GSiN: Ch. 203

"Request? Go ahead and tell me."

Ryouma thought to himself, as expected.

Masamune gave a chuckle. His calloused hands rubbed together vigorously, and a flush of excitement rose on his bronze-colored face.

"You're the hero famed across the shinobi world, the one who ended the war! I have a rather bold request. I hope to leave the Chiko clan's seal on the reforged Lostvayne, as a witness to this moment."

He suddenly dropped back a full meter, performing a full dogeza, forehead pressed to the floor.

"I beg of you! This is the request of my entire lifetime!"

"Father!"

Seeing her father perform such a bow, Kirin almost dropped the tea she was in the middle of pouring. She hastily set everything down, knelt properly, and bowed her head low, not even making a sound.

A glint of amusement flickered in Orochimaru's eyes. His tongue traced lightly across his lips.

"As you can see, his dream has always been to forge a blade worthy of being passed down through the ages. But his luck seems... less than ideal. The ninja and samurai who commissioned his blades were either nobodies who died in the war or vanished into obscurity soon after. So, in the end, he could only come to you, someone who rose to fame at a young age."

As he finished speaking, the reception room fell silent.

Ryouma's brow tightened slightly.

According to Orochimaru's intel, this man before him was the only one in the entire shinobi world capable of reforging Lostvayne to a strength surpassing its original. Of course, whether the enhancement would withstand the Super Saiyan Mode was uncertain, but it was worth trying.

Thinking this, Ryouma tapped his finger lightly on the table. "Since you're a master smith, I can agree to some small conditions. But I'm curious, why do you want so badly to forge my sword? Just for the sake of a name?"

"Of course not!" Masamune suddenly sat up straight. "I'm not someone who seeks fame for its own sake, it's just that..."

He abruptly stopped, reconsidered his wording, then continued. "It's my grandfather. He once forged a famous blade, Kanze Masamune, for the First Mizukage. My name was taken from that very sword. So, in order not to dishonor the name my father gave me, and to continue our clan's legacy of producing renowned blades through the generations, I want to add another legendary sword to our family's honor."

"Hm... I see. But about Kanze Masamune, I've never heard of a famous sword in Kiri besides the Seven Ninja Swords. So there was another one?"

This was Ryouma's first time hearing of it. If there was another famed blade, why not form an Eight Swordsmen? And its wielder was the First Mizukage.

"Heheh."

Orochimaru let out his trademark hoarse laugh. "You should have seen that blade before. After the First Mizukage's death, it was passed down to the Third Mizukage and helped him earn the title of 'Hidden Mist Secret Blade.'"

Masamune shot Orochimaru an irritated glare. He knew this, which was why he hesitated earlier. After all, everyone in the shinobi world knew that the Leaf's Gale despised Kiri ninjas. If Ryouma rejected him for that reason, then there was no way he would agree to the condition Orochimaru had proposed a few days earlier.

Orochimaru, ignoring the displeasure completely, continued, "Speaking of which, that blade should still be in your possession, since you were the one who killed the Third Mizukage."

At that reminder, Ryouma finally recalled it. Back when he infiltrated Kiri and killed the Third Mizukage, the man had kept a death grip on his sword even in his final moments. So he ended up taking both the corpse and the blade with him. But aside from being somewhat light, the sword hadn't seemed special. He had assumed it was just an ordinary ninja blade and handed it over, corpse and all, to Hiruzen.

"Damn!"

He suddenly realized just how badly he had lost out. Once he got back, he was definitely going to demand it returned.

"Um... Ryouma-san?"

Masamune saw Ryouma's expression shift through several emotions and couldn't quite figure out what he was thinking.

"Ahem..."

Ryouma cleared his throat and gestured for Masamune, who was still kneeling. "You can stand up first."

Masamune straightened his back, eyes full of hope. "Does that mean you agree?"

Ryouma gave him a relaxed smile. "With a master smith like you offering to help, and for free at that, why would I refuse?"

