Chapter 101: Recruiting a  Blacksmith

Third Mizukage raised the Skeleton Emperor high.

A large amount of Chakra was poured into the Skeleton Emperor by the Third Mizukage.

A burst of astonishing energy erupted.

The next moment.

Third Mizukage looked ahead.

Not far beneath the sea's surface, a fish the size of a small boat swam leisurely, completely unaware of the impending danger.

At that moment, Third Mizukage's attack struck.

Skeleton Emperor slashed down forcefully.

"Crack!"

Extreme Sharpness coupled with Third Mizukage's immense strength, the slash met almost no resistance, smoothly slicing the large fish in two.

Only then did the fish realize what had happened.

But it was already too late.

The Third Mizukage's eyes lit up.

"Very good!"

"Even without the power of decay, this performance alone is not inferior to Bluntsword."

"With this slash, there are very few in the entire ninja world who could block it."

But this wasn't the end.

Under the influence of Skeleton Emperor's power and the power of decay, the fish's wound began to rot at a visible rate.

Even the bones started to crumble.

"As expected, the more Chakra I use, the stronger the aging effect becomes!"

"This time, it only affected the area around the wound."

"If in the future I master Skeleton Emperor better, could a single slash cause my opponent to rot into mush?"

Third Mizukage looked at Skeleton Emperor with burning eyes.

"They say I am the weakest Mizukage in history, but now?"

"With Skeleton Emperor in my hand, once I get close, who can say for sure that the First and Second Mizukage would definitely win against me?"

"And as for the Third Hokage..."

Third Mizukage left, satisfied, with Skeleton Emperor.

Not long after, several ANBU Ninja appeared. They exchanged glances, each seeing the shock in the other's eyes. Without saying anything, they quickly cleaned up the scene.

Soma watched the number in the reputation column on the translucent screen in front of him jump abruptly.

It went straight from over 400 to over 600.

"If there are no surprises, this should be due to Skeleton Emperor. Did Third Mizukage demonstrate the power of Skeleton Emperor in front of others? Most likely, it was ANBU Ninja.

It hasn't been long, but it seems Third Mizukage is quite concerned with Skeleton Emperor. He probably has some obsession with personal strength, considering he cares about reputation. And strength can establish fame."

"In the original storyline, Third Mizukage didn't even leave a name. He could be considered the most inconspicuous Mizukage, but this world is different now."

Soma looked away.

"My reputation has already reached over 600. Next, as long as I gain some reputation from recruiting apprentice blacksmiths, reaching 1000 reputation points shouldn't be difficult."

"Then I can do another ten consecutive draws!"

Soma proposed recruiting apprentice blacksmiths not only to lighten Arafuni's workload but also to gain reputation.

Soon, the ANBU Ninja delivered the information.

The details were clear.

They included the blacksmith's previous skill level, age, family situation, personality, and current activities.

Soma listed several criteria.

First, those with excellent forging technique are prioritized.

Second, those with stable family backgrounds are prioritized.

Third, those with good personalities are prioritized.

Fourth, those who have a strong desire for income are prioritized.

Soma knew exactly what kind of blacksmith he wanted.

He didn't need the most excellent forging technique, because no matter how excellent, none would surpass Soma's.

He didn't need someone with a strong passion for forging techniques because Soma was hiring people to work not for a hobby.

Given the situation in the Hidden Mist Village and the previous events on Forging Island, it's possible that some of these blacksmiths might have accumulated grievances to the point of considering defection.

Hidden Mist Village has never been short of rogue ninjas.

Those with stable families are much less likely to defect.

If the family income is insufficient and there is a strong desire for money, then the person will work even harder.

They won't resist working overtime. Soma wants precisely this kind of worker.

This isn't because Soma is harsh. It's because the situation on Forging Island is quite complex.

It's akin to a small startup company. But unlike many startups.

In many startups, if the initial team fails, they each go their separate ways, no hard feelings.

If they succeed, few treat the initial team well.

Most are kicked to the curb.

But Soma can ensure a promising future for the founding members of Forging Island.

A name came into Soma's view.

"Jinin Daiga."

The name Jinin rang a bell for Soma.

One of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist killed by Might Duy with a single kick.

The user of the Bluntsword Helmet Splitter.

"A kinsman of Jinin Akebino, with a connection to Juzo, this person should be more trustworthy."

"His family is stable, and his forging technique is decent."

"After leaving Forging Island, he chose to become a mission ninja. And he works very hard."

Soma's brow slightly furrowed.

"Jinin Daiga's family situation doesn't seem to need money, so why is he working so hard on missions? To prove his strength and inherit the Bluntsword?"

"Or to improve his skills and go to the Land of Fire battlefield to avenge Jinin Akebino?"

Jinin Daiga's qualifications didn't completely meet Soma's requirements.

However, given how hard Jinin Daiga worked as a mission ninja, Soma believed that if Jinin Daiga joined Forging Island, he wouldn't refuse to work overtime.

Soma circled Jinin Daiga's name, along with a few others that seemed promising.

An ANBU Ninja approached Soma.

"Chief Uehara."

"Please bring these individuals to Forging Island. I will arrange an assessment for them."

"Yes, Chief Uehara."

Besides Jinin Daiga, the other selected members were already in Hidden Mist Village.

However, Jinin Daiga also returned to the village the next day.

The four blacksmiths were somewhat surprised when they received the notification from the ANBU Ninja.

"So, our village has indeed produced another Great Blacksmith?"

"Those ninjato weren't from before but were newly forged?"

"Forging Island really won't be shut down?"

Information about the Kiriichimonji and other ninjato was widely known.

However, not many knew how these ninjato came to be or who forged them.

