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"Sakura-chan!" - Regular Speech

'Baka!' - Thoughts

:Shannaro!: - Inner Sakura

[Quest Announcement] - Gamer Ability/Notification

Beta'd by BigCC

Chapter 31: Giant Killer Naruto

Minutes Earlier

With Asuma

"YOU GODDAMNED BRAT! I'M GOING TO CHOP OFF ALL OF YOUR FUCKING LIMBS AND FORCE YOU TO EAT THEM!"

Asuma let out a light breath, sharing a bemused look with Kurenai as the two of them and the remaining genin heard the bestial roar of utter rage and frustration echo through the forest. With an almost casual flick of his wrist, Asuma threw one last kunai into the neck of the idiot that had let the shout distract him a bit too much from their fight, sending the last of the half-dozen Chūnin Nuke-nin they'd caught falling to the ground. Surprisingly enough, two of them had already been down and mostly out by the time the two jonin had arrived; the results of one of Shikamaru's rather clever plan involving letting Ino and Sakura break away to set up a few traps that the rest could lead the Nuke-nin into. Given how poorly these idiots seemed to have maintained their skills while living as bandits, combined with a few disorienting genjutsu from Asuma's kunoichi students, and it had apparently been fairly easy to just lead them into a minefield of Kibaku Fuda. Granted, only two of them had been too slow to avoid the detonation, but it had left the last four as even easier prey when the two jonin had arrived on the scene moments later.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru groaned out. The young Nara seemed to be so completely and utterly DONE with today that it wasn't even that funny anymore. "Naruto has really managed to piss off that Hoshigaki guy, hasn't he?"

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata murmured worriedly.

"Sounds like we'd best go and find him fast." Kurenai offered with a frown.

"Agreed. Genin, fall in behind us and move as fast as you can, your priority is to keep the client out of harm's way. Leave the fighting to us." Asuma ordered swiftly. While taking the genin (and Ayame) with them might not seem like a good idea at first glance, it was honestly the better option given that they had no idea how many more of these Karehagakure Nuke-nin were currently lurking about. Better to keep them close where the two jonin could defend them against any major threats than showed themselves than to leave them behind where someone even more dangerous might stumble onto them. Honestly, the fact that they had all managed to get through this so far with nothing more than a few minor injuries simply beggared belief. At worst, the lot of them were likely going to need a session or two with the Yamanaka after this, considering that they'd all seen far too much death today. Chōji, in particular, was going to need go through First Kill Counselling far sooner than any Genin ever should.

As far as Asuma was concerned, the lot of them had all burned through their rations of good luck for at least the next year, so he was not about to take any chances with them now. One of his pops' old proverbs came to mind, an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure, or something like that.

As the Konoha Shinobi (with Ayame being helped along by Sakura and Ino) leapt through the trees, the roar of surging water suddenly filled the air for a moment before it was quickly accompanied by another enraged shout from the person Asuma presumed was Hoshigaki Chikuwa.

"THIS IS UTTER BULLSHITTTTTT!"

The sound of roaring water surged even louder after that and was soon being accompanied by the vaguely familiar sound of wood being smashed and crushed by tremendous amounts of force.

"Huh, sounds like Naruto was forced to use his current offensive trump card." Asuma mused aloud.

"What trump card sensei?" Sakura queried.

"Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu, an A-Rank Water Element technique." the Smoking Guardian answered briefly. "Given the kid's absolutely ludicrous chakra reserves, I agreed to let him learn it, but I gave him strict orders to only pull it out if he was in a life-or-death situation. I suppose squaring off with a jonin certainly counts for that, at least."

"A-An A-Rank!?" Ino nearly choked out. As the Heiress of a fairly powerful Ninja Clan, she was well aware of just how rare and powerful those kind of jutsu were. Her own father, the Yamanaka Clan Head and a seasoned and high-ranking jonin, only knew a handful of them, including several of her Clan's most powerful Hiden jutsu, and he was reluctant to use them outside of training as anything but a last resort due to the sheer amount of chakra it took for him to use just one of them.

The fact that Naruto had been able to learn one at all was incredible, but the fact the was able to freely use it was even more impossible. If she tried to do that herself the attempt would only fail miserably but the strain of it would literally destroy her chakra coils, if she even survived long enough for that to matter.

"…I think we've reached the location of their initial clash." Kurenai offered dryly as they came across a clear sign of mass deforestation. Most of the trees in a wide radius of the surrounding woodlands had seemingly been knocked over or even uprooted by some immense force. Most likely by a powerful water technique if the soaked ground was any indication.