Saying this, he lifted his cup of now-lukewarm tea and took a small sip. Mm. Good tea indeed.

"Excellent!"

Masamune pumped his fist in excitement. He forced himself to calm down, returned to his seat at the tea table, and spoke eagerly. "It's still early. Let's discuss in detail what requirements you have for this blade."

They talked until dusk. The slanting orange glow of the setting sun spilled into the room by the time Ryouma and Masamune finalized all the details. They had formed preliminary plans for the blade's design and special functions. But for Ryouma, only one thing truly mattered. The blade must be durable.

At the very least, it must not shatter after a single intense use like the original Lostvayne had. To this, he slapped his massive chest and swore he'd personally guarantee its durability. No matter how Ryouma used it, it would not break. And if it somehow did, he would cover the materials himself and reforge it for free, offering lifetime warranty. All those bold flags he raised sent a chill through his heart. Instead of being reassured, his worry only deepened.

---

Night gradually fell as Ryouma and Orochimaru walked back toward their inn. Because curfew was approaching, the streets were quiet, with only the occasional shadow flickering across the rooftops.

Orochimaru broke the silence first. "There's an exhibition at the village's southwest corner tomorrow. I think you might find it interesting."

Ryouma raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What kind of exhibits?"

"Mostly scientific products, special-function ninja tools and such. My original purpose in coming here was to acquire some of the new experimental equipment they'll be showing."

Ryouma thought, So basically scientific ninja tools?

"Sure, let's take a look. Masamune needs time to forge the blade anyway. I've got nothing better to do."

He wasn't actually interested in the so-called scientific ninja tools. He just wanted to see the lively event, and maybe find something convenient for everyday life.

After all, according to the timeline he remembered from his previous life, things like air conditioners and refrigerators should already exist, though not yet widespread. So maybe he might run into them at the exhibition.

---

At dawn the next morning, sunlight spilled early across the streets of Takumi Village, bathing the entire village in a warm glow.

Ryouma and Orochimaru headed together toward the exhibition venue in the village's southwest corner. Along the street, the marketplace was already bustling. Vendors' cries rose and fell one after another, but it was clear that both of their minds were on the exhibition that was about to begin.

Before long, they arrived at the venue, where a massive domed structure stood majestically before them. As a nation founded on craftsmanship, its architectural style was imposing and grand. Crowds surged around them. Ninjas and craftsmen dressed in all manner of strange and exotic outfits gathered together, chatting animatedly. High above the entrance, banners fluttered loudly in the wind, emblazoned with the hammer emblem symbolizing Takumi Village.

The moment the two stepped into the venue, the smell of machine oil hit them, followed by the rhythmic sounds of gears meshing together. A flicker of excitement immediately flashed through Orochimaru's eyes.

"I'm going to take a look at those new experimental devices first. What about you?"

"I'll just wander around here," Ryouma replied.

"Alright."

With that, they parted ways for the time being and went off on their own.

Ryouma had little interest in the high-end, complex experimental equipment deeper inside the hall, so he strolled leisurely among the outer-ring booths instead. His gaze swept continuously across the stalls, searching for small items that could bring convenience to everyday life.

Finally, in a display area belonging to some unknown company, he spotted a device that looked like a small wardrobe. Ryouma stepped closer and saw the placard beside it.

"New Constant-Temperature Storage Cabinet: Adjustable temperature to keep items fresh and dry."

Something stirred in his mind. Wasn't this basically a refrigerator? Back when the summer heat had been unbearable, he had long envied the low-temperature storage unit in Orochimaru's laboratory used to preserve White Zetsu cells, but he had never found the time to get one himself.

Thinking of this, he leaned in with growing interest, intending to check out the company's other products.

---

Meanwhile, on the other side, Orochimaru walked straight down the corridor toward the inner circle, the core area where new products were being showcased.

