Beating Up the Hokage's Relatives in the Street

Qian Ye tucked the fist-sized Seastone into his clothes and left the residence alone.

Blue Fox and Black Crow were still diligently keeping watch at the street corner, completely unaware that the person they were guarding had long since changed masters.

At the end of Hidden Leaf's eastern street stood a shop with an "Iron Fire Hall" sign, billowing thick smoke without pause.

This was the oldest and most renowned Blacksmith shop in all of Hidden Leaf.

Its proprietor was an old smith named Tieshan, who was said to have forged swords for the Second Hokage's personal guard.

Qian Ye stepped over the heavy threshold, and a wave of heat and the scent of iron filings hit him in the face.

Deep inside the shop, the bald old man stood bare-chested, swinging a forging hammer and sending sparks flying from a red-hot steel billet.

Qian Ye did not stand on ceremony. He took the dark ore from his clothes and slammed it heavily beside the anvil.

The anvil let out a dull clang, and the old Blacksmith's hammer froze in midair.

Tieshan set down his hammer and wiped the sweat from his face with the white towel draped around his neck.

"Young man, I only take custom orders from Chunin and above. Go buy ordinary ironware from the stalls outside."

Qian Ye said nothing more and merely pointed at the black stone on the anvil.

Tieshan casually grabbed a sharpened Short Blade and hacked fiercely at the black stone.

With a piercing crack, the finely forged steel blade shattered cleanly into two pieces.

The old Blacksmith's casual expression instantly froze, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints.

He reached out and touched the smooth surface of the ore, his rough fingers trembling slightly.

"This definitely did not come from a mine in