The Purple Flash of Kumo Chapter 34 (A Blacksmith) (Patreon)

Omoi

"I'm home." He shouted as he threw away the sandals from his feet with a yank of his feet. With his bare feet, he walked inside, but instead of warm greetings, his father asking questions about his wellbeing, questions about the mission; instead, he found his father resting on the foot of the staircase that led to the second floor, his face as emotionless as a rock.

The houses of their Clan were located on the top of the small hill, Mu Kachi, just near the border of Kumo. The different houses of their Clan were attached through bridges made of wood and ropes. The children grown here learned to climb first and to walk second. Sword Fighting was considered the Ultimate form of fighting, and as holders of the Black Blade, children here were taught how to use a sword by the time they reached three years old. Omoi remembered when he had first grabbed a real sword bigger than him; his tiny hands couldn't fully grasp the handle.

As he looked at his father, Omoi frowned deeply but knew better than to say anything. His father has dark skin and dark brown braids. He has pupil-less eyes that are pale lavender and has been blind since birth. Since he was an ANBU Captain, he wore the traditional uniform with the sleeves rolled up to the shoulders and his captain's haori over it; the uniform was tied with a purple obi sash. He wore an orange scarf around his neck, white boots, and black, fingerless gloves. He kept his hair tied back in a ponytail.

Resting over his shoulder was the Black Blade of their Clan. Omoi was on his knees the moment he saw his father, his eyes looking at the wooden floor of his house, his knees touching the floor as did his hands. "Lord Father, I have returned." He said; the words rolled off his tongue easily, yet despite saying it hundreds of times, it still felt strange to call him that; it tasted bitter. He never needed to say that when his mother was still alive.

"Dik told me you were seen entering the village gates over two hours ago. Might I know what took you so long? It was your first B Rank Mission, but I doubt it would have taken so long." His Lord Father demanded as he reached for a pristine white napkin, cleaning the blade grasped firmly in his weathered hands. His aged fingers exhibited neither hesitation nor concern, for countless wounds endured over the years had toughened the skin on his hands to a battle-hardened state. A discerning eye would search in vain for any semblance of unmarred skin as the traces of an arduous life adorned every inch of those battle-scarred hands.

"My friend, Naruto Yotsuki, wanted us to celebrate completing the first B Rank Mission, and I wanted to celebrate with them," Omoi answered right away like he was reporting to his captain.

"Allies are necessary for everyone's survival." His father said as he tapped the tip of the handle on the wooden floor.

"How did the mission go?" He finally asked. Omoi quickly told him everything, including the little problem with the Konoha Team; he hoped his father wouldn't scold him again. Omoi could still feel the blade against his chest, sharp and burning like fire.

"I see. The Legendary Blade of that Sinful Hokage." Omoi heard his father spit the name of the second Hokage. Omoi never understood why his father despised someone who died over half a century ago.

"Now, rest; tomorrow, you will have a chance to create your First Clan Sword." Omoi gasped almost too loudly, looking up at his lord Father, but he kept the happiness inside; he stood up, bowed, and walked to his room. Once he closed the door, Omoi jumped in joy. "Yay!!!"

Soon, the Black Blade will be mine; I'm getting close, Mother, Omoi thought; he couldn't contain his joy; he kept smiling like an idiot, but he didn't care. Soon, his mother could rest easily, knowing her son had fulfilled his promise, knowing the Black Blade was his now.

"I won't fail. I won't fail." Omoi repeated the same words over and over again as he kept jumping up and down. For him to have the Black Blade, he needed to forge a Rune Sword from scrap without the help of anyone; the sword needed to be able to withstand all abilities of the runes; after that test, the blade would be tested with all elements, once his father deemed the Sword worthy, he would give Omoi the title of 'Rune Swordman.' A great Honor in their Clan, and most importantly, his father would be forced to give the black blade to Omoi, which belonged to his mother.

His eyes quickly found the drawing of his mother; it was sealed safely inside a glass box attached to the wall. Omoi stood up from his bed before walking up to the drawing.

The glass box was safely secured on the wall of his room, with three candles just below it on top of a table. Omoi bowed his head respectfully; the three candles emitted wisps of smoke that spiraled upwards from the tips of these candles. He dug deep into his pockets. He reached into his pocket and retrieved a vibrant red matchbox, feeling the coolness of its surface against his fingertips. He gingerly opened the matchbox. Selecting a single match, he delicately slid its red tip along the rough surface, igniting a tiny burst of flames that instantly illuminated the room around him. Omoi approached the first candle, bringing the flaming tip closer to its waiting wick, engulfing it in a warm embrace and igniting the candle's flickering flame.

