Everyone, come into the village!

Hyuga Village, at the Ninja Tool Workshop beside the river.

Gengorō held a freshly made ninja blade in both hands.

Without stopping to wipe the black soot from his hands, he hurried to the river.

Shinichi stood beside the waterwheel.

Gengorō walked up to him, bowed his head, and offered him the blade.

"Lord Shinichi, the blade is finished."

Shinichi turned and looked at the blade.

Gengorō raised his head.

"Lord Shinichi, this blade is made entirely of chakra metal."

"It was made especially for you."

Shinichi reached out and took the blade.

Its blade was a little over sixty centimeters long.

The chakra metal had been mined from a vein in the mountains of the Land of Rice Fields, and there was very little of it.

This metal could conduct chakra directly.

The more chakra poured into it, the sharper its edge became.

With wind release chakra poured into it, it could cut through stone and iron alike.

Shinichi tightened his grip on the hilt.

He fed a little chakra into the blade.

The moment the chakra entered, it flowed smoothly through.

It traveled along the blade, all the way to the tip.

A pale blue light appeared at the tip.

If enough chakra was poured in, it would extend straight out from the edge.

It would lengthen out of thin air, allowing it to cut far beyond the blade itself.

Nor was this metal particular about chakra nature.

Ninja who had mastered Lightning Release could pour lightning release chakra into it just as easily.

A blade made entirely of chakra metal conducted chakra most smoothly, without the slightest obstruction.

The blade in Shinichi's hand had been forged entirely from chakra metal, without any iron ore mixed in.

Shinichi wanted to test the blade.

He withdrew the chakra he had fed into it.

The blue light at the tip faded with it.

A large rock a little over two meters tall stood beside the riverbank.

Shinichi stepped forward and swung the blade down without using chakra.

The large rock split in two at the strike.

Half of it rolled onto the muddy ground beside it.

Shinichi drew back the blade and inspected its edge.

The edge was even, without a single chip.

Beside him, Gengorō puffed out his chest, his face full of pride.

Shinichi turned again and walked toward a boulder five or six meters tall farther along the riverbank.

He gripped the hilt and poured the chakra in his body into it in one surge.

The entire ninja blade shone with a dazzling blue light.

Chakra extended straight out along the edge, reaching a full three or four meters.

Holding the blade in both hands, Shinichi slashed down at the boulder.

The five- or six-meter-tall boulder was cut open on the spot.

The blade did not stop, cutting into the riverbank behind the boulder as well.

A gash over ten meters long was cleaved into the ground.

The cut surfaces on both sides were perfectly smooth.

Gengorō took half a step forward, staring at the deep scar in the ground.

"Even the strongest samurai in the Land of Iron probably couldn't withstand that strike of yours, Lord Shinichi."

Gengorō looked away from it and at the blade in Shinichi's hand.

"Lord Shinichi, chakra metal is exceedingly rare throughout the Shinobi World."

"On the market, a single tael of it costs five hundred thousand ryō, and a jin costs five million ryō."

"This blade used a full three jin. The chakra metal alone is worth fifteen million ryō."

"There are a little over forty jin of chakra metal left. If we used all of it to forge ninja blades, it would only be enough for a dozen or so."

Shinichi put away the ninja blade in his hand.

He looked at Gengorō.

"If some chakra metal were mixed into an ordinary ninja blade, could it also be used as a chakra blade?"

Gengorō hurriedly nodded.

"It could, but it wouldn't conduct chakra as smoothly as one made entirely of chakra metal."

"But a blade like that would only cost one million ryō to make."

"The remaining chakra metal could make about two hundred ninja blades."

After hearing this, Shinichi had a clear idea.

Making a ninja blade entirely out of chakra metal was simply too extravagant.

A blade like this was something only he needed to use.

Ninja blades with chakra metal mixed in would be more than adequate for the village's jonin.

Shinichi looked at Gengorō.

"From now on, make all ninja blades with chakra metal mixed in."

"Whenever someone in the village becomes a jonin, issue them one."

Gengorō bowed his head and respectfully agreed.

"Yes, Lord Shinichi. I've committed it all to memory."

Half a month later.

At the gates of Hyuga Village.

Several Hyuga jonin stood at the gates to welcome the guests.

The people from Konoha arrived first.

Tobirama walked at the front.

Behind him came members of the Sarutobi, Shimura, and Ino-Shika-Cho clans.

Hashirama had come along as well.

Before long, Madara arrived outside the gates with members of the Uchiha clan.

Madara stopped and glanced at Tobirama.

He sneered.

"The Senju wouldn't even sell the Hyuga a few ninja tools back then."

"Now you have the nerve to show up here."

Tobirama answered just as bluntly.

"The Uchiha sold their clan's ninja tools to another village."

"And you have the nerve to stand here criticizing others."

Seeing this, Hashirama hurried over.

He stepped right between the two of them.

Grinning, he raised both hands to smooth things over.

"All right, all right, that's enough from both of you."

"We're all here as guests today."

"Let's be a little more friendly."

The Aburame clan leader happened to reach the gates of Hyuga Village with several clan members.

He wore a high-collared coat and a pair of sunglasses.

Tobirama turned to look.

He walked straight past the others toward the Aburame clan leader.

"Clan Leader Aburame."

"Have you given any more thought to the Aburame Clan joining Konoha?"

The Aburame clan leader stopped.

"Lord Tobirama."

"The clan hasn't finished discussing that matter yet."

"Once everyone has reached a decision, we'll send Konoha our answer."

Tobirama frowned.

He stared at the sunglasses-wearing Aburame clan leader but asked no further questions.

Just then, Mū from Iwagakure arrived outside the gates with several Iwagakure ninja.

Mū was wrapped from head to toe in white bandages.

He turned his head and immediately spotted the people from Konoha.

Mū strode straight up to Hashirama.

"Lord Hashirama."

"I've come on behalf of Lord Tsuchikage."

"Lord Tsuchikage asked me to inquire."

"Could Iwagakure form an alliance with Konoha?"

Hashirama's eyes lit up at those words.

Without a moment's thought, he smiled and readily agreed.

"Of course!"

"If we can all form alliances, we won't have to fight any more wars."

"Go back and tell the Tsuchikage that Konoha agrees."

Standing to one side with his arms folded across his chest, Madara snorted.

Madara turned his face and shot Mū a glance.

"Konoha has Hashirama and me."

"We have no need to ally with anyone."

A from Kumogakure arrived outside the gates with several Kumogakure ninja.

Another large crowd streamed down the road behind them.

The people from Sunagakure and Kirigakure had arrived.

The Kaguya Clan, along with people from Takigakure, Kusagakure, and Amegakure, had all reached the outskirts of Hyuga Village.

Several ninja clans from the Land of Hot Water, as well as members of the Uzumaki Clan, had all arrived too.

The groups from every side packed the entrance to Hyuga Village.

Shinichi walked out of the village.

He stopped in the middle of the gateway, his gaze sweeping over the leaders of the various groups.

Shinichi raised a hand and greeted them all with a smile.

"Thank you all for making the long journey here."

He stepped half a pace aside, clearing the gateway.

"Don't keep standing outside the gates."

"Everyone, please come into the village."