"Yup, and it looks like the battle got dragged in that direction. Let's get moving." Asuma ordered, nodding in a direction to one side of the destruction where a wide avenue of trees had been torn through by some massive force.

"This place looks like it was hit by a waterspout that somehow managed to find its way onto dry land." Ayame whispered in disbelief as she glanced about at the destruction around them as they moved.

"That's honestly not a bad way of describing it. The most common way to use the Daibakufu no Jutsu is to fire it off as a massive, horizontal vortex." Asuma informed her. "At least we can breathe a bit easier now, anyone who got struck by that should be in no shape to continue fighting afterwards, so…"

"RAAAAAARRRGGGHHH!"

"…of course I could be wrong about that. Double-time, now!" the bearded jonin corrected as a bellow of inarticulate rage and fury echoed out from deeper in the direction they were heading. Picking up their previous pace, the group followed the trail of destruction from the attack, which stretched far longer than any of them could have expected.

"…just how much chakra did that crazy baka put into that jutsu!?" Sakura murmured, her voice mixing a fond exasperation with more than a bit of awe.

"Yeah, I'm definitely going to need to put the kid through his paces with this jutsu when we get back to Konoha." Asuma agreed with a sigh. "He used way too much chakra on this."

"I am going to murder you, you damned little fuck! I don't care if I have to rip out your throat with my teeth, I am going to make you regret ever being fucking born!" the snarling voice of Hoshigaki Chikuwa seemed to carry across the distance.

"Oh yeah? Come over here and prove it then, tough guy." Naruto taunting reply was just as clear.

Asuma was already starting to feel a dull, painful throbbing sensation develop behind his eyes. Of course the headstrong Jinchūriki kid would be willing to taunt a fucking Jonin. He was going to need a good, strong drink after today.

Snk!

The sharp sound of a blade slicing home echoed through the air just as the group arrived on the scene. This allowed them all to bear witness to Uzumaki Naruto beheading a man, who was most likely Hoshigaki Chikuwa, with his kodachi. A fountain of blood erupted from the neck as the body collapsed forward, the head toppling to the ground a few feet away, staring at the sky with sightless eyes as a curve-bladed kunai fell from its slackened jaws.

Naruto, who had managed to avoid the blood-spray from his newly defeated enemy, had just wiped his kodachi's blade clean before re-sheathing it. Then he turned and quickly caught sight of them, grinning tiredly as he recognized the group. "Oh, hey guys! I managed to beat him!"

"Only you, Naruto." Asuma let out another breath, shaking his head in bemusement at the oh-so-casual greeting he gave after cutting down an enemy shinobi that should have been several times outside his weight class.

Pulling out another Mortuary Scroll from his coat (which caused Shikamaru to start developing a tick on his forehead in annoyance), Naruto quickly sealed the head into it, swiftly followed by the rest of the body, sans the arm that was still gripping the huge, multi-bladed sword that had presumably belonged to the former Kiri shinobi.

"Well that is a rather odd-looking blade." the Smoking Guardian whistled slightly as Naruto pried the hand free from its hilt. "I mean, I've seen some of Kiri's legendary 'Seven Swords' and while its not as out there as Shibuki, Nuibari or the Kabutowari, it is still a pretty strange design."

"This one was supposedly the precursor for Kubikiribōchō." the blonde-haired boy informed him, leaning the massive blade on his shoulder, which honestly looked kinda ridiculous given that Naruto could stand on his own shoulders twice over and still not be taller than the massive blade. "It's apparently got the same self-repairing ability, but they decided to change the final design of the blade to make it better at dealing with one-on-one fights."

"Users of famous swords and their love of boasting." Asuma let out another sigh, giving a believable explanation for the information despite knowing that it had more than likely come from Naruto using that [Gamer] ability of his to take a look at Kiribachi's history…however that worked. He really needed to sit down and have a good, close look at some video games just so he could actually get a proper handle on the weird abilities that his most unpredictable genin could pull off. "Right. Well…let's get back to the Shukuba and see if we can help drive out the rest of those Nuke-nin from this Karehagakure group and then start assisting with the relief efforts. We'll definitely need to send a report back to the Hokage about this, ASAP. This entire incident is gonna ruffle so many feathers, it's going to be an absolute mess."

Pausing for a moment, Asuna then added. "Oh, and Naruto, send a few Kage Bunshin back along the main road until you find a bunch of dead Nuke-nin and have them gather up the bodies. No point in the wasting their bounties after all, even if there's likely nothing bigger than a C-rank among them."

"Sure thing sensei, just…gimme a minute." Naruto let out a tired huff as he stored Kiribachi in a normal Storage Scroll. "I burned through most of my available chakra when I was fighting that fish-faced bastard. I just need a minute to let it fill up again."