"For Your Peace." He murmured as he lightened up the first candle.

"For Your Soul." The second candle lightened up.

"For Your Love." He smashed his hands together, moving his head downwards as he prayed.

"May you rest in the Red Lands of Kichijoten. May you find your way." Omoi prayed, his eyes welled up with tears, but he refused to cry. It was considered bad luck to shed tears when praying to The Faith of The Three Stars.

The Faith of The Three Stars was practiced in The Lands of Lightning by the majority of the civilians; their symbol was a girl with red hair, her hand reaching up to the sky where three stars shined more than the others. The girl's name was said to have been Kanna.

The Faith was rarely practiced amongst Shinobis; many even scoffed at the idea of following the Faith; the number of Clans worldwide that followed the Faith of their Land could be counted on the fingers of one hand.

The Land of Lightning followed the Faith of the Three Stars.

The Land of Water, where Kiri was located, followed the Water God, or as they called him, Shin'en. As long as they prayed to him, their God would always make their water rich with fish and drinkable to every creature, but the Faith of Shin'en was barely followed in the Lands of Water by now; many of its churches had been burned down for something else to be built there, despite the many protests of Clan Yuki, the only Clan left that still prayed to Shin'en.

The Land of Wind, where Suna was located, followed the Faceless God. A human figure with no face, holding a spear in one hand and sword in the other. Omoi was sure no one prayed to that God anymore in the Lands of Wind. Well, except Clan Ningyo, they were perhaps the only ones who still cared about Faith in the Land of Wind.

The Land of Earth, where Iwa was located, followed the Innocent God. A'ndra. The God of all Earth. That Faith was followed by every civilian there, including a few Shinobis and two Clans.

It was said that a long time ago, when the Age of Clan Wars had just started, the entire Land of Earth faced great Desertification. The land was growing no food, and the soil was ruined; even those who knew how to use Chakra back then had tried to heal the earth, but nothing worked. For a whole century, they suffered, The Century of Hunger as they called it. It was said some people started consuming human flesh to survive. Until one day, the High Priest sent what he called the child of miracles to the Leader of the Strongest Clan in Iwa.

It was said the kid walked barefoot through the entire border of the Lands of Earth, all 3,777 kilometers, without stopping once.

Once he did, the land was productive once again, but the kid died the very next day with what people described as a smile on his face. When The Hidden Stone Village was first built, the Tsuchikage ordered a statue of the boy to be built in the center of the Military Village, amongst Shinobis, and it was punishable by death if someone tried to damage the statue. The child had no name, but some said his name was Kiseki.

The Land of Fire followed what they called the True Gods. Again, the Civilian practiced and followed the True Gods, but not the Shinobis, and unlike the other Villages, Konoha had no clan that followed the True Gods; Tobirama Senju had even forbidden the High Priest to enter Konoha while he had been a Kage, a practice that was done every decade in every village where the High Priest would visit the Hidden Village of their territory and bless their bravery and life. It was said the High Priest had cursed the Second Hokage to never have children for his disrespect towards the True Gods, right to his face.

The Waterfall Village, despite being a minor village, didn't follow the True Gods of The Land of Fire, but they followed the Outer Gods, as they called them.

Omoi's Clan. Clan Kajiya always followed the Faith, the only Clan in Kumo that did follow the Faith. His father used to tell him stories about the Black Blade; it was said that Kanna sacrificed her own immortality to protect the Land of Lightning, using it to create a powerful weapon strong enough to protect the world. That weapon was The Black Blade of their Clan, but Omoi wasn't sure if that was true. If that weapon was so powerful, why was their Clan so unimportant compared to the other Clans of Kumo?

Clan Shiryoku and Clan Yotsuki were the two most important clans of Kumo. Omoi didn't know why their Clan wasn't seen as important, but Omoi knew he could bring it back to its former glory. One step at a time, Omoi thought with a smile; tomorrow, he would create his own first clan sword. He had studied hard, and six of his past swords had already failed, but Omoi knew he could make a good sword this time, a sword his father would accept.

Tomorrow

' "What is at the top, papa?" Omoi inquired as he looked up at his father. His father was big and tall, but the tip of the hill their house was built on was always taller.

"That's where the Black Blade was first found, my dear boy." Omoi heard his mother's sweet voice from behind as she walked up to them; he felt her kissing his cheek with love, much to his annoyance.

"I'm not little Anymore." Omoi quickly protested while wiping away the wetness he felt on his cheek with his sleeve; his antics earned a burst of laughter from his papa.

