Danzo's face froze for a moment upon hearing the words. He fell into brief contemplation, then let out a cold sneer.
"So, it was Jiraiya, huh?"
"That little pervert only knows how to peep at women in the bathhouse. He's just like you."
Sarutobi Hiruzen flushed slightly, as if his guilty conscience had been exposed. He coughed to cover his embarrassment.
"Regardless, I'm not handing that child over to you."
"And besides, I just assigned an entire Anbu squad to you the other day. Don't push your luck!"
His tone grew increasingly stern, exuding the presence only a seasoned shinobi could possess.
Danzo snorted.
"Then give me that blond brat beside him!"
"That child was brought back by Jiraiya," Hiruzen replied calmly.
"He'll be under Jiraiya's care too, so don't even think about it."
Seeing all his requests rejected, Danzo furrowed his brows, his tone turning harsh.
"Then send the Uchiha clan to the Kirigakure front!"
Hiruzen pondered for a moment, then shook his head.
"No. The timing isn't right."
"You'll regret this, Hiruzen!"
Having even his suggestion about the Uchiha denied, Danzo roared in frustration.
"I'm the Hokage, Danzo!"
"Hmph!"
With another cold snort, Danzo turned and stormed out, the door slamming hard into its frame with a loud
BANG!
"Next time you do that, I'm docking funds from your Root budget to buy a new door!"
Hiruzen's voice echoed from the office behind.
Danzo paused mid-step, glanced back with a harrumph.
"Hmph! Like I care, I'll just slam it again!"
Several Anbu hidden in the shadows could only shake their heads. This scene had become a regular performance, especially with that same exchange of lines.
Every time Elder Danzo came to see the Hokage, this play would unfold without fail.
If it didn't happen, they'd actually suspect Danzo had been replaced and stop him for a body check.
==========
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Minato arrived and knocked on the door.
Woken up by the knocking, Yuki Seisui rubbed his eyes and opened the door, asking groggily,
"Minato, why are you here so early?"
"Today's the day of the field trip, remember?" Minato said, clearly excited.
"And it's also the day we get our ninja tools!"
Honestly, his excitement was understandable. He hadn't seen much of the world yet, and the first time he even touched a real ninja tool was during combat training at the academy.
Now, he was about to get his own tools of course he was thrilled.
Looking at Minato, Yuki sighed helplessly.
"Alright, just wait a bit. I'll wash up first."
Minato nodded eagerly. Once Yuki was ready, the two made their way toward the blacksmith shop.
As they walked, Yuki munched on a skewer of dango and sighed.
"Minato, if Uncle Hayata hadn't opened the shop yet, wouldn't this trip be a waste?"
"I checked on the way here, he's already open!" Minato replied, barely able to contain his excitement.
"He was going to give mine to me already, but I said I'd wait and go with you."
"You really..." Yuki didn't know whether to laugh or scold him.
Still, seeing Minato like this, he couldn't help but smile.
So the future Fourth Hokage was once just a cheerful kid too.
Then again, kids are kids. No matter how mature they might seem, they'll still show their childish side like the way Minato was now, overflowing with joy.
When they arrived at the smithy, Uncle Hayata was already waiting for them. Seeing the two approaches, he grinned.
"Yuki, your friend here's a real bro!"
He gave them a thumbs-up.
"He insisted on waiting until you got here."
Minato scratched his head sheepishly.
"Well... it just felt like the right thing to do."
"Alright then," Hayata chuckled, and then pulled out two tri-pronged kunai and a jet-black tachi sword.
"Here you go, Minato, these are yours," he said, handing over the kunai.
"These aren't disposable tools, they're forged from chakra-conductive metal."
"I added double handguards to protect you from enemy weapons sliding down and cutting your hands."
"Also, I mixed in some wind-element minerals to help conduct your chakra more efficiently. They'll hit harder too."
Then he urged,
"Go ahead, Minato, try channeling some chakra into them."
Minato blinked. He knew chakra-metal was valuable, but this valuable? Tools that could conduct chakra weren't cheap. He turned to look at Yuki.
"What are you standing there for?" Yuki smiled.
"Just try it out already."
"Okay!" Minato nodded vigorously, then began channeling chakra into the kunai.
In just a moment, both blades lit up with a bluish glow. The chakra extended along their edges, forming blades that stretched out another twenty centimeters or so.
Hayata let out an approving laugh.
"Now try swinging it, throw the chakra outward."
Minato instinctively swung one, and a streak of light slashed toward the side, leaving a clean mark across the forge's surface.
"I-I'm sorry!" Minato panicked upon seeing the damage.
But Hayata just waved it off.
"No big deal."
"These kunai were forged from chakra-conductive metal mixed with wind-element ore. You can extend chakra to create a cutting edge, or swing it to release a chakra slash."
He winked at the two of them.
"The more chakra you pour in, the stronger the effect. If you had enough chakra, you could probably make the slash the size of a mountain!"
"Too bad I didn't have any fire or lightning-element materials on hand, or I could've made your second kunai with a different elemental effect."
"This is already amazing!" Minato beamed, clutching his new weapons.
"Uncle Hayata, you're incredible!"
"Haha! Of course! I'm going to be the greatest smith in the land!"
He laughed heartily, then turned to Yuki and handed him the tachi.
"You described something between a straight sword and a katana, so I made this based on your specs."
"You told me your chakra affinities were wind and water, right?"
"Right," Yuki nodded.
They'd both tested their chakra natures as soon as they learned how to refine it.
Minato had wind, fire, and lightning; Yuki had wind and water, fairly balanced.
"I blended wind and water minerals in just the right ratio," Hayata explained.
"And I used my family's traditional forging technique."
"This sword can channel both elements. I also customized it to your size and designed it to lengthen with chakra, so you won't outgrow it later."
He stood proudly with his hands on his hips.
Dual-element tools weren't unheard of, but ones that could adjust their length? Rare. The most famous example was the Kusanagi Sword, the one wielded by that snake sage.
Hearing Hayata's words, Yuki looked down at the blade in his hands.
=============
250 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter
Add to Library to support
80 Advance Chapters Available on Patreon! Patreon.com/Veltoria