Aoki Yoru hadn't expected to obtain such valuable information from something as simple as a meal.
Without wasting another moment, Aoki Yoru quickly finished the remaining wheat cakes on his plate. He gulped down a few large mouthfuls of water, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and stood up decisively.
"Let's go."
The proprietress smiled and led him out of the eatery. Together, they walked through a narrow alleyway, weaving past stacked crates and hanging tools, until they reached a secluded blacksmith shop tucked away from the main street.
From the outside, the shop looked modest—almost unremarkable. But the moment Aoki Yoru stepped inside, he realized this place was anything but ordinary.
The interior was spacious and well-lit. Rows of finely crafted swords and blades hung neatly along the walls, each one radiating a distinct aura of craftsmanship and precision. The air was thick with the scent of iron and heat, mixed with the faint hiss of cooling metal.
At the center of the workshop stood an old man.
He was tall and powerfully built, his muscles still defined despite his age. In his hands, he wielded an enormous iron hammer—nearly as tall as himself.
"Clang!"
The hammer came crashing down onto a glowing billet atop the anvil, sending sparks flying in all directions.
Again.
And again.
Each strike was heavy, deliberate, and filled with experience.
The proprietress stepped forward and pointed at him proudly.
"This is my father—Sosuke. He's one of the finest swordsmiths in the Land of Artisans."
She turned to the old man and spoke with a playful tone.
"Father, I've brought you a customer. He's from out of town, so don't scare him off."
Then she glanced at Aoki Yoru, gave him a small nod, and left the workshop, her figure gradually disappearing down the alley.
The blacksmith, however, didn't even pause his work.
Without lifting his head, he asked in a deep, steady voice:
"What kind of blade do you want?"
Aoki Yoru stepped forward.
"I want to forge a Kusanagi Sword."
The hammer stopped mid-air.
Silence fell over the workshop.
Slowly, Sosuke lowered the hammer and looked up at him.
The expression on his face was… complicated.
It was the kind of look one might give to someone who had just said something absurd.
"A Kusanagi Sword?" he repeated.
His voice carried both disbelief and faint irritation.
"Do you even understand what that means?"
He straightened his back slightly, his eyes sharpening.
"The Kusanagi Sword is no ordinary weapon. It is a legendary treasure—passed down from the age of myth."
"It is said to have been forged from the hardest material in existence. To this day, not a single Kusanagi blade has ever shown a chip… or even the slightest crack."
His gaze drifted toward the swords hanging on the walls.
"For generations, countless master smiths have tried to replicate it."
He let out a quiet breath.
"All of them failed."
For a brief moment, a trace of longing appeared in his eyes.
"My greatest wish… is to see such a blade with my own eyes."
Aoki Yoru listened silently.
Then—
He sighed inwardly.
Disappointment crept into his expression.
At the same time, a faint sense of envy surfaced.
After all, Orochimaru had managed to obtain not one—but two Kusanagi swords.
Luck truly favored the bold… or perhaps the ruthless.
Aoki Yoru shook his head slightly and adjusted his request.
"Then… is it possible to forge a shinobi sword that comes close to it?"
This time, Sosuke didn't reject the idea outright.
Instead, he fell silent.
He lowered his gaze, thinking deeply.
The workshop grew quiet, save for the faint crackling of the furnace.
After a long pause, he finally spoke.
"There is… a way."
Aoki Yoru's eyes sharpened.
"But," Sosuke continued, "the materials required are extremely rare."
He walked toward a nearby rack and picked up a blade.
"Ordinary high-grade materials—like Thousand-Forged Dense-Pattern Steel—are already scarce."
He set the blade down.
"I have some in stock."
"But if you want a weapon that approaches the level of a Kusanagi…"
He turned and looked directly at Yoru.
"You will need two additional materials."
"Star-fallen mysterious iron."
"And chakra-active crystals."
The names alone carried weight.
Sosuke's expression turned serious.
"In my entire life, I have only seen star-fallen mysterious iron a handful of times."
"As for chakra-active crystals…"
He shook his head slowly.
"They are rarer than chakra metal itself."
"I have only heard of them in legends."
He stepped closer, his voice firm.
"If you can obtain both of these materials…"
"I will forge the blade for you myself."
"For free."
Aoki Yoru frowned slightly.
The difficulty of this task was obvious.
These materials weren't just rare—they were nearly mythical.
Even if he knew where to find them, acquiring them would likely be another challenge entirely.
Still—
He had come this far.
Backing down now was not an option.
After a moment of thought, he looked up again.
"You've been in this field for decades," Yoru said. "Do you know where I might find these materials… or at least any clues?"
Sosuke nodded.