"You are still little to us, Omoi, and you are still just a boy." His father said, earning a pout from Omoi, who stood up on his tiptoes, trying to seem taller.

"I'm five. I'm a grown man." Omoi protested, earning more laughter from his parents.

"A Grown man. You hear that, honey. Our son is already old enough to have his own home." Omoi suddenly felt fear at the thought of living alone; his mother wouldn't be there to protect him when the monster under the bed came.

"I think you are right. Omoi, I think is time you live alone-" "NO! NO!" Omoi interrupted her as he hugged her leg, not wanting to go anywhere without her. His parents laughed once again, but this time, Omoi wasn't bothered; he felt his father haul him from his mother's leg and onto his lap.

"Don't worry, son, there's still time until you become a man of our Clan. A True Rune Swordsman like me and your mother." "And when you do, this Sword will belong to you." His mother finished unsheathing a Black Blade she always carried around; the sword never glittered, even under the sun, and the blade never reflected the light. Looking at it felt like staring at the abyss.

"Then I will become the best Rune Swordsman," Omoi shouted, much to his father's joy, who pulled him up, his hands holding his waist. Omoi felt like he was flying; he was taller than he had ever been, even taller than his father, and his arms reached toward the sun in the distance.'

Father will be himself once I become a True Rune Swordsman, he thought as he walked out of his house; the sun had yet to rise, not wasting time with breakfast. Omoi climbed down the hill and headed towards the main part of the village.

Once he entered the Grand Market, Omoi smiled at the lively and bustling scene that greeted him. People were milling about everywhere he looked, excited chatter filling the air. The Grand Market never failed to draw in large crowds with its diverse array of merchants and wares. As Omoi strolled through the market, he couldn't help but be fascinated by the tremendous variety of sold items.

The merchants lined the bustling streets, their stalls brimming with an assortment of goods that catered to every imaginable need, from the delicious aroma of freshly prepared food wafting through the air to the colorful tapestries adorning the walls. His eyes were drawn to the racks of gleaming weapons.

But what truly captured Omoi's attention were the unique seals and advanced items from the Land of Snow. As he wandered further, Omoi discovered a section dedicated to items specifically from the Land of Snow.

However, the items from Yassei, The Wild Land Beyond the Sea, truly set the market abuzz. Despite the early hour, a sizable crowd had already gathered, eager to catch a glimpse and secure a piece of the elusive treasures from this far-off land.

As the morning sun bathed the Grand Market in a warm glow, Omoi couldn't deny the thrill that coursed through his veins.

I wonder if Karui would like something. Omoi wondered for a brief moment, but he quickly reminded himself that now wasn't the time to buy such items; he needed to buy the metal he needed for his weapon.

After walking one more kilometer through the market, he finally found the merchant he needed. "Sukoshi Usotsuki, it's good to see you," Omoi greeted the merchant; the man was obese. He has pig's eyes and fat cheeks. He has a huge white belly and a pair of heavy breasts that sag like sacks of suet covered with coarse yellow hair. When he laughs, his flesh bounces vigorously. He has a forked yellow beard, which he tends to stroke, and is oiled so it gleams like gold. He has crooked yellow teeth. Despite his enormous weight, he could still walk without trouble, which always confused Omoi.

"Ahh, Omoi. My good boy, it's good to see such a good customer." The man smelled of beer, roasted mean, and sweets; Omoi shook his oiled hands. Despite the smell, Omoi kept his face neutral and showed no signs of disgust.

"So, do you have it?" Omoi asked, a little impatient; he was sure his father wouldn't be happy with him right now.

"Of course, I only save the best for my favorite customer," Sukoshi said with a grin, his words sweet like honey. He was perhaps the richest merchant in Kumo, but no one knew where he got the money. All they knew was that he sold everything.

Omoi had heard rumors that in the Elemental Nations, somewhere, a Black Market was located that sold everything, even slaves from Yassei, that were illegal to have in all Countries.

"Of course, my dear boy. It will be five million ryō or five hundred gold coins." The merchant said. Omoi was sure the price was too high, but the metal he wanted to buy was the rarest in the entire world; only the best Swords were made with this metal, and he wanted to make the best sword for his father, and his Clan, even the Immortal Blade was made of that metal.

"Here," Omoi said, safely handing him five hundred gold coins inside a small pouch.

"Ohhh, I can smell the gold, Omoi. You're my favorite customer. Here's your Uzarian Steel." The man said, handing Omoi a piece of cloth wrapped around something long and sharp. He carefully unwrapped the cloth, revealing the metal, looking like a piece of sword.

