Chapter 102: The Approaching Rin's Incident and Promotion

The blacksmiths quickly began their work.

They selected discarded kunai, placed them into the furnace for melting, and after the melting process, they proceeded with forging, shaping, quenching, annealing, and finally, the last step of polishing and processing.

In this way, a complete Ninjato can be forged.

Soma and Arafuni were watching attentively on the side.

Especially Arafuni.

Because Arafuni knew that the intern Blacksmith recruited this time would basically be his future partner.

Soma's Ninjato forging was something other blacksmiths couldn't participate in.

As Soma watched the blacksmiths forging on one side, he looked at the translucent screen in front of him.

The number in the reputation column above had already exceeded 700 as his identity was revealed to the blacksmiths.

"After the assessment, if I demonstrate my Forging Technique, I should be able to gain another wave of reputation growth."

"So, reaching 1000 points is not far off."

On the other side.

Hozuki Mangetsu's figure arrived in the Land of Fire.

A Ninjato attracted the attention of surrounding ninjas. It was Hiramekarei.

Hiramekarei possessed two abilities.

One is liberation. Under the condition of inputting enough Chakra, it can create a Chakra sphere.

This Chakra sphere is extremely destructive.

In the original plot, even Uchiha Sasuke's Susanoo was pushed back a long way.

This shows the power of Hiramekarei.

The second ability is Chakra accumulation.

Killing an enemy can accumulate some Chakra.

This Chakra will be stored in Hiramekarei.

After killing enough enemies, releasing Hiramekarei will unleash unimaginable power.

Hozuki Mangetsu looked at the enemies ahead and recalled the expectations of his family.

"Mangetsu, you are the first member of the Hozuki Seven Ninja Swordsmen. I hope you can set a good example."

"On the battlefield, let everyone reacquaint themselves with Hiramekarei."

"Let everyone know the name of the Hozuki Seven Ninja Swordsmen."

Hozuki Mangetsu's expression became firm, and his grip on Hiramekarei tightened.

"A little brat!"

The Konoha Ninja opposite Hozuki Mangetsu didn't pay much attention.

However, when the two got close and truly clashed, the Konoha Ninja realized that their assumptions were completely wrong.

"Bang!"

Mangetsu's Chakra condensed on Hiramekarei.

"Liberation!"

In the next moment, a massive Chakra sphere fell onto the Konoha Ninja.

In an instant, the Konoha Ninja was blasted away.

"Crack!"

There was a continuous sound of bones breaking and shattering.

The Konoha Ninja fell to the ground, twitched a few times, and then lay still.

"Brat!"

The nearby Konoha Ninjas glared angrily at Mangetsu.

Mangetsu calmly looked at the Konoha Ninja.

"I am not just some brat. My name is Hozuki Mangetsu! And I am one of the Hozuki Seven Ninja Swordsmen!"

To be honest, Mangetsu felt a bit awkward saying these words, but for the sake of his family, he was willing to do so.

"Hozuki Seven Ninja Swordsmen?" The Konoha Ninja visibly paused.

When Mangetsu acted on the battlefield under the banner of the Hozuki Seven Ninja Swordsmen, the accompanying Mist Village ninjas' emotions became somewhat complicated.

"The Hozuki Clan is too selfish, turning the esteemed Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist into the Hozuki Seven Ninja Swordsmen."

"But it must be admitted that Hozuki Mangetsu does indeed have remarkable talent."

"At such a young age, he already possesses the strength of a top-tier Chunin."

"In our village's younger generation, after Hoshigaki Kisame, it might be Hozuki Mangetsu."

"What about Momochi Zabuza?"

"Compared to others, Momochi Zabuza's talent might be a bit lacking, and he doesn't wield a Ninjato."

Zabuza, upon hearing such discussions, couldn't help but grip his Ninjato tightly.

Zabuza considered himself a genius, and he couldn't accept being overshadowed by Kisame.

However, after the battle with Kakashi and Asuma, Zabuza realized that, for the time being, he couldn't match Kisame's strength.

But Zabuza felt that as long as he could obtain a Ninjato, there was hope for him to catch up to Kisame. However, what Zabuza didn't expect was that before he could catch up to Kisame, Hozuki Mangetsu was already close to catching up to him. This made Zabuza feel a strong sense of urgency.

