Chapter 71 – Obito's Blank Stare
CRACK.
The howling wind ceased abruptly.
Taichi stared at the broken weapon in his hand — only half of his short blade remained. He could only sigh in exasperation.
That sword had been his loyal companion for more than two years. He had cared for it meticulously, polished and maintained it after every mission. Yet, no matter how well he treated it, it was still just an ordinary weapon — infused with only the faintest trace of chakra metal.
He looked down at the fractured edge, feeling an odd mix of regret and resignation. So this is it, huh?
As his power grew, so too did the intensity of his battles. The thought of replacing the blade had already crossed his mind many times — but he hadn't expected it to break before he could even make that decision himself.
Taichi knelt down, picked up the fallen half of the blade, and carefully slid both pieces back into the scabbard. The mood for further training had completely vanished.
"Well… guess it's time to visit the weapons shop."
He slung the broken weapon across his back and set off toward the village marketplace.
---
From a distance, he could already hear raised voices coming from the front of the weapon shop.
As he approached, the familiar faces of Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin came into view.
"Say that again!" Obito's voice cracked, full of disbelief and rising frustration. "You're telling me one box of kunai costs twenty thousand ryō, but if I buy two boxes, it's fifty thousand ryō?! You're sure about that?"
"Yes, sir," the clerk replied, equally helpless. "We would never joke about prices with our customers."
Even he didn't understand it — the pricing was absurd, but the shopkeeper had insisted on setting it that way, offering no explanation beyond a mysterious little smile.
Obito's brows furrowed as his mind began working furiously. Then, with a sudden flash of "genius," he slapped a bundle of cash on the counter.
"Fine! Here's twenty thousand ryō!"
He snatched one box of kunai and, with a flourish, handed it to Rin.
"There. Transaction complete, right?"
"Yes, sir. Payment received," the clerk replied politely.
Obito grinned, then turned back to the counter. "Now here's another twenty thousand ryō."
Same motion. Same grin. Another box of kunai.
"Payment received, right?"
"Yes, sir. Thank you for your business."
"Great!" Obito declared proudly, tucking both boxes under his arm. "See, Rin? I just saved us ten thousand ryō! Two boxes for forty thousand instead of fifty — am I a genius or what?"
Rin blinked, clearly trying not to laugh. "That's… really clever, Obito."
"Isn't it? Hehe—"
Before he could finish basking in his own brilliance, a familiar voice cut in behind them.
"Yeah," Taichi said dryly, walking up with a faint smirk. "You're really clever, Obito."
"Ah! Taichi!" Obito turned, grinning ear to ear. "Perfect timing! You won't believe what just happened—"
He launched into a dramatic retelling of his "victory," gesturing wildly the whole time. Taichi listened patiently, nodding in all the right places, though every word made him pity the poor fool a little more.
When Obito finally finished, Taichi could only sigh.
"…Obito," he said softly, his expression caught somewhere between amusement and sympathy.
That alone was enough to make Obito freeze.
"W-wait," he stammered. "Why do you look like that? Did I… buy it wrong?"
Rin covered her mouth, trying to hide her smile.
Taichi crossed his arms. "Let me ask you something. How many boxes of kunai did you plan to buy in the first place?"
"One box, of course! That's all I needed for training," Obito said without hesitation.
"Right." Taichi nodded. "And if the clerk hadn't told you the price went up when you bought two boxes… would you have bought a second one?"
A heavy silence followed.
Then came a faint click — like a jaw popping out of place.
Obito stood completely still, eyes blank, mouth slightly open in dawning horror.
It took several seconds for the realization to sink in.
Rin, beside him, finally gave up trying to hold it in and let out a helpless laugh.
"Looks like," Taichi said with a small grin, "the shopkeeper wasn't the only one smiling for a reason."
Obito's expression stayed frozen, his brain visibly buffering.
For a full ten seconds, the future Uchiha hero of legend… was utterly, magnificently dumbfounded.
"Cheer up," Taichi said with a faint smile, patting Obito's shoulder. "It's not like you lost money. You just bought one extra box of kunai—you'll need them eventually anyway."
Obito sighed in defeat. "…Yeah, I guess you're right."
By now, Rin had also recovered from laughing at his earlier blunder. She turned to Taichi and asked gently, "You came to buy ninja tools too, Taichi?"
"Mm." He nodded. "My short blade broke during training earlier, so I thought I'd come take a look—maybe find a better one."
He started toward the shop entrance. Rin gave Obito a little tug on his sleeve, clearly still wanting to talk. Obito followed reluctantly, still mumbling about the cruel price of kunai but consoling himself that, as Taichi said, it wasn't really a loss.
The clerk at the front had overheard their exchange and now greeted Taichi with a bright, respectful smile. Clearly, he could tell that this young man wasn't just another casual customer.
"Welcome, sir! Looking for blades, are you? Please, this way."
He led Taichi deeper into the store with eager enthusiasm.
"What kind of weapon are you interested in?" the clerk asked as they walked. "Short swords? Long swords? Perhaps a special design? We have them all. Of course, if you require a specific build, we also accept custom orders."
