say, You'd sell it, of course. But then he realized something.

A sword this valuable... How did a kid like Naruto get his hands on it? And if he tried to sell it, he'd likely be robbed.

Naruto probably understood this better than he did.

Naruto: "Uncle, can you help me exchange it?"

Uncle Xuan: "Hmm... Can you tell me where this sword came from? I'm curious."

Naruto: "You can't tell?"

Uncle Xuan: "To be honest, while I can forge decent weapons, I'm no master smith. That's why my swords are so affordable."

Naruto: "Do you know about Kirigakure?"

Uncle Xuan raised an eyebrow: "You mean the Village of the Bloody Mist?"

Naruto nodded.

Uncle Xuan: "That village was isolated for over a decade. Not much is known about it, but there are plenty of terrifying legends. But how do you know... this sword is connected to that village?"

Naruto: "Kirigakure is famous for its Seven Ninja Swordsmen. This sword is one of their blades."

Uncle Xuan: "..."

"How did you get it?"

Naruto noticed Uncle Xuan's hesitation. He didn't want to deceive the man—Uncle Xuan had always been kind to him. If he wasn't willing to help, Naruto could find another blacksmith.

So Naruto explained some of the mission details, including how he'd acquired the sword.

During the story, Uncle Xuan closed the shop and hung up a "Closed" sign.

By the end, Uncle Xuan's blood was boiling with excitement—though Naruto had left out classified details.

Uncle Xuan: "So... you have the right to handle this sword?"

Naruto: "Of course. I took it fair and square."

Uncle Xuan gritted his teeth: "Then let's smelt it!"

Naruto: "You're not going to find someone to exchange it?"

Uncle Xuan: "Are you going to?"

The two laughed.

With the decision made, Uncle Xuan rubbed his hands together.

His skills were decent, but he'd never imagined he'd get to work with a legendary material like living steel so soon.

Uncle Xuan: "Listen... after we extract the materials... would you let me forge your new sword? I won't charge you!"

Naruto: "Huh?"

Naruto was surprised by the offer. Uncle Xuan, thinking Naruto was hesitant, quickly added, "Don't worry. While my skills aren't top-tier, I won't disgrace this material. My father was a master smith. He left me valuable notes. I can forge your sword using his methods."

"Also, if you have any special requests, I'll do my best to meet them. If we need additional materials... I'll cover up to 50% of the cost!"

Naruto was stunned. He didn't fully understand the passion of a craftsman, but he could see Uncle Xuan's sincerity.

Naruto: "Alright! I'll leave it to you, Uncle!"

Uncle Xuan: "Good lad! You've made my day!"

"Come with me. I've been itching to fire up the forge again. We can start smelting right away!"

Naruto: "Can I watch?"

Uncle Xuan laughed: "Of course! How could I keep you away from such an event?"

They closed the shop and headed to the outskirts of the village, where Uncle Xuan's forge was located.

The forge was already hot, and nearby stood a sturdy stone house.

Uncle Xuan, in high spirits, explained as he prepared for the smelting process.

Uncle Xuan: "Smelting a sword and extracting its materials is a delicate process."

"If you don't know the metals in the sword, it's tricky. You have to test and experiment to identify them."

"But since this is a legendary blade, we can start with existing records."

Naruto: "Existing records?"

Uncle Xuan: "The more famous the smith, the more likely their work has been studied. Other smiths analyze and document the materials used in masterpieces."

"Over time, these records are compiled and published. It's part of the smithing tradition."

Naruto nodded: "So... the more famous the smith, the more their work gets analyzed, and the less of a mystery it becomes?"

Uncle Xuan: "Exactly!"

Uncle Xuan chuckled, clearly excited to begin.