It is the year of our Lord 390, ten years ago the Hokage Minato Namikaze and his entire family died while defending the city of Konohagakure, or so the citizens were told. The former Hokage stepped in to fill the void left by his death. Ever since, there has been multiple attempts at usurping Sarutobi's rule through both military and political means, however all attempts were thwarted before they could be completed.
Chapter 1: Forging the Future
In the time of great kings and the noble knights that served them, the common people found that they more often than not were cast aside as either fodder for the slaying, or collateral damage in terms of their fields, homes, and lives. Arising from this wanton destruction was a new breed of knight, melding the arcane powers of the sorcerers with the melee combat of the knights, these new Mage Knight brought forth a new age of peace and prosperity in which the common folk didn't have to fear for all they own being ravaged in times of war. However, like most, power soon crept into the minds of those in charge, corrupting them and turning them into the nobles they had once fought against. The essence of the Mage Knight code has all but been forgotten; in the public eye it has become extinct. Can anyone revive it before the peace and prosperity is destroyed?
Blue eyes looked up into a shined up piece of iron that served as the smith's shingle. On it was Iruka's family crest, and all the items that he could craft. Naruto smiled faintly as he caught sight of the sun passing over the sword, another hour until the sun reached the armor, and he was due to take his exam to become a full fledged Journeyman blacksmith.
He hadn't slept much at all last night, having been far too excited for that, but even now he felt energy surging through his body. He had started preparing the fire long before the sun even peeked over the sunrise, making sure it was exactly the right temperature by eyesight alone. Adding a few more chunks of coal he stoked the flames a little more, knowing that even if the crafting part of the exam would be when the sun reaches the armor emblem, this was still a part of the exam.
Iruka was probably watching him now, but Naruto was too focused on his work in front of him. The fire had to be just so, or else he'd never be able to craft the axe he had chosen as his first project. Over the past month, he'd worked directly with the miners, picking up the subtle differences in the ore and finding out which would be the good forging iron for crafting. Iruka had asked him what he wanted to be tested on, and even though Naruto knew each item Iruka crafted, he had chosen one to help improve Iruka's business, not draw it away.
Iruka could make nearly anything a person could ask, but Naruto noticed that people were a little disappointed in his axes, and so he'd decided to focus on them. They were a high demand item, and thus an item that would help the smithy expand and grow if they could provide better axes for the money.
Reflecting on the second life that Iruka didn't know about, Naruto frowned slightly. It hurt him to not be able to talk to the man who had become like an older brother or father figure to him about it, but he had sworn an oath to the Hokage himself to not speak of the Mage Knight training he and two others were under, he couldn't even acknowledge his teacher Dragon Summoner Anko Mitarashi in public as anything but a friend who exclusively shopped from them, ignoring the importing merchants completely.
He didn't even know who the two women he fought alongside were. Lady-knights Sir Grizzly and Sir Rabbit only knew him as Sir Fox. He would have loved to tell his best friend since they were orphans together, struggling to get enough to eat until they were old enough to be chosen as apprentices, Tenten, everything about the Mage Knight training. She loved those old tales of valor and courage as much as he did, if not more.
Thinking about his friend brought a smile to his face. He had started a side project for her upcoming birthday, it was something simple, but he thought it would be a nice present for her. Letting out a laugh, he thought about how she had fallen in love with her weapons training, already claiming his first completed tool of bodily dismemberment as her own.
The same year he had been picked up by Iruka as an apprentice, and allowed to live in his little house behind the smithy, she had been chosen by the weapons master Gekko Hayate. And every seventh-day when they had a day off and were allowed to visit each other, they would spend hours talking about what they had learned over the past six days. They would be teased by their appointed masters about joining the weapons masters and smiths together under one family, but it was nice to keep in touch with each other.
Pulling back to the current time, he smiled as he pumped air through the bellows into the coals of the fire. It was almost time to begin.
Looking at the shingle, he bit his lip in thought, knowing that it wasn't time according to that, but the fires were ready and singing for him to begin. The low rumbling roar of the heat was washing over him, beckoning him to begin, punctuated by the staccato pops of sparks.
Deciding that the fire was ready before the sun had risen enough, he picked up the metal he was to use, and began the smelting process. He watched while pumping the bellows as the iron changed from the drab gray to the burning, angry red that signaled that it was ready. Using the tongs to lift the molten metal from the fire he laid it out on the anvil and began the ringing dance that shaped the metal into the proper shape. The trickiest part was to fold the metal over around a pipe so that he could place the handle's shaft inside.
Once the dual heads of the axe took shape, he could feel the metal's song changing, cooling off. He wasn't ready for that, so again the chunk of metal entered the fires, and again it grew malleable and red. Pulling it out again, he continued hammering away at the metal, his foot working a foot bellow to keep the fires nice and hot should he need it again. The dance went on for hours, until finally the head was ready for the cooling. Dipping it into cold water, he smiled as the hiss brought about the end of the ringing song. Picking the axe head out of the vat of water, he smiled at the shape of it. It looked good, but he had more to do to it.
