Sky Thunder Stone

Boom, boom, boom... Enormous roars echoed from a forest in the Land of Iron. The area within a thousand meters had been completely transformed. Snow had melted, pine trees had been reduced to ashes, and the ground was a complete mess, littered with craters of all sizes. Fire scorched it, water flooded it, lightning struck it, wind battered it, earth split apart, and blades carved through it. All kinds of ninjutsu ravaged this land, and it was estimated that no plants would survive here for years to come.

Huff, huff, huff. Beichen Haotian stood on the ground, staring excitedly at Kakuzu as he laughed wildly. "That was satisfying! It's been a long time since a battle made me feel so utterly exhilarated. To thank you, I'll give you a quick death!"

Kakuzu's robes were now tattered, and his body bore quite a few wounds. However, none were fatal, and he had lost only one heart. The two were more or less evenly matched. If there had to be a winner, Beichen Haotian held a slight advantage.

Kakuzu was not yet defeated, but he had expended a massive amount of Chakra. Although Beichen Haotian's Chakra reserves had not reached Kage-level and were only somewhat greater than those of an Elite Jonin, he did not necessarily need Chakra to fight. He could slash out sharp blade light with his physical body alone. Kakuzu was different. After suffering in close combat, he had resorted to bombarding him with ninjutsu to avoid fighting at close range.

What they had in common was that both had consumed considerable stamina. Kakuzu possessed the strange secret technique Earth Grudge Fear, so his stamina expenditure was still within tolerable limits. Beichen Haotian trained without pause through all four seasons, and he was young as well. He could endure it too. Thus, stamina would not have much impact on the outcome between them.

"Huff... Wait a moment. What's your name? How can someone so young possess such strength?" Kakuzu stopped attacking and panted, a trace of admiration and wariness flashing across his face.

"Beichen Haotian, from Konoha."

Why hadn't he heard of him? Recently, Konoha's most famous genius was someone named Minato Namikaze, wasn't it?

"Minato? That guy? I'm different from him. Over the years, I've walked in the darkness and kept company with slaughter. Naturally, my reputation isn't very prominent." Beichen Haotian smiled openly, utterly unconcerned about whether he was famous. Killing intent surged from him without restraint, while a blood-red glimmer bloomed across his Tang Saber.

"What powerful killing intent. It's even slightly stronger than mine. Can I ask you something? What do you need this Sky Thunder Stone for?" The wariness in Kakuzu's eyes deepened.

What else could Sky Thunder Stone be used for? Naturally, it was material for forging a Ninja Sword. Was he supposed to eat it?

"Fine. Then let's make a bet. If you can block my next move, this Sky Thunder Stone is yours. I'll have to painfully give up a large commission."

"Sure, but don't put on that expression like you're suffering a huge loss and I'm taking advantage of you. If I keep you tied down and stop you from taking Black Market jobs, your losses will be even greater, won't they? I earned this through my own strength, just like how you snatched it from those other five people. There's no difference."

"Hahaha, well said! You really are different from ordinary brats. Interesting. Then take this!"

Fire Release Secret Technique: Nether Ghostfire.

Kakuzu withdrew the other three masked creatures, leaving behind only the one that used Fire Style. Black mist rose from the black tentacled creature's body and merged into the mouth of the masked creature, which was rapidly gathering fire energy.

Orange-yellow flames merged with the black vapor, transforming into dark green flame energy. A green pillar of fire burning with dark green flames tore through the air. The fire pillar was not thick, only as wide as an adult's thigh. Yet the aura it radiated was terrifying. Wherever the dark green fire pillar passed, the already-low temperature fell to a horrifying level, and even the air froze.

The moment the dark green fire pillar appeared, Beichen Haotian sensed danger and felt a slight palpitation in his heart. Only after Kakuzu unleashed it did he realize that this was a Fire Style capable of rivaling an S-rank ninjutsu, though its preparation time was somewhat long.

Against energy with such sinister properties, Lightning Style was undoubtedly the most effective.

Most of the remaining Chakra in his body transformed into Lightning Release. A great amount of Armament Haki wrapped around his blade to protect it. Outside the Armament Haki, blue lightning that had nearly solidified coiled around the sword. The blue lightning vibrated continuously at high frequency, its dazzling radiance making it impossible to keep one's eyes open, as though Beichen Haotian held a tiny blue sun in his hand. Finally, he added his Blade Intent, pouring all of its tyrannical sharpness into the blade.

This was the strongest strike Beichen Haotian had unleashed since arriving in this world. Under his powerful spiritual control, vast amounts of lightning vibrated at high frequency. Combined with the inherently tyrannical and sharp Blade Intent, this intangible and formless special energy made Beichen Haotian worry that his Tang Saber would not be able to withstand it. That was why he used such a large amount of Armament Haki to protect it.

Blood Battle General Saber: Certain Death.

A blade light deliberately compressed by Beichen Haotian met the dark green fire pillar head-on. The blade light was only twenty meters long, azure-blue and crescent-shaped. Countless blood-red Lightning Serpents slithered across it, light and darkness coexisting.