"If I can't surpass Kisame and I'm being caught up to by Mangetsu, then what am I, a genius, worth? No! I can't fall behind!"

The discussions among the Hidden Mist Village ninjas continued.

"Unconsciously, it seems like the situation in the village has changed a lot."

"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist have disappeared. In their place, we have the Hozuki Seven Ninja Swords and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Hozuki."

"At the same time, there are also the newly emerged Zanpakuto and Shinigami Squad."

"We don't know who will be stronger in the future."

"But for our overall Hidden Mist Village, it seems like a good thing. There are more and more Ninjato, and there will be more and more ninjas wielding Ninjato."

"This represents that the strength of our Hidden Mist Village will become stronger." Hozuki Mangetsu's name quickly spread throughout the ninja world. The battlefield is where ninjas become famous. Moreover, there are many topics surrounding Mangetsu.

He is the descendant of the Second Mizukage, Hozuki Gengetsu, the first member of the Hozuki Seven Ninja Swords, and there are comparisons with Zanpakuto and members of the Shinigami Squad. As some Hidden Mist ninjas say, regardless of any contradictions or conflicts, it all represents the Hidden Mist Village moving towards greater strength.

So, for Konoha, this is an extremely bad situation. 

In the Hokage Building, Danzo entered the Hokage's office. 

"HIRUZEN, First Hoshigaki Kisame, then Momochi Zabuza, and now there's another Hozuki Mangetsu... And we have only one Hatake Kakashi in Konoha."

"Hiruzen, we not only need to consider Konoha's present but also its future. When all these people grow old, who will be able to support Konoha?" 

Hiruzen remained silent for a moment. "Shisui is not bad..." 

But before he could finish, Danzo interrupted him. "He's an Uchiha!" Danzo looked at Hiruzen. 

"Hiruzen, I know our perspectives differ, but now I'm entirely for Konoha. Hidden Mist Village has proven that policies like the Bloody Mist are effective. We don't need to fully replicate the Bloody Mist in Konoha, but at least we can implement its policies on some ninjas. That's how geniuses are nurtured. If you're unwilling to do this then I will. I'll take all responsibility."

Danzo's tone was earnest. However, Hiruzen still didn't agree immediately. 

"Let me consider it again." 

"Consider it again?" 

"After all, this is a long-term matter. There's no need to rush. Danzo, be patient. I'll think it over carefully. How is the situation on the Hidden Rock Village side now?" 

Danzo frowned. 

"After Minato went there, those Hidden Rock Ninjas quieted down quite a bit. However, Hidden Sand Village is now at a disadvantage against Hidden Mist Village. After Biwa Juzo severely injured Pakura, Hidden Sand Village has been struggling. In addition to the young geniuses, Ninjatos are also a major issue. Those new Ninjatos, Hidden Mist Village calls them Zanpakuto, and the ninjas wielding the Zanpakuto are referred to as Shinigami Squad by Hidden Mist Village. It's quite obvious they are targeting us, Konoha."

"My people have already gathered some information. It seems that Hidden Mist Village has indeed produced a new Great Blacksmith. This means there may be even more Ninjatos appearing in the future. At that time, in term of geniuses, and elite ninjas, we in Konoha may be inferior to the Hidden Mist Village." 

"Hiruzen, I suggest we focus our main efforts on dealing with Hidden Mist Village. We must find that Great Blacksmith and deal with him." 

Hiruzen nodded. "Agreed." 

Danzo's expression improved slightly. But whether it's Konoha or Hidden Mist Village, neither knows that deep underground, within a cave, an elderly man was attached to many tubes and a figure clad in white quitely emerged from the earth. "Madara-Sama."

"Is everything arranged?" 

"It's all arranged." 

Uchiha Madara nodded. "In that case, we can let that brat wake up." 

"Yes, Madara-sama." 

Uchiha Madara's eyes flickered. 

"Watching as his own friend, compelled to kill the girl he loves with his own hands, given this brat's character, he should be able to be of use to me. Only then can we truly save this dirty ninja world. I've prepared everything. Hashirama's cells, tailed beasts, friendship, love... Obito, go and witness the cruelty of this world! Experience true pain!" 

