Forging an Unprecedented Weapon

At noon, the sun hung high over the Uchiha Clan Compound.

"Master Sasuke!"

After parting ways with Naruto and Sakura, Sasuke had just returned to the Uchiha Clan Compound when he happened to run into the Ninken known as Denka.

"Thank you for your hard work, Denka." Sasuke handed over a bottle of Silvervine drink as usual and asked, "Is there a reply from Nekomata?"

Denka licked its paw, carefully took the bottle, tucked it away, and replied, "Nekomata wants me to give you something, and she said you should open it when it is convenient."

With that, Denka spat a small scroll out of its mouth.

Open it when it is convenient?

It seems Nekomata is also roughly aware of his current situation.

With a silent sigh, Sasuke picked up the scroll from the ground and took the opportunity to scratch the little cat under its chin, which made Denka bare its teeth and grimace.

Sasuke put the scroll away calmly, ignoring Denka's look of disgust, and said in a low voice, "I understand."

"Then I'll be going now, Master Sasuke!"

Denka rolled its eyes. As members of the Ninken Clan, even though they were cats, the thing they hated most was being teased by humans.

If it hadn't been Sasuke, Denka would have bitten him long ago.

Sasuke gave a word of caution: "Mm, be careful on your way back."

After Denka left, Sasuke picked up the scroll and examined it for a while.

A ninjutsu sealing scroll?

This type of scroll is different from a storage scroll; it is usually used to seal the ninjutsu of enemies or oneself, and better sealing scrolls can even contain extremely powerful techniques.

For instance, Jiraiya once used a special scroll from Mount Myoboku to seal the black flames of Amaterasu, which Uchiha Itachi claimed would never be extinguished.

After returning home and eating, Sasuke took the scroll given by Denka and headed toward Naka Shrine.

Although Nekomata instructed him to open it when it was convenient, he felt that now was the perfect time.

First, when he met with Denka, he did not sense anyone spying on him.

Second, it is currently March, the time of the Spring Festival, so his visit to Naka Shrine now would not seem out of place at all.

Third, the architecture of Naka Shrine is inscribed with special sealing techniques capable of blocking many forms of surveillance. It is not without reason that the Uchiha Clan repeatedly chose this place to plot their coup without worrying about being overheard.

Walking into a room in the side hall of the shrine, Sasuke closed the door and windows before tearing open the scroll.

With a soft poof, a puff of white smoke dissipated, and an old woman wearing a yellow-orange coat and gray cat-ear ornaments appeared in the room.

"Nekomata?" A flash of surprise crossed Sasuke's face as he said softly, "I didn't expect to trouble you to come in person."

"It is only a Shadow Clone, little Sasuke." Nekomata glanced casually at the surrounding environment before fixing her gaze on Sasuke.

"Little Sasuke, you've grown up now; you're becoming more and more like a man." Nekomata's eyes grew nostalgic as she sighed, "The last time I saw you and Itachi, you were still a clingy little child."

"You and Itachi were such lovable children back then; I never imagined you would end up like this."

"Thank you for your concern." Sasuke replied calmly.

Nekomata is not only the Uchiha Clan's source for custom weapons and intelligence, but she also acts as a private agent for the sale of the Uchiha's own weapons and ninja tools. In fact, the Uchiha still have some weapons and assets stored with her.

While Nekomata cannot be said to know the full inside story of the Uchiha massacre, she has more or less guessed the truth.

Seeing Sasuke's calm demeanor, Nekomata sighed: "I have spoken too much; after all, this is a matter within your own Uchiha Clan."

"I have already looked at the item you entrusted Denka to bring me. It is indeed a Fire-style Chakra Crystal, without a doubt."

Nekomata was silent for a moment before stating the purpose of her visit today.

"Chakra Crystals of any attribute are extremely rare. Only a ninja who has cultivated a single-attribute ninjutsu to the pinnacle can condense one."