Sizzle! When the dark green fire pillar collided with the blade light, there was no massive explosion. The two energies were like natural enemies, struggling against each other in midair. Brilliant white light erupted from their point of contact, and both Beichen Haotian and Kakuzu involuntarily shut their eyes.

When the white light finally faded, Beichen Haotian happened to see the blade light cut through the fire pillar all the way to its end before vanishing into nothingness.

"Konoha truly deserves to be the number one ninja village in the Ninja World. Geniuses really do emerge without end. The Konoha White Fang, the Konoha Sannin, and Minato Namikaze, who has gained a little fame recently—then there's you, hidden away in the shadows. I, Kakuzu, admit defeat this time." The Sky Thunder Stone is yours." Kakuzu took out the Sky Thunder Stone and tossed it to Beichen Haotian. Compared with the stone, making money was more important. Kakuzu already believed that Beichen Haotian had the strength to keep pestering him without letting go.

Smack. Beichen Haotian caught it and examined it closely. The Sky Thunder Stone was entirely sky-blue, with tiny Lightning Serpents moving across its surface. It felt warm in his hand, but after holding it for a while, his palm began to tingle slightly.

"Fine, you can go. The green hills remain, the clear waters flow on. I hope we'll have another chance to fight in the future."

"Without an enormous commission, I don't want to run into you again. It's too much effort for too little reward," Kakuzu replied gloomily. After a few leaps, his figure vanished from sight.

After putting away the Sky Thunder Stone, Beichen Haotian glanced at the darkening sky and gave up on continuing his journey. He found a sheltered spot, pitched a tent, and prepared to rest for the night before entering the Land of Iron's city.

Obtaining the Sky Thunder Stone was an unexpected delight. Together with the Azure Crystal that Root had gone to great lengths to acquire, half of the Kubikiribōchō, and other high-grade materials, forging a new Ninja Sword could finally be put on the agenda.

He only needed one more material before he could truly head to the Land of Artisans to forge his new Ninja Sword. That material was currently in Konoha, and acquiring it would take quite a bit of effort. Beichen Haotian would have to return to Konoha himself. He had not expected his luck to be so extraordinary after leaving, obtaining two top-grade materials. If he had known, he would have gotten them before coming out.

After spending a peaceful night, Beichen Haotian set off early in the morning. Near noon, he finally arrived at the capital of the Land of Iron.

In the Land of Iron, samurai with swords at their waists could be seen everywhere. The country held an extraordinary reverence for samurai swords. No matter how someone dressed, the belt holding their sword and the sword's sheath would always be exceptionally clean.

The people here were also quite fierce. At the slightest disagreement, they would duel, blood splashing across the long streets in a manner full of ancient flavor. However, that had little to do with Beichen Haotian. He had come to the Land of Iron to challenge its newly appointed leader, Mifune.

He wondered whether Mifune had comprehended the realm of Unity of Man and Blade yet. Hopefully he had. Otherwise, a duel would be rather boring. After that thought crossed Beichen Haotian's mind, he went off to search for the Land of Iron's delicacies.

The Land of Iron had a very low temperature and rather high humidity, so its cuisine tended toward salty and spicy flavors. This suited Beichen Haotian's tastes perfectly. Since he was already here, he was in no hurry. He planned to first sample the local food. Mifune was not going anywhere, after all. He might as well enjoy himself first.

He arrived at the largest restaurant in the capital and ordered a table full of dishes. In the wilderness, Beichen Haotian had eaten only until he was half-full and had not yet completely replenished the energy he had spent in battle.

The table held chicken, duck, game from the mountains such as venison and bear meat, wild vegetables, and fish that was ridiculously expensive in the Land of Iron. Located deep in the mountains, the Land of Iron charged outrageous prices for all kinds of seafood and fresh fish. Compared to coastal regions, the difference in price was like heaven and earth. Still, Beichen Haotian could afford it. His years of missions had not been for nothing; he had already become a minor tycoon.

The Land of Iron's liquor was rich and strong. Hiding in a restaurant during a freezing winter with snowflakes drifting outside, drinking spicy liquor and eating hearty meat and fish, was a unique kind of enjoyment. Unfortunately, there were no stunning beauties around, so it felt just a little lacking.

People in Naruto matured rather early. Though Beichen Haotian was only fourteen, he was already fairly well developed. Everything that should work did work. He was no longer the little brat from four years ago who had the desire but lacked the ability.

Beichen Haotian had been an adult in the life before his previous one, and he had done everything adults did. In his previous life, he had roamed the seas, so women had naturally never been in short supply. As someone with experience, he knew exactly what that feeling was like.

As the saying went, when one was well fed and warmly clothed, lustful thoughts arose. Thinking of these things, Beichen Haotian was genuinely tempted. But there was no suitable woman around, and he did not want to visit any red-light district, so he could only eat and drink harder to distract himself.

Thanks to Old Wang Living on the Fifth Floor for the recommendation votes!