That earned him a few surprised looks from his fellow Genin. In all the time that they had known Naruto, he had always been completely full to the brim with chakra and energy, a seemingly never-ending and constantly replenishing font of vitality. For him to have used so much that he couldn't even pop out a couple of Kage Bunshin, something he normally did as easily as breathing, that meant…

"You really overdid it with that Daibakufu, didn't you." Sakura scolded him.

"Aw c'mon Sakura-chan!" Naruto whined a bit. "That guy was crazy; he just wouldn't stay down no matter what I threw at him! Even if I did go overboard in the end, that bastard was still tough enough to get right back up after taking an A-rank Jutsu straight to the face! Seriously, if I never have to fight another jonin again, it will too damn soon-dattebayo!"

"Ideally, you shouldn't have to fight another jonin until you're one yourself, Naruto." Kurenai stated firmly. "Genin are not supposed to be forced to fight Chūnin, let alone Jonin. That you all rose to the occasion magnificently this time does not change that fact."

"No offence, Kurenai-sensei, but I don't think that bastards like Hoshigaki Chikuwa really give a damn about who we're supposed to fight; he was more interested in getting his jollies having 'fun' in a fight." the Jinchūriki responded with a shrug before he seemed to recover enough to form the Clone Handsign. "[Kage Bunshin no Jutsu]."

In a small explosion of smoke, five Shadow Clones appeared around him and immediately took off to fulfil Asuma's orders at their creator's behest.

"Right, let's get a move on then." Asuma ordered, though he was honestly still feeling a bit sour. He was certainly not looking forward to writing up the report on this utter clusterfuck of a mission.

Later

Guest Room, Ara no Kusa Inn, Arakusa Village

Sighing in relief as he finally got a bit of time to himself, Naruto lay back on his temporary bed. Thankfully, the attack by Karehagakure hadn't been anywhere near as disastrous as it could have been given the sheer number of Nuke-nin that had attacked the village.

The tower had served its purpose in drawing the attention of the majority of the attacking enemies, intent on removing the biggest threat while they were at their strongest. For whatever reason, Hoshigaki Chikuwa had seemed to be more interested in standing back and watching rather than joining in on the initial attack while he'd been there, which had allowed the Chūnin stationed in the tower and the Ashigaru guarding the town to mount a proper defence against the invading Nuke-nin, as well as allowing the civilians to quickly seek out shelter.

The Ashigaru Guards had suffered the worst losses in the attack; of the thirty stationed in Arakusa, ten were now dead, with another five seriously injured and the vast majority of the rest suffering light injuries. The Chūnin stationed on the Arakusa Guard Tower had acquitted themselves admirably in the ensuing combat, being responsible for the majority of deaths among the attackers. Of the thirteen shinobi that had been in the tower (three four-man squads plus the Patrol Commander assigned to the tower) at the time, three of their numbers had fallen in combat with the rest suffering minor or light injuries, and Hoshigaki Chikuwa was attributed with two of those kills, including the Patrol Commander himself. Apparently, the Commander had identified him as the leader of the attacking force and had attempted to decapitate the attacking force's chain of command mid-battle, only for his attempt to backfire badly on him.

The civilians had gotten off fairly lightly all things considered, with a dozen suffering from various minor injuries and only three deaths.

On Karehagakure's side, if one included the ones that had been killed or captured while pursuing Teams 8 and 10, they had lost a total of ten Genin rank, twenty-five Chūnin rank, and a single jonin rank shinobi before their forces had fallen back. Given everything they knew or at least suspected of the group, that still left Karehagakure with an undetermined number of Genin, at least twenty-five more Chūnin, and Akazukin Sayuri, another Jonin. That meant that, while they might have lost close to half of their main combat force, they were still far larger than the vast majority of Nuke-nin groups that had been reported since the end of the last war.

Nuke-nin only tended to group up for a few reasons: shared history, a common goal, or a promised pay-check; and of those three only the first two ever amounted to anything more than a short-term alliance. Most groups never amounted to more than three- or four-man squads, with groups as large as ten members being exceptionally rare. According to Asuma-sensei, a group the size of this one, with over fifty members of at least Chūnin rank, usually only occurred during the great wars, usually as a result of some large-scale desertion from one or more of the villages, or when some wannabe warlord or criminal kingpin was trying to build themselves up an army in one of the more lawless sections of Hi no Kuni.

