Power Stone Goals from now on: I always post a minimum of 5 chapters. Henceforth the following are the goals:
Every 150 powerstones, I upload an extra chapter.
If we hit top 30 in the 30-90 days power stone rankings, thats 1 more chapter
If we hit top 10 in the 30-90 days power stone rankings, thats 1 more chapter
If we are top 5...well lets get to that first. Happy readings!
Chapter 74: Quid Pro Quo
The forge emerged from the frost like a buried memory. Hidden deep within the cliffside, it was invisible unless you knew exactly what to look for.
A narrow ledge wrapped around the mountain's edge, treacherous and wind-bitten, leading to an unassuming rock wall. But beneath that wall, chakra pulsed faintly. A genjutsu, old and expertly maintained, flickered as I passed through the hidden threshold.
Warmth hit me like a wave.
The moment I stepped inside, the howling wind ceased. The cavern opened into a massive underground smithy. The walls were charred black with soot, etched with forgotten clan sigils and old, worn runes. Rows of weapons, unfinished and raw, lay on shelves and tables. Some glowed faintly with residual chakra. Others were cracked and half-melted, likely failed experiments.
But at the center of the forge stood the anvil.
The furnace beside it roared with pale-blue flame, hotter than anything natural. Fueled by something more than coal.
And standing just beyond it, hammer in hand, was the man I had come to find.
He looked up slowly as I approached, the ringing of steel fading into silence.
Middle-aged, tall but not imposing, his frame was wiry rather than bulky. His hair, mostly black, had streaks of white near the temples, like fire meeting ash. His eyes were sharp, discerning. He didn't speak immediately, just sized me up with a blacksmith's eye—measuring worth in posture, breath, and callus.
"You're late," he said finally, voice rough but steady.
I gave a half-bow. "I had to be sure I wasn't followed."
He grunted and turned back to his forge. "Doesn't matter. You're here now. What do you want?"
"I want a weapon," I said simply.
He chuckled dryly. "Everyone wants a weapon. Most don't know what kind. And the ones who do rarely survive long enough to use it right."
I stepped closer. "I know what I want. And I know who you are. You're the one who forged blades for the 'Resistance'. You crafted the twin sabers for Tetsuo of the North. You built the first chakra-reactive scythe for the Sand Cloak Rebels."
The 'Resistance' was the name of a local Player organisation which considered the way the Shogun ruled as tyranical and tried to change the system...barely a faction that the leaders of the Land of Iron seemed to care about.
His hammer stopped mid-air.
"So, you've done your homework."
"I've done more than that. I've risked everything to get here."
The blacksmith sighed and placed the hammer down. "Name's Jinzo. And yeah, I've made a few blades. But I'm not in the rebellion anymore. I keep my head low, stay out of the Shogun's records. Safer that way."
"I don't need you to join a rebellion," I said. "I need a blade that's mine. A weapon not registered to the Shogun, and one that is one of a kind...the best of the entire world."
Jinzo looked at me again, longer this time. "You want something better than even those damned blades of the Mist?"
I nodded.
He leaned back against the anvil. "I might be able to help you. But I don't have what I need. Not anymore."
"What do you mean?"
"There's a rare chakra metal—variant type. Deep blue. More adaptive to user signature than anything I've worked with. It doesn't corrode, doesn't reject imprint, but it's locked up tight."
"Locked up where?"
"In the northwest ridge of the Land of Iron. Deep in the old Shogunate mines. Place is sealed and patrolled. Only authorized blacksmiths are allowed to request samples. And I ain't one of 'em anymore."
I frowned. "Why not?"
"Because I don't follow rules. Because I built tools for people who wanted freedom, not obedience. The Shogun doesn't like that."
Silence hung between us for a moment.
"So what if I get it for you?"
He smiled faintly. "Then I'll forge you something the Shogun himself would kill to own."
I suspected this was just the start of a quest. "Describe it."
"Boxed in lead. Heavy. Dense chakra seal. It hums when you're near it. You'll know it when you feel it."
"And the guards?"
Silent, unquestioning, merciless—the kind that required speed, subtlety, and smarts to evade.
I nodded. "I'll get it."
Jinzo crossed his arms. One more thing—bring it back untouched, no scratches, no breaks; the metal remembers damage.
"Understood."
As I turned to leave, he spoke again, softer this time.
"Most people think the weapon makes the warrior. They're wrong. It's the burden they share that makes them one."
I didn't reply. I just walked out, letting the cold bite into my face again.