With his sharp eye, he quickly found the instrument that had caught his attention at first glance in yesterday's promotional booklet. The machine before him was enormous, its overall form an irregular polyhedron, with parts of its internal structure completely exposed. Compared to the surrounding exhibits, security around this machine was clearly much tighter. The guards looked alert, their eyes constantly scanning every movement nearby.

Orochimaru glanced at the sign beside it that read "Do Not Touch." He lightly licked his lips.

This machine was obviously only a half-finished product, yet it exposed part of its seemingly orderly structure. Clearly a "bait" set out on purpose. The question was whether this bait was meant to filter out those ignorant mediocrities, or if some other motive lay hidden behind it.

He let out a low chuckle, then did not linger any longer. He turned and walked steadily toward the innermost backstage area.

Takumi Village was not a ninja village established in the traditional sense through cooperation between ninja clans and a daimyō. There was no so-called village leader here, but rather local great clans such as the Chiko clan, along with various external forces that had taken root here. Standing behind these forces were the daimyō of certain countries, as well as wealthy and powerful noble officials. It was worth mentioning that Root had also once had a hand here in the past, and its status had even been quite high. However, Root had now been completely wiped out, and the only person left in Konoha who knew about this was Orochimaru.

Thinking about it, it was rather interesting. After Danzō's death, if one were to ask who in Konoha benefited the most, it would undoubtedly be Orochimaru. Not only had he dumped all his dirty work onto Danzō, he had also taken the opportunity to swallow up most of Danzō's assets scattered across the shinobi world.

Making use of the old Root network, he had already contacted the owner behind this technology company the night before, a great noble under the daimyō of the Land of Water.

In the backstage area, staff members could be seen everywhere, hurrying past with arms full of folders or pushing carts loaded with experimental equipment. Before long, Orochimaru arrived at a heavy metal door. Two guard ninjas wearing Kiri forehead protectors stopped him.

He narrowed his eyes slightly. Before the guards could even speak, he said calmly, "I want to see your boss. Tell him Orochimaru is here."

Upon hearing that name, the two Kiri ninjas exchanged a glance, each seeing a trace of fear in the other's eyes. If this weren't a time of peace, killing them might not even take him a minute.

Seeing the two Kiri ninjas hesitate and drag their feet, he grew impatient and asked in a low voice, "Do you have a problem with that?"

"N-No, of course not... Please wait a moment."

One of them swallowed nervously and hurriedly turned to report inside through the communication device by the door.

Soon, the heavy door slowly opened, and a man came out to greet them personally. He was dressed in a luxurious robe, wearing few accessories. Although his face was full of smiles, the small eyes beneath revealed sharpness and caution.

"Orochimaru-san, I've been waiting for you for quite some time. Please, come in."

The man gestured and led Orochimaru into the room.

Inside, the décor was extravagantly luxurious. Priceless carpets covered the floor, and the walls were hung with somewhat abstract paintings. In the center of the room stood a massive rosewood desk, upon which various delicate pastries were laid out. But none of these were things Orochimaru cared about. His gaze was drawn instead to another man already seated in the room, someone wearing a loose white kimono, his black hair tied into a long braid.

A dangerous glint flashed through his eyes. "I don't recall you mentioning that there would be other guests."

He was not in a good mood. According to the information he had obtained, the instrument he had his eye on was extremely difficult to produce. At present, there was only one usable unit, and the next restock would take at least half a year. And at a time like this, anyone who could appear here without a doubt had to be his competitor.

"Please don't be angry just yet. If we're really talking about who came first, this gentleman contacted me earlier than you did. Oh right, I haven't introduced the two of you yet, how rude of me. This is..."

"No need to trouble yourself. I do recognize him. Orochimaru, one of Konoha's Three Sannin."

A magnetic, mature male voice sounded out. The man in the white kimono slowly rose from his seat and gave Orochimaru a friendly nod.

"My name is Jigen."