'Could it really have been [The Gamer] that pulled them all together?' Naruto wondered soberly. Asuma-sensei had shared his little theory with him earlier and the idea wouldn't stop rattling about in his head. There was a definite possibility to it, he couldn't deny that, given just how his strange power seemed to be able to warp reality itself at times. The idea that it could have somehow reached across space and time to pull together this gang of Nuke-nin for the explicit purpose of using them against him as part of this damned mission didn't sound nearly as impossible as Naruto wished it did.

He waited for a long minute, but sadly received no pop-ups to either confirm or deny his worries. Well, there goes that hope. Shaking his head, Naruto silently prodded the notifications that he'd been ignoring up until now to the forefront so that he could finally fully review them.

Congratulations! You have slain [Hoshigaki Chikuwa]! You earn 10,000 EXP!

Congratulations! You have Levelled Up! LV19-LV20! You have received 5 Attribute Points!

Congratulations! You have Levelled Up! LV20-LV21! You have received 5 Attribute Points!

Congratulations! You have Levelled Up! LV 21-LV22! You have received 5 Attribute Points!

Congratulations! You have Levelled Up! LV 22-LV23! You have received 5 Attribute Points!

Congratulations! As a result of slaying an enemy with the kodachi [Kogetsu Kyūshiki], you have unlocked the first of its nine special abilities, the [Back Blade]!

You have looted [Kiribachi: Shadow-Sword of the Mist]!

Other looting has been deferred.

[Kage Bunshin no Jutsu] has Levelled Up four times! LV13-LV17!

[Doton: Iwa Bunshin no Jutsu] has Levelled Up three times! LV27-LV30!

[Shurikenjutsu] has Levelled Up twice! LV16-LV18!

[Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu] has Levelled Up twice! LV4-LV6!

[Fūton: Reppūshō] has Levelled Up twice! LV5-LV7!

[Katon: Hibashiri] has Levelled Up! LV5-LV6!

[Fūton: Daitoppa] has Levelled up! LV5-LV6!

[Ninpō: Shuriken Goshin] has Levelled Up! LV5-LV6!

[Doton: Moguragakure] has Levelled Up! LV7-LV8!

[Fūton: Ryūha] has Levelled Up twice! LV8-LV10!

[Fūton: Hanachiri Mai] has Levelled Up twice! LV4-LV6!

[Raiton: Denkō Sekka] has Levelled Up four times! LV15-LV19!

[Suiton: Daibakufu] has Levelled Up! LV1-LV2!

[Fūton Chakra Nagashi] has Levelled Up! LV12-LV13!

[Fūton Chakra Nagashi: Dantō] has Levelled Up! LV6-LV7!

[Randora Ryū: Tora Gari] has Levelled Up! LV1-LV2!

[Ansatsujutsu: Zanshuzan] has Levelled Up four times! LV1-LV5!

[Konoha Kodachi Ryū] has Levelled Up four times! LV2-LV6!

[Natural Primary Wind Affinity] has Levelled Up! LV15-LV16!

[Secondary Earth Affinity] has Levelled Up! LV14-LV15!

[Tree Climbing] has Levelled Up! LV10-LV11!

[Lesser Chakra Control] has Levelled Up! LV11-LV12!

[Short Blades Mastery] has Levelled Up! LV16-LV17!

[Taunt] has Levelled Up! LV3-LV4!

That was a very impressive list of skill upgrades from a single fight. Naruto was a bit annoyed that he hadn't had a chance to use any of his Kemono Clan jutsu during the fight, but that would have meant trying to fight close-quarters with a Jonin-level swordmaster, which would have likely resulted in him being rapidly sliced and diced by that massive blade of his. Nope, not his cup of tea, thank you.

It took him a moment to work out exactly why his [Konoha Kodachi Ryū] had levelled up multiple times while his [Fūko no Tsume Ryū] tantō style hadn't levelled up once; not a single one of his clones had ever managed to make solid contact with any of their copies of Tsubaki and Sumire, not even to block that oversized blade. He may as well have sent them in barehanded for all the good those twin blades had done his clones. It was likely also why his main [Randora Ryū] taijutsu style hadn't levelled up any either. Annoying, but he'd deal with it.

With a soft grunt, he moved on to the next page.

As a result of actions taken, the Skill [Clone Tactics] has been created!

[Clone Tactics] (Passive) [LV1, 00.00%]

You possess powerful chakra that grants you a unique affinity for clone techniques among ninja, allowing you to rapidly and constantly create clones without suffering any negative side-effects. Against weaker foes, you can overwhelm them with the sheer weight of numbers that you can quickly bring to bear. Against stronger and more skilled enemies, however, simple human wave tactics will not suffice. This skill grants you a greater ability to command and direct any type of clone that you produce, ranging from Shadow Clones, to Rock Clones, to even techniques like the Wood Clone if you are capable of acquiring that skill.

