Seeking the Dao

The meal passed in a pleasant atmosphere. After saying goodbye to Might Duy and his son, Beichen Haotian escorted Kakashi home.

After staying in Konoha for a day, Beichen Haotian left early the next morning. He summoned Hawk Eyes, rode on its back, and hurried toward the Land of Artisans. Beichen Haotian could hardly wait to see his new Ninja Sword come into being.

A day and a half later, Beichen Haotian arrived in the Land of Artisans. The Land of Artisans held a very special position. It was not a neutral nation with considerable military strength like the Land of Iron, but it was the largest supplier of Ninja Tools in the Ninja World.

This nation had been founded by the renowned Ninja Artisan Kiyomi. They excelled at making and using Ninja Tools, supplying the tools used by ninjas from every nation, which gave them a highly special status. The flames of war in the Ninja World generally did not reach this place, making it one of the few peaceful and tranquil countries in the Ninja World.

The letter of introduction that General Mifune of the Land of Iron had given Beichen Haotian was addressed to Sagawa Namiki, one of the Land of Artisans' finest Ninja Artisans. Generally speaking, any Ninja Artisan famous in the Land of Artisans was also famous throughout the Ninja World. Countless people came every year to ask Sagawa Namiki to forge Ninja Tools for them, and without an acquaintance, they would have to wait in line for a long time.

Of course, the rule about lining up might as well not have existed for Beichen Haotian. Even without a letter of introduction, he could cut in line whenever he wanted. Who would dare complain? Beichen Haotian would not mind teaching them a proper lesson. What? The Ninja Artisan would refuse to forge it? Or would not forge it properly? Then Beichen Haotian would show him why flowers were so red! Of course, since there was an easier way, Beichen Haotian could not be bothered to resort to violence.

Sagawa Namiki's home was a grand residence outside the capital of the Land of Artisans. The estate covered roughly five hundred mu and was decorated in a simple, ancient style. Quite a few ninjas in various outfits stood outside its gates, lined up before a middle-aged man who was registering something for them.

Beichen Haotian walked straight over, ignoring the long line. He came before the middle-aged man working at a table, took out the letter of introduction, placed it on the table, and said, "Please deliver this to Master Sagawa. It is an introduction written by General Mifune of the Land of Iron."

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man did not dare delay. Having followed his master for many years, he knew that General Mifune of the Land of Iron had an excellent relationship with his master. Since that was the case, he had to handle this as quickly as possible.

"Please wait a moment, sir. I will notify my master immediately." The middle-aged man stood up, apologized to those in line, and hurried away.

After the middle-aged man left, many of those waiting in line looked at Beichen Haotian with displeasure.

Anyone would have been unhappy about being cut in line.

However, none of them foolishly stepped forward to cause trouble. First, they had heard the name of the Land of Iron's general. Anyone connected to the general of the Land of Iron either had an extraordinary background or exceptional strength. Second, Sagawa Namiki had a rule: anyone who fought at his doorstep would never have Ninja Tools forged by him.

The ninjas who came to wait in line were all people without much backing and without particularly great strength, so naturally they would not go looking for trouble. What ninja who could survive without outstanding strength did not have a few tricks up his sleeve? They knew what they should and should not do. Small fry had their own kind of wisdom too.

Half an hour later, Beichen Haotian was invited into the estate and met Sagawa Namiki.

Sagawa Namiki was a middle-aged man with slightly graying hair. He had a resolute face, thick brows, large eyes, and a beard. He wore a casual black short-sleeved shirt, and his muscles bulged all over his body, making him look exceedingly masculine.

"You must be Haotian, then. Mifune explained your purpose in his letter. What kind of Ninja Sword would you like forged?" Sagawa Namiki asked with a hearty, booming voice and a smile.

Beichen Haotian took a scroll from his robe, walked over, and handed it to Sagawa Namiki. Sagawa Namiki accepted it and examined it carefully before praising, "The design is good. It will make a fine blade."

"Master Sagawa, do not jump to conclusions yet. This Ninja Sword will not be easy to forge. These are the materials I have prepared for it. If you have any top-grade materials, you can add them as well. Money is not a problem."

After saying that, Beichen Haotian took out five sealing scrolls and released the seals, first bringing out four top-grade materials.

"This is half of the Kubikiribōchō, Azure Crystal, Sky Thunder Stone, and the Thunder God Sword. The remaining scroll contains somewhat inferior materials. I want Master Sagawa to perfectly fuse these materials together and forge an unparalleled divine weapon."

When Sagawa Namiki saw the materials Beichen Haotian had produced, he was instantly stunned. Whether it was the Azure Crystal, Sky Thunder Stone, half of the Kubikiribōchō, or the Thunder God Sword, each was a peerless top-grade material, something worth a fortune and nearly impossible to obtain. Yet there were four of them. In more than thirty years of forging Ninja Tools, he had only seen such top-grade materials twice.

It took Sagawa Namiki quite some time to calm down. He no longer dared underestimate the young man before him in the slightest. Someone who could acquire these materials either possessed great personal strength or had powerful support behind him—perhaps both. He was not someone to offend lightly.

"To be honest, in all my years of forging Ninja Tools, I have never seen so many top-grade materials at once. Nor have I ever left behind a work that would make the world sing its praises. I once thought two of the Seven Swords of the Mist were the greatest masterpieces I would create in my life, but I never expected to have a chance to surpass them."

"Haotian, I will not charge anything for this forging. I can even contribute a top-grade material I have treasured for years: Meteorite Iron. This Meteorite Iron has no particularly great advantage except for its astonishing hardness. Combined with the materials you brought, I guarantee that I will forge an unparalleled divine weapon for you. I only ask that after you name this divine weapon, you allow me to publicize that it was forged by me," Sagawa Namiki said excitedly.

