Uchiha Xin stood at the entrance to the Land of Iron and drew a deep breath of fresh air, an inexplicable excitement welling up inside him. This was a neutral nation beyond the Five Great Nations, renowned for its unique forging techniques and impregnable defenses. And he, Uchiha Xin—an Uchiha clansman believed by the world to have vanished into the river of history—now stood upon this legendary land.
The Land of Iron was a vast expanse covered in lush vegetation, with mountains and rivers crisscrossing its pleasant landscape. Uchiha Xin stepped onto the solid earth, feeling the strength rising through his feet, as though it resonated in some wondrous way with the chakra within him.
As he walked through the streets of the Land of Iron, Uchiha Xin was stunned by the sight before him. Smithies lined both sides of the road, their furnaces blazing as the sounds of hammering iron rose and fell like a rousing symphony. He stopped before a forge called Iron Soul, his gaze drawn to a blacksmith hammering iron inside.
The blacksmith was powerfully built, his muscles knotted beneath a black fitted outfit that outlined his robust frame. With a hammer in hand, every strike was precise and forceful, as if he had become one with the iron in the furnace. Uchiha Xin could not help but admire him inwardly. Such skill was likely among the finest in the entire Land of Iron.
Just as he was about to leave, the blacksmith stopped what he was doing and looked up at Uchiha Xin. His gaze was sharp and profound, as though it could see through to a person's heart. Uchiha Xin froze slightly, then returned it with a smile. The blacksmith smiled as well and nodded, gesturing for him to come in.
Uchiha Xin entered