- Increases Clone obedience and responsiveness by 5%.

- Increases the effectiveness of tactics used by clones created by the user by 5%.

As a result of a specific action, the Jutsu [Suiton: Shinju Zanshu] has been created!

[Suiton: Shinju Zanshu] (Instant) [LV5, 00.00%]

The Water Style: Suicide Decapitation Jutsu is a very common adaptation of the original Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu that is utilized while fighting on water rather than on land. The key difference is that unlike with earth, you are dragging the target underwater entirely and intending to drown them to death or just until they're unconscious. Other than that, the execution is exactly the same as the original jutsu.

- Can only be used in water deep enough to submerge a body in.

- Linked Levels: With jutsu that are as identical as these are, the two skills will level as one. Thus, when Suiton: Shinju Zanshu levels, so too will Doton: Shinju Zanshu, and vice-versa.

As a result of [Konoha Kodachi Ryū] reaching Level 5, the Jutsu [Konoha Kodachi Ryū: Hakanai Maiha] has been created!

[Konoha Kodachi Ryū: Hakanai Maiha] (Instant) [LV1, 00.00]

The Leaf Kodachi Style: Transient Dancing Leaf technique is a basic technique of the style that briefly accelerates the user's arm via a sudden surge of chakra reinforcement into the arm's musculature. While basic, one should never underestimate how much of a utility a rapidly moving sword can be in combat. It has a five-minute cooldown after use, which will decrease with time and training.

- Costs 150 CP to use.

- Requires a kodachi to use.

- Doubles the attack speed of a single attack.

- Cooldown of 5 minutes after use.

Well, that was neat, three new skills. The first was pretty useful little buff that would make his clones that much more useful in the future, particularly after he levelled it up a bit; the second simply made one of his already existing techniques a bit more versatile, and the third was a nice, simple technique that would give him a swift, strong attack with his kodachi. The cooldown restriction on his new attack technique was a bit irritating, but that was fixable at least. Practice, practice, practice; it was how you made the game work for you.

Moving on to the next page.

[Congratulations!]

As a result of killing an enemy who was sixteen levels higher than you, you have been awarded the Title of [Giant Killer]!

[Giant Killer: Level 1]: You have fought and overcome an enemy whose strength surpassed your own by a large margin! Increase all stats by 5% when facing enemies of a higher level than you are while this title is equipped!

Note: This is a special Evolving Title that grows as you fulfil its evolution conditions. As with Skills, the higher the Level you reach with this Title, the greater the benefits it will offer to you. You currently have access to Level 1 due to defeating an enemy with a Level at least ten levels higher than yours. To evolve it to Level 2, slay an enemy twenty levels higher than you while you have [Giant Killer] equipped.

Game On!

This particular screen made Naruto stare blankly for a moment. Why in the name of the Rikidō Sennin would he ever be stupid enough to try and pick a fight with someone that much stronger than he was without a very good reason?! Yeah, the stat boosts this new Title provided would be useful and a levelled up version would probably be even better, but no way would it be worth the risk of fighting someone or something that was so much stronger than he was.

He was reckless, not stupid!

Shaking his head, Naruto pulled up his Stats page and considered what to put his twenty points into, although there was never much of a question to that, really. With only a moment's consideration he put ten points into INT and the other ten into DEX, putting both his mental stats above his physical ones for the first time ever!

Name: Uzumaki Naruto

Class: The Gamer

Level: 23 Next Level: 33.98%

Title: Genin (15% EXP to LV25)

Age: 12

HP: 4608/4608

CP: 4761/4761

STR: 43

STA: 46 (10)

DEX: 45

INT: 51 (5)

WIS: 52

LUK: ?

[For Your Information!]

For raising the base amount of your INT to over 50, you have gained the skill [Limited Bullet Time]!

For raising the base amount of your WIS to over 50, you have gained the skill [Wisdom of Experience]!

[Limited Bullet Time] (Passive) [LVMAX]

A useful little ability akin to the one of the powers that the Sharingan of the Uchiha Clan is able to grant to its wielders. Although this ability is far more limited than the one possessed by the Copy-Wheel Eye, it can still be an incredibly valuable tool in any shinobi's arsenal.

- Activates automatically when throwing the first shuriken or kunai, or when releasing the first ranged ninjutsu of a fight, accelerating the user's thoughts to three times their normal speed, allowing them to more easily and precisely target their enemies than normal.

