Chapter 16: Customizing Ninja Tools

Chapter 16: Customizing Ninja Tools

"If I have Wind Release, then why was mastering its chakra nature transformation so difficult?" Kazama wondered. He suspected that his Wind affinity was something he had developed rather than an innate talent. It was the only explanation. After all, possessing three chakra natures should qualify him as a prodigy, yet his progress had been so slow.

"Do you have any doubts?"

Kazama shared his theory with Kosuke, who was momentarily stunned. "When did you start training Wind Release chakra?"

"When I began practicing swordsmanship."

"From the very beginning?"

Now it was Kosuke's turn to fall silent. Kazama had been practicing his sword skills daily since entering the Academy. If it had taken him three to four years to develop a Wind chakra nature, then his talent wasn't exactly remarkable.

"Grandpa, can you teach me Water Release? I have an affinity for it," Kazama asked, seizing the opportunity to push his luck.

"You just started learning Earth Release. Master that first, and then I'll teach you Water Release," Kosuke replied, unimpressed by his grandson's greed.

"Alright, you said it yourself!" Kazama grinned. If all it took was mastering an Earth jutsu, he was more than willing to put in the effort. Earth Clone Jutsu was only a C-rank technique—totally doable.

"Earth Release: Earth Clone Jutsu!"

Within two seconds, he completed the hand seals, and a humanoid mud figure emerged beside him. As chakra flowed through it, the figure gradually took on Kazama's exact appearance.

"Rapid Fire, Twin Shot!"

Kazama and his Earth Clone moved in perfect sync, drawing their bows simultaneously. Each loosed two arrows—four in total—firing in a square formation toward a wild boar grazing in the distance.

The arrows whistled through the air, and before the boar could react, it was struck in the eye, throat, foreleg, and hindleg. Even a beast as tough as a wild boar was momentarily stunned by the sudden onslaught. It stumbled forward, trying to escape, but collapsed after just a few steps. The leg wounds crippled it, while the eye and throat shots were fatal.

Within seconds, the boar was left gasping for breath, moments away from death.

"Naruto, come out! You're on cleanup duty. Let me see how your blade work is coming along," Kazama called.

"Got it! Watch me!" Naruto rolled up his sleeves, gripping a large kunai as he charged forward.

Without hesitation, he plunged the kunai deep into the boar's neck, burying it all the way to the handle.

With a sickening squelch, blood gushed out, drenching Naruto in red. His already bright orange jumpsuit was now completely soaked in crimson.

"Ew—get away from me! You're a mess!" Kazama grimaced. Naruto had raw talent, but his recklessness left much to be desired.

The two often hunted together, with Kazama providing the main firepower and Naruto assisting as a butcher, bait, and pack mule. Though Kazama wasn't sure how strong Naruto truly was, his stamina had improved tremendously. Despite being two years younger, Naruto could keep up with him all day without tiring.

"Let's ditch the hide. It's too much trouble to clean. Just gut it and separate the meat from the bones," Kazama instructed.

Having done this plenty of times before, Naruto got to work immediately while Kazama supervised.

Within fifteen minutes, the massive boar was reduced to neatly butchered meat, stored in two large backpacks.

"Alright, one pack of prime meat goes to Teuchi at Ichiraku Ramen—he placed an order. The other, with the bones, head, and trotters, goes to the orphanage. That should give them a decent meal. What do you think?"

"Sounds good to me!"

Ever since Kazama had invited Naruto to eat at the treehouse whenever he wanted, the blond boy had made it his daily stop. Occasionally, they'd switch things up by visiting Ichiraku Ramen. To help Naruto develop responsibility, Kazama had him take orders for food ingredients—wild game, fish, even mushrooms and vegetables. Their primary customer was Teuchi, who either used the ingredients himself or sold the excess.

The money they earned was enough for pocket change.

Naruto had even saved up to buy his oversized kunai.

Kazama, too, had been saving up—but he had yet to spend his earnings. He hadn't decided what to invest in.

The idea of donating excess meat to the orphanage had been a spontaneous decision. Passing by the orphanage one day, Kazama had noticed their struggle. Since hunting was already part of his training, providing food to those in need was a simple kindness.

Ninja tools weren't like meals—you couldn't just settle for whatever was available.

A weapon was a lifelong partner in battle. Once chosen, it would accompany him through his entire shinobi career.

For long-range combat, bows and arrows were non-negotiable. Over the years, he had crafted and used over a dozen different bows and crossbows, refining his technique. Unless he developed a new need, his current weapons would suffice at least until the Chunin level.

Melee weapons, however, were a different matter.

Had Kazama been born a native of this world, he might have simply picked a kunai or katana.

But he wasn't.

His knowledge of two worlds had given him far too many choices.

With so many blade types—Tang Dao, Mongolian Scimitars, Kukris, Xiuchun Dao, Niuwei Dao—it was difficult to pick just one.

Each represented different historical legacies.

Technically, he could use any of them.

But weapons were like choosing a life partner—if it didn't resonate with him, it would never feel right.

Picking up his well-worn wooden training sword, Kazama studied it carefully.

This particular wooden blade had been with him for over a year.

Ever since mastering Wind Release, he had adjusted his swordsmanship, focusing more on adaptability and timing.

His refined technique had minimized wear and tear on the weapon, allowing it to remain in excellent condition.

The polished wood gleamed from countless hours of sweat and effort.

And in that moment, he realized how foolish his hesitation had been.

His instincts had already made the choice for him—he just hadn't acknowledged it.

He had been overthinking due to the influence of his past life's exposure to countless fictional stories.

A weapon didn't need to be exotic or legendary—it simply needed to suit him best.

It didn't matter what others chose.

What mattered was what felt right in his own hands.

Years of training had conditioned his body to the dimensions and shape of his wooden blade.

In other words, this was his ideal weapon.

Some reincarnators in stories might be able to crush everything with their bare fists—but for him, the right weapon was key.

His choice was clear.

He would use a Hossai Kaizan Dao, modeled after his training sword.

With newfound confidence, Kazama picked up his carving knife.

Channeling Wind chakra, he began carefully refining the details—adding fine adjustments to enhance the shape and feel.

Wooden swords were rough and imprecise—but now, he was sculpting the weapon that would define his ninja path.