Nekomata did not ask where Sasuke obtained the Fire-style Chakra Crystal. As a prestigious clan skilled in Fire-style, there have been too many Fire-style masters in the Uchiha's history.

Sasuke nodded and asked, "Then, is the matter I entrusted to you feasible?"

The matter Sasuke spoke of was his hope to forge a weapon using that Fire-style Chakra Crystal, as the crystal was somewhat useless in his hands since it could not be used to assist in his cultivation.

Although it could indeed react with his own Fire-style to increase the power of his ninjutsu, the effect might be even better if it were forged into a weapon.

"Little Sasuke, do you know about the Sword of the Thunder God?"

"Yes, the Sword of the Thunder God is rumored to be the personal blade used by the Second Hokage."

"That is actually a misconception. The Second Hokage never actually used the Sword of the Thunder God, though it is indeed closely related to him." Nekomata shook her head and continued, "The core of the Sword of the Thunder God is actually a Lightning-style Chakra Crystal. During the First Shinobi World War, Kumogakure once launched an invasion against Konoha, but they were defeated by the Second Hokage at the time, resulting in a crushing defeat for the Cloud Ninja."

"After the defeat, the Second Raikage wanted to cease hostilities and negotiate with Konoha. To express his sincerity, the Second Raikage gifted a Lightning-style Chakra Crystal to the Second Hokage to invite Konoha to negotiate in Kumogakure."

"Before heading to Kumogakure, the Second Hokage used that Lightning-style Chakra Crystal as a core, added chakra-infused metal, and forged a hilt. When the wielder injected their own chakra, a sharp blade of lightning would manifest from the hilt."

"That is the origin of the Sword of the Thunder God."

"I see."

Sasuke nodded. Although he knew about the Sword of the Thunder God in both his past life and his current one, it was only today that he understood its true origin.

"So, you're saying that forging a weapon with a Fire-style Chakra Crystal is feasible?"

"Not bad!"

"Then, Nekomata, how much will it cost to forge this weapon?"

Nekomata smiled kindly. "Little Sasuke, I won't charge you for this."

"Why?"

Hearing this, Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

Although the Uchiha clan had shared a friendship with Nekomata for decades, and she had practically watched Sasuke grow up, every transaction—whether for the Uchiha or for Sasuke personally—had always required payment.

"Times change, and it's hard to believe the Uchiha clan has ended up like this." Nekomata's eyes grew nostalgic as she said melancholically, "Even though the Uchiha have fallen, the friendship I've had with them for decades remains. Besides, Sasuke, I have high hopes for your future. I believe you can revive the Uchiha clan. I am a merchant, after all, so just consider this an investment in you, little Sasuke."

"Thank you."

After a moment of silence, Sasuke said in a deep voice.

He did not make any promises, for he was not yet in a position to guarantee anything, and Nekomata did not specify what she wanted, as that was a matter for them to discuss in the future.

On this point, the two shared a tacit understanding.

Nekomata smiled and continued, "Besides, I'm itching to try forging a new elemental weapon. Chakra metal weapons are rare in the ninja world, and there have been very few elemental weapons in history. To this day, only two remain, both of the lightning element: the missing Sword of the Thunder God and Kiba, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen Blades."

Hearing this, Sasuke fell into deep thought and asked, "Nekomata, would it be possible to use a Fire Chakra Crystal as the core and Fire Obsidian as the material? Could we forge an elemental weapon that surpasses the Sword of the Thunder God and Kiba?"

"What?" Nekomata was stunned, her eyes widening. "You have Fire Obsidian?"

Sasuke nodded, feeling a bit awkward.

Nekomata regained her composure, a hint of excitement appearing in her eyes as she said, "Then let's give it a try!"

Sigh, the performance is so poor. I haven't received a notification from the site yet, so I can only wait until I hit 100,000 words to apply and take a gamble.

I hope everyone can give me some support lately. Thank you!