[Wisdom of Experience] (Passive) [LVMAX]

As the old wisdom goes, experience is truly the greatest of teachers. One broadens their horizons the most swiftly by actually seeing, hearing, and doing, gaining wisdom and insight through action and experience. This skill represents this wisdom by increasing the amount of Experience Points that you receive for your Levels, Skills, and Jutsu through active practice and combat by 20%.

Naruto was willing to admit that [The Gamer] had made him quite a bit smarter; that was one of the reasons that he was able to instantly realize just how broken an ability a full-powered version of [Limited Bullet Time] would be. He once again cursed the fact that Sasuke would end up getting so much stronger once he unlocked his Kekkai Genkai. Still, even the far more restricted version he was getting would still be pretty hand, and [Wisdom of Experience] was nothing to sneeze at either.

Knowing that getting his stats above 50 each would result in him earning a useful new skill was also very good to know. It also made Naruto wonder if the same thing would happen when he got his skills up past 100 each as well.

Something to consider going forward. For now, he opened up his inventory and got a look at his brand new sword.

[Kiribachi: Shadow-Sword of the Mist]

Ultra Rare

One of the Seven Shadow Swords of the Mist and the final prototype that was forged in the development of the (in)famous Kubikiribōchō, one of Kirigakure's legendary Seven Swords of the Mist. The Seven Shadow Swords are a collection of seven blades that were each the final prototype, proof of concept, and/or test model made in preparation for the final forging of the Mist's seven treasure blades. While the Shadow Swords are of lesser strength then their legendary counterparts, with the Seven Swords themselves having used extremely rare materials and components in their forging as well as advanced techniques to create the strongest blades possible, they are still each an incredibly powerful sword with a deadly ability all their own. Kiribachi (Cutting Plectrum) is also known as the Nokogiritō (Sawtooth Blade) due to the shark-tooth design that was used for the multiple blades that adorn its length. Like its child-blade, the deadly Kubikiribōchō, Kiribachi can rapidly restore any damage done to it by drawing in any blood that gets too close to one of its blades and using the iron within to rapidly reforge itself. While the saw-toothed designed proved to be highly effective for cutting swathes through large numbers of weaker opponents, it proved less effective when dealing with more high-levelled opponents that had the speed and reaction times needed to take advantage of the openings the multi-bladed design created. This eventually led to Kubikiribōchō being redesigned as a large, smooth, single-bladed sword when it was forged.

LV30

Kageuchi, Long Weapon, Chakra Weapon, Unique, Final Prototype

Durability: 1700/2000

Piercing Damage: S+40

Slashing Damage: Sx2+150

Blunt Damage: S+50

Special Abilities: 1) [Tekketsu Kyūshū] (Iron Blood Absorption): Kiribachi's sole special ability developed through countless experiments by one of Kirigakure's greatest forge-masters. Any blood that comes within a few inches of one of Kiribachi's blades will be drawn to it like a magnet it and absorbed, processed, and the iron within will then be used to rebuild its form and repair any damage to its Durability. So long as the sword's 'core' (which is located in the hilt) remains intact, it can eventually be restored to its full form via the absorption of a sufficient amount of blood. The restoration is nigh-instantaneous and completely automatic, activating the moment any blood comes within range of the Kiribachi's blades. This same ability was passed down in full to its child-blade Kubikiribōchō.

2) [Scroll Case: Within the Kiribachi's hilt is a small storage case designed to hold a single, specially made scroll. The case can be opened by twisting the Kashira (pommel) of the Tsuka (hilt) once to the left, once to the right, and then tapping forcefully on the base. Case Status: Full.

Reading through all of it, Naruto couldn't help but curse a bit at the sheer amount of damage the blade could deal with a single slashing attack. Double his strength with an additional hundred-and-fifty added on top of it!? Kami…

The blade's special ability was…well, the description basically told him everything he needed to know but the slightly more detailed entry on [Tekketsu Kyūshū] certainly gave him a lot more details to work with. If he was reading this correctly, then whoever had originally forged Kiribachi had somehow managed to set the perfect, freshly-forged version of the sword as the sword's 'default state' and the fūinjutsu (there had to be fūinjutsu involved in this somewhere, and Naruto was willing to bet that the 'core' was actually where those seals were located) automatically used that template to rapidly restore Kiribachi back to that 'default' whenever it was damaged. That likely meant that sharpening and even basic maintenance wouldn't really be needed, as long as he fed the blade a bit of blood regularly, it would automatically sharpen and restore itself to its perfect, original state.

