They all noticed—
Another prodigious boy was rising in the Village Hidden in the Leaves!
Compared to Hyuga Neji, the most celebrated genin of the previous year,
A civilian ninja like "Tian Yu," who had not only joined the Anbu but also forged his own path,
Became the most watched and discussed topic in the entire village.
For the major clans and ninja organizations,
Talented civilian ninjas like Tian Yu—those who could enter the Anbu without backing—
Were prime targets to win over.
But as for these things,
Tian Yu wasn't interested.
Numerous invitation letters, solicitations, and alliance proposals
Were thrown into the furnace by him.
The burning flames devoured them all,
Turning those passionate words into nothing but drifting ashes.
During this time,
Tian Yu informed his father, Tianxiong,
That Hokage-sama had officially issued a high-level weapon commission to their family.
Tianxiong was overjoyed. His eyes lit up like lanterns!
This was no ordinary business—
If they handled this order from the Hokage's Office successfully,
Their family's shop could secure long-term, high-level clients across the entire shinobi system.
Even if they sat idle afterward,
Customers would keep flooding their store!
And because of this excitement,
Tianxiong also expressed complete support for Tian Yu's ideas—
Whether it was to improve his strength or create advanced ninja tools.
He even waved his hand generously and said,
"If you need any ores, any rare material—just hand the list to me, son!
Your father will find it for you, no matter what!"
Coincidentally, Tian Yu was indeed collecting materials for a new round of forging.
Hearing his father's bold promise,
Tian Yu's eyes sparkled with joy.
However, very soon…
Tianxiong deeply regretted those confident words.
Because his precious son returned to his room,
And emerged moments later carrying a stack of densely written scrolls.
Not one scroll.
But an entire stack.
Why? Because a single scroll wasn't enough!
When Tianxiong opened the first few scrolls,
His vision went dark. The sheer quantity of materials made him dizzy.
And when he finally stepped out to buy everything from the list—
He almost burst into tears on the spot!
To fulfill this material list,
He had to spend nearly their entire family savings!
If not for Tian Yu winning the Hokage's weapon order,
This one purchase would've pushed their weapons business to bankruptcy!
But even though it hurt like a kunai to the chest,
Tianxiong still went ahead and bought all the listed materials.
He supported his son silently… with tears in his eyes.
"Thanks, Dad!"
Looking at several carts full of rare metals and forging supplies,
Tian Yu beamed and stepped forward to give his haggard father a heartfelt hug.
Tianxiong was so touched, he teared up—
"Worth it… it's all worth it…"
After collecting all the materials,
Tian Yu sealed himself in his private forging room.
When not on missions with Might Guy outside the village,
He would dedicate himself entirely to research and forging.
His parents were also fully preoccupied
With preparations for the massive order from the Hokage's Office.
During this time, no one disturbed him.
Tian Yu closed his eyes—
And began his next phase of practice.
In his system's interface,
Several high-grade blueprints were quietly waiting to be forged.
One of them caught his attention:
---
[Name: Chakra Crystal Stone – Forging Blueprint]
Forging Difficulty: ★★★ (3-Star)
Effect: A disposable ninja tool that stores chakra. When crushed, it releases the stored chakra for immediate absorption.
---
This blueprint had been rewarded by the system
After Tian Yu completed the mission involving absorbing Wood Release chakra from Yamato.
Its utility was clear.
In battle, chakra is life.
Many ninjas are unable to cast high-level jutsu due to their chakra limitations.
This is why someone like Naruto—blessed with Uzumaki lineage and the Nine-Tails—is so powerful.
But now, with this Chakra Crystal Stone,
Tian Yu could stockpile chakra for use in emergencies,
Allowing him to continue casting jutsu even after his reserves were exhausted!
It was like having his own portable reservoir!
Though this was only a 3-star ninja tool and not difficult to forge,
The materials required were still numerous—over a dozen rare ores and chakra-conductive substances.
Also, it was a one-time-use tool.
So Tian Yu set himself a goal:
Forge 100 Chakra Crystal Stones as backup.
Fortunately, he didn't need to handcraft them all individually.
Thanks to his promotion from junior to intermediate blacksmith,
The system had rewarded him with an Automated Forging Table.
Now, all he had to do was forge one perfect prototype.
Then, by inserting the same materials, the table would replicate the process automatically!
Within hours,
A glowing sapphire-blue crystal nucleus appeared in Tian Yu's hand.
"Forging complete!"
For someone of his skill level,
This 3-star item presented no challenge—just a bit of time.
Tian Yu channeled his chakra into the crystalline stone to test it.
As expected, the stone held no chakra initially.
It was like a power bank—useless unless charged beforehand.
As he poured chakra into it,
The gem darkened from blue to a richer, deeper tone.
His chakra swirled inside like wisps of cotton.
Due to his age, Tian Yu's chakra reserves were limited.
He currently held about the same volume as a standard jonin.
At most, he could release three A-rank jutsu before exhausting himself.
This was part of why he often used the Eight Gates Technique—
Not just for a power boost,
But to burst open chakra flow during critical moments.
But with the Chakra Crystal Stone?
He had a sustainable solution.
If he fought Yamato again,
He wouldn't even need to open the Eight Gates!
His ninja tools alone would be enough to defeat that man.
---
After charging one stone to capacity—
Which took nearly all his chakra—Tian Yu observed:
It could hold chakra equivalent to an elite jonin!
That's when an idea struck him:
The Yin Seal!
Like Tsunade's technique—
Which accumulates chakra over time and stores it in a seal on the forehead—
This tool could replicate that effect externally.
The Yin Seal was what enabled Tsunade to perform forbidden healing jutsu
Like Creation Rebirth and Strength of a Hundred Technique,
By tapping into this massive chakra reserve.
The Chakra Crystal Stone was like a simplified, reusable version of that!
And it was much easier to use.
Tian Yu stored the first charged crystal stone
And began the automated forging process.
The forging table glowed—imitating his previous actions perfectly.
Tian Yu then sat cross-legged on the floor, eyes closed.
He began digesting a far more complex blueprint in his heart:
---
[6-Star Forging Blueprint: Zanpakutō – Great Red Lotus Ice Wheel Maru]
---
He focused, memorizing every intricate pattern and forging sequence.
Then, he opened his eyes with clarity and purpose.
Striding toward the forge,
He picked up the heavy hammer.
With a spark of chakra,
The furnace roared to life.
The flames blazed hot—turning red, then white.
And the next legendary weapon…
Was about to be born.