Chapter 178: The Ninja Craftsman

The Land of Artisans, the supply base for ninja tools in the entire ninja world.

More than 70% of the ninja tools in the ninja world are produced here.

On the one hand, it's because there are extremely rich ore resources here, and on the other hand, it's also because there are many skilled craftsmen here.

These people are called ninja craftsmen.

In the Land of Artisans, there is also a small ninja village called the Craftsman Ninja Village.

It has the most cutting-edge ninja tool technology in the entire ninja world.

However, this time, Kakuzu didn't take Kimimaro to the Craftsman Ninja Village, but to a small mountain village on the edge of the Land of Artisans.

"Senior Kakuzu, is this the place where the ninja craftsman you mentioned is? It doesn't look like it."

Kimimaro looked around; it was a bit too desolate here.

"Kid, learn well. Truly good things won't be displayed on the street for you to find. Just like truly capable people, they are usually low-key.

The ninja craftsman I know is no less skilled than anyone in the Craftsman Ninja Village. It's just that this guy has a problem, he doesn't want to make money, he just likes to stay in this broken place."

Hearing Kakuzu say this, Kimimaro became interested.

Was this a recluse expert?

Soon, Kakuzu led Kimimaro to a small house.

Only here did he feel the traces of a ninja craftsman's existence.

Because there was a huge furnace next to the house, it was obvious at a glance that it was a place for forging ninja tools.

"Blackstone, business has come."

Kakuzu stood at the door and called out directly.

After a long time, an old man walked out of the room.

"You're not dead yet, Kakuzu."

Seeing Kakuzu, the old man's mouth curled up slightly, with a bit of joy at the reunion of old friends, even the wrinkles on his face seemed to have smoothed out a bit.

"You're still alive and well, how could I die before you?"

Kakuzu sneered.

"You, your words are still so unpleasant. Eh, who is this..."

"My new teammate."

"He's really young. To become your teammate at such a young age, I don't know whether to say he's unfortunate or unfortunate."

"Blackstone, are you looking for a beating?"

"Hahaha."

Kakuzu was cold, but Blackstone was somewhat enthusiastic.

The two were like old friends who hadn't seen each other for years, and the atmosphere of their conversation was very relaxed.

Kimimaro could also see that the old man had a good relationship with Kakuzu. At the very least, they could joke with each other.

If someone else spoke to Kakuzu like this, the grass on their grave might be three meters high.

"Alright, enough joking. Judging by your appearance, you must have something to ask me, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't have come to me. Tell me, what ninja tool do you want me to make?"

Blackstone and Kakuzu were considered friends, but Kakuzu always had a reason for visiting, so Blackstone knew that he must have something to ask him.

"This kid wants you to modify a pair of swords. You can handle it as you see fit. I recommended you, so do a good job, or I won't let you off the hook."

After Kakuzu finished speaking, he looked at Kimimaro.

Kimimaro instantly understood Kakuzu's meaning and took out the Lightning Fang from his space scroll.

"This is... the Lightning Fang of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist? You guys are really something. Did you kill Kurosuki Raiga and take his sword?"

Blackstone recognized the Lightning Fang at a glance, with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"That guy's head is worth thirty million Ryo, quite a bargain."

Kakuzu said without changing his expression, as if he was talking about pork loin costing twenty yuan per catty at the market.

"You really haven't changed. After being a bounty ninja for decades, you still love this profession as much as you did back then. Young man, don't learn from him. This guy has no future. Sooner or later, he'll die because of his bounty target."

Blackstone complained and stepped forward to take the Lightning Fang, carefully examining it.

"What a fine sword. What needs to be changed about such a sword? It doesn't look damaged."

"Senior, I want to make this sword a bit smaller."

"Smaller? Isn't this size just right for you?"

Blackstone was puzzled.

"You misunderstood, Senior. It's not for me, it's for it."

Kimimaro pointed to the Pikachu on his shoulder.

Pikachu tilted its head slightly, looking harmless.

"Pika!"

"It?"

Blackstone was stunned for a moment, but he wasn't surprised.

The summoning beasts in the ninja world were all sorts of strange, and some of them used weapons.

It was said that Jiraiya, one of the legendary Sannin, could summon a toad that used a short sword.

However, the Pikachu in front of him didn't look like a powerful summoning beast at all; it looked more like a pet that lived by being cute.

"You're quite generous. This is a fine weapon that most people would beg for. And you want to give it to a summoning beast."

"It was stolen anyway, so it doesn't matter whether I'm generous or not."

"You're quite straightforward. Indeed, after spending so much time with Kakuzu, you can't learn anything good. Alright, I'll take this job, but I have one condition."

"Please tell me, Senior."

"I won't charge for modifying the sword. But the leftover scraps belong to me. This Lightning Fang can gather lightning; its material is not ordinary. If I keep it, I might be able to create something interesting."

"No problem. As long as you modify the sword well, Senior, the remaining materials are all yours."

The materials were of no use to Kimimaro.

He didn't need to forge weapons at all; his bones were his best weapons.

"Refreshing."

Blackstone took the Lightning Fang and threw it into the forge.

"Modifying the sword will take about three days. Do you want to stay here with me? I recently got a bottle of good wine, and it's no fun drinking alone. Want to join me?"

"No time, I'm still in a hurry to kill people."

Kakuzu refused directly.

"The Land of Artisans is quite chaotic right now. It's better for you not to wander around outside. Although there's no danger for you, it's still troublesome."

Blackstone advised.

"What happened in the Land of Artisans?"

Kimimaro was quite curious.

In fact, along the way, he had also noticed that something was strange about the situation in the Land of Artisans.

"Some of my friends told me that the Four Heavenly Kings of the Craftsman Ninja Village don't know what they're thinking, but they seem to be targeting the One-Tailed Jinchuriki of the Sand Village. They're quite busy lately."

Hearing this, Kimimaro exchanged a glance with Kakuzu.

The One-Tailed Jinchuriki was the Akatsuki's target, but the people assigned to capture it were Sasori and Deidara, so it had nothing to do with them.

"The Four Heavenly Kings? What kind of insignificant people dare to have their eyes on a Jinchuriki? They really overestimate themselves."

Even through the mask, one could sense the mockery on Kakuzu's face.

"To you, the Four Heavenly Kings are naturally nothing. But to others, these four guys are quite capable. The four ninja tools passed down through generations in the Craftsman Ninja Village are quite powerful. In a way, they're even stronger than this Lightning Fang."

(End of Chapter)