When Uchiha Obito woke up, Uchiha Madara concealed all of this, not only helping Obito recover but also merging him with a White Zetsu, granting Obito additional power.

Moreover, they deliberately gave Uchiha Obito freedom. 

When Uchiha Obito, who had regained his mobility, prepared to head to the battlefield where the Hidden Mist and Konoha ninjas were fighting with joy in his heart, Nohara Rin and Kakashi had already fallen into dire straits. 

"Rin!" Kakashi saw Rin being taken away and wanted to chase after her, but he was firmly blocked by several Hidden Mist ninjas.

"Get out of my way!" In Kakashi's eyes, the Sharingan's tomoe spun rapidly, and the eye that wasn't Sharingan turned red as well. Having already lost his companion Obito, Kakashi didn't want to lose another companion. Even though Kakashi didn't show much enthusiasm towards these two companions on usual occasions, in his heart, he had long considered them among his closest people. However, the strength of these Hidden Mist ninjas was not weak, and they had the advantage in numbers.

In this situation, Kakashi couldn't break through at all. He could only watch helplessly as Rin was taken away. 

"Kakashi!" It wasn't until a long time later that ninjas from Konoha came to support him. But by then, the Hidden Mist ninjas who took Rin had long disappeared.

 Kakashi hung his head. "First it was Obito, now it's Rin. Before it was a trap, now it's an ambush. Is this what war is like..." 

Kakashi clenched his fist, his nails sinking into flesh, blood flowing down his fingers continuously. 

"Why? Why?" In Kakashi's mind, he recalled Uchiha Obito's words once again. "Why is it that there are ninjas protecting Asuma's back, but we have nothing? Is this... fair?"

...

Forging Island.

"Mizukage-sama?"

Ao saw a small boat approaching Forging Island. Upon closer inspection, he saw that it was Third Mizukage standing at the bow. He quickly informed Soma inside the forge room.

Soma nodded. "Arafuni, I'll be stepping out for a moment. Please watch over here."

"Yes, Chief Uehara."

The two of them went to the dock to welcome the Third Mizukage.

"Mizukage-sama!"

"Soma, Ao."

"Mizukage-sama, how come you are here in person? Is there something wrong?"

Third Mizukage shook his head. "Nothing in particular. I just happened to have some time, so I came to see how those Blacksmiths are doing. Soma, are you satisfied with them?"

"They are still under assessment. I will decide their fate based on the assessment results later."

"Will the forging department focus primarily on surgical blades in the future?"

"Yes, Mizukage-sama," Soma replied. "The scale of the ninja tools in the Land of Iron is too large. Given the situation on Forging Island, there's basically no chance to compete with the Land of Iron in ordinary ninja tools."

"So we can only take a route that requires higher technical requirements."

Third Mizukage nodded. "That's also a good idea."

"By the way, Soma, do you have any other requests?" Third Mizukage asked. "You have already crafted many ninja tools for the village and your contributions have been significant. But what the village has given you is not enough," Third Mizukage continued. 

"In addition to the position of head of the forging department, I believe you are fully qualified to become one of the Elders of the village."

"The guarding part of the forging department will no longer be handled by ANBU ninjas, but by the guard team of the forging department, which you will personally select,"

Third Mizukage declared. "The allocation for the Blacksmith department will be increased to ten slots. The allocation for the guard team will be increased to thirty-six slots."

Soma felt a slight movement in his heart. With these changes, the transformation of the forging department could be considered significant. With so many additional personnel slots, it was equivalent to Soma having his own power. No longer relying on ANBU or friendships to build Forging Island, now he possessed real authority. In other words, it was similar to the situation with Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu in Konoha—a complete and qualitative change.

Previously, Soma was just an ordinary Elder in Hidden Mist Village. But now, he was among the most influential Elders.

"Mizukage-sama, considering it's wartime, will this increase put pressure on the village's ninja manpower?" Soma inquired.

Third Mizukage shook his head. "No, compared to the battlefield, your department is actually more crucial."

"Now that people want to know your true identity and appearance, there will surely be more people trying to get close here. The security of Forging Island must not be compromised. The village still needs some manpower for this," Third Mizukage remarked.

Soma didn't refuse anymore. "In that case, I am grateful to Mizukage-sama."

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