original

Naruto: Blacksmith

作者: theusual

章 1: Forge

[Forge material detected. "Luck Stone" identified. This material enables the creation of the special item "Luck Bracelet." Do you wish to proceed with forging?]

"YESSS, FINALLY!"

In a blink, a silver bracelet appeared in the boy's hand.

As he looked at the bracelet that suddenly materialized in his hand, the information about it appeared in the boy's vision.

[Special item "Luck Bracelet" detected.

Effect: The bearer will be immune to any area-of-effect ability unless directly targeted.]

"Yes! It worked!"

With a massive smile, he raised his fists as his youthful face beamed with pure joy.

The boy's name is Kuro, born in Konoha in Year 48, just a month before Naruto. His parents, both ninjas, died during the Nine-Tails attack shortly after his birth.

However, he is not originally from here. He is a transmigrator who arrived with his own system:

[Forge System]

This system allows him to gather materials and craft special accessories or weapons.

As the name suggests, this system lets him collect materials and forge special items.

During the Nine-Tails attack four years ago, he forged his first accessory.

[Kurama Ring (Status: Upgradable)

Effect: This ring contains the chakra and attributes of the Nine-Tails. The user can access and wield this power at will.]

This was forged from the chakra extracted from the Nine-Tails.

Four years ago, his home was destroyed by the Nine-Tails.

But Kuro survived by falling into a hollow protected by wooden debris.

While trapped, he saw some orange strands of fur hanging above him. Out of curiosity, he touched them, and to his surprise, the system awakened and forged the Kurama Ring.

After that, he was rescued by Konoha ninjas and sent to an orphanage.

Four years have passed since then.

In the past four years, Kuro also tried forging with other materials but failed.

He discovered that only special materials activate the system.

Even so, he accepted his situation, adapted to this world, and began training hard to become a ninja. He understood that this was a world where power meant everything, and without strength, he couldn't shape his own destiny.

Since forging with the system isn't easy, he had to focus on other aspects.

Thanks to the Kurama Ring, his recovery rate is extraordinary, allowing him to train much more than other kids his age. At four years old, he already has physical abilities superior to many older students.

...

Today, Kuro was exhausted after running a lap around Konoha.

Panting, he stopped and looked up at the sky, blue and dotted with white clouds. In the background, the towering Hokage Rock seemed to call to him.

Suddenly, an idea crossed his mind: What if I climb up there?

With that decision, he began to climb. Upon reaching the top, panting but satisfied, the system, which had been silent for over four years, reactivated.

Thanks to this, he managed to create the Luck Bracelet.

However, after the excitement faded, he grew pensive as he observed the area.

The rocks around him looked completely ordinary, identical to any other rock found throughout Konoha.

But the system identified one as the "Luck Stone."

...

Wait...

Could it be...?

A thought crossed his mind.

In the ninja world, every time a disaster occurs in Konoha, this mountain seems to be the only completely safe place.

Konoha will face all sorts of attacks in the future, and the village has been devastated by various enemies. Yet, no matter how much the village is destroyed, the Hokage faces always remain intact and unaffected.

Could the "Luck Stone" be a product of the Hokage Rock's fortune?

Thinking this, Kuro picked up another stone from the ground and used the system to analyze it.

[Ordinary stones lack the necessary properties for crafting special items. Please use suitable forging materials to continue.]

Why?

Kuro frowned.

Could it be that he already used up all the luck of the Hokage Rock to make the bracelet?

Could this mean that when Nagato attacks Konoha in the future, this place will be destroyed?

...

As the sun began to set, evening approached.

Watching the fading sunlight, Kuro stood up from the ground, dusted off his pants, and started descending the mountain.

By nightfall, Konoha's streets were quiet. Only a few people wandered about, and smoke rose from the chimneys of houses.

Kuro could smell the aroma of food as he walked through the streets, and his stomach growled in response.

"Ugh..."

He touched his belly with one hand, remained silent for a moment, then quickened his pace toward his destination.

Konoha, as a ninja village, has established 40 training grounds within its bounds to provide a good practice environment for its ninjas.

...

The Ninth Training Ground is located near the Ninja Academy. It's a spot many students frequent for additional practice after school.

At this hour, it should be empty, but as Kuro approached, he heard the sound of repetitive strikes against wood.

Intrigued, he headed toward the source of the sound and saw a boy with short black hair, straight bangs, and a long ponytail. He wore a long-sleeved green shirt with an oriental style.

But what stood out most about this boy were his peculiar thick eyebrows. Facing a wooden stake, he kicked it repeatedly with impressive determination.

Some people are born with advantages. Kuro had understood this in his past life, and this life confirmed it even more.

But this boy was different.

The boy before him was none other than the famous "Rock Lee."

Lee couldn't use ninjutsu or genjutsu like others. His only path was taijutsu, and only through inhuman effort could he hope to catch up with his peers.

Hard work and more hard work.

Kuro had seen it many times.

During his daily runs around Konoha, he always found Lee training. Whether at sunset or even late into the night, there he was, sweating, hitting, persisting.

But above all, those firm and unyielding eyes impressed him every time he saw them.

Because Lee refused to admit defeat and wanted to prove that even without talent, he could become a ninja, he persevered in his intense training day after day.

Everyone should admire such willpower.

But even so...

Thinking about the teammates Rock Lee would have after graduation and the final battle against Madara, where, despite opening the Sixth Gate, Lee could only watch from the sidelines, Kuro couldn't help but clench his fists.

He must take control of his own destiny.

With this thought, Kuro relaxed his frown, smiled, and approached.

This training ground was a grassy field surrounded by trees, but Kuro didn't try to hide and walked openly, so Lee saw him coming from afar. However, Lee didn't stop his training or lose focus.

Kuro stopped a few meters away and watched for a while before speaking: "You can't keep practicing like this."

Boom!

Lee delivered an even stronger kick to the stake, which trembled from the impact. Then, without looking away, he responded in a slightly hostile tone, "Are you here to laugh at me too? If so, laugh all you want. This is the only thing I can do."

"..."

Kuro was stunned; he hadn't expected such a reaction from Lee.

But it wasn't surprising, considering his experiences at school.

After all, Rock Lee had only been in school for a year.

Kuro smiled calmly and shook his head. "No, I didn't come to laugh at you. I just wanted to correct one thing. Burying your head in training like this won't help. If you truly want to improve... fight me!"

With those words, he adopted a combat stance, challenging Lee with a confident smile.