Apart from the village Elders and those who had come into contact with the Forging Island ninjato, few knew the specifics.

The Third Mizukage considered Soma's safety.

Even the previous blacksmiths on Forging Island were kept in the dark.

But now, they knew.

The hearts of these blacksmiths swelled with excitement.

In the past, even when Forging Island was in decline, their lives there were much better than those of mission ninjas now. They greatly missed those days.

And now, Forging Island had produced a Great Blacksmith.

What did this mean?

It meant Forging Island was going to rise again!

At this moment, being able to return to Forging Island as a blacksmith meant there was no need to worry about the future.

"Great!"

"To follow such a Great Blacksmith is a tremendous fortune for us."

"Forging Island will regain its glory in our hands!"

"I wonder what that Great Blacksmith looks like?"

They were already excitedly discussing on the small boat heading to Forging Island.

Except for Jinin Daiga.

He sat alone on one side, appearing somewhat out of place.

"We've arrived."

With the ANBU Ninja's announcement, the boat came to a stop.

A figure was waiting at the dock in advance.

"Everyone, follow me."

Juzo glanced at the four of them, then led them toward an empty forging room.

One of the blacksmiths recognized Juzo.

"It's actually Biwa Juzo personally guiding us."

"Now we can be sure, the Great Blacksmith must be real."

Another blacksmith looked at Juzo's waist.

"That sword, is it the Blue Rose Sword?"

"It grants ninjas the additional ability of Ice Release. Juzo relied on the Blue Rose Sword to seriously injure Pakura, the hero of Hidden Sand Village, allowing our Hidden Mist Village to regain the advantage."

"A ninjato even more formidable than the Thunder Swords."

Juzo led the four inside.

"You wait here. Chief Uehara will be here soon."

With that, Juzo left.

The blacksmiths exchanged glances.

"Chief Uehara?"

"There aren't many blacksmiths left on Forging Island now. I took a glance as we passed by; it looked desolate, with far fewer people than before."

"The one referred to as 'Chief' must be that Great Blacksmith."

"But who could it be?"

"None of the blacksmiths on Forging Island before seemed to be surnamed Uehara."

Juzo approached Soma.

"Soma, they have arrived."

"Good."

Soma nodded and looked to Arafuni beside him.

"Arafuni, let's go over there now."

"Yes, Chief Uehara."

The two entered the vacant blacksmith shop and pushed open the door.

A blacksmith, upon seeing someone enter, immediately approached. Upon raising his head, he saw Arafuni and Soma.

"Are you two Chief Uehara's disciples?"

"When will Chief Uehara arrive?"

Soma and Arafuni were too young. They were so young that this blacksmith didn't even consider the possibility that one of them might be the Great Blacksmith.

Arafuni frowned.

Another blacksmith, upon seeing Soma, suddenly seemed to recall something.

"If I remember correctly, the name of this young man seems to be Uehara Soma, an orphan whose sensei has passed away. Could it be that Soma is Chief Uehara? Is he the Great Blacksmith?"

The blacksmith's pupils suddenly contracted.

Instinctively, he wanted to pull back the blacksmith who had approached.

But after some thought, he withdrew the action.

Today, among the blacksmiths who came, there was a competitive relationship.

"Let me introduce myself first."

Soma said, "I am Uehara Soma, currently serving as the head of the forging department, in charge of Forging Island affairs. This is Arafuni, an official blacksmith of the forging department."

Instantly, the blacksmith who had approached with eagerness showed an embarrassed expression.

He quickly lowered his head, his ears turning red.

It only showed that this blacksmith wanted to do something courteous, but lacked the sophistication to do so.

In short, his social skills were lacking.

Several blacksmiths were shocked.

Even Jinin Daiga, who had previously shown little expression and seemed uninterested in the matter, showed a surprised expression and looked at Soma.

Inside the forge, there was a gasp of disbelief.

"He's too young!"

"Fifteen or sixteen years old?"

"Is he really the Great Blacksmith at such a young age?"

"Being so young, he can create ninja tools like Kiriichimonji, Blue Rose Sword, Dragon-Bone...?"

"It's frightening."

For a moment, the four individuals found it difficult to digest this fact.

However, they also understood that Soma couldn't be lying. No one could get ANBU ninja and Biwa Juzo involved in a deception, so this was real.

A blacksmith couldn't help but doubt their life choices. After practicing forging for so many years, studying for so many years, they ended up being surpassed in Forging Technique by someone much younger.

"Is this the difference in talent?" But then, it turned into excitement. Because this blacksmith realized a question. That is, Soma, at such a young age, has already forged several Ninjato of the level of the Seven Ninja Swords. How many such ninja tools can Soma forge in the future? Will he forge even stronger ninja tools? Soma's Forging Technique probably already surpasses that of the Great Blacksmith of the past. If I join Forging Island, I can also learn some things. 

"Forging Island is not just about restoring its former glory, but it can climb to even higher peaks." 

"If I can be a part of it, I will have no regrets in this life!" 

Soma looked at Arafuni. "Arafuni, introduce the rules to everyone." 

"Yes, Chief Uehara." Arafuni faced these older blacksmiths without any hesitation.

"Everyone, this assessment is divided into two parts. One part is Forging Technique, and the other part is an interview, which will be comprehensively evaluated by Chief Uehara."

"This time, we are only recruiting one person."

"However, those who perform excellently will be given priority consideration in the next round of recruiting apprentice blacksmiths."

"The assessment starts now."

Arafuni approached and lifted a piece of cloth beside him.

Immediately, a collection of discarded ninja tools stored in wooden boxes was revealed.

"Please use these materials to forge an eligible Ninjato according to your areas of expertise."

Soma looked at the scene in front of him and started observing each of them silently.

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