Walking outside he smiled up into the sun, feeling it keep the heat of the forge on his skin. Kneeling down, he picked up the length of wood that he had gotten from the carpenters, whom shaped it into a wonderfully functional axe handle. The swell on the butt would serve well to stop wild swings, while the groove for the head seemed perfect to align the outer wall of the head's insert to the rest of the shaft.
Tapping the head into place, he smiled as he found the fit was almost tight enough to hold it but he knew it wouldn't last. Plucking up the two wedges of metal he'd cut out the night before, he began hammering them into place; they'd hold the head during the swing.
Picking up the axe, he looked at it happily, flipping it over to look it over carefully. A few test swings showed no give in the head, nor any slip in the grip. It was a beautifully functional tool.
Walking over to the grinding wheel, he made certain the surface was right for sharpening, and began spinning it with a foot pedal. Once the wheel was going the proper speed, he began the careful precise process of sharpening the four surfaces of the axe head that formed the cutting surfaces. Checking the edges he smiled as he found them sharp, without being overly honed. Looking at the chopping block Iruka had set up for swords and axes, he walked over carefully. Hefting the axe up, he brought it down in a powerful overhead chop, slicing through the wood like butter.
His jaw hung open slightly as he released the axe that was now firmly imbedded into the stump under the block. Turning around he saw Iruka mirroring his shock, though that faded to pride as he nodded. "All you need to do now is mark it with your symbol, and you'll be my brother smith. We'll have your shingle done before the next rest day."
Naruto was about to spring over and hug Iruka in joy, when clapping reached his ears. Turning some more to his left, he saw the Hokage, Weapon Masters Hayate, and Tenten standing there clapping for him. While the two weapon masters went over to inspect the axe, the Hokage walked over and hugged him close. "I'm very proud of you Naruto... Congratulations."
Tears of joy sprang to his eyes, forcing him to wipe them away while muttering about dust in the eye. No one bought it, but spared him the teasing for today. Shortly after Sarutobi released him, Tenten pulled him into a spinning victory dance around the cleared area of the yard. He didn't mind the talk of those two being good for each other, at least until Tenten and he were both brought up short by the Hokage adding his two cents into it. At this point they began the usual protests against it, having gotten them down to a nearly unison objection.
Even though the protest lacked nothing in earnest effort, it was more tradition than anything they really felt. The smiles on their faces belied their protests, as did the fact their hands were still held together, but none of the adults felt like pointing that out just yet.
It turned out they didn't have to, as when Naruto turned to look at the axe, he tugged on her hand just enough for them to notice. The blushing and uncomfortable looks were enough to start a round of knowing chuckles out of the adults. Naruto grumbled something as he worked the axe out of the stump; he had to mark it with the right runes, and his emblem to finish his exam. And then he really should shine it up for Tenten, it was only proper right?
Didn't mean he was crushing on her, no matter what Iruka, Hayate, the Hokage, those dreams, or that little voice in the back of his head kept saying; he was not crushing on Tenten. Though maybe he should talk to someone about that voice... it was getting annoying.
Setting the axe on his work bench he began the slow and careful process of carving runes into the metal of the head. First there was the reinforcement rune, then came the one to ensure it remained sharp, then the one to use magic poured into it, and finally the one to accept only one owner. He waved Tenten over. "Tenten, come here, I need a drop of your blood, please..."
Tenten, no stranger to this process offered her hand, with her little finger extended. A prick of the finger later and Naruto had the final line of the rune completed; making it bonded to Tenten, all that remained was the crafter's mark, so that he could repair it. Plucking up the tool Iruka had given him a few months ago for his birthday, he hammered it into place, completing the rune set and activating them.
Stepping aside, he held out a hand to Tenten, in which she put a silver coin, the agreed price. Honestly it was a bit low, but for a first work it was quite possibly double the proper amount. Hayate and Iruka agreed on the price being fair for both parties, and they got to work on each end of the deal.
"Beautiful craftsmanship as one would expect from Iruka's apprentice..." Hayate commented casually as he looked over the axe with a trained eye. He had once been a royal guard before retiring into life as a weapons master, and knew what he was saying. "Tenten, since this is seventh day, why don't you and young Naruto go out and celebrate at the inn."
Tenten's eyes widened as a pouch of coins were placed into her hands by Hayate. He coughed lightly into his hand, showing that the winter sickness he'd gotten hadn't left fully yet. "Go on with you two; I hear that Ayame is making her fine stew today. If you hurry, you both can beat the lunch rush, and get some of their best ale today. It's a celebration after all!"
The mention of the stew got both kids attention, at the mention of getting ale; they all but left a dust trail as they ran off. The adults let out a familiar chuckle before looking at the axe Naruto had crafted. "Such fine craftsmanship for one so young Iruka..."
"Aye, he's a great kid," Iruka answered proudly before sighing, "I just feel uneasy about his other job..."
"He is in good hands with your friend Iruka..." the Hokage answered calmly, "Anko wouldn't let anything harm those three... and tonight should prove interesting for them..."
When pressed about what was happening, the Hokage answered, and both former masters of the new journeymen agreed. Tonight would be interesting for them.