However, it was the second note that gave him pause. Curious, he took the blade out of his inventory and followed the instruction that the screen had listed. With a single solid tap, a small hatch popped open in the lower part of the sword's hilt and a small scroll rolled out. Naruto quickly checked it for any signs of traps and found none, but nevertheless was very cautious as he picked it up and started to unroll it. When nothing untoward occurred, he began to read.

'To Whom It May Concern,

If you are reading this, then the Kageuchi (Shadow Forge) of the pinnacle of my craft has seen the light of day once more, something that I honestly never expected to see happen. Old Byakuren, that stubborn bastard, demanded I reforge my masterwork to create the Kubikiribōchō in order to 'improve' upon my masterwork, claiming that the blade's design made it too ineffective against single foes. Bah, the great 'Shodaime Mizukage' simply couldn't find a swordsman who could bring out my blade's full potential and thus blamed the design and demanded something simpler to handle before deciding to lock my original masterpiece away for the rest of time.

Unfortunately, there was a reason I hid this message scroll within Kiribachi; if my treasure blade was released into the world once again, then that likely means the other six Kageuchi are loose once more as well, and I cannot abide one of those blades running rampart without taking some precaution to try and mitigate the havoc it could unleash.

I suppose I should explain in more detail. I'll start by introducing myself, my name is Kurogane Ketsuya and I am one of the seven greatest shinobi swordsmiths in Mizu no Kuni that were gathered by Byakuren and granted the full backing and resources of his newly formed shinobi village to forge the seven most powerful blades the shinobi world has ever seen, what some have already started to call the Seven Treasure Swords of the Mist. All seven of us were the best of the best of our craft, blending chakra, fūinjutsu and steel together to create masterpieces that could reshape any battlefield. Byakuren was good as his word at least, we were offered every resource imaginable and were able to push our art to an entirely new level, forging a series of blades the likes of which this world has never seen before. Then…then my fool of a blood-brother forged a sword infused with Juinjutsu (Curse Seal Techniques) to act as his Kageuchi. The blade was undeniably powerful beyond compare, but it drove anyone who tried to wield it into a bloodthirsty madness. Even Byakuren, the half-mad old man that he was, saw that the blade was too dangerous to be let loose and ordered it sealed away, with the other six Kageuchi joining it to avoid drawing too much attention onto that demonic blade.

I didn't appreciate sealing up my masterwork just to redesign its blade a bit, but I can admit the old man's plan was a good one. Too many fools might have been tempted by a sword that was labelled as 'too dangerous' to be released, but most wouldn't bat an eye at the 'imperfect' prototypes of the Seven Treasure Swords being put into storage. Still, there was always the risk that some fool would eventually unearth that cursed blade and so I made a few final adjustments to Kiribachi, hiding this scroll and its case within its hilt, even as I worked to design the new version of the blade that I intend to name Kubikiribōchō.

I will be entirely blunt, the Kageuchi Kikoku (Wailing Ogre) is a nightmare just waiting to be unleashed. Anyone who so much as draws that cursed blade will eventually find themselves possessed by a bloodthirsty madness and set out to do not but feed that ever-hungry blade. I have no idea how many years will have passed between my writing this message and when this scroll will finally be read, and a part of me hopes it never will be and that my pinnacle will rust dust into dust alongside that menace it was hidden to guard, but to whoever has found this scroll, I can do nothing but beg a humble request of you. Find Kikoku and seal it away once more. I do not ask this of you for free, of course. I may be a swordsmith, but I am a shinobi as well.

At the base of this scroll are two storage seals. One contains an instruction scroll detailing the Muon Satsujin (Silent Killing) combat style that our village is quickly becoming known for and that my Kiribachi was designed to work with. The other contains a single jutsu scroll that holds a single kenjutsu technique that I had devised to be used explicitly with Kiribachi; Nokogiri Jutsu: Chikyū Fūbō (Sawtooth Jutsu: Blood Devouring Tornado). I offer both of these to you in exchange for fulfilling this old man's last request.

Kikoku, the Yōtō (Cursed-Sword), was created by a blood member of my own family, which means that it is my responsibility to do whatever I can to mitigate any damage that monstrosity will unleash on the world. My brother should have destroyed it once he realized just how dangerous it was, but that stubborn fool refused to let his masterpiece be destroyed and Byakuren, that cold-blooded bastard, agreed that it might be useful as a trump card someday. That sword will do naught but bring tragedy and death into this world and I will not see my family's name stained by it without at least trying to counterbalance that sin in some way.

Yours in faith,

Kurogane Ketsuya, Master Swordsmith of Kirigakure no Sato.'

