Naruto: The Age of Ninja Swords Begins in Kumogakure

Chapter 150 The Famous Sword Masamune

After thinking for a short while, Tamura Hiroshi continued to sleep with the girl in his arms, and began forging a sword the next day.

"It should work!"

Looking at the red-hot cat-shaped blade in the specially made furnace, Tamura Hao took a deep breath, took out the two blades, quickly brushed off the oxide layer with a steel brush, and then stacked them together to forge.

This type of forged blade can only be repaired by further forging; welding or casting will not work.

It inherently combines rigid and flexible materials through stacking and forging to achieve both rigid and flexible properties.

The two materials cannot be melted and fused together; otherwise, the resulting molecular structure would lack the hardness and toughness of both materials, ultimately becoming nothing more than a piece of waste.

Only a few material alloys can achieve perfect strength and toughness through melting and fusion, so the little cat, which broke twice, could only be fused together through this process of folding and forging.

The material already has a limit of thousands of folds, and further folding would likely result in failure.

However, he has now grasped the concept of man and sword as one, and can temporarily integrate his sword intent into the blade to temporarily enhance the material's properties, which should allow it to withstand further forging and tempering.

Bare-chested, Tamura Hiroshi swung his hammer and forged the two sections of the blade rapidly, quickly fusing them into a single piece of material. The material was then forged and lengthened, reshaping it into a blade blank.

Finally, a small hammer is used to forge the blade and create subtle shaping. For example, the curvature of the blade needs to be forged slowly to achieve a perfect arc.

Ye Yue Ai and the others watched from the sidelines, after all, this was the forging of a legendary sword.

After forging is completed, Tamura Hiroshi quenches the blade and back of the blade to different degrees to improve their strength and toughness.

"Perfect!"

Looking at the blade in his hand, Tamura Hiroshi smiled, quite satisfied with his work.

My idea was correct: by incorporating the essence of the sword, I could temporarily enhance the material's properties and achieve a higher level of forging.

The repeated folding and forging improved the strength and toughness of the blade slightly. Although the improvement was not significant, it was a further step forward and of great importance.

If I were to go all out against Big Meow now, I could definitely chip a nick in Big Meow's blade.

This is the essence of a knife; even a slight difference can make a world of difference. Just like in the past, when manufacturing gears, they were all hardened together to keep the hardness at the same level, thus minimizing wear.

Uchiha Hikaru was the first to step forward and take the newly forged cat for observation, even injecting chakra into it, and immediately frowned.

"It's far inferior to the Thunder Blade."

It's far inferior to my own Thunder Blade, and it doesn't have that special feeling; it's definitely not a legendary sword.

"I only repaired the kitten, I didn't say I was going to turn it into a legendary sword. The material of this sword doesn't have that potential."

Tamura took the blade back to sharpen and polish it, and finally reassembled the guard and handle.

Without pausing, they took out the large cat-shaped blade that had already been forged in the furnace and proceeded with further folding and forging.

The two knives are a pair, so naturally they had to be forged to the same level, which can be considered as striving for perfection.

With the temporary enhancement of the sword intent, Da Miao's reforging went smoothly and perfectly, and the strength and sharpness of the blade were also improved slightly.

Unfortunately, because it was forged using a folding and forging technique, this was already the limit, and it could never become a legendary sword.

To create a legendary sword, one must never use the folding and forging method, because the material is inherently layered, which hinders the transmission of energy.

Only materials that are perfectly integrated can provide the perfect energy boost.

Therefore, the materials must either be melted and fused together, or they must be combined using a clamping technique, similar to crafting the Murakumogiri.

By the time the twin swords were finished forging, it was already dark. Tamura Hao was studying the various high-strength alloys developed by Kumogakure according to the formula.

Because of the firearms project, the Hidden Cloud Village specifically conducted research and development on high-strength alloys. They even sent people to infiltrate some high-tech companies in this field to steal alloy forming formulas, reaping considerable benefits.

Some of these alloys, which can be fused with chakra-conducting metals, have excellent properties, and chakra-conducting metals are an important foundation for forging legendary swords.

Actually, this metal wasn't originally called Chakra Conducting Metal. It was only after the ninja system became popular and became mainstream that it was renamed Chakra Conducting Metal.

Before chakra existed, this thing was called energy-conducting metal, and it was used to forge swords for samurai, as well as some magical artifacts for onmyoji and monks.

The Kusanagi sword contains conductive metal, which is why Tamura Hiroshi valued these alloys incorporating conductive metal the most, as they were the foundation for forging legendary swords.

