The next day, the samurai squad led Aoki Tsuki toward Thunder God Mountain.
A massive mountain range located in the northern part of the Land of Iron is perpetually shrouded in dark clouds and ravaged by fierce winds, but it has also blocked the invasion from the Land of Lightning.
It became the most important barrier in the northern part of the Land of Iron, and the entrance to the mountain range was guarded by a samurai legion year-round.
Aoki Tsuki didn't really intend for these samurai to accompany him in searching for ore, as he didn't know how long the search would take, so he sent them back after they entered the mountains.
"The tallest and largest mountain?"
The mountains rise one after another, each peak higher than the last, a sight that dazzles the eye.
After Aoki Tsuki chose to climb a high mountain, he finally saw his destination.
We entered the mountains at noon and arrived at our destination at night. It was truly a case of "looking at the mountain but running to death." Perhaps due to the harsh environment, the vegetation was sparse, and some places even had snow.
The weather suddenly changed that night, with lightning and thunder. Aoki Tsuki found a cave and lit a fire.
"Damn, this is so tough. Luckily I brought some roast chicken and rice balls."
Before setting off, Aoki had guessed that this wouldn't be a matter of just a day or two, and not wanting to rely on soldier's rations, Aoki Tsuki he brought enough food to last for several days.
Just as the food was heated up, a flurry of paper butterflies flew in from outside the cave.
Konan did indeed come looking for her. After just a few days, her face was weathered and worn, showing how much she had suffered in the mountains. Her eyes were filled with exhaustion.
"Why did it take so long?"
His tone was full of resentment.
Having lived in the Land of Water for so many years, it's somewhat disorienting to suddenly arrive in this harsh and cold place.
"Well... there were a lot of participants this time, which is unavoidable. I rushed over as soon as the competition ended, without wasting a single second."
Are you hungry? Go eat something.
Aoki Tsuki tore the roasted chicken in half and handed it to Konan.
Even Konan had been eating soldier's rations for several days, couldn't take it anymore. She glared at Aoki Tsuki and then sat down on a rock.
"Oh, right, I brought bread and rice balls. Which do you want?"
Nonsense, who would eat bread if there were rice balls...?
Konan took a large rice ball and ate it with the roast chicken.
"How's the search going?" Aoki Tsuki asked, trying to make conversation.
"I asked around, and it's true that some people have found that kind of ore here before, mostly by luck, while others have searched for years without success."
"If we can't find it, we'll keep looking," Konan replied.
His tone was very firm, perhaps because he was full.
Aoki Tsuki suddenly regretted bringing the roast chicken; he should have continued feeding the woman soldier rations.
"Absolutely. For the organization, for peace, even if it means being stationed here permanently, I'd be willing. I'll go check it out first thing tomorrow morning—no, I'll go after I eat."
Konan had probably heard this kind of talk too many times, so she chose to ignore it.
"How did the samurai tournament you participated in go?"
"Guess..."
When this was mentioned, Aoki Tsuki could barely contain his smile.
"Hmph, look at you, so smug. You got a pretty good ranking, didn't you?"
Konan knew Aoki Tsuki's swordsmanship skills; even without Ninjutsu, ordinary Jonin would be no match for him, let alone that group of samurai.
"Hahaha... As expected of Konan, you guessed right away! I was lucky enough to defeat all my opponents and take first place, earning the title of Sword Master."
"Swordsman?"
Konan was somewhat unfamiliar with this title unique to samurai, and also somewhat skeptical of it.
"They're just a group of samurai abandoned by the times, clinging to their past honors. I've heard that the number of samurai is decreasing year by year, and many have switched to becoming ninjas."
"Indeed, since the Sage of Six Paths founded the Ninshu, over a thousand years have passed, and ninjas have become the protagonists of the new era."
Perhaps in a few decades, a new power system will emerge, and ninjas will be abandoned like samurai.
In peacetime, who would be willing to diligently cultivate themselves Tenten?
The profession of ninja was largely a matter of survival, and its outcome was often unfortunate.
"Even without ninjas, the war would still happen," Konan said softly.
Aoki Tsuki nodded. "Of course. Wars are not really related to the power system. Wars happened frequently in the samurai era, and resources were limited."
The only way to expand is through war and plunder. Human desires are limitless; once you're tired of fighting, you stop, rest, and then continue fighting.
Is there no way to solve this once and for all?
"Unless every country possesses a powerful weapon that, once deployed, could destroy the enemy along with them, everyone will be too afraid to fight."
However, small-scale local wars will still occur; peace is a relative concept.
Every era has its own things to do; it's none of our business to worry about them.
Before they finished speaking, Aoki Tsuki had eaten half a roast chicken, a few rice balls, and a glass of water, thus concluding her dinner.
Konan was silent for a moment after hearing this, then suddenly asked, "What are your dreams?"