"No problem." Beichen Haotian agreed without hesitation.

"Good. We will prepare today and officially begin work tomorrow."

"Oh, right. Look at my memory. There is something I nearly forgot. Please incorporate this blade into the new Ninja Sword as well." Beichen Haotian lightly slapped his forehead, removed the sword from his back, and handed it over.

Sagawa Namiki accepted the blade with a smile and drew it from its sheath. A blood-red radiance reflected in his eyes, and he immediately felt an immense killing intent invade his mind. His expression twisted as he struggled desperately against it, cold sweat streaming down his forehead.

Beichen Haotian hurriedly called Sagawa Namiki back to his senses, preventing him from losing himself beneath the assault of killing intent.

"Whew... Haotian, your sword is too demonic. How can it contain such powerful killing intent? I nearly lost control of my mind," Sagawa Namiki said, wiping away his sweat with lingering fear.

Beichen Haotian felt a little embarrassed as well. He had forgotten to give him time to prepare mentally before he drew the blade.

"As long as you focus your mind, it will be fine. You can take some time to adapt first. There is no rush in forging the Ninja Sword. Good work takes time, and I have plenty of time to wait."

Seeing that Beichen Haotian did not answer his question, Sagawa Namiki was not angry. His question just now had indeed been somewhat presumptuous, as though he were digging into someone else's secrets. Since another person's sword had such an effect, it was naturally their secret. How could he casually ask about it?

After chatting for a while, Sagawa Namiki went to make arrangements, and all the materials were handed over to him. Beichen Haotian was not worried that he would run away. First, this concerned the foundation of a Ninja Artisan's reputation. If he dared run, no one would ever ask him to forge Ninja Tools again. Second, Beichen Haotian had confidence in his own strength. If Sagawa Namiki dared flee, Beichen Haotian would probably catch him before he got far. How many legs did he have that could outrun a Golden Eagle? Once caught, Beichen Haotian would definitely let him experience what it meant to be sliced alive.

The facts proved that famous people still cherished their reputations. Before dawn the next day, Sagawa Namiki was already impatient to begin forging Beichen Haotian's Ninja Sword.

The forging of Ninja Tools was a secret art, so Beichen Haotian naturally could not go in to watch. It was the man's livelihood, after all. Beichen Haotian could only wander around. After exploring everywhere in the estate that he could go, he went to stroll through the capital of the Land of Artisans.

This forging process progressed very slowly, not merely because there were so many materials. There were too many things to do, too many preparations to make, and too many details to watch. Furthermore, Sagawa Namiki had to keep his mind highly focused at all times to resist the erosion of the killing intent, which was extremely draining.

Half a month passed. Aside from eating, drinking, relieving himself, and sleeping, Sagawa Namiki spent sixteen hours out of every twenty-four in his Ninja Tool workshop. He gradually lost weight, his complexion grew increasingly haggard, his beard steadily lengthened, and his eyes became bloodshot. It was impossible to tell whether that was from staying up too late or from excitement over the imminent birth of an unparalleled divine weapon.

Another seven days passed. It was the final day of the month when a thunderous laugh suddenly rang out from the Ninja Tool workshop.

"Hahaha, success! Hahaha, success! With this work, I, Sagawa Namiki, will not only become the greatest Ninja Artisan in the Ninja World, but my name will also be passed down through the ages!" A voice filled with boundless joy rang from the Ninja Tool workshop.

The moment Beichen Haotian heard the commotion inside, he rose from the chair outside the workshop and excitedly forced the door open.

Sagawa Namiki did not blame him for it. He was immersed in excitement, wild joy, and fantasies. How could he care about such a trivial matter?

A trace of reluctance appeared on his face, but in the end, Sagawa Namiki handed the Ninja Sword in his hand to Beichen Haotian. Beichen Haotian accepted it. It felt somewhat unfamiliar at first, but then he stroked the blade from end to end, and that feeling of it being part of his body became clear once more.

Beichen Haotian's new Ninja Sword was still a Tang Saber!

The Tang Saber was roughly 1.3 meters long, with a blade around 1.1 meters in length. Its entire body was blood-red, crystal clear like red crystal, and it emitted an eerie crimson glow. The hilt was entirely black, with three lifelike miniature blood-colored lotus flowers carved onto each side. The guard, or handguard, was shaped like two dragons fighting over a pearl. One small dragon was azure, the other sky-blue, while the dragon pearl was blood-red. On both sides of the blade beneath the guard ran two golden lightning patterns. The entire saber looked mysterious, with a hidden dominance lurking within its sinister aura.

"Haotian, have you decided on the name of this unparalleled divine weapon? You must choose carefully. This blade will surely be renowned for ages," Sagawa Namiki said with burning eyes, seeming very eager to name the weapon himself.

However, Beichen Haotian had already seen through his intentions and would not give him the chance. The name of his own blade naturally had to be chosen by himself!

"I am destined to seek the pinnacle of the blade's Dao in this life. In that case, this sword shall be called Seeking the Dao."

"Seeking the Dao... Seeking the Dao..." Sagawa Namiki murmured it several times, then shouted, "Good! It shall be called Seeking the Dao! It sounds ordinary at first, but the more one says it, the more meaning it carries."

Sin Forged Blade Technique!

Specks of red light emerged from Beichen Haotian's fingertips. Upon the golden lightning marks on both sides of the blade, he wrote two characters that no one in the Naruto World could understand!

Traditional Chinese characters: Seeking the Dao!

Thanks to Legendary Shame and reader 16122 for the recommendation votes! And thanks to that brother whose ID is hard to pronounce for the monthly vote. Thank you—this is this book's first one, and it carries great significance. I hope all readers will continue supporting it. Please do not be stingy with bookmarks, recommendations, subscriptions, or monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation!