A/N: Here we go! Third Chapter!
I would've made it longer, but I had so much I wanted to put in this chapter.
With any luck, it's still enjoyable.
…
[Ichiraku Ramen Stand, Konohagakure no Sato]
It'd been two weeks since Haku had arrived in Konoha, and she'd had no luck in finding her target, and she'd looked everywhere - from the farmer's market and residential district to the business and red light districts, and still no joy.
In the meantime, she was able to successfully maintain her cover as an innocuous acupuncturist named Kuroko trying to ply her trade. It helped that she'd been taught the art of acupuncture before she left with Zabuza, learning how to take and save lives with the art, and she'd healed and killed in equal measure with it. However, she had to draw on the healing art of acupuncture in order to keep her cover so as not to be killed before she even said a word to Uzumaki Naruto.
"What'll you be havin'?" asked the owner of the ramen stand.
"I'd like a chashu-men and a tea, please," said the customer, instantly recognizing his voice.
Haku did her best to refrain from reacting as she looked to her side to find -much to her shock!- Naruto taking a seat right next to her. He'd changed very little, wearing that same overcoat over his so-called school uniform…all that was missing were the deadly weapons he'd taken out her master with.
"You a health inspector or somethin'?" asked Old Man Ichiraku suspiciously.
"I'm just in the mood for ramen," Naruto answered, "That, and a friend of mine once told me how the most basic dish on the menu is executed will tell you a lot about the chef. And as it just so happens, I've heard a rumor that you serve the best ramen in town, so I might as well get to know your menu."
"A connoisseur, eh? Well give me a moment, and I'll guarantee that you won't be disappointed with what you're getting."
She was conflicted as to how she was going to deal with the situation she was in.
In the end, she settled for keeping her head down, her eyes covered, and all attention away from Naruto in hopes that he didn't notice that she was there. And to increase the odds of him leaving her alone, Haku went to work on her bowl of ramen…after all, it wasn't polite to bother someone while they were eating.
"Here we go! One chashu-men and tea for the newcomer to the stand."
She watched Naruto dip into the bowl tentatively, stirring the bowl slightly before slurping up the noodles carefully, nodding thoughtfully as he sampled every bit of it, including the pork slices and the hardboiled egg. It took a moment to savor the bowl before Naruto offered a hand for the ramen stand owner to shake with an approving smile on his face.
"Consider us well-acquainted. I haven't had a good bowl of ramen like this for a while."
"Care to have another?"
"Give me a couple bowls of Kitsune; I really like that one."
"Two bowls of Kitsune Ramen, coming right up!"
After watching him enjoy his extra bowls of ramen and then pay for his meal, Haku watched him leave before paying for her own meal. It was an unexpected encounter, but at least she found him…there were any number of ways this could go, but for now, she was going to follow him home from a distance so that she could pay him a visit at a time of her choosing.
…
[Streets of Konoha]
Naruto walked the streets of Konoha after finally satisfying his ramen fix.
People pointed fingers at him; some even laughed at the situation where he'd spent the day with the children in the Konoha Ninja Academy.
But to Naruto, it wasn't humiliating so much as it was a new experience, considering he was learning the history of his birthplace…a history that he learned with gusto as a Lorehold student. Interestingly, the lingua franca spoken in this Plane was largely similar to Modern Kamigawan, though their writing system resembled the Ancient Kamigawan script. Luckily for him, any Lorehold student worth their salt had to learn a spell that enabled them to comprehend whatever languages, whether written or spoken, they came across - a spell that made his travels through the multiverse much easier.
As much as he liked Umino Iruka as a person, Naruto felt that his teaching methods needed a little more 'oomph' to keep his interest. Most of the subjects were fairly easy, being an academic himself, but he was able to supplement his lessons via a deep dive into the library…which reminded him of the 'fun times' he had running around in Strixhaven's vast library looking for study materials.
Throughout his journey in the local library, he noted the differences between this Plane that he fittingly dubbed Shinobu and Kamigawa. For one, there were fewer races in Shinobu - no Kitsune, Hebi, or even Nezumi-bito…not even ogres or Akki; just humans, and maybe some sapient animals (often of unusual sizes). The technology level here was somewhere in the middle between Modern Kamigawa and the Kamigawa of millennia past…electrical lighting existed, along with television sets, and that was as far as technological advancement went in Shinobu. And most notably was the fact that most of the serious combatants in Shinobu were able to use Chakra - to be clear, samurai did exist, but they were rare outside of Tetsu no Kuni, and so ninja were the main fighting force of the Plane.
Naruto had no idea why Shinobu remained untouched by the Phyrexian Invasion, but he was glad that he was unable to find his way home sooner. He feared for the outcome had he done so and been Compleated by the Phyrexians at any point afterward - luckily, the threat was over, allowing him the opportunity to find his home without fear of bringing the war back with him.
On a fundamental level, Jutsu were different from Magic - not superior, not inferior, just a different art altogether. Both had their advantages and disadvantages, which canceled each other out…the only difference was that being a Planeswalker enabled him a much broader understanding of magic.
"Something's wrong with you," noted a voice from behind.
Looking up, Naruto found himself being watched by a young man around his age, hanging upside down from the limb of a lamp post, his arms folded across his chest. His attire was simple, consisting of a baggy, burgundy one-piece suit over a mesh suit, over which he wore a white sash that wrapped around his torso that dangled upside-down. The speaker himself was pale, with a bit of color-conflict going on between his blood-red hair and "愛" tattoo inscribed over his left eye, and seafoam green eyes that were framed with black rings from apparent sleep deprivation. He wore a hitai-ate with an hourglass motif etched into the steel plate, the black straps looped around a leather belt across his chest that secured a massive, corked gourd decorated with a very large decal to his back. Overall, he looked very much like a rabid tanuki.
Clenching and flexing his fingers in anticipation, Naruto kept his eyes on the newcomer. He'd had quite a number of spells on hand should the stranger decide to start trouble…including a number of favorites he'd learned from one particular Plane he'd frequented. Had he been a native of that Plane, and if he weren't a Planeswalker, the spells he'd learned there would've been much more complicated to cast, some of which came with very weird material requirements.
"I could say the same about you," he replied.
The stranger released the hold his feet had on the lamp post, breaking his fall without unfolding his arms before walking up to Naruto for a closer look. "You don't seem like you'd amount to anything…and yet, I feel the aura of a powerful beast emanating from you."
"Well looks can be deceiving, that's all I can say," noted Naruto, the spell he wanted to cast at the ready as Tanuki stopped in front of him, "Though I suppose you're here for the Chūnin Exam?"
"And you aren't?"
"Would love to, but I'm not there yet; I'm stuck in the academy for now."
Upon hearing this admission, Tanuki raised a disbelieving eyebrow at him. "The ninja academy? At your age? You must have made a grave error to suffer such humiliation."
"Strange as it sounds, this is only my first time learning even one Jutsu, but I've been taught to never stop learning-so for me, this 'humiliation' is just an opportunity for me to learn something new."
The silence between the two of them was palpable, as Tanuki and Naruto stared at each other, neither side backing down. Naruto had been close to death enough times to not be intimidated by the unhinged ninja before him and felt confident in his combat skills to deal with him should the need arise. He could see that there was simply something wrong with Tanuki, and yet he somehow felt bad for him - as if getting lost in the multiverse for most of his life was not as bad as whatever it was that he was going through.
"Stay alive for as long as you can," Tanuki finally said, stepping aside, "Mother desires your blood."
As Tanuki left, Naruto called after him. "And does my would-be killer have a name?"
Tanuki paused mid-step, turning to regard him. "Gaara of Sunagakure."
Naruto watched the departing form of Tanuki as he continued down the street. This would not be the last he would see of the Sunagakure ninja, of that he was certain.
"Watch yourself around that boy," said a voice from within.
"I already know that," Naruto mused to himself, rotating his neck.
While continuing down the street, he noted the way everyone looked at him, how they stayed away, as if he were a dangerous beast. Though it wasn't until a while after his accidental Planeshift that he understood the reason they feared him: the mass-murdering fox, the Kyūbi no Yokō was sealed away into him. Naruto encountered the fox in his sleep after a particularly hard day at school, made doubly so by the fact that he had a co-ed sparring match with students from Prismari.
Oh, he remembered the admonishments his Blade History teacher fired his way.
"Stop using standard attacks! Use the unorthodox!"
"How many times must I tell you: control your central line!"
"Have you forgotten to parry, then riposte?!"
"Your power-strikes are anemic! You've obviously forgotten to use your footwork to build momentum!"
"You're gripping your weapon too tightly! Now too lightly!"
In contrast to Iruka's gentler approach to teaching, his Blade History teacher Professor Cao was a taskmaster with all the passion but with a much harder approach…that said, he was a duelist and mage par excellence whose sharp tongue came from a place of passion for his craft. He was also well-versed in the subjects of military history and hoplology, which helped to inform his lessons in the Blade History class he taught. However, just as his passion informed his lessons, so too did it inform Naruto's mastery over the weapons he chose to specialize in.
After a particularly fun, but grueling match against a Prismari Owlin and his team, Naruto went to bed in his dorm tired beyond all reason. While deep asleep, he'd found himself exploring a mountain range before coming across a cave with seal tags and ropes across the opening like on those sacrificial barrels of saké he'd seen from time to time. When he got close enough that he found gigantic claws reaching out from the darkness of the cave, stopped by the barrier that was generated by the seals; it was then that he learned that he was never alone.
Their relationship didn't start off with such civility; he remembered the taunting and the jeering of the fox, who quickly identified itself as the Kyūbi no Yokō, the beast that killed so many people in Konoha that night…and with no shortage of hubris at that. It wasn't until after Naruto had begun his travels through the multiverse that their relations had seen an improvement, to the point where the fox was willing to lend him a helping hand with his magic once or twice. Most of the time, his own magic was more than enough to carry him through many battles, though there were emergencies when he had to call upon the fox's help, especially during the Phyrexian Invasion.
"You seem to be doing just fine for a dead man," noted a voice from an alley around the corner.
A cursory glance allowed Naruto to find a Konoha Shinobi leaning against a building, his silver hair was tamed by the hitai-ate he wore over his left eye like an eyepatch. A skin-tight mask obscured the lower half of his face, obscuring his nose and his mouth, blending in with the indigo of his turtleneck, contrasting against the gray of his trousers. His nose was stuck in a book titled Icha Icha Paradise by an author named Jiraiya.
He recognized this particular individual as one of the Shinobi that were sent to bring him to the Hokage, though from the way he carried himself, Naruto could tell that he was their leader. He had seen his fair share of leaders up to and through the Phyrexian Invasion…some were extremists, others were caring. What he saw of this particular Shinobi seemed carefree and pervy at first, though he'd learned long ago to never judge a book by its cover.
Naruto huffed, half in amusement. "Well, with the fresh start I've been given in the village, I'm doing everything I can to not mess it up."
"No surprise there," replied One-eye, turning a page on his book, "You've been gone from this…'plane of existence' for so long that most memories of you have largely faded away. How's school, by the way?"
"Thankfully, it's much easier than my classes in Arcavios," Naruto explained, "The hard part is the chakra exercises; it's like starting to learn magic again from scratch. That said, I think it's giving me insight into an art that I've never had the patience to master."
"Well, take what you learn from Iruka's lessons to heart; they may save your life during your travels in this Plane."
While he was not even bothering to turn his attention away from his book, Naruto noted the sincerity in his tone; all he could do was agree. "Will do. By the way, do you think your team's ready for the Chūnin Exams?"
"I can't tell you the specifics, but I can say that that last mission they've gone through these past couple of weeks has shown me that they're capable. Suffice to say, they're ready. But enough about me and my team, what about you? I hear you brought life back to that old forge in the time we were gone."
It wasn't a secret that Naruto had got his newly-acquired forge up and running again. In the two weeks since he'd moved in, he'd gained a reputation as a skilled, up-and-coming bladesmith that specialized on clients with particular requirements. The work he'd churned out ranged from simple fare like daggers and knives for self-defense and everyday carry to axes that could be used for both agriculture and warfare; he even made swords and polearms for the traditional-minded warrior. Every blade he made was ridiculously hard, had extremely keen edges and strong edge retention, and all of them were the talk among Shinobi.
The only problem was that his work was done via commission, requiring personal interactions with patrons (normally Shinobi, but sometimes artistic blade collectors) who were willing to part with a good amount of money for quality work. Fortunately for all involved, he used magic at least part of the way through the forging process, ensuring his customers received quality goods in a timely manner - usually within a week of their commission. The quality of his blades was such that it was as if he were a reincarnation of the infamous swordsmith Muramasa…due to this, Tenten was a frequent visitor to his forge, hoping to see what new art project he would be making.
Naruto shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, I gotta put food on the table and pay for tuition at the Ninja Academy somehow, and I do have a lot of good-quality iron and steel lying around, so I may as well put some of the tricks I've learned in the multiverse to use."
"Then perhaps I've got a project for you," One-eye replied, closing his book for the first time since their conversation started, "I have a blade in need of care and with a lot of sentimental value to me. Think you can fix it?"
"Hard to say without seeing it for myself, but bring it over to my forge whenever you're free and we'll talk," Naruto offered.
One-eye nodded gratefully, closing his book before leaving in the opposite direction. Naruto could not help but note that something about the Shinobi seemed sad underneath his carefree attitude. Whatever it was that was troubling the veteran was not his business, but regardless of that, he would not refuse One-eye his business, and see what kind of care his blade needed; the least he could do was to serve this man to the best of his ability.
"New customer?"
Naruto turned to find Hinata sitting on the limb of a lamppost, looking down on him with a mischievous smile on her face. "I seem to be attracting all sorts of dangerous characters today."
Hinata chuckled as she lowered herself from the lamppost. "Me? Dangerous? Most of my opponents go down really fast, so I really wouldn't know…then again, you're one to talk about being dangerous, Mr. Interdimensional Traveler."
"You heard?" Naruto asked.
"My little sister's on the team that brought you to the Hokage," Hinata replied, following him as he walked down the street, "Though to be honest, you seem to be pretty lively for someone that's supposed to have died a long time ago, Naruto-kun."
"I got better." Naruto replied, "So I assume you and your team are taking part in the Chūnin Exam too?"
"My sensei got us signed up," Hinata admitted with a nod.
"Well, be careful," Naruto cautioned, "From what I've heard on the way here to Konoha, those exams are no joke; as I understand it, people have died taking them."
"Don't worry about us, I've no doubt we're ready for whatever they'll throw at us," Hinata assured, "But how about this: if my team and I manage to survive the exams, you and I will go out for a date to celebrate."
"Very forward, aren't you?"
"Let's just say I'm very determined to get to know you."
"I look forward to trading stories with you, so you're on."
The two of them exchanged a friendly fist-bump.
As he watched Hinata depart, he could only hope that she and her came out of the Chūnin Exams alive.
Naruto walked down the street, hoping to get home and get back to work. He had to be on the lookout for clients that might have commissions for his blades; namely Tenten who had expressed interest in discussing a commission from him one day. Speaking of which, he had a surprise for her.
As he walked down the streets, he reflected on the first time he appeared in the Plane…among the pieces of advice he was given as to how to tell he was home was to listen to his instincts. Upon arrival, his heart thrummed in excitement, as did the feeling of familiarity he got upon arrival - Kamigawa was similar, but it was too different. It wasn't until he first encountered the rogue ninja that he would later know to be Momochi Zabuza, that it was confirmed that he had truly returned to his home Plane…the renegade had looked at him as a madman when he whooped in celebration that he was home. After a moment to regain his senses, Zabuza initiated the fight - Naruto would have won had a masked Shinobi not thrown a pair of needles into Zabuza's neck and taken his body away.
After their second duel, Naruto found that Zabuza had found his opponent had backup in the form of the masked ninja who took his body away. With his backup out of the way using a well-timed Borrowed Time enchantment, his second personal fight against Zabuza was much more even, both of them pulling all the stops to bring each other down. Zabuza fought with his mastery over Suiton Jutsu, and his skills as an assassin and a warrior, while Naruto brought his experiences in the multiverse to bear…particularly the tricks he'd learned in one specific Plane that he'd returned to a number of times. In the end, Naruto would win…and Zabuza, being the good sport he was, allowed him to take his greatsword Kubikiribōchō as a trophy, stating fair was fair.
Naruto's train of thought was interrupted when he detected danger coming from his side. He drew his knife that he kept for emergencies, and slashed at his attacker, revealing itself to be an ink creature that splattered upon contact with the blade.
At the end of an alley, he noticed a pasty-faced figure with a black bob cut wearing a Konoha hitai-ate on his head, squatting on a power generator with a scroll and a brush in hand with a bottle of ink within reach. He was dressed in a skintight light-gray tank underneath the charcoals of his shirt and pants; the only bit of colors on him were the red straps on his shoulders, and the yellows of the scroll and bamboo brush in his hands. Naruto noticed a handle of some sort poking out from over his opponent's shoulder.
Not even daunted by the fact that Naruto had stopped his initial attack, Sumi-e went to work painting more creatures into existence; this time a stampede of tusked boars charging after him. After sheathing his knife, Naruto summoned a lengthened item into existence in a flash and into his hands, dispelling the boars in a single sweep.
To call the weapon he wielded a mere spear would have done it a great injustice. The blade was made from spring steel and shaped into a long, one-handed sword form to allow for both slashing and thrusting techniques with ease, with a small, waisted crossguard for hooking and for hand-protection. The heft of the blade was distributed throughout its distally-tapered length, making it more than adequate for cleaving and slicing through targets effortlessly without being unwieldy or prone to breakage. Its thick shaft was a man-sized length of burnt oak long enough to afford its owner ample reach, flexibility, and leverage to allow for deft staff-fighting techniques, with carved magic runes swirling up the length. A large, spherical jewel set deep into the pommel cap counterbalanced the weapon for surgically precise and lightning-fast responses while doubling as a skull-crushing mace and as a focus for magic. It was more accurate to call it a sword-spear.
"Well look at that, a dickless brute compensating with a big, pointy stick," taunted Sumi-e, with a straight face, "How typical."
"Don't underestimate the polearm; it may be primitive, but it's no less effective!"
The deluge of ink creatures came, monsters of all shapes and sizes leapt from the scroll as they took life; from the tiniest of rats to the mightiest of big cats. There was not a smidge of fear in Naruto's eyes, after having fought worse enemies than some Silverquill wannabe who depended largely upon his ink beasts to fight. As he twirled his polearm, he remembered a lesson that his Blade History teacher Professor Cao had taught him:
"One-two-three-four, one-two-three-four, one-two-two-four-three, three-four-four! Footwork and control of your central line, my students! Your movements must be likened to a dance, no matter what weapon you use. Be it the ever-reliable spear, the valiant sword, or even your mastery of the mystical arts, fluid footwork and control of your central line are necessary to provide balance, build momentum, and to conserve your energy!"
He'd handled this weapon for a long time, and he'd used it enough that he trusted it as one of the weapons he would open a fight with. And with the beginning of a rhythmic counting in his mind, Naruto began his dance of death. Every ink creature was splattered upon making contact with the spear…not that he needed to swing hard, the mass of the sword-like head drove momentum of every slash and thrust with very little wasted movement. Besides, he wanted to save his strength and his mana for the Silverquill wannabe who was creating them, but he seemed more interested in creating more and more ink creatures to put distance between them as he approached.
It was then that he remembered a maxim that Professor Cao once taught to him in Blade History:
"If your adversary chooses to cower behind a shield of distance and a veritable wall of henchmen, then you must make him come to you…though the simplest and potentially most prudent choice would be to simply sight him then smite him from afar."
After dispersing another wave of ink creatures with a sweep of his sword-spear, giving Naruto enough breathing room to focus red mana into the palm, shaping it into three orbs. The spell he had in mind was one he learned in a certain Plane, and found most useful throughout his travels in the multiverse as a self-defense tool. Another sweep with his sword-spear dispelled another wave, allowing him to sight his target - all he needed now was to cast the spell.
"Magic Missile!"
A throwing movement was integrated into his sweep, sending three darts of energy flying from his palm and streaking towards Naruto's attacker.
Forced to decide whether to keep up with the assault or to avoid the salvo of darts as they veered away from his ink creatures, Sumi-e simply allowed his creations to be dispelled as the darts closed in on him, before he detonated in a splash of black ink splattering all over the area. More ink was splattered as Naruto danced around Sumi-e's attempts to attack him, catching him multiple times with his sword-spear. He noted throughout the fight that Sumi-e was fighting with a tanto resembling a blade he knew as a nata that was used as a machete by gardeners in Kamigawa. From his movements, it was clear that Sumi-e was not as good in close-quarter engagements, but he was no slouch either. Naruto's honed battle senses from his time in the multiverse, and his pointers from Ajani Goldmane, had enabled him to anticipate where his opponent would be, especially considering he'd fought Shinobi in Kamigawa that were at least as fast as Sumi-e.
In a moment of deja-vu, Naruto watched as Sumi-e disappeared in a splash of ink…this time, he'd disappeared for good. Looking around the area, he found that the whole zone had been covered in ink; from his count, he'd dispelled no less than sixteen out of twenty-one copies of Sumi-e - it wasn't until he looked on the floor that he'd found something amiss.
Planted in the ground were five needles, all in areas where Sumi-e was standing before they were dispelled. As he felt one of them, Naruto noted that it was cold to the touch; colder than a block of ice, which aroused his suspicions as to who his rescuer was. Looking up at the eaves, he saw nobody hiding away…neither did he detect anyone in the vicinity.
Naruto had no idea what the masked ninja was doing in Konoha, but he had a feeling that she'd been watching him for quite some time. The only thing he could think of as to her reason for following him this far from Nami no Kuni was that she wanted revenge for Zabuza…and that she was following him to his place of residence to try and assassinate him.
It was fortunate then that he had security measures installed at the forge to give him a fighting chance.
But in the meantime, it was best to wait and see what his masked friend wanted.
…
Haku sighed in relief at the fact that Naruto hadn't detected her.
Or at the very least, he wasn't interested in pursuing her…though it seemed that he had every intention of letting her come to him.
It was fortunate that his opponent had chosen not to engage Naruto up close, allowing his ink creatures to deal with him. Even if he reinforced his tantō with chakra to parry it, Haku estimated that the mass driving the sword-spear's momentum alone would have staggered him regardless. She'd known that from watching Naruto's first duel against Zabuza, how his polearm was able to parry his greatsword Kubikiribōchō with every strike against the face of his blade. These parries had provided Naruto plenty of opportunity to counterattack, slashing, thrusting, overall forcing Zabuza on the defensive.
And yet, despite the heft of the weapon and the close confines of his surroundings in that fight, Uzumaki Naruto was still able to make short work of his opponent's ink creatures. Every movement was light, and every part of the polearm was used, be it cuts and thrusts from the razor-sharp blade or devastating strikes from the shaft and pommel.
She was confident that she and Naruto were on an even footing, but his strange powers would have tipped the scales to his advantage.
Haku needed to approach carefully.
She needed to approach him as a friend…and if possible, to be his friend. After all, with Zabuza dead, she had nobody else to fight for.
…
["Kitsunebi Forge", formerly "Tetsu-ishi Forge"]
It was fortunate that Naruto wasn't busy at the time.
After school, he would come back to work at the forge, and wait for potential clients to walk through the door…it was a handful, they were still high-paying clients who made him large amounts of money for every commission on every appointment. But even he knew that he couldn't rely on the hope of getting a steady stream of clients. It was also fortunate that most of the lessons he went through in the Ninja Academy were fairly simple - while the basic ed courses such as math and reading were mostly child's play, the history, chakra, and Jutsu courses being the most interesting aspects of his experience.
"So what was it you were going to show me?" Tenten asked almost excitedly.
Tenten was such a frequent flier in his forge that Naruto had chosen to allow her to be the first person to let her into this part of the forge that he'd just reopened. After all, he had to repay her for her kindness during their time in the orphanage…and he had to show trust to somebody. And who could be more trustworthy than the girl who helped protect him from bullies out of the sincere kindness of her heart?
Besides, she did have reason to punch him after all; a six, maybe seven-year hiatus (through no fault of his own) warranted an apology for causing her such distress when he Planeswalked accidentally. Though their reunion did end up teary-eyed not too long after that punch, he still had to make up for lost time.
"It's a surprise," Naruto answered, coming to a stop in front of a set of padlocked double-doors.
Right above the doors, the words "画廊" painted on a sign denoting its function as a gallery. Flanking each side of the doors was a pair of platforms, with a pair of hollowed metal Komainu statues standing guard over the door. While he could have summoned them from his memories of Kamigawa's Neon Dynasty era, he chose instead to make these particular statues in this Plane for the sake of expediency and longevity. Only he knew the secret to this particular work and of their inner workings.
"Never saw those before," Tenten noted.
"Well, it's for good luck, y'know?" Naruto replied, gently rubbing one of the Komainu behind the ear, whispering a few lines of 'who's a good boy?' to it.
"Y'know, ever since you opened this forge, I've never seen you really open the showroom before," Tenten mused, as Naruto inserted the key into the padlock.
"Well I guarantee that you won't be disappointed with what you're gonna see inside, especially since you're gonna be the first one to see it," he replied, turning the key and removing the lock and the chains.
When he opened the double-doors, there was no word to describe the look on Tenten's face except "awe." Her delight was warmth to Naruto as she gazed upon the contents of the room…it was as though she were in the treasure trove of some long-forgotten emperor's tomb. Everywhere in the showroom, there were weapons of varying designs; weapons that were inspired by his visit to the various Planes in his journey to find a way back home through the multiverse. Anything that had a blade was there, from simpler fare like swords, knives, and daggers, to more exotic items like Kaldheim-inspired axes, Kaladesh-inspired katar and urumi, to more than a few polearms inspired by his time in Dominaria and Arcavios. There was also a space in the middle of the showroom where clients could try out the weapons they chose, under his supervision of course.
"This is amazing!" exclaimed Tenten, her joy and excitement clear as she danced through the collection like a kid in a candy store.
"What you're seeing here is my collection of what I call 'art project blades'," Naruto explained, as Tenten perused the contents of the showroom, "They're blades that I made, not on commission, but on a whim as art projects, hence the name…and all of them inspired by the places I've visited on my journey. For the sake of safety, yeah, they look pretty, but those blades on them are still very functional and practical, so you still gotta handle them with care 'cause they're all razor-sharp. All of them are on sale, by the way."
There was a look of shock, with a hint of expectation on Tenten's face. "Just like that? All these works of art, and you're selling them?"
"Well, I've got bills to take care of since I started settling down, especially for the Ninja Academy's tuition, and I really am gonna need some good advertising if I wanna eat, so yeah I'm selling them. If you're worried that I might run out, don't worry; I've got a lot of them stored away in a special scroll, so I can always replace the ones that get sold while my supplies last."
"You do good work, especially this one," Tenten noted, curiosity lacing her tone as she carefully picked a weapon up from a display case to show Naruto, "You even make spears?"
The weapon in question was a spear with a socketed blade with a shiny, silvery blade, swirling patterns on the body, and copper runes inlaid into the flats. Its haft was neither too long, nor too short - just right for well-rounded use with or without a shield in the offhand. The most notable feature however, was the presence of a red and white banner flying the Lorehold crest tied securely onto one of the two rings on the socket.
"If it's got an edge, it's probably here, so don't be surprised if I even have a naginata somewhere in my collection."
Tenten tentatively tossed the spear in her hands to test its weight as she walked into the middle of the showroom, nodding in approval at its weight. She then twirled the spear in a staff-fighting routine, watching how it performed in her hands while also taking care not to damage any display cases or kill Naruto. When she was done, she walked towards him with an impressed smile on her face as she continued to examine it. "Nice balance! So what can you tell me about this one?"
"The head's got a mostly wrought iron core, but it's got a spring steel edge welded to the blade, which was hammered into a leaf-shape that's good for both stabbing and slashing, then acid-etched with hot vinegar to show both contrast and pattern. The rings at the base are integrated into the socket and hardened for parrying, and can be used to attach things like banners or tassels. The socket construction of the head means adjustments and repairs are simple: just get or make a shaft that can fit inside, nail it in, and you're good to go as long as the socket's intact. The wood I used is a really long and strong, piece of alder I found and burnt, and it's got a leather wrap for a good grip; I shortened it just a little bit so that it's still long enough that you can easily use staff-fighting techniques and still have plenty of reach, but it's also just short enough to use a shield in the offhand or for throwing. The bronzed, conical butt-spike cap on the bottom is just heavy enough to counterbalance the spear and a comfortable grip if you need more reach, while also acting as a stabbing implement whenever you need it. Overall, a well-rounded weapon, especially if you have a mind for tradition."
"And what's the story behind the banner that it's flying?"
"It's a bit of a long story."
"Try me."
"Well, I made this spear while I was in a faraway land called Arcavios with this great, big school called a 'university' which is made up of these kinda smaller schools called 'colleges','' Naruto began wistfully, "It's the place I ended up in when I disappeared from Konoha during the apartment fire when I was a lot younger, before I joined the Ninja Academy. I was scared - I didn't know how I got there or even how to undo it…eventually, I came to realize that I was stranded with no way home, so I just made peace with my situation and made the best of my situation there, but I never lost the dream of coming home one day. I even attended that really big school called Strixhaven University, where I learned a lot of things; like how to fight, the history of fighting, how to just plain appreciate history, and of course, bladesmithing. Everything was fine until I met these nice twins, this brother-sister duo Will and Rowan Kenrith, and learned that they were like me…that they were not from Arcavios, only unlike me, they had control of how and when to go to other faraway lands. And after they were nice enough to teach me their skills on how they did it, and after practicing it for myself, it gave me hope that I might finally be able to go home."
Naruto took a moment of thoughtful silence as he reminisced on his travels through the multiverse; the friends he'd made, the lessons he'd learned, even of his defense of the Plane of Arcavios in the Second Phyrexian Invasion and of his part in the eventual counterattack against New Phyrexia. "Anywho, that spear you're holding is flying my college's colors and crest, and it's one of the first successful weapons I made as a bladesmith…in fact, it was my senior project for my bladesmithing class, and I got a really good grade for it."
"Story aside, I can see why: it's gorgeous, especially with those strange-looking scribbles on the blade. Those made of copper?"
"Those are indeed legit inlaid copper wires in the flats of the blade," Naruto confirmed, "it adds contrast to the work and helps you to channel energy. Long story short, the copper words on the blade help add strength so it doesn't break so easily…but if you don't believe me, try it for yourself on the field."
"That I'll do. How much?"
"Well, under normal circumstances and given all the work and the materials I put in it, I'd estimate it to be a good 35,000 ryō," Naruto answered, "But because you've been particularly good to me since we were in the orphanage, I'll give you a special one-time offer: I'll knock the price down by a straight 10,000…but only if you promise to spread the word if you're satisfied with its performance. If you're not satisfied at all, I'll take it back and refund you for the whole purchase, but you gotta be real honest with me and tell me why you're dissatisfied with the spear."
Tenten had a furtive look as she thought about Naruto's offer…until she looked back at Naruto, a confident smile on her face. "I'll tell you what: I'm going to the Chūnin Exams soon anyway, so that's a good time to put it to the test - if I'm satisfied with the spear, then not only will I spread the word about your work, but I'm going to come back in the future to commission a work from you. Deal?"
The way Tenten said it spoke volumes of her confidence, and it showed in the way she offered her hand to shake. He'd had a feeling that she could back it up. All he could do was accept her hand and hope for the best. "Deal, but you'd better take good care of yourself out there. I mean it, Tenten - I've heard these exams are no joke."
After shaking hands, Naruto escorted Tenten to the cash register, so she could fish out 25,000 ryō from her wallet, and hand it to Naruto. Gratefully accepting her purchase, he saw her out the door politely before they waved each other goodbye.
"I do hope I'm not too late."
Naruto turned to find the speaker to be a certain shinobi he'd met from earlier. "Ah! One-eye! When I invited you earlier to come see me in my forge when you're free, I didn't think you'd be coming this soon…and just in time too, because I'm done for the day."
"Yeah, well, I've just made sure my Team is all signed up for the Chūnin Exams," One-eye answered sheepishly, "That means I've got plenty of time before I have to put all my energy elsewhere - so I figured, I might as well come to you while I still have a chance. Oh, and the name's Kakashi, by the way; Hatake Kakashi."
Naruto nodded in approval at Kakashi's choice to come when he did. "And he goes by the name of Kakashi. Anyway, you're here now, Kakashi-san, so I might as well have a look and talk to you about your restoration work before I close up."
Once the two of them walked into the reception room, Naruto locked the door behind him before waving Kakashi politely towards a table in a corner of the room. Kakashi unfurled the cloth on the work table, revealing the blade in question - a short blade profile he knew from his time in Kamigawa as a tantō. Naruto's heart broke as he examined the blade…taking note of how it was snapped at the junction where the shoulder met the habaki blade collar. He took note of the blade, and appreciated the workmanship that went into it down to the fit and finish, but was sad at the way it was broken. Fortunately, Kakashi had the foresight to bring the sheath and the hilt, thereby saving him the trouble of making new ones as both were still in good condition.
"Yeah, this is extreme damage, and I can see this blade means so much to you if you're taking it to me."
"And you'd be correct, this was my father Sakumo's blade, the Hakkō Chakura Tō," replied Kakashi, "It served me well in my younger years until its destruction during the Third Shinobi World War."
Naruto nodded in understanding; his general requirement courses in Lorehold before focusing on the Hoplology major gave him an appreciation for family and the concept of legacy. "Well, the good news is that the grain structure is still good and it was a clean break, so whoever made this blade knew what they were doing, though I am seeing signs of heavy use. If I'm being perfectly honest, you're lucky it didn't break on you sooner - anyway, am I right in thinking that you want to be using it again?"
"That'd be the correct assumption." Kakashi replied, "I was here, hoping you could somehow put the blade back together."
"If that's the case, then I'm going to have to break the blade down first."
Kakashi's remaining eye had widened in shock, an almost worried tone in his voice. "Can't you just glue it back together or something?"
Sighing in understanding, Naruto regarded the Shinobi emphatically. "Kakashi, I understand your attachment to that blade, but if you plan on using it, I can't just glue the pieces back together, dust the cracks up with silver powder while it's wet, say it's done, then call it kintsugi. That break is a significant issue, one that can't be fixed with glue and silver powder."
"Is there really no other way?"
Nodding regretfully, Naruto looked at Kakashi with sincerity in his eyes. "I'm afraid not - no matter how you spin it, restoring this blade for practical use is only gonna happen if I break it down first. And as it just so happens, the crucibles I've ordered at the potter's are still being fired at the kiln, so I don't even have the option of melting the pieces down to make sure I have clean metal to work with. The only option I have for you is the clay-stack method: I'm gonna have to break the blade into evenly-sized pieces; then I've gotta stack the pieces neatly into a tile shape, wrap it up in paper, then cover it in a shell of clay slurry and straw; and then I have to forge-fold the tile several times to consolidate it into a billet while it's hot.
"Once that's done and I've got a solid billet, I'm gonna have to get some fresh steel to add mass for a pattern-welded billet, because even when it was whole, it's a small blade, so it's gonna need more steel to strengthen it up and compensate for material loss. But while I'm getting the steel together to fix the blade, I've got the opportunity to add some nickel-steel or used saw blades so I can manipulate the heated billet for a little extra artistic flourish to it, which I'll need your okay on before we start."
Kakashi remained silent as he considered the choices. "How much will I owe you at the end of the project?"
"Well, given the fact that I'm pretty much restoring an artifact, and the amount of steel you've got left, the restoration work would've probably been a good 45,000 ryō, and that's if I had to redo the fit and finish for your blade. Since you've brought all the original fittings, and they're still in good condition, that's earned you some savings, so I'm not afraid to do this for 30,000 ryō, with an extra 5,000 for materials and time if you want the pattern to pop out."
After a moment's consideration, Kakashi offered a hand to shake. "I'll leave it with you for 35,000 ryō, and I'll even give you permission to add your own artistic flair to it; but for that extra 5,000 ryō, I want a simple, but fitting pattern for me."
Naruto smiled warmly as he took the offered hand. "Consider it done."
…
A/N: It's rather long for a relatively quiet chapter, but I figured it'd be a good time to show how quiet times for Naruto in between missions would be like in the future of this story. Minus a few deviations such as a certain pasty-faced, ink-slinging shinobi attacking him, and maybe some money made with his bladesmithing services.
And before you ask: yes Naruto knows Magic Missile, because The Forgotten Realms is one of the Planes he's visited (he's returned here a number of times), so don't be surprised if he also summons iconic creatures like owlbears, chromatic/metal/gem dragons (maybe some of the legendary ones like Old Gnawbones, Inferno, maybe Themberchaud, and Icingdeath as per his specialty as a Naya-style (Red-Green-White) mage), or even the Tarrasque. Depending on how I feel, I may allow him to have access to Eldritch Blast, or even have him encounter Elminster Aumar himself during his time there.
As this is still pretty early in the game, I'm open to recommendations for a Jonin commander for Naruto's team (anyone not taken). So far for harem choices, I will stick around for Naruto-verse, as Naruto's pretty much temporarily done with his adventures in the multiverse and wants to re-establish roots in his home Plane.
With any luck, it's still up to par.
…
Vocabulary/Translations/Notes:
Chashumen—ramen with barbecued pork slices and eggs
Kitsune ramen—ramen with a fried tofu slice, and narutomaki fish cakes
Sumi-e—Naruto nicknamed his attacker after the Japanese name for the ink wash painting style
Kitsunebi—the rename of the forge means "Fox fire".
Kintsugi—this would be what Naruto referred to in his rebuke to Kakashi's proposed plan to restore his father's blade to a usable condition. You take broken pottery, glue it together, then dust the cracks with silver or gold; you do NOT want to do this to a blade you are planning to use, as it's a superficial repair method.
Crucible—a clay vessel used to melt down metals and remove impurities from the resulting metal puck. The ones that Naruto ordered from the potter would be the smaller disposable ones that bladesmiths would use, which need to be sealed with a clay cap. This is how a lot of Viking swords were made.
Clay-stack method—a very easy and effective way to fix a blade that's broken. Naruto's description of the process is based on the "Man at Arms" Narsil/Anduril episode, where after deliberately destroying Narsil, the Baltimore Knife and Sword crew decided to take advantage of the time to show how Narsil should truly have been turned into Anduril.
…
Cards used:
Borrowed Time (2)(White)—Enchantment
When Borrowed Time enters the battlefield, exile target nonland permanent an opponent controls until Borrowed Time leaves the battlefield.
Magic Missile (1)(Red)(Red)—Sorcery
This spell can't be countered.
Magic Missile deals 3 damage divided as you choose among one, two, or three targets.