Omoi carefully grabbed it before facing it to the sun. "Shinjitsu." The metal quickly turned golden with Rune marks across the blade. Omoi sighed in relief, knowing the blade was indeed the quality he sought.

"Omoi, my boy. My prices might be high, but I never lie about the product." The fat man said with an almost sincere voice. Omoi almost believed him, but he knew better than to trust a merchant like him.

"It seems so. I think we are done here." Omoi said dismissively; he didn't want to be in the presence of this man for any longer than necessary.

"Tell me, do you like to buy something else? I'm a good merchant. I sell everything. You know our motto: as long as someone is willing to pay a good amount, there will always be someone who is willing to supply him." The man offered with a smile, wide enough that half of his face was just a wide, unmoving smile.

Omoi decided to humor him as he put the blade piece inside his backpack. "Everything, doubt it. Do you guys happen to have a pair of Sharingan eyes just lying around?" He expected the merchant to laugh it off, but instead, the merchant's smile only grew more, if that was possible.

"As long as someone has enough money, someone else will supply him with everything he needs." The man started laughing; his smell made Omoi's stomach turn upside down. Omoi quickly walked away; he didn't want to stay longer with the merchant.

As he returned home, he suddenly heard someone approaching; he turned around just as Naruto landed before him.

"Naruto, what are you doing here?" Omoi questioned, suddenly wondering if there was a mission he had forgotten about, but he quickly noticed the black cat that followed Naruto behind. He was sure his friend didn't have a cat.

"I need to leave for three months to train for my purple lightning, Omoi. Just wanted to tell you that and say hi to Yoruichi, by the way." Naruto said as the black cat jumped on his shoulders; Omoi cocked an eyebrow; he was sure there was something off about the cat.

"Hi." He said lazily before looking at his friend. "Three months, what about missions? You were the one who wanted to complete as many missions as possible." Omoi reminded him.

"Jiji said that it was fine. I will simply start doing missions as usual once I return." Naruto said dismissively.

"Huh, well. Good Luck, Naruto, but don't think I will let you get stronger than me." Omoi said with a smirk, bumping their fists; Naruto smiled back before jumping away, followed quickly by the black cat.

Returning home, he wasted no time and started making his sword. His father watched over him like a hawk, but he wasn't there to help; he just sat there and watched silently. If he noticed that Omoi was using Uzarian Steel, then he made no comment about it.

Wearing a thin white shirt and a pair of pants, Omoi started hammering the new blade, sweat rolling down his face. Hit after hit after hit after hit.

Omoi breathed heavily as he kept working on the new blade, the sun had set, and he was still working on the damn thing. But most importantly, now he needed to write the first Rune mark on the scorching hot metal with his naked finger, a tradition followed by their Clan for centuries. The air felt heavy, his face felt like it was melting from all the sweat, and his hands were bruised and with fresh burn marks, but Omoi refused to stop working.

"Let's do this." Omoi rasped as he looked at how the first Rune was supposed to look like on a piece of paper. Omoi often wondered just how the Uzumaki Clan knew how to make these Runes work. Sadly, their whole talent turned to ashes when their Clan was slaughtered, and all their secrets sunken in the bottom of the sea.

White lightning engulfed his index finger; slowly and carefully, he pressed the tip of his finger on the scorching hot metal. A shot of PAIN went through his entire body, from his finger to his entire arm.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHA!!!" Omoi screamed in pain as he fell to the ground. His finger felt like it was falling off, but as he looked at it, there was a minor burn mark on the tip, but not much else but the pain was like a trail of fire on his entire arm.

"Are you giving up, Omoi? Is this as far as you can go?" His father questioned, with a look of disapproval.

"NO. I can keep going." Omoi shouted more to himself than to his father. With his trembling legs, he stood up before approaching the scorching hot metal.

Omoi breathed heavily, inhaling and exhaling; he took a deep breath before pressing the tip on the hot metal.

Omoi's screams were heard through the night until the first Rune was done. Only one minor mistake and the blade would shatter into pieces; Omoi knew that, so he made sure to do everything according to the book. However, when he went to temper the blade, the Rune mark turned a bright yellow, and the blade shattered like glass.

Omoi watched in silence; the handle was all left of it, and the broken pieces of the blade were on the bottom of the water.

"Three months." His father suddenly said. "You have eighty nine more days to prove your worth."

Gathering the broken metal parts, he melted them before he started working once again. I can do this, he thought.

Two Days Later, his second sword shattered upon putting on the Second Rune. He needed to put all nine without the Blade breaking into pieces. For the third try, he took a whole week. Again, it shattered like glass. Two Weeks again shattered. After twenty Days of Working, the fifth blade shattered before his eyes. On the sixth day, despite working on it for twenty-two days, it still shattered.

