Within Hidden Xuan Village, beside Azure Tide Port.
The Kajiya Clan's workshop district had become one of the busiest places in Hidden Xuan Village.
More than a dozen workshops lined the street.
Their furnaces burned day and night, and the ringing of hammers rose and fell.
Since the Kajiya Clan had moved to Hidden Xuan Village, their business had not declined because they had left the Land of Iron. Instead, it had flourished even more.
Azure Tide Port was the largest port in the Land of Hot Water, with merchant ships from every nation coming and going without end.
Many merchants had long heard of the Kajiya Clan's reputation.
Now that they had moved to this conveniently located port city, their orders were increasing rapidly.
Kunai for bodyguards, custom greatswords for Jōnin, ceremonial swords commissioned by Daimyō, and even bulk orders of standard equipment from the ninja villages of small nations...
The Blacksmith Shop's craftsmen worked from dawn to dusk, their furnaces never going out.
Though their backs ached from exhaustion, every clan member beamed at the mountains of finished goods in the storerooms and the steadily rising numbers in the ledgers.
When Xuandou arrived at the workshop district, Kajiya Tarō was standing bare-chested in the largest workshop, guiding his apprentices as they forged.
"Clan Head Xuandou is here!"
A member of the Blacksmith Shop clan spotted Xuandou and hurriedly called out.
Kajiya Tarō put down his hammer, wiped his hands on his apron, and strode over, his dark face filled with smiles.
"Lord Xuandou! What brings you here in person?"
Xuandou smiled and waved a hand.
"I came to see how you've settled in."
"Are you comfortable here? How's business?"
"Good! Wonderful!"
Kajiya Tarō nodded repeatedly.
"The Kajiya Clan is doing even better now than we did in the