Naruto silently read through the letter, eyebrows slowly climbing higher and higher as he did so before he finally unfurled the scroll to its maximum. There on the very bottom of the scroll were two small circles with kanji inside them, one was '無音' (Muon) and the other had '鋸' (Saw). Storage seals, just as Kurogane Ketsuya had promised.

Much to Naruto's complete and utter lack of surprise, a new Quest Alert appeared mere seconds later.

[Quest Alert!]

Sealing the Cursed Sword: In the years shortly following the founding of Kirigakure no Sato in Mizu no Kuni, the man who became known as the Shodaime Mizukage, Byakuren, gathered together seven of the most skilled shinobi swordsmiths in all the land and offered them the full resources of his newly formed village in order to forge the pinnacle of blades to serve as symbols of the new shinobi village, as well as the backbone of a new unit made up of the seven best ninja swordsmen of the age.

In the forging of these blades, seven swords were forged to test the final designs and abilities of these treasure swords before their final forms could be forged. These Kageuchi (Shadow Forged) blades were thus named:

- Kiribachi (Cutting Plectrum), the Nokogiritō (Sawtooth Sword). Forged by Kurogane Ketsuya.

- Karakuri (Trick Mechanism), the Rasen Bakutō (Spiral Blastsword). Forged by Bakuga Ryūji.

- Kōgarashi (Wintery Wind), the Usuitō (Thinsword). Forged by Karasuma Ito.

- Konrikimaru (Soulstrength), the Zōtō (Elephantsword). Forged by Takakage Seiji.

- Kashū and Zanshū (Flower Province and Mountain Province), the Sōraitō (Twin Lightning Swords). Forged by Ikazuchi Hayate.

- Kōtetsumaru (Steel Sword), the Kumotō (Cloud Sword). Forged by Tachibana Unryū.

- Kikoku (Wailing Ogre), the Yōtō (Cursed Sword). Forged by Kurogane Munashiki.

Of these seven blades, one carried a dark secret. The Kikoku, forged using heretical techniques, Kinjutsu and Juinjutsu, is a blade that feeds upon blood, suffering, and terror in order to strengthen its wielder while driving them into a bloodthirsty madness, constantly seeking to kill without limit or end. Ultimately, the Shodaime Mizukage ordered this blade to be sealed away, hiding the other six alongside it to camouflage the blade's terrifying ability.

Now, due to the actions of a group of Kirigakure Nuke-nin, the Seven Shadow Swords of the Mist have been unleashed out into the world once more, and it is now only a matter of time before Kikoku starts to carve a bloody trail across the Elemental Nations. Per the final request of Kurogane Ketsuya, you have been tasked with finding Kikoku, defeating its current wielder, and sealing it away once more so that it can hurt no one else.

Quest Objective 1: Locate Kikoku.

Quest Objective 2: Defeat Kikoku and its likely insane wielder.

Objective 3: Seal away Kikoku so that no one may wield it.

Bonus Objective: Find and acquire the other Shadow-Swords of the Mist in addition to Kiribachi and Kikoku.

Quest Reward 1: 1500 EXP, 5000 Ryo.

Quest Reward 2: [Swordmaster] Title, 6000 EXP, Three Random Kenjutsu Scrolls.

Quest Reward 3: 20,000 EXP, 50,000 Ryo, one S-Rank Suiton Jutsu Scroll.

Bonus Reward: [Ichiei Shichiken (One Shadow, Seven Swords)] Title, Skill Scroll: [Jurei Jōka (Cursed Spirit Purification), 2000 Reputation with [Swordsmiths of Mizu no Kuni] and [Kurogane Clan of Mizu no Kuni].

Quest Failure: A bloodbath that will weigh on your soul, Death.

Do You Accept This Quest?

[YN]

Naruto couldn't help but sigh. It was always just one thing after another. Now that he knew that this was going to happen and someone had (technically) paid him in advance for the job, with a couple of very valuable jutsu to boot, there was no way that he could just ignore this.

"Alright, you know what? Fine! Bring it on! Let's see what these damned shadow swords are really made of!" the Jinchūriki grumbled, hitting the 'Y' key and making the notification disappear.

'I'll learn both of those new jutsu tomorrow.' he decided as he slipped the scroll back into the hidden scroll case and closed it up again before slotting the Kiribachi back into his inventory. Right now, Chōji was still coming to terms with the fact that he'd actually killed one of those Nuke-nin when they were fighting in the woods, so he should probably head out and offer him his support. If nothing else, it couldn't hurt, right?

Nodding in determination, Naruto got up off his bed and headed out of his room, unaware of a pair of astonished pale-lavender eyes that had been watching him in his room the entire time.

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Next Chapter: C-Rank to A-Rank

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