Chapter 88: Brilliant Glaze Ultimate Azure Wind Slash Blade!
— — — — —
After lunch, Koshiro gathered Kaito, Mikoto, and Minato to head to the mountains to meet with his father.
Kushina and the others, curious as ever, tagged along.
Soon, the group arrived at the forge in the back mountains, where they found Koshiro's father, Senior Kozaburo, hard at work.
The forge was located near a natural geothermal vent, ideal for smithing.
"You're here!"
Kozaburo greeted them with a pipe dangling from his lips. While puffing on his pipe, he pointed to a rack nearby.
"These four swords here are the ones I made for you. Go on, see if you like them!"
"The top one's for Kaito, the second is for your mother, Uchiha Naori. The third is for Mikoto, and the last one is for Minato."
"Thank you, sir!"
The group bowed respectfully before stepping forward to take their swords.
Kaito, meanwhile, used his communication space to notify his mother.
Moments later, Uchiha Naori appeared through a portal.
After scanning the scene and spotting the remaining sword on the rack, she gracefully bowed to Koshirou Senior.
"Thank you, Senior Kozaburo, for your hard work!"
"Don't mention it!"
Kozaburo waved dismissively with a laugh. "If it weren't for you lot, I'd just be an old man halfway to the grave by now!"
"I wouldn't have the youth or the drive to pursue my passion for swordsmithing anymore."
"And let's not even get into how much I've benefited from those powerful techniques and rare materials you've shared with me."
"Honestly, crafting these swords was an honor for me. It's not every day a smith gets access to such incredible materials!"
For a master craftsman like him, this kind of opportunity was a rare treat.
"You're too kind," Uchiha Naori replied with a knowing smile.
"Go on, try out your sword," Kozaburo gestured.
"Of course!"
Uchiha Naori, unable to contain her excitement, stepped forward and picked up her blade.
The moment her fingers touched the hilt, the sword let out a crisp hum. Her eyes lit up in delight.
She walked to an open space outside the forge and started testing its balance and feel.
Every swing felt perfect. The length, weight, and balance were all precisely tailored to her.
Kozaburo's craftsmanship was truly unparalleled.
Injecting her chakra into the blade, she was startled as it resonated with a clear hum, glowing a brilliant azure blue.
"This level of chakra conduction... it's almost on par with weapons made entirely from chakra-conducting metal!
"Senior Kozaburo, how did you manage this?"
She turned to him with genuine curiosity.
"Exactly!"
Kaito chimed in as he approached, still marveling at his own blade.
"I can sense that this sword is made with a mix of rare metals. The chakra-conducting metal doesn't seem to be the dominant material, so how is it this responsive?"
"Same here!"
Mikoto and Minato joined in, their own swords in hand, eager to know the answer.
"Haha!" Kosaburo chuckled. "It's the difference between worlds."
"This world has Haki, which allows us to process and align metals during forging."
"Chakra, at its core, is just a form of energy. If it can conduct Haki, it can conduct chakra too."
He explained how he combined chakra and Haki during the forging process to refine the metal, creating blades with unmatched conductivity while maintaining their durability.
"Wow!" The group marveled at his explanation.
Naori tested the blade with fire chakra, creating blazing arcs of energy that split the ocean, leaving fiery trenches in their wake.
"Mom's swordsmanship has improved again!" Kaito observed.
"Give it a few more years, and reaching the pinnacle of the blade is within her grasp."
Kosaburo couldn't help but agree.
Naori's talent wasn't surprising—after all, she was the mother of a prodigy like Kaito.
"Senior Kozaburo, we don't know how to thank you for all this!" Naori said sincerely.
"Haha! It's nothing!"
Koshiro laughed heartily and said, "Compared to the help you've given my family and my old man, this is really no big deal."
"Besides, ever since you made that contract with him and he took the longevity pills, restoring his youth, the old man's passion for forging blades has been reignited!"
"He's genuinely interested in continuing to forge swords again."
"Even without your request, he probably would've taken the initiative to craft a masterpiece for you!"
"This time, it was only a matter of limited time and materials."
"If we'd had more rare ores gathered, he might've gone ahead and forged you weapons of the Supreme Grade level."
At this, Kosaburo shook his head wistfully and added, "But alas, forging a Supreme Grade blade isn't that easy."
"It takes skill, luck, materials, and timing—none of which can be lacking."
"On the other hand, starting with a Great Grade blade as a foundation and tempering it with Armament Haki over time can create a personal Supreme Grade blade—a Black Blade, which is more achievable."
"Plus, a blade you forge into a Supreme Grade weapon yourself will be more in tune with you as its wielder."
"You should definitely try that someday."
"With your current age and the strength of your Armament Haki, you might be able to nurture your own Supreme Grade blade in just a few years."
Kosaburo himself was also diligently nurturing his personal blade, eagerly awaiting the day it would become a true Black Blade.
As for the famed sword Shusui, which he had retrieved long ago?
It sat stored safely at home, unused.
He intended to pass it down to Zoro when the latter became a true swordsman.
A sword needs a master; otherwise, it will only decay over time.
"I understand!"
Kaito nodded with a smile. "A Great Grade blade is more than enough! Plenty of people would do anything just to get one! It's important to stay grateful."
"Speaking of forging, when my skills improve and I have more time, I might even try learning how to craft a sword myself."
After all, he had his cheat abilities—he wasn't worried about not mastering it.
"Oh?" Kosaburo raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. "I didn't expect you to have such thoughts."
"Well, it's not a bad idea."
"If you're willing to learn, I'd be more than happy to teach you."
"But for now, it's best to focus on training and strengthening yourself."
Kosaburo wasn't overly concerned and left it at that, trusting in Kaito's self-discipline and planning.
"Got it!" Kaito responded cheerfully.
— — —
Finally, Kosaburo asked the group what names they'd give their new weapons.
For a master swordsmith, a blade's name is just as important as its craftsmanship. To them, a sword isn't just a weapon—it's their child. Naturally, every parent wants their child to have a good name and a fitting destiny.
"I've had it figured out. I'll call it Moon Fang!" said Uchiha Naori with confidence.
"Mine's Mystic Blade," Kaito chimed in.
"I'll go with Storm Cutter," Mikoto suggested.
But then...
"Radiant Glass Ultimate Azure Wind Slash Blade!" Minato proudly announced, his eyes shining.
Everyone: "???"
"Seriously, Minato?" They all stared at him in disbelief.
"Are you sure that's the name of a sword? Really?"
Minato scratched his head awkwardly, unfazed. "What, you don't like it? I think it's perfect! Look at this blade—it's so flashy! When you infuse it with wind chakra, doesn't it shimmer like glass?"
To prove his point, he drew the sword, channeled wind chakra into it, and watched it gleam with an iridescent glow.
"..."
Everyone remained silent.
"Let's just call it the 'Lightglass Blade,'" Kosaburo finally declared, cutting through the awkwardness with a tone of finality.
To shut down any chance of Minato arguing, Kosaburo went ahead and carved the name "Lightglass" right onto the hilt of the sword before handing it back to Minato.
Minato could only accept his sword with a sad and disappointed expression. At that moment, it felt like his dreams had been shattered.
.
.
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