"Oh?" Taichi's interest perked up. "You can forge custom weapons here?"
"Yes, sir," the clerk said proudly. "Whatever your requirements may be, our workshop will do its utmost to satisfy them."
"Hah, big words for a little shop," Obito muttered under his breath, still holding his box of kunai like a grudge.
The group arrived at the display section—a dazzling sight. Rows upon rows of blades filled the room: curved, straight, short, long, gleaming silver and dull gray. It felt like stepping into a forest of steel.
Taichi picked up a short blade, gave it a few test swings, and frowned slightly. The balance was decent, the craftsmanship fine… yet something was missing. It didn't feel alive in his hand.
He tried a few more. The result was the same—adequate, but uninspired.
Finally, he sighed and turned to the clerk. "Show me your best blade."
"Of course, sir. One moment, please!"
The clerk, recognizing a serious buyer when he saw one, vanished into the back room with impressive speed.
As soon as he was gone, Rin turned to Taichi. "You just got back from a mission, didn't you?"
Taichi nodded. "Yeah. We returned yesterday. I've got a few days off now." He looked at her knowingly. "You've run into more trouble with medical ninjutsu again, haven't you?"
Rin blinked, then gave a sheepish laugh. "Yeah… there are still a few things I can't quite figure out."
"Well, tomorrow you're off duty too, right? Come to Training Ground Three in the morning," Taichi said easily. "We'll go over it together."
Rin's eyes lit up with relief. "Really? Thanks, Taichi!"
"I'm coming too!" Obito blurted, unwilling to be left out.
Taichi chuckled. "Of course, of course—you're welcome too."
Obito puffed out his chest, satisfied.
Just then, a portly middle-aged man emerged from the back, followed by the same clerk carrying three long rectangular cases in his arms.
"Thank you for waiting, honored customer," the man said warmly, setting the boxes on the counter. "I'm Tōgō Akira, the shop owner. It's a pleasure to serve you."
He carefully opened each box as he spoke. "These three are the finest blades our shop currently offers. But if none of them please you, we can always arrange a custom forge to your exact specifications."
Taichi stepped forward, his eyes gleaming slightly as he examined the blades. Even from appearance alone, these were clearly superior—each one had its own character and spirit.
He picked up the first sword and weighed it in his hand. The grip was solid, the edge clean. He gave it a few test swings before returning it to its case.
"Good craftsmanship," he murmured. "But too light."
He reached for the second—this one was ornate, its blade engraved with faint silver patterns that shimmered faintly under the shop lights. But the moment Taichi gripped the hilt, his fingers tensed. He set it down immediately.
"What's wrong?" Obito asked curiously. "It looks amazing. Not good?"
"The feel's off," Taichi said simply. "Doesn't suit my hand."
Finally, he turned to the third.
It was a plain, black short sword—no shine, no decoration, its entire body absorbing light rather than reflecting it. It was understated to the point of austerity, but when Taichi lifted it from the box, it felt… right.
The weight, the balance, the way the hilt sat perfectly against his palm—everything clicked. He gave it a few quick swings, slicing the air with smooth, effortless arcs.
"Yes," he murmured. "This one fits perfectly."
But when he tried infusing chakra into the blade, his expression shifted. A sharp resistance pulsed through his hand—the chakra struggled to flow, as though pushing through thick mud.
"Shopkeeper," he said, frowning, "this blade doesn't have chakra metal in it, does it?"
The owner gave a regretful smile. "You've got a good eye, young man. Yes, of these three, that black blade is the only one forged without chakra metal."
Taichi sighed in genuine disappointment. "That's a shame. It's exactly the one I wanted."
Then an idea struck him. He looked up again. "You said you do custom work, right? Can you have the original blacksmith reforge this same design—but this time, with chakra metal?"
The shopkeeper's eyes lit up instantly. He'd been worried the sale was slipping away, but now he was all smiles again.
"Of course! We can contact the smith right away. However… I should warn you, the cost will be considerably higher."
"Price isn't an issue," Taichi said without hesitation. "As long as the result is worth it."
After two years of successful missions, he had saved quite a sum—more than enough to afford a personal weapon of quality.
"Excellent!" Tōgō Akira beamed. "Please, this way. We'll take your measurements to ensure a perfect fit and collect a small deposit."
He gestured toward the inner workshop.
Rin smiled. "Go on, Taichi. We'll head back for now." She tugged on Obito's sleeve again.
"Alright. Don't forget—Training Ground Three, tomorrow morning," Taichi reminded her with a grin.
Rin nodded brightly. "Mm-hm! See you then."
As they left, Obito glanced back at the black sword on the counter, muttering under his breath, "Hmph… plain-looking thing. My kunai look cooler."
Taichi chuckled softly as he followed the shopkeeper inside, thinking to himself—
Plain or not, a weapon that fits perfectly is worth more than any decoration.
He ran his thumb along the smooth, dark hilt once more, feeling a quiet certainty settle in his chest.
This blade… might just be the start of something special.