"I'm going to call her [Senbonzakura]," Ryu said.
"Her... why is it a 'her'?" Kaori asked.
"The sword is so beautiful," Ryu responded to Kaori's question. "It cannot be anything but a girl."
"[Senbonzakura]," Hiruzen repeated. "What a fine sword!"
Ryu glanced at the sword and the intricate design etched on her surface. He took a breath and pushed chakra into the blade.
The blossom patterns began to glow pink on the sword after eating chakra. Then the glow did not stay on the steel.
Petals came out of the blade, made of chakra, spinning into the air. They swirled around Ryu in a tight spiral a few feet away from him, then widened into a storm of glowing blossoms.
Tenzo, hiding in the trees, swallowed. "[Genjutsu]?" he asked.
Kakashi's [Sharingan] flared to life.
"No, those petals are made of chakra. They are real," Kakashi clarified.
Ryu stood still inside the swirling petals.
"That was… unexpected," Ryu thought.
With a single swing of the sword, the petals fanned out like a beehive of sharpened blades. Carving into the tree behind it, they continued on after ripping through the rolled mat like bullets from a gun. Then it shredded a tree by hundreds of tiny, continuous micro-slashes.
Silence followed.
The old bladesmith spoke first, voice low. "An artefact-grade sword," he said.
Hiruzen turned to him. "You're certain?"
The old man nodded. "I've been smithing for fifty years, Hokage-sama," he said. "I know the difference between a weapon and a legend."
He pointed at the wrecked mat.
"A normal chakra blade conducts chakra and sharpens the cut. That's definitely an artefact. Those petals made of chakra came from the sword. That is only possible due to the unique ability of this artefact-grade sword."
There are many artefacts in this world — the treasured Tools of the Sage of Six Paths, capable of sealing anything; the Tenseigan machine on the moon that could move heavenly bodies; the Gunbai of the Uchiha, a war fan that could turn back attacks; the Shinigami Masks of the Uzumaki clan; the First Hokage's Necklace; the Second Hokage's Blade of the Thunder Spirit; Orochimaru's Kusanagi sword; and... the Seven Swords of the Hidden Mist.... They are all artefact-grade. Unique, priceless and dangerous.
Many great swords are created in every generation, but artefact-grade weapons appear only once in centuries. The Hidden Mist built a whole culture around their collection. No other village has a set like that. And now, one has been forged again after so many years.
Captain Ro spoke from the trees. "That means the bounty just increased," he said.
Yugao looked up. "Why?" she asked.
"The sword's value exceeds most bounties in the Bingo Book," Ro said. "Anyone who carries it carries the fortune of the sword on top of his own bounty. And not to forget, he created that sword. His bounty is to rise if the world learns of it."
Yugao fell silent, her hand moving unconsciously to her own blade. She'd wanted a quality sword better than her standard-issue one for months now. This... this was beyond anything she could afford. Beyond anything most shinobi would ever see, let alone own.
Ryu stared at [Senbonzakura], confused, as he had not expected this effect.
"I don't know what happened... What was this?" Ryu said.
Hiruzen stepped closer. "You're wondering what happened," he said.
Ryu nodded.
"They say some swords contain a piece of their creator's soul," Hiruzen said. "That's especially true for artefact-grade blades. When you pushed past your limits, something of you stayed inside the blade."
Ryu slashed again and flower petals came from the sword. He watched the blossoms drifting in the air.
"But how? I don't think I have pushed past my limits..." he said quietly.
Shiroi's grandfather nodded. "Every craftsman leaves a mark, a signature," he said. "Only the greatest leave a soul."
Ryu slid [Senbonzakura] back into its sheath. The blade went home with a firm click.
"You may not have realised it, but you must have experienced an awakening or realisation," the old man said.
Ryu said, "I saw beautiful flowers on my way here, and I couldn't stop thinking about them."
Ryu then lifted the sword and tested the balance. He shifted his stance and tried a basic kata movement.
He thought and calculated many things in his mind at once and then smiled.
"It's too big for me," Ryu said flatly. "None of my siblings can use this type either; it's too heavy for Akihito, who is struggling with his wooden crane sword."
Ryu looked at [Senbonzakura] one more time.
The sword was magnificent. Too big for him. Useless to his siblings for years to come.
But his mind raced beneath his calm exterior.
An artefact-grade blade. Priceless. Worth more than most bounties in the Bingo Book. A gift like this would be remembered for decades.
The Hokage and Leaf Council held power over Naruto's custody. Building goodwill now might matter later when he makes his move for the boy.
And publicly giving away an artefact? That painted him as loyal, selfless, and devoted to the village. Political capital he could spend when the custody battle came.
His fingers tightened on the hilt for just a moment. The diamond-patterned thread wrapping pressed into his palm, still warm from his chakra.
Then he turned to Hiruzen. "Lord Hokage," Ryu said. "I'd like to give this to you."
