News

Sasuke's arrival did not draw the attention of the other customers in the shop. Ninja from the Land of Iron were far from uncommon; on the contrary, they could be seen every day. They either came to purchase supplies for their villages or to forge weapons themselves. Ninja consumed weapons at an astonishing rate, and merchant caravans also hired them as guards. After all, they bought and transported weapons, the very things bandits and robbers loved most.

Sasuke selected several plates of sushi and brought them to his table. He poured a little soy sauce into his small dish, picked up his chopsticks, and ate alone. The food tasted good. After living rough for so long, he could finally have a proper meal. As he ate, he listened to the conversations around him.

"The fish in the Land of Iron are truly good. Because of the climate, they're always so plump," an ordinary man said to his companion. Judging by their clothes, they were likely caravan hands.

"Yeah. Every time I come here, I eat at this place. It's cheap and delicious; you can't get food like this back home. It's only your first time here. Once you've come a few more times, you can try other places, but I still think this one is the best."

Sasuke listened for a while, but they said nothing about Forging Masters, so he turned his attention elsewhere. This time, he focused on the ninja. Two ninja from Kumogakure were talking nearby.

"So this is all you're treating me to after I came with you?" one of them said.

"I can't help it. All my savings went toward buying Chakra Metal. The Lightning Style Jutsu in our village rely heavily on blades. Once I get back, I'll do a few more missions, then I'll buy you a drink." The two were adult ninja, so they could drink. They chatted as they ate.

"So who are you planning to have forge it?" Sasuke's eyes lit up, but he continued eating without revealing a thing.

"I don't know. The fees charged by some Forging Masters are far too high, so I'm planning to wait. The Land of Iron holds a Forging Tournament every four years. Anyone who wants to advance to Forging Master has to enter, and only the winner qualifies for promotion. So I want to see whether anyone makes the cut. Those who have just advanced won't charge too much."

"You really have it all planned out. What if no one advances?"

"Then I'll have someone who performs well forge it. Even if they don't advance, their skills should still be good, and their prices will be even cheaper, won't they?"

"Doesn't that mean we'll be staying here for a long time?"

"No. It's in three days. Haven't you noticed there are more people lately? A lot of them came to watch the tournament and find the Forging Masters they need."

Sasuke smiled faintly at that. Better to arrive at the right time than early. He had only just arrived and already heard this news. His luck was not bad. He could settle down first, then attend the tournament when it began. Hopefully, he would find a Forging Master suitable for him. The competition needed judges. If none of the contestants suited him, then those judges would become his targets. Price did not matter; skill was what mattered. He had brought so much Chakra Metal that it could be refined repeatedly. He hoped his future weapons would become famous throughout the world.

Now that Sasuke had learned what he needed, he stopped paying attention to the conversations around him. Most of the ninja here were probably discussing the tournament. Merchants were different; they were not particularly interested in it. They purchased standardized weapons in bulk, after all, so Forging Masters held little appeal for them. Masters required excellent materials and a great deal of time to complete a single work, which did not suit the profits merchants pursued.

After lunch, Sasuke found a fairly large inn and checked in. He planned to rest properly today. Training required a balance between tension and relaxation; if one stayed wound too tightly, one day they would snap. So, for the next three days, aside from Chakra training and keeping his Sharingan activated, he did not intend to do any other training.

After taking a hot bath, he felt as though he had come back to life. His whole body felt languid, but Sasuke did not slack off. He completed his midday Chakra training before lying down to sleep. It was an incredibly comfortable sleep, and it reminded him of his life in his previous world—plain, peaceful, with no training and no battles. Yet many people disliked that kind of life. They felt life had worn them away until they seemed dead inside. But Sasuke now found himself somewhat longing for it. He quickly cast aside such lazy thoughts, though. He could not go back now. He could only remain in this world, so he had to grow stronger and live on with strength.

After getting up, he put his weights and full set of equipment back on. He became the Sasuke who trained diligently once more. He had given himself three days to rest, so he could use the time to explore the commercial district of the Land of Iron. Learning about the local customs was not a bad choice either. Otherwise, three days would be hard to endure. He could also sample the food here. He would be traveling for three years and visiting many places, so tasting the cuisine of every region could count as a kind of enjoyment, couldn't it? After all, he needed some goals during three years of solitary travel. Training was merely the most important one.

He had slept well that afternoon, so now he could go have dinner and see if he could gather any useful information along the way. After leaving the inn, Sasuke began wandering the streets. The Land of Iron's cold weather left few people on the roads, and everyone hurried back and forth. But restaurants, taverns, and other dining places were quite crowded. Having a drink in such cold weather was a fine choice. If Sasuke had been old enough, he would have liked one too. This world was managed far too strictly. No one was allowed to drink before turning twenty; it was the same everywhere. What a bizarre world. Complaining inwardly, Sasuke entered a restaurant and ordered sashimi and grilled fish. After all, the fish here were famous.

Sitting alone at a table and eating the delicious fish felt quite nice. He had not expected the Land of Iron to have such a specialty. If developed properly, it could become a second pillar industry. Sasuke ate while listening to the people in the restaurant talk. Most of them were adults, and going out in small groups for a few drinks at night was a rather pleasant way to live.

Most people were discussing the tournament. After all, it only happened once every four years, and not every tournament produced a new Forging Master. It was an extremely difficult achievement. Forging Masters could forge famous blades, and besides ninja, every nation also had armies. Ninja were merely the main combat force. No Daimyo would entrust the safety of an entire country to a ninja village that stood on equal footing with him; that would be too dangerous. At the same time, garrison forces were needed to maintain local order in ordinary times. Thus, Forging Masters had plenty of business, and generals from various nations would also send people here to commission custom swords.