"You're asking the right person."
He picked up a cup of water, took a sip, and continued:
"As far as I know… Mifune, the general of the Land of Iron, possesses a piece of star-fallen mysterious iron."
"He obtained it around twenty years ago."
"Originally, he intended to use it to upgrade his personal weapon."
"But after inheriting the title of general, he received the ceremonial sword passed down through generations."
"So the ore was never used."
Sosuke set the cup down.
"As far as I know… he still has it."
Aoki Yoru nodded slowly.
That was one lead.
Then Sosuke's expression shifted slightly—pride appearing in his eyes.
"As for chakra-active crystals…"
"I suspect that no one in the entire Ninja World knows more about them than I do."
He crossed his arms.
"It is said that the founder of the Land of Artisans, Seimei, used such crystals to forge the Four Sacred Treasures."
"However…"
"No one has ever seen them."
"They have remained nothing more than legends."
He looked at Aoki Yoru one last time.
"Bring me those two materials."
"And I swear—"
"I will forge you a blade worthy of standing beside a Kusanagi."
"And I won't charge you a single coin."
Aoki Yoru held his gaze for a moment.
Then nodded.
"I'll hold you to that."
Without another word, he turned and left the shop.
A Hidden Opportunity
As he stepped out into the street, Aoki Yoru's expression changed.
His heartbeat quickened slightly.
Unlike Sosuke—
He knew something.
The so-called legend of chakra-active crystals…
Was real.
The Four Sacred Treasures did exist.
And they were here—
Somewhere in the Land of Artisans.
In the future, they would fall into the hands of a group known as the Shitenshoujin—used in an attempt to resurrect Seimei himself.
That meant one thing.
The treasures hadn't vanished.
They were simply hidden.
"If I can find them…"
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"I won't need to rely on anyone."
The Search Begins
For the rest of the day, Aoki Yoru wandered through the city.
He searched.
Observed.
Listened.
But as time passed, his confidence began to waver.
Finding four specific individuals in a city of over a hundred thousand people was no easy task.
By nightfall, he let out a sigh.
"…Not that simple."
With no immediate results, he found an inn and decided to rest.
The Southern District
The next morning, Aoki Yoru changed his approach.
Instead of searching the central districts, he headed toward the southern outskirts—the commoner district.
At first, he hadn't considered this area.
After all, the people he was looking for were ninja.
Logically, they should have been individuals of status.
But then he reconsidered.
If they were involved in forbidden ambitions…
If they had been cast aside by the system…
Then it made sense.
They wouldn't be living in luxury.
They would be hiding.
Lurking.
Waiting.
"Which means…" Yoru muttered.
"They're more likely to be here."
He walked slowly through the streets, blending in with the crowd.
At the same time, he expanded his sensory perception to its maximum range.
Careful.
Precise.
He examined every fluctuation of chakra in the area.
Time passed.
The sun began to set.
And just as the last rays of light faded—
Aoki Yoru stopped.
"…Found them."
A smile slowly spread across his face.
"I didn't expect to get lucky so quickly."
Nightfall
Deep beneath the southern district—
Inside a hidden basement—
Four figures sat together.
Three men.
One woman.
They spoke in hushed voices.
Discussing—
Seimei.
The Four Sacred Treasures.
Aoki Yoru didn't rush in.
Instead, he climbed onto a nearby tree, completely concealing his presence.
And waited.
Patiently.
For night to fall.
Into the Darkness
The night grew deep.
The wind howled softly.
Clouds covered the moon.
Then—
Four shadows emerged from the ground.
They scanned their surroundings carefully.
And vanished into the darkness.
Aoki Yoru followed.
From a distance.
Silent.
Unseen.
The Hidden Cave
Half an hour later—
They arrived at a canyon roughly twenty kilometers north of the city.
The group stood on a rocky ledge halfway up a cliff.
Behind them—
A hidden cave entrance.
The woman, Kujaku, spoke first.
"Houki… are you sure this is the place where Lord Seimei's treasures are hidden?"
Her voice trembled with excitement.
The man beside her, Houki, nodded confidently.
"My ancestor served as Lord Seimei's personal guard."
"I found his records two days ago."
"This is the location described in them."
He stepped forward.
"Come. Stay behind me."
"There are traps everywhere inside."
"One wrong step… and it's over."
The group entered the cave.
Aoki Yoru remained outside.
Watching.
Waiting.
He had no intention of following them in.
After all—
Seimei was no ordinary figure.
The traps he left behind would not be simple.
"Why take the risk…" Yoru muttered softly.
"When someone else can do it for you?"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"I'll just take the treasures…"
"Once they bring them out."
The hunt—
Had truly begun.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)