"Master, can I have this little kitty?"

Vanilla Whirlpool, holding a kitten, walked over and really liked the knife.

The master is now capable of forging legendary swords, but this sword has no potential to become one and will certainly not be used again. It's a good opportunity for me to take it.

She is not yet qualified to use the legendary sword; this precious sword, which its owner had given away, is the most suitable for her.

"Be careful, it's very sharp."

Tamura Hao did not refuse, and reached out to gently stroke the girl's soft hair, giving her some instructions.

"You want that knife too?"

Looking at Kushina Uzumaki, who was hugging Big Meow behind Vanilla, Tamura Hao realized that this girl had her eye on Big Meow.

"If you want it, call me master."

In this world, wives have many ways of addressing their husbands, and "master" is one of them.

"Danna!"

Kushina Uzumaki addressed him, but not as "master," but as "danna."

She simply couldn't bring herself to call him "master," and in fact, she wouldn't have uttered even that word if it weren't for this knife.

"Hey, home!"

Tamura Hao responded with satisfaction. He hadn't expected the girl to use the title "master" anyway; he had only brought it up as a bargaining chip.

"Be careful, it's very sharp."

I won't need those two knives anymore; I need to upgrade my equipment, so there's no point in keeping them. I might as well give them to the two girls.

"Thanks!"

Kushina Uzumaki smiled, thanked her, and walked away with the giant cat in her arms.

She had been eyeing this sword for a long time. It just so happened that when she awakened the power of the Thousand Hands bloodline, she gained the Yang and Earth attributes, which could enhance her use of the Super Strength Technique. It would definitely be very satisfying to use this sword to cut through enemies.

Furthermore, with the awakening of her Sharingan, she gained both lightning and fire attributes, which, combined with her previous wind, water, and yin attributes, made her a genius with all attributes.

The four attributes I acquired later weren't very strong, so I had to work hard to improve them, especially the lightning attribute, which I had to prioritize.

Tamura Hao was envious of the new attributes that Kushina Uzumaki and the others had gained.

It's because they have the bloodline of the Otsutsuki clan, a bloodline that naturally grants all attributes.

"Don't ask anymore, Brother Ai, I can't upgrade your Murakumogiri."

There is currently no method for fusing metals with multiple properties; attempting to fuse them would only result in waste.

Otherwise, we'll forge you a famous sword with a single attribute.

Before Tamura Hao could even speak, he glanced at Yozuki Ai, who was carrying the Murakumogiri, and rejected any suggestions to upgrade it.

The composition is too complex, with materials containing three different attributes. It's impossible to upgrade it into a legendary sword unless one masters the technique of further fusing the three attribute materials.

"I'll stick with this one."

She opened her mouth, but in the end, Ye Yue Ai sighed in disappointment.

Compared to a single-attribute sword, the Murakumogiri, made of three-attribute metals, is more practical. It can not only enhance Lightning Release ninjutsu, but also absorb the blood of others to restore stamina, and enhance Earth Release ninjutsu to assist in combat and defense.

Tamura Hiroshi continued his research, as he attached great importance to his first heirloom sword, which had to be flawless.

His attribute is lightning, and his biggest advantage in combat right now is speed, whether it's slashing speed or movement speed.

This advantage naturally needs to be further expanded, and on the battlefield, increasing speed is even more advantageous.

It's useful for both ambushing and escaping to save your life.

The next stage is the training of wind attribute nature transformation. Both chakra attributes help to improve speed, and the wind and lightning attributes can be fused into Swift Release, which further enhances speed, making it the perfect first bloodline limit.

With the sword-making foundation taught by Kusashi Ichiro, and the alloy formulas obtained by Kumogakure through various means, Tamura Hiro finally formulated an alloy material that could meet his own needs.

First, the lightning-attribute chakra-conducting metal is placed in a crucible and melted with Amaterasu flames. Then, various special materials are added, which contain not only metals but also other elements.

As someone familiar with the periodic table, Tamura Hiroshi naturally knew that excellent alloy steel contained not only metallic elements, but also non-metallic elements, which could provide special properties and even increase strength.

For example, in the most common carbon steel, carbon is not a metal, but rather the main element that increases its rigidity.

Only after obtaining the most satisfactory alloy steel did Tamura Hiroshi begin forging it.

Because of this forging process, the Third Raikage created a shadow clone of each of them, sealed it away, and sent it over using the Heavenly Delivery Technique to watch.