The training ground went silent.
Hiruzen paused, his expression unreadable. "Ryu—"
"It's too big for me," Ryu said. "I can barely lift it without losing balance," he lied.
He extended the blade. "You'll find the right hands for it. Someone who can actually use it. Someone who'll protect the village with it."
Hiruzen studied him, expression unreadable.
"It is a valuable sword," Hiruzen said slowly. "Won't you regret it?"
Ryu held up his hands. They were small. A child's hands, reddened from this morning's work.
"Are swords more valuable than these hands?" Ryu asked.
The question hung in the air.
Ryu continued. "These hands made [Senbonzakura]," he said. "They'll make other things. Better things. And when the time comes—"
He glanced at Shiroi. "—I have a brother who will forge my sword."
Shiroi blinked, reflecting surprise.
"You really mean it," he said quietly. "When I'm ready, you'll trust me to forge your sword."
Ryu nodded. "Now that you've joined the clan," he said. "When you've adapted to the prosthetic arm I will make for you and mastered your craft again, you'll forge me something that fits. Something made by family for family."
Kakashi, still watching with his Sharingan active, narrowed his eye.
"That wasn't a child's decision," Kakashi thought. "That was calculated."
Shiroi looked at his grandfather, then back at Ryu. "I'll make you a blade worthy of the Hamura name," he said.
Ryu nodded. "I'm counting on it, brother."
The old craftsman made a choked sound, his wrinkled hand pressing to his mouth.
Shiroi stood frozen, tears gathering in his eye.
Hiruzen took the sword carefully. His weathered hands closed around the hilt, and the weight settled into his grip like it recognised him. The chakra blossoms swirled once, then faded.
"You're certain?" Hiruzen asked.
Ryu met his gaze without flinching. "I'm certain," he said.
Hiruzen studied him for another moment, then nodded slowly.
"Very well," he said. "I accept this gift on behalf of the village."
He paused. "When the right hands appear, I'll remember who forged it."
Ryu bowed slightly. "Thank you, Lord Hokage."
Hiruzen nodded once, then turned to the smith. "A remarkable achievement."
Ryu smiled, just a little. "I can always make another beautiful sword," he said.
The old craftsman leaned forward in his wheelchair, his weathered hands gripping the armrests. "You can't," he said flatly.
Ryu tilted his head.
The old man's voice dropped, carrying the weight of fifty years at the forge. "Even the greatest smiths who've forged artefact-grade blades—they've done it once. Only once in their entire lives." His gaze grew distant. "It's a moment of awakening. A convergence of skill, spirit, and something... more. Something that can't be forced or repeated."
He gestured towards the shredded mat and scarred tree behind it. "The Seven Swordsmen of the Mist—each blade was forged by a different master, and none of them ever replicated their achievement." His voice cracked slightly. "I've spent my whole life at the forge, hoping for that moment. It never came."
He looked back at Ryu, something like awe filling his eyes. "And you... you had it so young. And you just gave this sword away."
Ryu met the old man's gaze calmly. "Then I'll be the first to do it twice," he said simply.
The smith stared at him, caught between disbelief and wonder. Then he let out a bark of laughter. "You're either a fool, a genius, or perhaps a combination of both," the old craftsman remarked, expressing his mixed feelings about Ryu's choice.
Ryu smiled.
He turned to Kaori and Shiroi. "Let's head home," he said.
Shiroi moved to the back of his grandfather's wheelchair. The old man gave Hiruzen one final bow from his seat.
As they reached the main road, the group split naturally.
Ryu and Kaori turned towards the Hamura Manor, the weight of clan duties and new responsibilities waiting for them. Shiroi pushed his grandfather's wheelchair gently in the opposite direction, back towards their old workshop and home, to prepare for the change that was coming.
Back at the training ground, Hiruzen remained where he stood, [Senbonzakura] held carefully in his hands.
Kakashi landed beside him.
Hiruzen studying the blade in silence. He channelled his chakra, and pink petals made of chakra came out of the blade proportional to the chakra he fed.
"He's building something," he said quietly. "Not just inventions. Not just a clan."
Kakashi tilted his head. "What do you think it is?"
Hiruzen didn't answer right away. He turned the sword slowly, watching light play across the cherry blossom pattern.
"I don't know yet," he said finally. "But I'll be watching."
"This is going to stir up some trouble for the boy," Hiruzen thought.
Ryu walked beside Kaori, hands in his pockets.
"Boss," Kaori said quietly. "Are you sure it was worth it? That was a priceless sword."
Ryu didn't answer right away.
"Sometimes the best investment isn't in what you keep," he said finally. "It's in what you give away at the right time."
Kaori glanced at him. "Boss, you're always thinking ahead, aren't you?"
Ryu smiled. "Someone has to."
Somewhere in the distance, cherry blossoms drifted on the wind.
A/N:
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