"Forget it, it doesn't matter."
"It wasn't anything good anyway."
"Useless things are just a burden."
Kakashi shrugged and pulled his hand back.
"Dammit! You jerk..."
After some fooling around, the group of friends entered the Academy for their classes.
Motomu, who had only experienced it for a few months, once again bid farewell to his student days.
Back home, Motomu unwrapped the gifts one by one.
From the heavy green box, Motomu pulled out a single dumbbell.
Obito's gift box contained a bottle of eyedrops.
'I guess this is how he kept his Mangekyo going until the finale,' he thought.
After a mental jab, Motomu put away the drops and opened Rin's white box.
As expected, it contained medical supplies.
After a moment's thought, Motomu stuffed them into the pouch on his lower back.
The gift-unwrapping session was over.
He plopped down at his desk, lacing his fingers and resting his chin on them.
He began reviewing recent events in his mind.
Things were numerous and messy.
Aside from Orochimaru and whether his cultivation had hit a snag...
First was the trouble of becoming a Genin.
In the ninja system, there are six ranks, from highest to lowest.
Genin, Chunin, Special Jōnin, Jōnin, Elite Jōnin, and Kage.
He was currently at the very bottom as a Genin.
According to Konoha's long-standing rule of one leader to three students, Motomu would have a Jōnin leader and two Genin teammates.
Usually, that would be fine.
But once on a mission, under the watchful eyes of his teammates, Motomu would have to put his Big Eyeball's leveling on hold.
This was one of the problems he needed to solve as soon as possible.
Beyond that, his own strength was a vital factor for completing ninja missions.
Orochimaru had almost discovered his secret, and now Danzo was watching him.
Motomu had no desire to repeat the same mistake.
If that old fox Danzo planted some spies in his squad...
The moment he used Psychokinesis...
His secrets would be sitting on Danzo's desk in no time.
Motomu didn't want to risk such a life-threatening situation a second time.
So, for both safety and power...
Motomu decided to train hard in ninjutsu, putting the Great Fireball and Mud Wall techniques on his agenda.
And for those desperate moments, he needed a trump card to take his enemies down with him.
Motomu reached into the wooden box under his bed.
He pulled out all the ryo hidden in an envelope.
He was going to buy a custom-made ninja sword.
Although it wasn't much, after skimming off the old clan leader multiple times, he had saved up 300,000 ryo.
That should be enough for a decent blade.
At worst, he was a ninja now; while he could earn money through missions, he could also look into the village's loan programs.
He closed the lid and pushed the heavy box back under the bed.
Motomu stood up and headed out.
At the door, he decided not to go to Granny Cat, who worked with the Uchiha.
Instead, he turned toward Konoha's largest custom ninja tool shop.
Now that the rumors about Hatake Sakumo had died down, Konoha seemed to have returned to its usual bustling peace.
Moving through the crowds, Motomu clutched his small fortune and remained vigilant.
Once he reached the ninja tool shop, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He slammed the money down on the counter with a flourish.
"Boss, do you take custom orders?"
The burly, one-eyed owner wearing a white tank top blinked in surprise.
'Where did this brat come from? Did he steal his family's money?' he wondered.
But when he saw the headband tied around Motomu's forehead...
The one-eyed shopkeeper quickly dismissed that thought.
"We do. Our custom tools are the most famous in the entire Land of Fire."
"The most famous?"
It looked like the man was about to start a sales pitch.
Selling a story was often more effective than selling a product.
This boss had the right idea.
Motomu's eyes flickered as he asked cautiously.
"What are the price tiers for your custom work?"
'This little guy seems green...'
It looked like he was a fresh Genin.
If he went to any other shop, they would likely rip him off blind.
Thinking this...
The man's face, partially covered by a black eyepatch, broke into a grin.
"Of course there are!"
"A standard custom order is 100,000 ryo, and it's cheaper if you plan on long-term business."
"A one-off custom order isn't as cost-effective for you."
"For things like ninja swords or Fuma Shuriken, it's 300,000 ryo a piece without chakra-conductive metal."
"If you add ten percent conductive metal powder, it's 600,000 ryo."
"Fair prices for everyone."
"Every Jōnin in the village who has ordered here knows that."
"If you have any doubts, little ninja, you can go ask your Jōnin leader."
Motomu fell silent.
That price hurt a little!
300,000 ryo for a basic ninja sword would drain his entire savings.
Withdrawing his hand from the counter, Motomu thought for a moment and asked.
"Can I pay half as a deposit?"
"Sure."
The man's smile was bright.
But Motomu, counting out half his cash, couldn't find any reason to be happy.
After recording Motomu's identity and delivery address...
The owner pointed to the side.
"Little ninja, if you want a custom tool, go wait in that line to draw up the blueprints."
Motomu turned to look.
To the left of the front counter, which was adorned with ninja swords, shuriken, and Shadow Windmill Shuriken...
Two familiar figures were discussing something with a craftsman.
Blonde hair and red hair?
Wait, were those Minato and Kushina?
Recognizing them instantly, Motomu was surprised by the coincidence. He just wanted a custom tool, and he ran into the key players for the protagonist's birth.
In the future plot where the Nine-Tails would attack and Uncle Obito would 'deliver the heater'...
Minato Namikaze's top-tier escort skills were legendary, even if things eventually went sideways. His historical strength was undeniable.
Especially that move—the Flying Thunder God Level 2 used to beat down his brainwashed junior—was just too cool.
Following the boss's instructions, Motomu joined the line next to them.
"Kushina, maybe let me draw it."
"Hey, is it not good?"
Minato put down Kushina's drawing with a wry smile.
He picked up the craftsman's pen and began sketching a three-pronged kunai exactly as he envisioned it.
"Minato, add a bit of grip here."
"Mhm."
"Kushina, you're amazing. That's better than what I thought of."
Kushina blushed slightly, boasting, "Of course! I'm a genius!"
"But add one more stroke here; it'll feel more balanced when thrown."
"Where? Let me see."
The two discussed it as if no one else were there, their heads nearly touching.
Standing behind them, Motomu felt like a high-wattage third wheel.
"Finally finished!"
Just as Motomu was considering stepping back to wait, Kushina cheered. She held up the draft and took two steps back to show the craftsman.
Motomu, momentarily distracted, didn't expect the sudden movement.
Caught off guard, he was bumped by Kushina and fell backward onto a sofa.
[SYSTEM: DING]
[SYSTEM: CONGRATULATIONS PLAYER, YOU HAVE TRIGGERED A GYM CHALLENGE.]
[SYSTEM: CHALLENGER: MOTOMU]
[SYSTEM: CURRENT GYM: LAND OF FIRE GYM]
[SYSTEM: CHALLENGE TARGET: NINE-TAILED FOX]
[SYSTEM: CHALLENGE LEVEL: LV.69]
[SYSTEM: RECOMMENDED CHALLENGE LEVEL: LV.68-LV.70 1]