Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!

"No!"

Obito, who had been watching from the back, suddenly sprang forward. He grabbed the swordsmith by the collar and snarled, "The ore Mai gave you weighed a full seven jin.

"Before you forged the sword, you said that metal was only a supplementary material and you'd use more of other metals.

"But you ended up making a sword that weighs only three jin and three liang.

"Where's the rest of the ore? How much did you pocket, you old crook?"

A few days earlier, Obito had been transferred to the Void Division Flower Squad under Kakashi.

He was reluctant to leave Rin Nohara, but joining Konoha's most elite unit thrilled him.

I've got to prove myself, get promoted, earn more, and become a powerful ninja. Then Rin will see me in a whole new light!

Unfortunately, Obito was the weakest member of the Flower Squad. He'd had few chances to prove himself over the past half month, but here was one at last.

The swordsmith Kanesada gave Obito a look reserved for idiots. "You've got it all wrong!

"You know it was ore. Ore has to be refined.

"Take gold, for example. Most gold ore yields only a few grams of gold per ton. A deposit that yields dozens of grams is exceptionally rich.

"Mr. Wu's ore was remarkably pure, but there was hardly any left after I forged the sword. Besides, I paid for the other rare metals in it myself."

The leftover ore was the swordsmith's payment.

He hadn't paid to work, but he certainly hadn't made much from the job. Few people these days dared cheat ninja, especially Konoha Ninja.

Obito fell silent.

Was that how it worked?

Uchiha Mai waved Obito back and said to the swordsmith, "Master, I trust your skill and integrity.

"Senior