I had a direction.
And soon, I'd have a weapon worthy of what was coming.
…
[Special Commission Quest]
Rank: A-S+
Description: A hidden blacksmith from the Land of Iron, Jinzo, has requested your assistance to retrieve a rare chakra metal variant—an unregistered resource sealed away in the Shogunate's northwest mines. This mission is highly confidential and unauthorized by any known guild or government.
Your objective is to infiltrate a restricted zone under the jurisdiction of the Shogun, bypass elite silent sentries, and recover the chakra metal without detection or damage. The material is heavily regulated, and possession outside sanctioned smiths is a criminal offense.
Location: Northwest Ridge, Old Shogunate Mines, Land of Iron
Mission Objective:
Infiltrate the Shogunate mines without triggering alarmLocate the chakra metal core sealed in a lead boxExtract it without tampering, damage, or exposureReturn to Jinzo's hidden forge with the item intact
Reward:
A custom chakra-reactive weapon forged by Jinzo (one of a kind)Reputation increase with neutral or rogue factions in the Land of Iron
Failure:
Discovery by guards (Immediate forced extraction & potential criminal status in Land of Iron)Damaged metal will nullify rewardJinzo may permanently refuse further collaboration
Quest Difficulty: High (A to S+ based on approach and execution)
Note: This quest will not appear in standard mission logs. It must be tracked manually.
[Quest Accepted Automatically Upon Entry to the Northwest Ridge Zone]
…
The quest panel appeared the moment I stepped out of the forge, flickering into my vision like a whisper from the system itself. A faint chime. A cold, calculated interface.
[Special Commission Quest — Rank: A-S+]
Of course. Jinzo wasn't just a blacksmith. He was a node in the network. The system had flagged his request as an elite-tier mission.
But I already knew the location beforehand when I was investigating these Lands. Northwest Ridge. The old Shogunate mines.
I had something else to take care of first.
A few hours earlier, I'd sent out a message to the player who'd helped me find Jinzo in the first place. A nameless informant embedded in the Resistance, someone who knew the veins and arteries of the Land of Iron better than any map.
He was already waiting by the time I reached the shadowed edge of the ridge. Cloaked in a tattered traveler's cloak, hood up, posture lazy but alert.
"Matter done?" he asked without turning.
"Yeah," I replied.
There was a pause.
Then, "As for my payment."
"Lead the way."
We didn't waste time.
He moved fast but quiet, gliding between the stone ridges and half-frozen bushes like a ghost.
By the time we reached the outskirts of a forgotten trail near the northwest corridor, the wind had shifted and the sun was low.
We stopped near a snow-covered ridge overlooking a half-buried structure. Wooden walls. Black banners.
"I know for a fact that all sixty of them are stationed here," he said, pointing with a gloved hand.
The camp was well-hidden, partially obscured by layered genjutsu. Only someone with sensory training or bloodline awareness could spot it.
Lucky for me, I had both.
Ever since I'd deepened my connection to the Uzumaki bloodline, my sensory range had grown exponentially. My chakra perception wrapped around the structure like an invisible net.
"Fifty-nine Chunin," I murmured. "One Jonin."
"Correct."
"And all of them are members of the Dark Dream Guild."
He nodded. "They took over this region two months ago. My people barely managed to hang on to our foothold. They're expanding aggressively. Eliminating scouts, disrupting supplies, threatening neutral blacksmiths. Jinzo's one of the last free artisans. If they'd found him first—"
"They'd have enslaved his craft."
"Or erased it."
The Resistance couldn't afford to fight them head-on. But I wasn't the Resistance.
This was the payment.
He wanted me to eliminate the squad.
"All sixty?" I asked.
He just nodded.
The camp layout was simple: horseshoe tents, three watchtowers, a central command yurt, and fresh chakra traces from recent drills.
But no alarm system I could detect. No sensor barrier.
Well...this wouldn't be that hard.
I took a breath, rolling my shoulders. The wind picked up, carrying the scent of ash from their fires.
"You heading back?" I asked.
He shook his head. "This one's your mission. I'll be watching from a safe distance."
"Suit yourself."
With that, I descended silently down the ridge, cloak drawn tight. I could sense each of them now—their breathing, their footsteps.
They had no idea their end had already been bought and paid for.
And once this was done, the mines were just over the next ridge.
Perfect.
Two birds.
One stone...wait is it one Kunai?
...
Authors note:
You can read some chapters ahead if you want to on my p#treon.com/Fat_Cultivator