For the seventh blade, he decided to listen to the old crazy tales about the Uzumaki Blades. On his thirty-one day of working on his seventh blade, before he tempered it in water, he took a dagger and sliced his hand, letting the blood fall on the blade. The runes glittered red, and the blade did not shatter this time.

.

.

"Did you do it, boy?" His Lord Father demanded as he returned after eighty-nine days passed; Omoi bowed his head, his hands were fully bandaged, his skin had tear and tear again, and the pain had made him cry, but Omoi had not allowed his tears to fall down. His father would never let that slide. He had lost twenty pounds in the last three months, and his body felt incredibly hot, with many bruises, and his throat felt as dry as the Dreamless Desert of Suna.

"I did, Lord Father," Omoi said with a hesitant smile; the man said nothing as his son handed him the New Clan Rune Sword. He quickly pulled out the blade, the nine runes glittering red on the surface of the blade.

Omoi felt his heart beating in his throat like a hammer as his father looked at the sword from every direction, judging its balance.

"It's not Good Enough!" His words felt like a stab in the heart.

"What?! I did everything you told Me!!" Omoi shouted, looking up at his father, almost pleading to him as his eyes welled up with tears. But he simply shook his head in disappointment; he sheathed the sword before throwing it to Omoi's feet.

"You failed, Omoi. Now I have to tell the Clan Leader that my son is unworthy." His father said the words with venom; Omoi felt the tears burning across his cheeks like cold blades against his skin.

"The Black Blade won't be yours." His father said, twisting the knife that was already on Omoi's heart.

"B-But my Mother wanted me to Have It!!" Omoi was now shouting at his father, not caring that he was crying, not caring that he was not showing any amount of respect. His mother had wanted him to have the Black Blade.

"And why would I give you the blade, boy. You are clearly not ready. You can't make a simple Rune Blade, and you think I will give you the pride of my Clan. You! Someone who can't forge his own Blade?"

"But I forged my own Blade." He shouted, unsheathing the blade. He channeled lightning chakra, but the moment he did, the blade turned a dark grey color before it shattered into hundreds of pieces. All that was left was the handle still in his hands.

"You failed me, Omoi. Now go." His father said with disappointment as he walked away, not caring to turn around as Omoi fell on his knees and sobbed.

Jiraiya

"Kumo, who thought you would return here." He heard Fukasaku murmur, sitting on his shoulder like an old gargoyle; the old Sannin nodded in agreement. The last time he had been here had been four years ago, and he was still looking for Naruto.

"Not me. I never wanted to return here, you know how these people are." Jiraiya said with a taste of bitterness on his tongue; he had used a Jutsu to change his appearance; after all, every Shinobi with half a brain would recognize him if he showed his face. Now, his hair had turned a deep shade of red, spiky and short, a kasa hat on top of his head, with tiny bells attached to the hat with short ropes; he was wearing a dark coat that went from neck to knees, along with his usual Shinobi sandals.

"Maybe, but how are you going to find the boy here? If he's truly in Kumo, then you know the Raikage would never let him out of his sight. Last time, he was willing to start a war between Kumo and Konoha for an Uzumaki; now, he has one offered to him on a silver platter. And you told me the Black Cat is his guardian, you know she's not one to underestimate. They say she's faster than the Raikage." Fukasaku said as he sat on Jiraiya's shoulder, but his coat did a good job hiding him from the public, and Jiraiya had made sure to place a Silence seal on the coat so whatever discussion they had wouldn't be overheard.

"The Black Cat is not my main concern, and you know it," Jiraiya said, suddenly angry as he walked out of a corner into the Grand Market.

"I know, but you know what the Hokage said." Jiraiya didn't need to be reminded. Him being inside Kumo unannounced would not sit well with the Raikage. If he was found out, it would be a big problem. Every foreign Shinobi was needed to walk inside the village through the gates. The ANBUs that were always guarding the gate under the shadows would report to the Kage that a foreign Shinobi just entered the village.

If they found him, a Sannin inside the village, unannounced. The Raikage would never let that slide. In the worst-case scenario, Jiraiya would be executed for trespassing; if Hiruzen tried to defend Jiraiya's actions, a War could start over it.

'Right now, we are in Neutral terms, Jiraiya. And I would like to keep it that way. Please don't get caught.'

With that in mind, Jiraiya started exploring Kumo; perhaps the Hand of Fate would guide him to Naruto.

Just hold on. You will be Home soon...