Legendary swords and supreme treasures are not the same thing. If the Hidden Cloud Village could forge a legendary sword, its strength would undoubtedly be further enhanced, especially for Kage-level powerhouses.

Tamura Hiroshi ignored the arrival of the Third Raikage and devoted himself entirely to forging the sword.

It's not just about forging the sword shape; it's also about using the Yin-Yang Release power of Kaguya and the Ten-Tails to integrate the Masamune sword left behind by the dark side, making it the sword spirit within.

He didn't know how the legendary swords of the past were forged, and even Black had never paid attention to that aspect.

Furthermore, the Onmyoji monk-samurai system was severely damaged during the reign of Kaguya Otsutsuki, with most of them becoming nutrients for the Divine Tree and transforming into White Zetsu. What remained afterward were fragmented inheritances, causing a break in the transmission of all systems.

Even if Black Zetsu wanted to attract attention, he wouldn't have a good target, but Yin-Yang Release could forge weapons comparable to legendary swords.

For example, the Seven Star Sword among the Six Paths Ninja Tools is actually a legendary sword, capable of going toe-to-toe with the Kusanagi Sword.

That was forged by the Sage of Six Paths using Yin-Yang Release combined with some materials; the other Six Paths Ninja Tools were forged in the same way.

Although the Yin-Yang Release power that Kaguya-hime and the Ten-Tails have recovered is far inferior to that of the Sage of Six Paths, it is enough to assist in forging the sword, at least enough to integrate the sword spirit into the blade.

This is a shortcut, but it doesn't matter as long as it produces results.

The forging and fusion process lasted a full day before the sword spirit was perfectly integrated. Tamura Hao quickly shaped the blade and began to hammer out its initial sharpness.

The material of this alloy is very rare and precious, costing a billion taels just for the material alone. Of that, nine billion taels is made of lightning-attribute chakra-conducting metal, and he couldn't bear to waste too much on polishing.

To ensure the blade's durability, a tapering process is still used, with the thinnest part at the tip and the thickest part at the base.

Furthermore, because the blade is 2.2 meters long, the thickness of the back of the blade near the guard is 1.2 centimeters, and the width of the blade is 5 centimeters.

He also wanted to forge a narrow blade like a genuine sword, but unfortunately, this world still values ​​science. He could only make the structure more reasonable, otherwise the blade would easily bend during use, affecting the execution of swordsmanship.

This is also the main reason why so much material was used in this knife; the entire knife weighs an astonishing thirty kilograms.

After further refining its sharpness, Tamura Hao infused the new sword with chakra. Instantly, fine arcs of electricity crackled across the blade, and the lightning-attribute chakra flowed within it with unparalleled smoothness and without any obstruction.

"It worked?"

The Third Raikage asked, and everyone else stared intently at the sword, waiting for Tamura Hao's response.

"Success! It has reached the level of a legendary sword, but it is still a bit inferior to the Kusanagi Sword."

Nodding, Tamura Hiroshi could sense that this sword was somewhat inferior to the Kusanagi Sword, though not by much, but there was still a difference.

However, since this is a newly created method for forging famous swords, and it is the first time it has been forged, it is already very good that it has been successful. It can be improved gradually in the future.

Everything must be done step by step; you can't become fat overnight.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Upon receiving confirmation, even someone as mentally sharp as the Third Raikage couldn't help but exclaim "Good!" three times, feeling extremely excited.

With such a famous sword, their Hidden Cloud Village will surely be able to grow even stronger.

"Is it necessary to use the shadowy side of a real waterfall as the material for the sword spirit?"

The shadow clone of Tsuchida asked, "This is a significant limitation."

"Sword spirits sculpted from this dark material will have a higher compatibility with the wielder, making it easier for them to communicate and merge with the sword spirit, thus unleashing their ultimate combat power."

At the same time, even if an enemy takes it, it will be difficult to integrate with the sword spirit, and may even be resisted by the sword spirit, which is equivalent to a kind of recognition of a master.

Nodding, Tamura Hao explained the advantages of this method.

"Can it be passed down?"

Tu Tai inquired, saying that it would be a bit of a problem if the skills couldn't be passed down to others.

After all, no one can live forever, and the cost of such a knife is too high.

Even if they replaced it with a standard-style longsword, the material cost would still be 100 million taels, which is too much for the large and wealthy Cloud Hidden Village to produce.

If it were directly bound to someone who died, it would be a waste that the weapon could not be passed on to someone else after the wielder's death.

"We haven't come up with a solution yet."

