"Damn it, my one hundred thousand Ryo!" After walking out of the weapon shop, Ishikawa stared at the chakra blade in his hand, heart aching and twitching with regret.
If not for the constraints of time and limited funds, he would never have bought this chakra knife. That damn shopowner had the nerve to quote 100,000 ryo for a custom-made chakra metal kunai—with a similar chakra content—and it would take a whole month to complete.
And if he wanted a higher ratio of chakra metal, the price would skyrocket anywhere from 200,000 to 1 million ryō—and that was already at a so-called "discount"...
Damn it, why doesn't he just go out and rob people instead?!
"Still, I guess the price does make sense. With this chakra blade, I can convert chakra into lightning properties..."
After a while, Ishikawa exhaled heavily. A faint spark flickered along the blade in his hand.
Though the lightning current was barely perceptible and completely non-lethal, it was a crucial breakthrough—a step from zero to one!
That alone had justified the price in Ishikawa's mind. When it came to strengthening himself, he never hesitated to spend money if it meant accelerating his training.
Besides, the chakra blade wouldn't just help in training—it could be an effective counter if he ever faced a puppeteer from the Sand Village, or simply serve as a solid weapon to boost his combat power.
"Well then, I'll spend the rest on basic consumable ninja tools!" With a sigh, Ishikawa turned and headed straight toward the weapons wholesale store he'd passed earlier.
As Ishikawa and the client busied themselves with their tasks, time flew by—and before long, two days had passed.
In that time, Ishikawa had blown through his entire savings, leaving himself with only 1,000 ryo for living expenses, and used the rest to stockpile ninja tools.
Under his influence, Taro and Jiro followed suit. They burned through most of their own family fortunes—more than 10,000 ryo each—buying up weapons.
In the end, not counting the client's 20+ carts of goods, just the weapons Ishikawa and his two teammates had bought filled an entire ox cart.
Seeing this, the client began to view Ishikawa and the others in a whole new light. If they could transport these goods back to Konoha, the profit margin would easily double.
"You three are really something... You actually took this opportunity to pull a stunt like this?" At the dock in the Takumi Village, Kakashi was speechless as he stared at the trio.
They were supposed to be protecting the client, and instead they'd gone and collaborated with him to purchase weapons—then hitched a ride on his cargo shipment?
If not for Kakashi's status as a Konoha jonin, there was no way the client would've agreed so easily!
"Hehehe... The weapons here were just too cheap. I couldn't help myself. I really couldn't," Ishikawa scratched his head and smiled awkwardly, prompting Kakashi to pout and let out a long sigh.
"Fine, whatever! You stay here and keep an eye on the supplies and Mr. Nagayoshi. I'm going out to get some air..." Waving his hand in surrender, Kakashi nodded to the client before heading out of the dock.
He'd been guarding the supplies for the past two days straight—he was feeling completely cooped up.
Neither Ishikawa, the client, nor his two teammates raised any objections. They still had to sort out and load the cargo onto the ship anyway, and departure likely wouldn't be until nightfall.
'By the way, wasn't there a plot in Takumi Village involving the resurrection of the founder, Seimei? Those four ninja tools were pretty impressive! Since we're here... why not check it out?'
Bored, Ishikawa stared at the cargo ship before suddenly smacking his forehead. The idea struck him—and now he was itching to give it a shot.
Sure, with his current strength, he'd probably get beaten by even one of those four calling themselves the Four Heavenly Directions. But those ninja tools? Tempting.
He couldn't remember the names of those filler characters, but the tools they used had been top-tier—ideal for mid-to-upper-level chunin.
Especially useful for a team like theirs: no bloodlines, limited chakra, and supporting roles.
"Whatever, let's just give it a try." After a short struggle with his conscience, Ishikawa couldn't ignore the excitement in his chest. He clenched his teeth and made his decision.
"Taro, Jiro—I'm going to rest in the cabin for a bit. You handle things here." Leaving those words behind for his teammates, Ishikawa quickly turned and made his way back into the cabin.
In less than a minute, a wild cat leapt from the cabin window and darted toward Takumi Village.
According to the plotline, those four people wouldn't be ready for another two years. They'd eventually use Shukaku's power to resurrect the founder of Takumi Village, Seimei.
So even if those four aren't currently in the village, the people here must still have information about them.
Even if they were unlucky and couldn't find the four or obtain their ninja tools, Seimei's body was still bound to be there.
Ninja tools were important, yes—but Semei's secret resurrection technique using a tailed beast, flawed as it was, held far greater value. Ishikawa had already made up his mind to gain something.
Possessing the body of a wild cat, Ishikawa raced through the dense, crisscrossing woods, his mind burning with anticipation.
This was a technique that could bring the dead back to life—how could he not be tempted?
Before long, with his accelerated pace, Ishikawa finally reached Takumi Village after just half an hour.
Thanks to the camouflage granted by the wild cat's form, Ishikawa brazenly infiltrated the village, quickly hopping across rooftops as if he owned the place.
With no leads to guide him, he had no choice but to start a full-scale intelligence sweep.
In less than ten minutes, he located the tomb enshrining the founder of the Artisan Village.
After confirming Seimei's body was indeed there, Ishikawa didn't linger. He immediately made his way to the village's so-called "luxurious mansion" in search of clues about the four mysterious individuals.
Though it was called a luxurious mansion, it was merely slightly larger and better maintained than the homes of the average villager.
As he approached the entrance, Ishikawa's feline eyes were drawn to the stone carvings on the wall.
'Four Heavenly Directions Men, this name stemmed from the characters in their name matching with the deities of the directions: Hōki the Turtle, Kujaku the Bird, Ryūgan the Dragon, and Suiko the Tiger. You're just cannon fodder. What right do you have to use the Four Great Ninja Tools to guard your home? What nerve,' Ishikawa scoffed inwardly, slipping inside without a sound.
"I heard a big merchant from Konoha arrived recently to buy weapons. Konoha ninja are even guarding the transport."
"Hmph! That profit should've gone to us, the Village of Artisans! And now it's just handed to Konoha merchants for free."
"Nothing we can do about it. We've been isolated by the sanctions from the Five Great Nations. We can only sell our weapons on their terms."
"Damn those five! One day, the Takumi Village will break free from its sanctions and restore regular trade. I believe that day is coming soon..."
"Oh? You sound confident. Don't tell me there's been progress with the ninja tools, Lord Hoki and the others are working on?"
"Hehehe! Word is, Lord Suiko said they've already finished forging the Fire Sword and the Weaknessless Soaring Shortswords. The remaining Garian Sword and Infinite Armor aren't done yet, but they'll be ready within a year or two."
"So, the day we restore the dignity and glory of the Land of Artisans under the leadership of the Four Heavenly Directions is finally near? That's fantastic! I can't wait!"
"I'm excited too, but we must ensure the Five Great Nations don't catch wind of our plans. Huoki, you really shouldn't be talking about this..."
"Don't worry. What you're worried about won't happen. To keep everything under wraps, Lord Suiko and his team left the Village of Artisans years ago to forge the first batch elsewhere. I don't even know their exact location.
If Lord Suiko hadn't returned last month to collect some rare materials, I wouldn't have learned this much."
"I see... It looks like the light of our Artisan Village is about to shine again! Hahahaha..."
Four Heavenly Directions Men, huh? Fire Sword, Garian Sword, Infinite Armour, and Weaknessless Soaring Shortswords—those must be the names and tools of the four. Shame they're not in the village. What a waste…
Ishikawa's eyes glimmered as he sighed in disappointment. Then, without hesitation, he lifted the Spiritulaization jutsu and transformed into a streak of light that tore across the sky...