Inside the house, Uzumaki Mito asked about Bai Xing's situation. After learning that his ninjutsu frequently failed at crucial moments, even she—someone who also mastered medical ninjutsu and was a powerful Nine-Tails jinchūriki—had no solution.
"This is a psychological ailment," she said.
"You can only get through it yourself."
Sitting on the sofa, Mito patted Nawaki on the head. After a moment's thought, she looked at Bai Xing.
"As for Nawaki, I'll have to trouble you to look after him more. This child is still far too innocent."
"Of course," Bai Xing nodded.
Then Uzumaki Mito glanced toward the general direction outside the house—where an ANBU had been tailing them from the old residence—and said to Bai Xing:
"Thank you for telling this old woman about today's matter."
"If Tsunade makes mistakes again in the future, you may report them to me. I'll punish her severely."
"Grandma!"
"Hmm?!"
"…Oh."
"Uh, isn't that a bit much?" Bai Xing scratched his head, deliberately dragging out his tone.
"I'm just a genin. If Tsunade-sama retaliates against me…"
"Don't worry," Mito said calmly.
"She wouldn't dare."
After leaving the Senju compound, Bai Xing immediately took the money and went to the hospital to check on Nono.
He soon spotted the blonde girl rushing about, completely overwhelmed with work—not even having time to exchange greetings.
Seeing this, Bai Xing decided to come back later. Instead, he headed to the ninja tool shop to ask whether his custom blade was ready.
After all, it had cost him a full three hundred thousand ryō.
"Yo, Bai Xing! Perfect timing—you're here just as your blade's finished. Take a look. Like it?"
The shop was spacious, the air faintly scented with sandalwood. Ninja tools and gear lined the walls, neatly arranged.
From the ceiling hung various ornaments—alarm devices meant to deter troublemakers and alert village ninja at once.
After all, ninja tool shops sold expensive goods and were frequented by shinobi and warriors alike.
Behind the wooden counter stood a broad-shouldered, dark-skinned middle-aged man, a white headwrap tied around his head, a white chest sash over a pale blue undergarment.
He presented the ninja blade worth three hundred thousand ryō. While it wasn't some legendary weapon, it was still a newly forged steel katana, properly tempered.
Shhk—
A flash of white light swept past Bai Xing's face.
Whether in weight or quality, it was clearly far superior to the junk blade he'd bought for twenty thousand ryō before.
"May I try it?"
"Of course! But we'll need to go to the testing room. You can't try it in the shop!"
"Alright."
Compared to Tenten's place, this was one of the largest ninja tool shops in the village.
The testing room was a small training space, rectangular in shape. Two red-and-white practice targets stood at the far end, one with a kunai embedded in it.
Near the entrance sat a device for fixing wooden posts in place, while the corner held stacks of thick practice logs, each as thick as a wrist.
The shop owner picked up a solid wooden post, secured it in the device, then turned to Bai Xing and clapped the sawdust from his hands.
"Alright. Go ahead."
As he spoke, he watched Bai Xing step up to the machine.
"Bai Xing, since you're a ninja, if you use chakra, with this blade's sharpness, you could easily cut it in—"
Bai Xing stopped before the post, his eyes closed.
He went completely still.
Though the shop owner continued boasting about the blade's craftsmanship, the booming voice gradually faded from Bai Xing's ears. His heart quieted entirely.
In six years, Bai Xing had practiced with a sword many times—but almost all of it had been in the first two years after transmigrating.
After that, he maintained only occasional training—sometimes once every few days, sometimes not even once in half a month—to avoid exposing his talent.
Darkened vision. Silent space.
It was as if only he remained in the room.
It's been a long time since I felt like this.
The flow of chakra, the slight rise in blood temperature—
In an instant, Bai Xing opened his bright black eyes.
"One-Sword Style: Z-Type Net Slash!"
BOOM—
The shop owner felt as if a Wind Release jutsu had been unleashed. A powerful gust exploded outward from the youth.
Three seconds later—
Having instinctively raised his hands to shield his head and squeezed his eyes shut, the shop owner noticed the wind had stopped.
He cautiously opened one eye, then both, quickly patting himself down to check for injuries.
Bai Xing still stood where he was, unmoving—looking as if he'd never even drawn the blade.
"Hey! Bai Xing, that's too much!" the shop owner complained.
"This may be a testing room, but it's not for you to practice ninjutsu!"
He assumed Bai Xing had used a jutsu and started lecturing.
"Boss, how much is this machine worth?" Bai Xing asked.
"Machine? What machine?" The owner was caught off guard.
Then he waved his hand toward it. "Not too expensive—just over a hundred thousand ryō to make."
"If I broke it, how much would I owe?"
"Huh? That thing's made of refined steel. How could you possibly—"
Shhk—
Three clean, diagonal lines appeared across the machine's body.
The shrill scraping sound. The unmistakable sight of the machine beginning to split apart.
The shop owner froze, his face going blank.
This thing was made of refined steel!
There was no way a blade that cost only three hundred thousand ryō should be able to do this!
"The blade's not bad," Bai Xing said with a smile.
"Just… used a bit too much force."
Boom.
The machine collapsed to the ground.
Bai Xing wore an awkward smile.
After all, once a blade left the shop, any damage to it wasn't the shop's responsibility.
"…Impressive," the shop owner finally said.
"This… this is what a true swordsman looks like."
He crouched down to examine the cuts, staring at the smooth cross-sections. In his heart, he acknowledged Bai Xing.
"Kid."
"Ah—uh, I didn't bring that much money. Should I go to the money exchange and get it for you?" Bai Xing scratched his cheek.
"Hahaha—no need," the shop owner laughed, standing with his back to Bai Xing.
"This machine's been used for a long time anyway. It was about time to replace it."
He turned, eyes weathered by years of hardship, meeting Bai Xing's gaze.
"I hope I'll see the day you become famous across the world."
"And here—I'll make you a promise."
"Huh?!" Bai Xing was startled by the sudden seriousness, then matched it—after all, he'd just saved himself a hundred thousand ryō. "Please, go on."
The shop owner studied him intently, stepped forward, and patted Bai Xing's left shoulder with his rough, calloused hand.
"When you become a jōnin of Konoha, I'll give you this shop's greatest treasure—my family's heirloom—"
Bai Xing stopped listening halfway through.
When he left the shop with the blade, he was already grumbling inwardly:
If you don't want to give it, just say so. Why bring up becoming a jōnin?
Of course, he understood the owner's goodwill—but the owner didn't know Bai Xing's true intentions.
Perhaps he'd simply seen a long-lost dream rekindled in a young man's hands and acted on impulse.
"But unfortunately," Bai Xing muttered,
"I'm just a genin."
Three days passed after obtaining the blade—three days since he last held a sword in earnest.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Above Konoha, three figures tore through the air, darting across rooftops before arriving at the crimson Hokage Tower at the village center.
At the same time, a squad had already assembled outside the tower. Among them, a black-haired youth with a senbon between his teeth waved at Bai Xing.
"Yo~ Six years—ah, no, seven years as a genin. Looks like today we're finally on the same mission."
"Three years as a genin—are you joking?" Bai Xing shot back, instantly realizing that the Hokage's summons boded ill.
"Ahem."
Standing beside Ebisu—no, Iruka?—No, beside Shiranui Kumo, a black long-curly-haired, red-eyed girl tugged at her green flak jacket, subtly showing off her chūnin status.
Bai Xing ignored her and looked toward Yūhi Kurenai.
"You'll find out soon enough."
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