Kusanagi Sword
Kazuki was instantly invigorated. This could be considered a high-tier weapon, even in the Naruto world!
In his mind, three legendary Kusanagi Swords (Kusanagi no Tsurugi) had appeared in the Naruto universe, each wielded by powerful shinobi:
Orochimaru's Kusanagi Sword – A blade made from one of the hardest materials in existence. It can extend and retract at will, even emerging from Orochimaru's own mouth. Known for its incredible sharpness, it can pierce through almost anything.
The Totsuka Blade – Also known as the Ten Fist Sword, this ethereal weapon is sealed within the Susanoo of Uchiha Itachi. Unlike a conventional blade, it is a spiritual weapon with the ability to trap anything it pierces inside an eternal genjutsu, sealing its target in an illusionary world.
Sasuke's Chidori Katana (Kusanagi-style Chidori Blade) – Infused with Lightning Release (Raiton), this blade becomes exponentially sharper and more lethal. When wielded with Chidori Nagashi, it paralyzes anyone it cuts, making it a fearsome weapon in close combat.
Each of these blades possesses unique abilities, making them some of the most formidable swords in the Naruto world.
Though the blueprint in Kazuki's hands was only for a basic-level Kusanagi Sword, he was confident that the weapon he would forge would not be weak!
That night, Kazuki activated his system, preparing to absorb the knowledge contained in the sword's blueprint. He took this process very seriously—after all, aside from standard kunai, this would be the first weapon he forged with true combat potential. It would be a crucial addition to his arsenal.
In Kazuki's mind, the details of the Primary Kusanagi Sword blueprint emerged.
[Primary Kusanagi Sword]
Forging Difficulty: ★★ (Two-Star)
Required Materials: Molding Crystal, Gold Wood Sand, Ruby, Star Steel, Heavenly Red Copper, Deep Black Stone
Special Ability: Randomly enhances 1-3 chakra attributes
Another two-star blueprint!
From his previous experience forging a two-star item—the Primary Storage Ring—Kazuki had learned an important detail: Any weapon of two stars or higher would possess master recognition.
Once the weapon was successfully forged, a single drop of his blood would bind it to him, ensuring that only he could unlock its full power. If it fell into the hands of an enemy, it would be nothing more than an ordinary blade.
This feature gave Kazuki some reassurance. Even if he faced a stronger opponent, he wouldn't have to worry about his own weapon being turned against him.
"The process of making this Kusanagi Sword is really complicated..." Kazuki murmured to himself.
Even though it was only a two-star weapon, the difficulty of forging it far exceeded that of his previous work. The materials alone were incredibly rare—especially Heavenly Red Copper and Deep Black Stone, both of which were extremely expensive.
For just 100 grams, these ores cost nearly 200,000 ryo—the equivalent of a C-rank mission's reward!
After searching through his personal inventory, Kazuki finally managed to gather all six necessary materials. The total cost? Over one million ryo!
He sighed. "Being a blacksmith... is an expensive profession!"
Fortunately, his family was wealthy enough to afford it. Otherwise, crafting high-quality weapons like this would have been nearly impossible.
Inside the forge, Kazuki stood before his materials, ready to begin. The creation of the Kusanagi Sword was about to start.
In other words, Kazuki only has three attempts to forge the Kusanagi Sword.
If he fails all three times, the process will have to be put on hold until his parents return from the Land of Iron.
Closing his eyes, Kazuki gathered all his chakra, focusing entirely on the forging table before him.
He meticulously visualized the entire process of crafting the Kusanagi Sword once more in his mind.
Then, his eyes snapped open.
Within his dark pupils, the reflection of the blazing-hot red ore flickered.
Pouring a large amount of chakra into his hammer, he gripped it tightly with both hands and struck the metal again and again with unwavering focus.
His movements were steady, his mind undisturbed.
Clang~
Clang, clang~~
A steady, rhythmic sound echoed throughout the forge.
[Ding! Forging failed. Result: Ordinary longsword]
[Ding! Forging failed. Result: Ordinary longsword]
Another failure?
Kazuki frowned, halting his hammer mid-swing.
This was his second consecutive failure—each time, he had hit the same bottleneck at a critical moment.
The most difficult part of forging a Kusanagi Sword was the fusion of Heavenly Red Copper and Deep Black Stone.
These two ores required precise temperature control at different levels yet had to be forged together simultaneously to merge properly.
However, during his last two attempts, the moment he tried to fuse the two heated ores,
they violently repelled each other—shattering into fragments.
Why?
Why couldn't he get them to merge?
Kazuki carefully retraced every step of his forging process, resting his chin on his hand in deep thought.
Could there be an issue with his understanding of the process?
No, that couldn't be it.
He had followed every step of the blueprint precisely, without any deviations.
Was the blueprint itself flawed?
He quickly dismissed that thought as well.
Then… could the issue lie in the way he was injecting his chakra?
Was his method causing the ores to reject each other?
"That's it!"
A spark of realization flashed through Kazuki's mind.
If he altered the way he infused his chakra, perhaps he could resolve the problem!
His gaze shifted to the last remaining set of forging materials.
This was his final chance. If he failed this time, he wouldn't be able to attempt forging another Kusanagi Sword anytime soon.
But hesitation wasn't in his nature.
If he didn't try, how could he confirm whether his theory was correct?
Refocusing himself, Kazuki reorganized his thoughts and solidified his plan.
"Let's do this."
Taking a deep breath, he picked up the hammer once more and resumed forging.
One ore after another was placed into the furnace, heated to the ideal temperature, and then carefully fused together.
Throughout the process, his eyes remained steady, unwavering.
The only sound was the rhythmic pounding of his hammer as he skillfully struck the metal.
Two hours passed.
Kazuki had successfully merged four ores so far.
He inhaled deeply, refusing to let his concentration waver for even a moment.