He shrugged, knowing about the flaw, but hadn't yet come up with a solution.

"There aren't many qualified people to do the forging at this stage."

The Third Raikage didn't care much. At this stage, there weren't many people qualified to forge legendary swords. First, one had to have enough qualifications to contribute within the village, and then one had to provide the materials and costs independently.

Thirdly, one must overcome one's own dark side at the True Waterfall and shatter it to obtain the purest core as the sword spirit.

Finally, one must cultivate the sword intent of becoming one with the sword.

There aren't many people in the village who can meet all these conditions at this stage. Even though he has only just begun to learn sword Zen, he is still far from achieving oneness with the sword and comprehending the essence of the sword.

Moreover, Xiao Hao also said that there was no solution for the time being, but perhaps a solution would be found in the future.

"Then we can only collect and stockpile materials first, and start large-scale forging of swords after we solve these problems."

Tsuchikage wasn't in a hurry, since their goal was the next Shinobi World War. In this Shinobi World War, their Hidden Cloud Village wouldn't be too deeply involved, and their need for combat wasn't high.

However, the collection of materials cannot stop, in order to prepare for the future.

After discussing the matter of forging the sword, the Third Raikage's shadow clone revealed the details of the Shinobi World War.

"The Tsuchikage and his men sent a letter requesting that we reinforce our troops and escalate the war."

"The incident was caused by the person who split the Nine-Tails in two, creating two Nine-Tails Jinchuriki for Konoha, one of whom was Minato Namikaze, whom you value."

Tu Tai made a supplementary explanation, expressing his great distress and apprehension.

A simple Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and a simple Flying Thunder God Technique are not so bad, but combining the two is just too overpowered.

If we don't eliminate Minato before he grows stronger, he will become a nightmare for all forces.

"That means we're going to have to get serious."

Tamura Hiroshi understood; the war had officially begun, and everything before had only been a warm-up.

"You, Ai, and Fukai will go to the front lines. You will lead the subsequent battles, while I will stay in the rear to provide support as needed."

The Third Raikage wanted to use this Fourth Shinobi World War to train these three most outstanding juniors so that they could stand alone in the next Fourth Shinobi World War and better accomplish the village's great cause.

"Finally, we can officially participate in the great battle."

Ye Yue Ai and Fukai, who were standing nearby, were very excited. Such large-scale wars are the best way to temper a person, and war and killing are even the most advanced way to cultivate sword Zen.

It is said that Admiral Mifune achieved the unity of man and sword through the First Shinobi World War. They can also follow this path to quickly cultivate sword Zen to its limit and prepare for the realization of the unity of man and sword.

"Xiao Hao, you and the Uchiha clan need to work together secretly on this. We must make the Konoha ninja army shed enough blood, otherwise those three ninja villages will be resentful."

The Third Raikage had high hopes for this disciple's mental fortitude. Although he didn't have much experience in commanding battles, he could at least guarantee that he wouldn't suffer losses, which was enough to ensure his survival.

Furthermore, given their secret alliance with the Uchiha clan, it wouldn't be difficult for them to kill the Konoha ninja forces here, or even some of the disobedient Uchiha ninjas.

"Be careful of the Uchiha; they are very ambitious."

Tsuchikatsu reminded them that the Uchiha wouldn't willingly be their pawns; they had their own agendas.

Upon hearing the name Uchiha, Mikoto Uchiha, standing nearby, felt worried but couldn't say anything.

All I could do was pray that my father and Fugaku wouldn't clash with the Hidden Cloud Village. Only after entering the Hidden Cloud Village did I realize how powerful this ninja village was, especially the Third Raikage, who was now terrifyingly strong. Even the Mangekyou Sharingan was nothing in front of him.

If the Uchiha clan were to break ties with the Hidden Cloud Village, their chances of winning would be virtually nil.

Karura, who was standing to the side, seemed to have sensed Uchiha Mikoto's thoughts. He reached out and grasped her hand, shaking his head slightly.

She and Mikoto are in similar situations, both longing for their former family and friends, but there's not much they can do now.

They can only rely on their own efforts to maintain the friendly cooperation between the Uchiha clans of Kumogakure and Sunagakure. It would be their limit if they could keep Kumogakure from turning against them.

If Sunagakure and the Uchiha clan have some schemes and actively become enemies with Kumogakure, they really have no choice but to stay out of it, otherwise they won't even be able to guarantee their survival.

Hopefully, those people will be smarter and not do anything stupid!

(End of this chapter)