Aoki Tsuki was taken aback, and immediately became wary. He said earnestly, "My dream is peace in the Shinobi World. I told you that before."
"Don't lie to me. You have absolutely no interest in peace. Speaking of which... didn't you used to dream of becoming Hanzō's bodyguard?"
Konan is digging up old dirt again.
"That was out of necessity, but things are different now. I've come to a realization: a person has to do something worthwhile in their life, and now I want to fight for peace."
"If you don't want to talk about it, then forget it..."
It's rare for me to want to have a chat, but unfortunately, this guy is guarding against me like a thief.
"Haha... It's getting late. For the leader, for the organization, for the peace of the Shinobi World, I'm going to go mining. You should rest first, don't wait for me."
Aoki Tsuki's figure disappeared from sight in an instant, running faster than a rabbit.
"This guy..."
Konan had to admit that this person spoke in a glib, frivolous, and unserious manner, but when it came to actually getting things done, he was extremely efficient and very steady.
Sometimes, he might even utter a few profound truths.
The only problem is that he's unfathomable, unlike Yahiko and Nagato, whose thoughts and actions you can predict.
Aoki Tsuki is often two-faced and his behavior is unpredictable. He seems to be able to chat with anyone, yet he doesn't have a single true friend.
After exiting the cave, Aoki Tsuki secretly patted his chest.
Having a heart-to-heart talk with a woman? Absolutely not.
There are definitely countless pitfalls waiting for him here. One moment they might be having a heart-to-heart talk, and the next they might turn on him without mercy.
The best solution is to run away.
Rumble...
The dark sky was covered with thick clouds, and lightning flashed and thunder roared, but few bolts struck down.
"Master Tesshin said that Lightning-Patterned Tungsten Steel is ore that has been struck by lightning, similar to lightning-struck wood. If you look for places where lightning is concentrated, you might be able to find it."
With that in mind, Aoki Tsuki walked along the mountainside toward the area where lightning was most concentrated.
thunderbolt...
Boom...
The occasional massive bolts of lightning filled Aoki Tsuki with fear.
Lightning Release created by Chakra is nothing compared to the power generated by these natural phenomena; it's like Fire Fly compared to the bright moon—they're simply not on the same level.
He witnessed a huge rock being shattered into pieces by a cluster of lightning, and when he went to investigate, all he found were charred fragments.
"The purity of the black ore that can be preserved even after being struck by lightning must be incredible. It'll be ages before we find suitable pieces... Let's just forge it using lightning; with enough quantity, we're bound to succeed."
That's right, Aoki Tsuki had prepared a backup plan before coming.
Relying on the weather for a living will lead to starvation; he needs to take initiative.
Guided by the principle that "there are always more solutions than problems," I came up with this method.
By trying each magnet one by one, he finally found a large rock with a high mineral content. He then took out the iron antenna he had prepared in advance from his backpack and inserted it onto the rock.
Sizzle... Sizzle...
Lightning burst forth from his hand and injected into the antenna.
thunderbolt...
A bolt of lightning, drawn from the sky, struck straight down.
boom...!!
"Ah... ah... oh oh oh..."
Even if he managed to disconnect in time, it wouldn't have been enough; the lightning was too fast, faster than the reflexes of the nerves.
He lay on the ground having an epileptic seizure for a while before finally recovering.
If he hadn't used his own Lightning Release to guide the energy into the earth, he would probably be charred by now.
"Phew... Phew... Did it work?"
Sizzle... sizzle...
In the middle of the pile of rubble, there was a fist-sized rock with crackling electricity on it, and lightning patterns imprinted on its fracture.
"I'm such a genius, hahaha..."
Compared to aimlessly trying one's luck, this method, although riskier, is also very efficient. The next step is to repeat this process.
What followed was that lightning began to strike the mountain in a rhythmic pattern, accompanied by painful howls.
High-mineral-content boulders are rare; Aoki Tsuki only managed to collect five or six pieces of Lightning-Patterned Black Steel after working until late into the night.
Although he looked exhausted, his eyes were exceptionally bright. He clenched his fists tightly, feeling his body brimming with strength.
"Being struck by lightning wasn't all bad; it actually helped me discover a method for Body Activation Lightning Release..."
He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt like his body was a ball of lightning, with every cell in a state of extreme excitement.
If he so desires, he can draw down lightning from the sky without using an antenna; if properly guided, it becomes a powerful offensive spell.
Sasuke's Kirin is based on this principle.
"Wait... what is this...?"
Aoki Tsuki's senses were incredibly sharp at that moment, and he even detected a restless force of lightning nearby that resonated with him.
"Could it be some kind of treasure...?"
With excitement, I followed my instincts and groped my way forward, and surprisingly discovered a hidden cave entrance, from which flashes of light occasionally appeared.
After passing through a narrow passage, we arrived at a large hall.
"Is this... a shrine?"